Making Storage Pouches In a Canvas Tent

[Catwoman69y2k]

Hello there

I am heading out to playa this year with my 6 person canvas camping tent. The tent has held up for a nice year at Burning Man but I do want to upgrade and add storage to the tent to be more efficient with my tent space inside. So, I wanted to build zip pouches into the tent for things like toiletries and other sundry items. However, Im a bit unsure how to accomplish this. My tent's canvas parts are not seperated. The walls and roof are essentially one piece so putting them through a sewing machine (even if such a machine could handle thick canvas) to apply these pouch patches would not be practical/logical from what I can see.

At the very worst, if it is just not practical to seew onto such a big piece like this, maybe I can make a canvas strip with the pockets on there that is removable (and hangable) via grommets and the metal frame. Might be easier to work with small "mini"/removable walls than trying to sew with such a large tent that has its walls and roof in one single unit. Anyone know of some tutorials that might help me figure this one out?

[FIGJAM]

I would use heavy duty velcro strips.

Then you could remove the pouches when packing the tent.

[Bob]

Might help to state the style and brand of tent. Also, read your manual.

If it has internal tie points, use those. Otherwise I'd avoid compromising the canvas cover. In a high wind and/or rain your articles hanging off the sides may pound against the cover and cause leaks or rips.

Dollar stores around here have one-dollar nylon tool belts with a bunch of pockets. The straps are long enough to wrap around a five-gallon bucket, stretch across a camping cot, or use somewhere else in a tent. I usually use a cot, and stow most of my items underneath.

[Catwoman69y2k]

Might help to state the style and brand of tent. Also, read your manual.

If it has internal tie points, use those. Otherwise I'd avoid compromising the canvas cover. In a high wind and/or rain your articles hanging off the sides may pound against the cover and cause leaks or rips.

Dollar stores around here have one-dollar nylon tool belts with a bunch of pockets. The straps are long enough to wrap around a five-gallon bucket, stretch across a camping cot, or use somewhere else in a tent. I usually use a cot, and stow most of my items underneath.

Thanks for teh advice. I have been trying to think what these things were called. I seen a toiletries travel bag that has the basic storage capacity I am desiring there in the tent and even thought to look for one of those shoe trees you hang on the back of doors made out of canvas. Something like that is what I seek.

The tent I am using is a Camping Equipment Co brand Vanguard. My instructions do show how the tent constructs, but it isnt as detailed beyond that.
Link to PDF: http://leopardspot.endofinternet.net:80 ... nguard.pdf

[Bob]

Huh. Not sure what to make of that tent. I'd check IKEA or the thrift shoppes, after the dollar stores. Cheap nylon tool bags w/multiple pockets from a hardware store, military surplus bags or something, rather than compromise the canvas. They taught us in the Scouts not to screw around with the tents.

[CornMan]

If you're in a big enough tent, you could go with one of these:




Or one of these:

[Bob]

Some people use a wardrobe rack in their tents for that.

[Jackass]

If you're in a big enough tent, you could go with one of these:

I use one of these in my tent trailer and it kicks ass, keeps me from constantly misplacing everything! It's a must have.

[Catwoman69y2k]

Thank Bob and Jackasss! These are the very things I was looking for but had no idea what they were called. Obviously not a camping item so even my camping equipment retailers didnt seem to have something like it there. They look like they could break down. I guess I just have to get some zip ties. Any idea if I should ground the bottom with a tie or weight, so that they dont (as someone here mentioned) flap around and cause mess/chaos

[Jackass]

Try one of these:

wardrobe.jpg

[Savannah]

My organizational keys: like Bob, I've got a cot and use rubbermaid containers underneath it (and behind the head). I like a $5 wooden tv tray as a bedside table, & wastebasket underneath. I pack stuff inside the wastebasket on the way, so it's not actually a pain in the ass. "Kaboodle" containers are good for some toiletries, and another for first aid. Tackle boxes would work well also. Big suitcases for clothes.

I'm strongly tempted to co-opt the several foot high plastic "chest of drawers" (3 drawers; maybe 3 feet high) from my bathroom as an organizational tool as well, because the top of my current "bedside table" gets overrun with contact solution and lotion etc.

I'm not really keen to hang anything on my tent walls. When the wind gets to whipping around, big pockets might indeed compromise its seams as Bob mentions concern regarding, and small ones won't be of much use.

[Catwoman69y2k]

Try one of these:

wardrobe.jpg

Yeah. I seen those but they dont appear to pack down (fold up) so it might become an issue when transporting it. Definitely looking for a cot like someone says they use since my air matress just on the ground is an ordeeal to physically rise from bed each morn. I like the idea of some sort of foldable/accordian metal bed frame to raise that mattress up a bit and maybe keep it from wobbling during my attempts to get up. So yes, that would mean Id have room to stow stuff beneath it. I really like the rubbermaid "action packers" that I use for things like my fursuits so that part is covered. Just trying to get some floor space saved and have things easily reachable through a zipper pocket (like the toiletry bag idea)

http://www.sz-wholesale.com/uploadFiles ... Z89602.jpg

[DoctorIknow]

There is only one velcro that really sticks. I've used it on nylon and fabric, and it doesn't give up in heat or flex.
You put it on with an iron. NEVER believe for a second that the normal "peel off" type velcro will hold up.

[Catwoman69y2k]

DoctorIKnow,

Thanks for the item referrral. Since this velcro might go onto the tent's canvas "walls", Im still down to not knowing what I need to sew (hand sew) things onto a large canvas piece like that. One canvas company mentioned a sewing awl as something that could pierce canvas well enough for sewing.

Overall, at this point it is better to find someething with large spaces which seal closed (to keep some of the dust exposure down) but that can hang via grommets on its frame and good zip ties. The one MUST HAVE is that the item/shelving is foldable or breaks down into a compact form so it still is practical to pack into my car for transport.

[theCryptofishist]

They look like they could break down.

I think they are canvas and fold up.

[Catwoman69y2k]

Thanks. Im so much closer on my search than I was in the beginning. Biggest challenge is finding things that have zippers/sleeves which have a "lid" or cover to it which you zip closed. Self-contained seems very important for MOOP. Also found some storage for on-site garbage sorting (I usually do it wiih your basic 2-3 different garbage bags).

http://www.campingworld.com/shopping/it ... -bin/48850

[peyote2004]

Keep it as simple as possible...

I haven't been to BM yet, but for my regular camping I use the following...

- 6 man nylon tent
- Queen size double high air bed
- Large Rubbermaid bin to store clothes ... it also acts as a night stand.
- small Rubbermaid bin for toiletries, etc - zip-locks of all sizes to contain the toiletries/sundries, etc to keep them organised

My tent has 2 closed off areas on each side of the entrance that are accessible from either inside or outside the tent. The small Rubbermaid fits into one of those spots, and I keep my shoes/boots in the other one.

The airbed makes the tent very full ... but I have gotten quite good at dressing small spaces.