The first canvas tent I ever purchased was a Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow 10×10. (Save 15% with a discount code I found)
It’s my favorite tent I’ve ever owned. And that includes owning a U.S.-made Springbar.
This Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow review comes from personal experience. I spent months camping and living in canvas tents over the past few years.
I thought I would dislike the Kodiak Flex-bow because it was made in China, and I thought it would feel cheap compared to the U.S.-made Springbar tent (which I also own).
I was wrong. (full Springbar vs Kodiak comparison)
If you’re interested in learning about other brands, make sure to check out my best canvas tents article.
Note: You can support REAL reviews by using links on my website. I don’t accept free gear nor do I write sponsored reviews on this website, but I may earn a small amount if you purchase on certain marketplaces. All gear I recommend is from my own experience.
Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Review: An Overview
Kodiak Flex-bow 10×10 tents are big with thick floors and quality canvas while being reasonably priced. They are perfect for hunters, fishermen, scouts, and anyone that needs a solid basecamp for days to weeks at a time.
You get free shipping with SHIP0 as a discount code at KodiakCanvas.com (or get even better deals in my buyer’s guide email).
- Best Value
- Tried & Tested
- Metal stake loops
- Vestibule Add-On
- Venting Options for Summer
- Lack of color options
- No stove options
Don’t pay full price. [Click here for my active discount codes] for Springbar, Kodiak, White Duck, and Teton Sports!
Here’s how Kodiak Canvas compares to similar canvas tents. Then I will take you through a quick pros and cons list of the Kodiak Flex-Bows. After, I will expand on several of these to give you more insights from my personal experience.
Kodiak Canvas is priced similarly to White Duck Outdoors Prota (my review) and Teton Sports Mesa (review) while significantly more affordable than a U.S. Springbar.
The key differences between Kodiak Canvas and the other imported tents are:
- Kodiak Canvas uses metal stake loops (vs fabric webbing)
- Kodiak has better zippers/design (White Duck uses velcro at the bottom of the doors),
- Kodiak Canvas has better better accessories like the vestibule wing
Kodiak Canvas has been in the game longer and has a solid reputation.
Kodiak has 4 sizes with 3 available venting options on the 10×10 and 10×14.
Here’s a quick cheat sheet I made for the sizes and models of Kodiak Flex-Bow tents.
Note: You will come across Competitive Edge Products as a buying option. They operate as a drop shipper, which means they don’t hold inventory and simply act as a middleman between you and Kodiak. Be aware that they charge a 20% restocking fee and return shipping (ie: a $300+ return in some cases). Purchasing directly from Kodiak means no middlemen and quicker customer support.
Don’t pay full price. View active discount codes for Springbar, Kodiak, White Duck, and Teton Sports!
You can also find deals at Sportsmans Warehouse depending on the time of year.
Kodiak Canvas Flex-Bow Tent Review
Kodiak Canvas Pros
- Palace-sized – perfect for basecamps for hiking, hunting, scouting, etc.
- Sturdy – the Kodiak flexbow tent poles are heavy and feel very secure
- Waterproof and dustproof – they also claim it is “breathable” although it still gets hot, just not as stuffy.
- Aesthetically pleasing – simple design with contrasting colors
- Easy setup – will take a little muscle when setting up alone, but I can set up the 10×10 by myself.
- Zippers are beasts – it doesn’t appear that anything was looked past designing this tent
- Footprint is THICK – it’s nearly double the thickness of their Springbar competitor. No need for a tarp underneath, although I’d still recommend one of their basic tarps.
- Easily use a cot – this allows for even additional storage underneath
- Hang gear inside – get a Mr. Buddy heater and dry some gear if needed.
- Front and back doors! – My Springbar Outfitter is a 9×7 and only has one access door which is kind of a bummer, especially on hot days. There is a pretty big difference between having open airflow vs air flowing through mesh windows.
- Venting options – The Kodiak VX has huge side windows, which give 360 views and is the great option for summer camping.
- Up to 15% off (and Avoid Amazon)
- Honest Reviews
- Ask Questions
- How to NOT Destroy Your Tent
Brands included: Springbar, Kodiak, White Duck, Teton Sports
That’s a lot! However, there is no free lunch. To get all those benefits, you have to sacrifice something else.
Kodiak Canvas Cons
- Heavy heavy heavy – you do not want to carry this very far from your vehicle. However, this is true for all canvas tents compared to nylon tents.
- Large even when packed – if you’re in an SUV like me, it takes up a TON of space. I was on the fence about getting a cargo rack for a while, and this pushed me over the edge because I had to get one
- Price – you’ll pay at least $600 for any good canvas tent. Although, it should last years if properly cared for and cleaned. By the way, Kodiak’s and Springbar’s pricing seems to stay the same year-round, and I’ve never noticed big discounts. View current Kodiak prices.
- Gets dirty easily – I have handprints and fingerprints all over the tent from taking it down.
- Proper care and storage every time – if you take it down while wet, you will have to set it up like any other tent to dry it out, it’s just a bit more of a pain with this large of a tent.
- Repairs – Patching is easy, but if you make a large tear, it’s not going to be easy to fix. These tents rely on tension, so your repair work will have to be great to last long. Be careful when pounding stakes; it’s a common time to damage any canvas tent.
The Kodiak 10x10 is perfect for families and is considered a 6 person tent.
For me, the benefits of a Kodiak Canvas Tent far outweigh the negatives. Check out my remote working desk setup below. This is how much I trust Kodiak.
The Kodiak 10×10 Flex Bow Canvas Tent – A 5-Star Tent?
With all the BS reviews and shady products on Amazon, I’m always skeptical when I see too many great reviews.
