Canvas tents enhance the camping experience, but you can make it even better with the right canvas tent accessories.
Many of these accessories were picked out from my personal experience with my canvas tents. We’ll start from the outside to inside the tent.
Many of these accessories will work for you whether you have a Springbar, Kodiak, or one of the other best canvas tents.
Finally! You can easily keep tree sap and bird droppings off your tent!
In addition, it will help keep the UV off the top fabric making your tent last longer.
Best Canvas Tent Accessories
- Lag Bolts and Impact Driver (click to jump to section)
- Ground Tarps
- Door Mat
- Awnings, Porticos, and Vestibules
- Stormfly
- Hammer
- Stakes
Bonus: read my cheap & easy DIY Camping Toilet guide.
Favorite Inside Canvas Tent Accessories
1. Lag Bolts
Using lag bolts and an impact driver will make setting up a canvas tent much easier.
Instead of pounding in 9 or 12″ tent stakes with a hammer, you simply drill the tent stakes in.
2. Canvas Tent Ground Tarps
You spent hundreds, maybe over a thousand dollars, on a canvas tent. You will want to protect it.
A ground tarp is one of the best canvas tent accessories for maxing the life of your tent.
Read why you need a ground tarp and why Springbar’s is the best (I compare it to the one that comes with the Teton Mesa).
Springbar tents (link to full review) have less thick floors compared to other canvas tents, from my experience (12oz vs 16oz).
Most tent manufacturers provide ground tarps in the footprints of their tents. However, I highly recommend Springbar’s ground tarp. They are expensive, but worth it if you are using your tents often.
It helps keep branches and rocks from damaging the bottom of your tent and keeps condensation from the ground from getting on the bottom of the tent.
Kodiak’s ground tarps look more like an afterthought and resemble an average tarp you’ll find at many stores. Springbar’s tents are an extension of their product line and are HEAVY duty, just like you want for a canvas tent.
View on Springbar's siteMy Springbar ground tarp. It's the best tarp I've ever seen or used. I expect it to last a lifetime and protect the bottom of any of my canvas tents.
- $32.99View on Amazon
Not ready for a heavy-duty tarp? TETON makes some very affordable tarps that will protect the bottom of your tent. A great choice on a budget.
03/08/2024 12:46 am GMT
3. Camping Door Mat
This is another must-have accessory.
I use a Bearz Outdoor picnic blanket (review) that was cheap and works well. It’s great for taking your shoes off and leaving them outside and keeping your tent clean.
You want to use something that doesn’t absorb water and is easy to clean.
Springbar does have their own for about $29.95 here. It looks like great quality, but it’s smaller than I wanted.
It’s nice to have something large enough to sit out on or have another person join you on it. The Bearz Outdoor is also great for bringing on hikes as well. View it on Amazon.
The product of many uses. Bring it on a hike to sit on for lunch, use it as an outdoor floor mat for your tent, or use it to keep important gear out of the dirt.
4. Awnings, Portico Panels, and Vestibules
Some canvas tents have awnings built in, especially in the 10×10 and 10×14 models.
These are nice, however, I found myself never really using them on my Kodiak tent even in the summer.
Why?
Because it only protected you from the sun if it was directly overhead. My midwestern skin burns easily, so being in the shade would have been nice.
Springbar and Kodiak both offer solutions for this that are essentially attachments to the built-in awning.
This will offer you more sun protection and rain protection.
You’ll still have to be mindful of the direction you have your door facing when setting up the tent to maximize the time in shade.
Kodiak offers a vestibule which I haven’t tried but looks like the ultimate add-on for their larger tents. Great for sitting under and for shade. The link goes to the 10×10 version, but they also have a 10×14 version here. My only concern with them is using them in very windy environments. Otherwise, they look perfect for most casual camping!
Springbar offers portico panels. These are available for their 10×10 and larger tents. Since I don’t have one of those, I haven’t been able to test them. However, it’s definitely something I would consider for summer camping to give you a spot to hang out when your tent is hot and stuffy.
5. Springbar Stormfly
I have no experience with the rain and stormflys from Springbar, but I found myself wanting one a few times, especially in brutal desert winds.
Wind gusts regularly were pushing in the sides of my tent (normal in this harsh of wind), and it would have been nice to have a stormfly to help prevent it. The canvas was also a bit loud in the wind even though it was set up taught, so a rainfly might help divert some of the wind gusts.
Unfortunately, ones like Springbar offers just cover the tent, so there’s no sitting room under it. It does add a bit of stability and keeps the sun/UV off your canvas.
6. Most Useful Canvas Tent Accessories: A Hammer with Claw
I’m currently using this hammer for my snow and sand stakes.
A great camping hammer for pulling out stakes. Pretty good at pounding them in as well.
For any 12 inch stakes you pound in, you’re going to want a way to retrieve them. Mallets and hammers are great for pounding things into the ground, but not always great for pulling them out.
I have an entire post on stake hammers for canvas tents here.
7. Stakes and Stakes Carrying Cases
I have two different types of stakes; both are expensive.
Why? Because this is what a cheap set looks like after one use:
Here are the stakes I recommend:
One set works great in snow, sand, and soft ground. The other works better in harder, rockier terrain.
