The type of impression you do will determine what style of tent you need. For instance: a profitable business will be housed in a large wall tent in good condition, refugees may shelter under discarded army issue tents or mere sheets of canvas hung from the trees. Most of the tents offered for sale by sutlers are intended to represent military issue tents--an item most civilians would not have access to. Selecting your tent also depends upon factors such as cost, ease of assembly, and how much room you have in your car.
Our brief overview will give you some idea on what types of tents are available to civilian reenactors. Remember that tents are sold without poles or stakes--those must be ordered separately or made at home. Be sure to check our section on Poles and Hardware.
These are the standard for civilian use. Wall tents had been around since before the Revolutionary War in some form or another. Although camping was not a pastime for civilian families, those who traveled across the prairies or on expedition used this model of tent. It was roomy, comfortable, sturdy, and shed water well. They were widely available at many merchants.
These tents are ideal for families or groups of reenactors. They are priced in the median range-a bit more than an A-frame tent but less than a baker or Sibley tent. Prices range from $220-$400 on up depending on size and features. Some come with a door at both ends--this model will be cooler in the summer since air can circulate.
Wall tents are, unfortunately, the most difficult tent to erect. It takes a minimum of two people and specialized ropes to put one up, or three people and regular ropes. (Two people hold up the front and back poles while another sets the ropes). Ideally, four people make for the easiest assembly of a wall tent.
A-frame tents had been around since before the Revolutionary war, and were designed to sleep up to 5 soldiers. These tents sleep two and their gear comfortably, or three with some shifting of gear. Although this was a military tent, civilians had access to merchants selling this type of tent before and during the war.
These tents are the most economical and easy to erect of all canvas tents. Prices range from $140 up. They only require three poles and 9 stakes. One person can easily erect an A frame tent.
A variation of the A frame tent that is very useful for civilian use is the model with a door both front and back. During the day, one side of the A frame wall can be lifted onto poles to form an awning, creating a shady place to work or display your wares.
These huge shelters were used widely by the military, mostly in winter camps. Circular in shape, these tents resembled a tipi with short walls around the bottom. They required only one tall pole in the middle for support, with ropes holding out the walls. They were very roomy and several soldiers could bunk comfortably in these tents. Although this would not be a common tent for civilian use, some refugees were housed in these by the military. Like the tipi, Sibley tents had an opening at the top to draft smoke from a woodstove or fire. With a heat source, these large tents were very warm and cozy for cold weather use.
These tents are pricey, expect to spend about $400 or more for one. Due to their center pole design, two people can easily erect one of these big boys.
If you will be reenacting during cold weather, you may want to consider a woodstove for your tent. Even a tiny stove will heat your tent and keep gear dry. If you use a stove, you will need to order a tent with a stove jack installed. A stove jack is a fire proof section of roof with a roof jack to accept the stove pipe. Stove jack kits are available to add heating capability to your existing tent, but it is a considerable project. Plan ahead if possible and have the tent merchant install this item.
This tent has been surrounded by controversy at times. Some reenactors claim they were not in use during the Civil War. I have seen documented accounts of folks using them and living in them since at least the 1850's. (Thoreau stayed in one during his "roughing it" stage, and described it in detail.) These tents were available for purchase during the 1860's, although most accounts state they were homemade or locally made models. It is likely that refugees and frontier folks used these tents due to their superb practicality.
Baker tents look much like one half of a wall tent with an awning over the open side. This awning can be lowered to close up the tent for privacy. Baker tents got their name from a resemblance to the reflector ovens used by some bakers. Like a reflector oven, they were heated by building a fire in front of the tent--the shape of the tent captured the heat and kept the occupants warm and cozy. (I spent an extended period of time, including a winter, living in a Baker tent and stayed nice and warm.)
Due to the built-in awning, these tents are ideal for many civilian uses. They provide ample shade and shelter for many impressions. Refugees would likely have rigged up a tent much like the baker to keep warm in cold weather.
Two people can easily erect a baker's tent. Some require several poles, depending on the design and size of the tent.