It’s hard to find a bad review of the tent beside the occasional lemon, like all companies have. The first Kodiak Canvas tent I checked on Amazon boasts 86% 5-star reviews and 7% 4-star.
The next step is to check Reddit. Reddit is my source of truth for many things, and you’ll find mostly positive reviews there as well!
I find this to be astonishing because when you combine the disconnectedness of many Amazon shoppers with picky outdoors people, it’s really hard to get that high of reviews.
It leads me to believe that most people that do purchase a canvas tent know WHY they are purchasing a canvas tent and are not surprised by the downsides of it (heavy, takes up space, etc).
When to Use Kodiak Flex Bow Tents?
Most people use Kodiak Flex Bow tents for the following:
- Family Camping – fit everyone in one tent, make setting up easy and provides ample room for games during poor weather.
- Base camp for 3+ days especially in variable weather– they are superior to alternatives to store gear, spread out with a few others
- Hunting trips – handles the elements, especially if you bring a heater.
- Festivals – you may see more and more of these at Burning Man as they get more popular
- Work – I typically use mine as my camping office
Is the Kodiak Canvas Tent Waterproof?
Yes! Kodiak canvas tents are waterproof. You’ll need to follow the directions to waterproof your Kodiak Flex Bow. You basically need to get the canvas wet and let it dry. Then every year or two you should treat it with silicone-based waterproofing agents.
The Kodiak Flex-Bow is on my list of best waterproof tents for heavy rain.
To season my Kodiak Flexbow, I used water spray bottles to mist it. I didn’t have a yard, so I did it on my first trip with it. It took forever with spray bottles. I’d recommend using something like this with a water container so it’s faster.
If you use a hose to get it wet, make sure to avoid having it at high pressures – nothing stronger than rainfall is recommended.
Check the photo below out for when I was trying to get the Kodiak tent wet to season it.
The water literally beads up, and even if you try to rub it in, it still beads up.
I’ve had both my Kodiak and Springbar in several rainstorms and both have kept the water out. Canvas has amazing water-repellant properties.
How Big is Too Big: Kodiak Footprints Are HUGE
I stayed in the desert a lot with a Kodiak Flex Bow 10 x 10 Tent. Compared to my normal backpacking-sized tent or my 2-person tent, the Kodiak Flexbow is ginormous.
Finding a 100-square-foot flat spot (plus more if you want to use the awning) can actually be a challenge depending on the terrain you are in.
If you’re solo or with just one other person, 9×8 tents are a superior choice to the 10×10. You can view all Kodiak tent sizes on their website.
It’s even more of a challenge if you have others setting up tents or car camping in your group.
It’s a good idea to bring a small rake or something to clear debris from a potential campsite as well.
I set up the Kodiak 10×10 and thought I cleared the big rocks, but I still found myself stepping directly on small sharp rocks. And even though the footprint flooring is super thick, it still was uncomfortable to step on.
Thankfully, because the flooring is super thick, it wasn’t even close to puncturing, but you don’t want to make a habit of that.
The Kodiak Canvas Awning Looks AWESOME… except…
Most of the Kodiak Canvas Deluxe and Basic tents come with an awning built-in to the tent.
It looks great and is pretty easy to set up (although you need to have some guy lines which can be a pain depending on the terrain).
However, it’s not super functional for me. If the purpose is for sunshade… then you have to pay attention to your location and set up the tent to maximize the shade.
My awning had ample shade for like 40 minutes of the day, the rest of the day it didn’t serve its purpose in the summer months in Utah unless you purposely point your tent north which could be facing a road, etc.
If the purpose is for rain protection… I’d rather be inside the tent. Maybe it’s nice to have some fresh air come in during a storm but sitting under it in the rain will just splash water near or on you.
Springbar actually has a 3-sided awning attachment that makes way more sense than this setup.
In its current design, the awning adds extra weight to the poles and isn’t super functional. If you want to angle it more, then your head is just going to hit the awning as you exit the tent.
The Solution?
Kodiak has a Canvas Wing Vestibule accessory that partially solves the issues above. This is definitely a purchase for my 2023 camping season.
Kodiak Canvas Tents: Basic vs Deluxe vs VX
Kodiak sells its Flex Bow in 4 tent sizes.
- Kodiak Flex-bow 10×14 (ceiling height 6’6″)
- Kodiak Flex-bow 10×10 (ceiling height 6’6″)
- Kodiak Flex-bow 8×9 (ceiling height 6’1″)
- Kodiak Flex-bow 6×8.5 (ceiling height 4’0″)
Below is a Kodiak Canvas sizing guide I created to show the differences. I recommend using the “ideal” campers capacity, so you have room for gear.
Then Kodiak adds features to some of the sizes and call them Deluxe or VX. It’s primarily for the 10×10 and 10×14.
Kodiak Tent Basic Model vs Deluxe
The Basic tent pretty much has a door and a window on the opposite side. The standard for basic canvas tents. This model is great for cold-weather camping, but will not be great in the summer.
The Deluxe adds small mesh vents at the top on the sides.
Kodiak Tent Deluxe Model vs VX
The VX replaces the Deluxe vents with larger mesh windows. This option isn’t available in most competitors and that’s one reason Kodiak is so popular.
If you’re in a hot environment or do most of your camping in the summer months, I always recommend a VX because they have more windows and ventilation.
The 4-sided ventilation allows for max airflow and is a unique feature on Kodiak's VX line of tents.
The Mesh screen windows on both the Springbar and Kodiak are THICK. So thick, that they are basically waterproof even though they are mesh.
Even when I had the front doors and back windows wide open, I didn’t feel like I was getting much ventilation with the deluxe model. Having all 4 sides open is a game-changer in the summer.
Canvas Tent Buying Guide