These Springbar Wedge Stakes came with my tent, and I use them in sandy, softer ground. They are often a bit overkill in harder terrain.
I had trouble pounding those in a few times in rockier terrain, so I started using these:
The last stake you'll need. Durable and built to last.
There are a ton of Amazon stakes for 1/4 the price, but those will just be painted black in most cases like the ones I showed above that were rusted on the first use.
I don’t put my stakes in a sleeve pouch because they are typically wet, and I want them to dry. I toss them in something like Springbar’s tote bag, along with my hammer and some bungee cords.
8. Inside Tent Floor Liner
Kodiak offers a floor liner that goes inside the tents to help keep them clean.
Personally, I opted for a camping carpet like Drymate (review).
I found the existing floors for both Springbar and Kodiak tents to clean easily, but there might be certain use cases for tent floor liners (full-article).
Using a liner might help keep things cleaner and is more comfortable to the touch than bare vinyl floors.
A Kodiak tent liner is a great accessory for those wanting to have a more homey experience or expect to track in a lot of dirt (especially if you have a pup or two running around!).
For colder temperatures, something like this looks super cozy and nice to have to keep your feet off the cold vinyl. Update: I purchased the Drymate. Read my full review here.
A tent liner like this will be more comfortable on the feet and in colder environments.
9. Hanging Tent Organizer for Canvas Tents
One of my favorite accessories for my tent was a hanging organizer. Most (all?) canvas tents have spots to attach hangers.
There are probably 5 or 6 eyelets on each side of my tent. You can attach things directly to the eyelets or run a cord through to hang clothes OR to attach various hangers.
I find it most useful during the shoulder season, but use it year round. It’s great for storing your hat, gloves, and other items you don’t want to misplace. This is also where I keep my headlamp and wallet so I don’t lose them.
What makes the tent organizers sold by Kodiak and Springbar better than others you’ll find is that they can be easily adjusted so the organizer hangs level to the ground. So, if you buy an organizer that attaches to 2 spots and they do not adjust, your organizer will be crooked.
Two solutions: 1) buy one from Springbar or Kodiak, 2) buy one that hangs by only one hook (works great for small storage, but not for large items).
This is the Springbar organizer I personally use and enjoy: https://springbar.com/collections/organizers/products/tent-hanging-organizer
Kodiak has smaller organizers here.
If you’re looking for something similar, but a little cheaper, this bathroom shower mesh hanger could serve a similar purpose and it attaches at a singular point.
Something as simple as this will help you keep important items from being lost in the tent. I still recommend the Springbar organizer, but this could be a good option in certain situations and a secondary organizer.
10. Best Broom Dust Pan for Tent Camping
Bringing a small dust pan for your canvas tent is great to keep your space clean. It’s also great for cleaning out the tent at the end of your trip.
[Related reading: How to Clean a Canvas Tent]
If you’re in the desert, it’s also great to brush off the dirt off the outside of the tent before taking it down.
Lastly, it’s great for brushing dirt off your ground tarp and any accidentally squished bugs.
I recommend one with a handle that makes it easier to get into the corners of the tent. Something like this:
Although I don't currently have this broom, it is a great option. I have to be crouched down to sweep with my hand broom, this would be nice to be able sweep standing up and save your back a little bit.
I tried a hand broom with a center grip and found it not to be great for getting at the corners and generally was a pain to use.
11. Staying Warm in Winter: Mr. Heater Buddy
The Mr. Heater Buddy is a great option if you don’t have a tent stove and are camping in cold conditions. It’s simple, portable, and relatively cheap for how much comfort it provides.
Here is my full article on how to heat a canvas tent. Mr. Buddy Heater is the top option.
One of my favorite pieces of gear. Useful to warm up while getting ready in the morning or using at night before heading to bed. No more changing in the freezing cold!
12. Too Warm? How to Cool Off A Canvas Tent
Staying cool in the summer is important for an enjoyable experience. I purchased the fan below for the 2023 season, it works well, but you probably need 2 for a 10×10 or just get a larger one in the first place.
Stay nice and cool on hot summer nights!
Using a battery operated fan can help on hot and stuffy nights or provide some relief if you have to be in your rent during the hottest parts of the day.
13. A Simple, Small Camping Table
I bring a small table on each camping trip. It’s perfect for inside or outside the tent. It’s also a great, elevated spot to place a Mr. Buddy Heater (view on Amazon) to keep it off the tent floor.
It makes for a great nightstand and a place to put stuff on around campfires.
I have something similar to this:
This table is not only great for inside the tent, but also great for next to your chair around a campfire.
If you’re looking for a larger foldable camping table, I have the Portal (link to my review). I use this inside and outside my canvas tents.
A very versatile, durable, and functional camping table. I primarily use it as a remote working desk, but it's great for any trip.
Final Thoughts on Canvas Tent Accessories
The best canvas tent accessories will either enhance your experience or increase the longevity of your tent. Some, like a floor liner, might do both!
As I continuously look for ways to enhance my canvas tent experience, I will add to this list!
Continued Reading: View a list of all my canvas tent-related articles.
- Tents
- Tarps
- Dog Beds
- Log Carriers
and more