Folks on a budget or who are portraying refugees may want to consider the humble lean-to. Requiring only a single canvas fly, they are very economical, and while they are short on privacy, they provide plenty of shade and shelter from hot sunlight, light rains and morning dew.
This is a good representation for refugees, who generally had to flee their homes on short notice and would not have tents. Folks who do not stay in camp at night, but need shelter for their gear and shade to work under would find these useful. They can be erected with no poles at all if trees are available to tie a rope to, otherwise they only require two upright poles. A 12 by 12 foot canvas fly for a lean to is available for $100 up.
A shade fly/rain fly is such a tremendously useful item of shelter that they are essential for many types of impressions. This is an item that many civil war era town & rural civilians owned for shade and rain protection over their outdoor summer kitchens and various seasonal projects.
Since summer heat is a problem at many reenactments, the fly provides essential shade for reenactors, whatever their impression. It is also wonderful to have a sheltered area to work and store gear in a downpour. They require 8 upright poles and a ridge pole, numerous ropes and stakes. A 12 by 12 foot fly costs about $100-up.
Another excellent use for a fly is on top of your wall tent. In the full sunlight, tents become an oven and can be intolerably hot. By hanging a fly over your tent, suspended so that there is about one foot of clearance between tent roof and fly, your tent will stay nice and cool inside. This is also a good trick to use in heavy rain since it keeps the tent roof and walls dry, thus keeping the occupants and their gear cozy.
In a Rainstorm Canvas tents are water repellent, not water proof. If your tent gets wet from rain or dew, it will repel the drops, but still be damp on the inside. Don't touch the inside of the walls. If you touch the walls, you interrupt the molecular structure of the droplets and water will start to drip through, causing leaks. Keep your gear away from the sides of your tent during rains.
Be sure the tent you purchase is treated with a water repellent. If not, you will need to purchase a gallon of water repellent and paint it onto your tent at home. You will also need to re-treat your tent regularly, every one to two years, depending on how often the canvas tent or fly is used.
Your tent may shrink a bit after it's first drenching. This is common, so loosen the ropes a bit while your tent dries out to avoid tearing. You may need to shorten your poles by an inch or two to adjust for the shrinkage.
Keep it Dry Unlike nylon tents, prolonged exposure to sunlight will not harm your canvas tent. Canvas will not rip easily like nylon, and is very durable. Moisture is the enemy of canvas. A canvas tent folded up when damp will mildew and rot.
If your tent is damp when you take it down at the end of a reenactment, hang it up on a line or set it up as soon as you get home to let it dry completely. At one reenactment we had heavy rains: I just tied the dripping canvas to the top of my load, then re-assembled the tent as soon as I got home. Even though it continued raining for a week, the canvas suffered no mildew because it could "breathe". When a couple of sunny days had dried it out, I was able to fold it up for storage again.
Fire Safety Many canvas tents are also treated with a fire retardant (it's the law in some states). This may give your tent a chemical smell-erect the tent in your yard for a week to dissipate the odor. The treatment also leaves the canvas slightly sticky, so dirt and leaves will stick to the tent--you will need to clean your tent more often.
Even fire retardant canvas will burn if exposed to a direct flame. Don't erect your tent downwind from your campfire to limit sparks. Never use an unshielded candle in a canvas tent.
Cleaning Your tent will eventually get very dirty and dusty. Wash your tent by erecting it in your yard, then blasting it with the garden hose. Do not use soap. Soap will remove the water-proofing, and you will have to re-treat the tent. Leave the tent up until thoroughly dry before folding and storage.
If you use your tent frequently, then plan to scrub down your tent and re-treat with waterproofing on a yearly basis. Your canvas tent will give you many years of service if you provide this minimum upkeep.
Most event planners set aside an area for folks who prefer to stay in motor homes or modern tents. Nylon tents are not acceptable for use at the reenactment encampment, but you can use them in the "farb" camping area or the parking area. Ask the event coordinator what kind of farb camping situation is available in advance, so you can plan ahead for your needs. Few of these sites have running water and it might be quite a distance from the encampment and/or bathrooms.
Image courtesy of Carson Collection