Whether you’ve just taken the plunge and bought your first swag, or you’ve just upgraded to the latest and greatest roof top tent, learning how to care for it should be a priority. Swags, some tents, many roof top tents, and most camper trailers are predominantly canvas. Now you’re no doubt thinking what sort of swag maintenance you’ll need to do to make your investment pay off.
Canvas is a durable fabric made from cotton, and often blended with polyester. While the cotton component is natural and breathable, the polyester offers the added benefit of additional strength, and a tighter weave resulting in a perfectly waterproof fabric.
While canvas is a fantastic textile that can really take a beating, there are a few things you need to do to make it last.
Seasoning
First thing’s first, you’ve got to season your canvas. A common misconception is that the seasoning process is to make the canvas waterproof. That’s not true; the canvas is already waterproof. The seasoning process drenches the fabric and thread causing everything to swell and contract. This results in the tiny needle openings created during the sewing process effectively closing back up, rendering the joins in the fabric waterproof.
There are a number of ways to season your canvas, with your application determining the best way:
Soak method: Fill your bath up halfway, and place your canvas swag or tent in the bath. Submerge it completely and let it soak overnight. Drain the bath, take your canvas outside and set it up in the sun to dry.
Hose down method: Set up your canvas in the backyard, remove the mattress and close all openings. Hit it with the hose, and don’t be shy. Absolutely saturate it for ten minutes or more, then let it dry out in the sun.
Wipe down method: Particularly handy for a rooftop tent, the wipe down method is as simple as the name suggests. Fill up a bucket with clean water, and drop a sponge in (it’s absolutely imperative that the sponge is clean and free of any detergent, so don’t use the carwash sponge). Fill your sponge up with water, and rub it over the seams of your canvas. When you’re done, allow it to dry in the sun.
The thing about seasoning is that you can’t tell if you’ve done it well or not. So do it again. Why not? Spending that additional time sure beats sleeping in a puddle if that first go wasn’t effective. Third time’s a charm, or so they say – season it again for good measure.
Cleaning
There’s more to swag maintenance than seasoning. One issue overlooked by many, but just as important as seasoning your canvas is cleaning it. Rolling up your swag covered in mud or other contaminants could have absolutely dire consequences. Despite how durable it can be, canvas can also be a fussy thing. Almost every chemical will cause deterioration with prolonged contact. That doesn’t sound so bad; it’s pretty easy to keep chemicals away from it, right? Wrong. Did you know that bloke that camped here last emptied his washing up tub over there? Or that he drives a Land Rover so there’s drops of oil everywhere? Or that he spilled a bit of petrol filling up his generator? Even small amounts of this stuff can have a detrimental impact on the integrity of your canvas.
All is not lost, however. If you do find you’ve soiled your swag, just give it a quick clean. Use a medium to firm bristle brush, like a dustpan broom, to agitate the soiled area and remove the bulk of the dirt. Next up, give it a good once over with a sponge or cloth and clean water. It might take a few goes to get it perfectly clean, but it will result in years of reliable service in return. Remember to avoid detergent when washing your canvas.
If you start to notice a bit of mold or mildew creeping in, don’t despair. Seek out a purpose-made mold and mildew remover and follow the instructions. Ensure that the mold and mildew remover you choose does not contain bleach. Once you’ve done the clean up, let your canvas dry in the sun before packing it away. Another hot tip is to give the affected area a quick vacuum once it’s been cleaned to suck out those nasty mold spores that can hang on tight otherwise.
General Use
We know how to season, and we know how to clean our canvas, but what more can we do to get the maximum lifespan out of this stuff? There are actually a few things, and they’re pretty simple.
Keep your canvas well-ventilated. It can be hard to avoid the dreaded condensation overnight, but by keeping your canvas open as much as is practical while you sleep you’ll reduce the probability of condensation forming.
No matter how hard you try, at some point your canvas is going to get wet. That’s fine, it’s waterproof. Just make sure that you thoroughly dry it in the sun before you store it. If the weather isn’t favourable, set it up in the shade somewhere that’s well-ventilated. Never attempt to dry your canvas with heat.
Sometimes no matter how well we look after our canvas, wear and tear will take its toll. This might mean you spring a leak in a storm, or a friendly passing bird leaves a pretty picture on the side of the roof top tent. No matter what the cause, you need to seal it back up. There are plenty of products on the market that you can use to ‘proof’ your canvas. What this essentially does is create a thin rubber-like seal that water cannot penetrate. It’s good practice to apply a product of this kind to your seams every couple of years to ensure you never have to deal with a leak.
Storage
After you’ve done your swag maintenance, you’ll need to consider where you stow it. This one can be tricky for some, as you can only store your camping gear where you’ve got room. For those with the luxury of a bit of space in the garage, choose your spot carefully. You want a cool, dry spot that doesn’t get too humid and never gets wet. You’ll also need to keep it out of direct sunlight to avoid fading. By that same token, don’t leave your canvas on the concrete floor, as that can cause fading as well.
The best spot is a sparsely filled shelf in the back of the shed away from the doors and windows with plenty of air circulation. Not so easy with a roof top tent or camper trailer, so if that’s your style, focus on getting your canvas 100% dry before storage. If you need to, don’t hesitate to set your gear up every now and then to air it out and check it over. Even better than that, just go camping – that’ll air it out nicely.
Quick canvas tips
The higher the cotton content, the less prone to condensation
Leaky seams can be quickly sealed by rubbing a candle over them
If your swag comes in a bag, don’t forget to season it too
Remove the mattress before you season your swag
Don’t put a tarp over your camper trailer when stored, it reduces ventilation
Avoid pulling the canvas too tight when pegging down
Swag maintenance doesn’t need to be painful, one beer is a good measure of time
If it’s raining outside, or there’s condensation inside, try not to touch the canvas
If you can, get your swag up off the ground with a ground sheet or stretcher
Even if your new tent says it’s preseasoned, season it anyway
Vacuum your canvas out before storage, ants can find a way into anything
Set up away from trees. Sap and bird poo aren’t your friend
