Is it time to upgrade your tent to a Yukon Bell Tent? Tents are standard emergency gear among preppers. They are typically made from nylon, inexpensive, and compact. These tents, however, are designed for summer and spring months when there is not extreme weather. Heavy wind, rain, or snow make most inexpensive tents useless.
When disaster strikes, it helps to have a great tent if you plan on bugging-out to a safer location in the great outdoors. It can be several weeks before an area is safe to return home. After houses have been devastated, it’s common to need temporary shelter as homes are rebuilt. A cheap tent is sufficient for an overnight backpacking trip, but if you need a shelter for weeks or even months, it may be time to upgrade to a larger canvas four season tent!
Pros of a Canvas Yukon Bell Tent
Size
One of my favorite features of the Yukon Bell Tent is the spacious feeling from a vaulted ceiling. It comfortably fits four people with cots or blow-up beds. Without cots or blow-up beds, it would sleep 8-10 people. The door height is 5 feet and the tallest point of the tent is 8 feet, making it easy for my husband and I to walk around.
Most tents are not a place people want to hang out for any length of time because they are cramped with limited room to crawl around in. We set up this yurt style tent in the backyard, and my son and his cousins loved hanging out and playing in it. The next week we took it with us to the lake with a nearby campsite. My husband & I enjoyed hanging out in it when we weren’t kayaking, exploring, or eating. It was lovely to have a place where my kiddo could take his regularly scheduled nap, and we could still enjoy our surroundings.
Insulation
The thicker canvas material provides more protection from the sun and allows for better temperature control over a nylon tent. If you are looking to trap in heat, there are special patches in the ceiling made out of fireproof fiberglass fabric where a woodstove chimney can go. Note: the tent is not fireproof, so it is recommended to get a Stove Mat to protect the tent. A Mr. Buddy propane heater could also be used.
The days were hot (90°F) when my family used this tent. To keep the temperature cool inside the tent, we unzipped the canvas windows and door, which exposed the screens (see photo below) to catch a light breeze. We also used a 10-inch camping fan. This kept the temperature inside the tent comfortable and cool.
Ventilation
With its ability to trap heat, ventilation is essential on hot days. Proper ventilation keeps condensation from building up and water from pooling inside the tent. The Yukon Bell Tent has four screened windows, four screened vents on the ceiling, a screened double-door, and a zippered floor that allow for the sides of the tent to be rolled up. The screened windows and doors can pick up a cool breeze no matter which direction it blows, and it also keeps the bugs out.
Durability
Canvas fibers are thick and weaved very tightly together, making it a tough material that is rip-resistant and naturally waterproof. The tent potentially can last a lifetime if it is well cared for. If it gets punctured, the canvas material can be patched up using a sewing machine or a needle and thread then waterproofed with wax from a candle.
Set Up
Yurt style tents have been used for thousands of years because they are quick to set up and takedown. My first time setting it up by myself took about 25 minutes (note: I’m six months pregnant). It would have been a faster setup time, but I had to look-up how to tie a Taut-Line Knot (it was easy to learn). The second time was much quicker, taking about 15 minutes. It helped that the rope lines were left attached to the tent. If I let my husband help, the time would improve. Note: After the first use, I added a broom and a microfiber towel to the tent carrying bag. The broom makes it easier to remove twigs and dirt from inside the tent before rolling it up. The microfiber towel is to wipe off the moisture on the tent’s bottom underside before packing it away in the carrying bag.
Cons of a Canvas Yukon Bell Tent
Metal Stakes – The stakes included with the tent work fine in soft dirt and on a lawn, but a few of them bent when it was worked into the hard ground. I’ll be upgrading the metal stakes to Steel Tent Spikes and every camper knows to pack a hammer with the tent.
Water Pooling – It’s common to lay a tarp under a tent for extra moisture protection. However, water would pool in small puddles inside the tent when the tarp was placed as a ground cover for this tent. Once I removed the tarp, there was no problem with water pooling inside the tent. Make sure to use the eyelet tabs to stake the tent into the ground and not the rope rings you see in the picture below. This will also prevent water from seeping in the tent.
Zipper Flooring – Being able to unzip the sides of the tent is definitely awesome! I was able to unzip a portion of the floor to help it dry-out when water seeped in. So why is it in the cons section? Learning how to zip and unzip the groundsheet is a maze of zippers that may take some time to figure out. So I would NOT try it out in the wilderness an hour before sundown.
Yukon Bell Tent Gear & Specifications
Groundsheet: PVC 540g, zips into tent and curves up the wall 3.5″ to keep water out.
Poles: 2 poles – The 8 foot center pole breaks down into three segments to make it easier to manage. It has a rubber gasket at the bottom and top to protect the floor and canvas. The second pole is an A-Frame pole system for doorway.
Stakes: 12 stakes for the groundsheet and 12 for the guy ropes, made of steel.
Guy ropes: 11 & 1 extra long for door.
Bag: The canvas tent came in a zippered bag with handle. The bag is large enough to hold tent and poles once you practice rolling the tent up tightly.
Weight: tent 49 lbs, with frames and stakes 67 lbs.
A) TOP OF TENT TO TOP OF DOORWAY 5 ft
B) POLE HEIGHT 8 ft
C) DOORWAY HEIGHT 5 ft
D) WALL HEIGHT 3 ft
E) DIAMETER 13 ft
Final Thoughts
My family and I think the Yukon Bell Tent is impressive! It’s comfortable, functional, and easy to set-up. Whether we are bugging out, camping, glamping, or spending a day at the lake, this tent will be coming with us on our adventures. Visit Elk Mountain Tents if you would like to know the price, see more photos, or check out their other tents.
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Great write up thanks. A new tent is now in the plan. appreciate info..
keebler