The Armour Archive

I am attempting to build myself a viking A frame type tent out of drop cloth canvas. My main problem is that the canvas is not waterproof and I was wondering if anyone out there had a period solution for this problem?

Thanks in advance, Gunther

I had heard that fat smeared on did the trick but, in lew of that, Thompsons water seal seems to work well.

I made a mini pavillion out of some fairly loose weave canvas I got for a buck a yard.
I got the cheapo silcon spray in the sporting department of walmart and sprayed the heck out of the top and sides. It seemed to work really well, it kept things dry during the monsoons at Gulf Wars this year.

The "period" solution would be wax, grease, or oil (probably linseed)
The drawback is the uncanny resemblence you will notice between your tent, and a match
Canvak is designed for waterproofing tarps, and will give you a better chance of surviving an accident in your camp

I have heard an idea about dissolving parrafin in white gas, and applying via sprayer... sounds like a flamethrower w/o the fire... but it kinda makes sense, what withthe gas evaporating and despositing the wax.

of course wax soaked canvas is a fire hazard, gas or no.

-+G

I can't document it that far back, but what I did for my "tent" (actually just a tarp) is to paint it with a 50/50 mix of boiled linseed oil and turpentine. Takes a week or so in warm weather to dry, but it works great. Like any pre-chemical-age treatment, take care with fire.

Someone suggested tar to me. It might be really icky and smelly, but it will definately work well.

The german re-enactor scene swears by boil-washing it. Shrinks the weave and makes it waterproof.

Preferably before sewing it together.

Adam
/aethstan /sca drachenwald

Oil, wax, Thompsons, anything of that nature...DO NOT USE ON A TENT YOU ARE SLEEPING IN. They are all extreme fire hazards, and you will NOT survive if it goes up with you in it.

------------------
Owen
"Death is but a doorway-
Here, let me hold that for you"

Good point, Owen.

My "tent" is actually just a tarp that has been waterproofed as mentioned with boiled linseed oil, mixed 50/50 with plain turpentine as a drying agent.

When I use it, it's in the context of an 18thC western American frontier longhunter camp. We build very, very small fires, and consistent with our portrayal never is everyone asleep at once. We usually select pine thickets as a campsite (another no-no concerning fires), but with the constant attention there is no real hazard and the thick cover dissipates the small amount of smoke our fire generates so we aren't easily found. Again, you could contain one of our fires in a kettle, and we prepare the firesite by scraping down to mineral earth, which we restore when the fire is cold to the touch as we quit the camp. It takes sharp eyes to tell we've ever been there.

Different game - different rules.