Opinions on Springbar and Kodiak tents

[mtb54703]

Hi all - looking for your thoughts/opinions on the 10x14 size of the Springbar and Kodiak canvas tents. The Kodiak is a Chinese knock of the the American made Springbar. Basically similar construction and materials. The Kodiak does off a few extras and its a about $200 cheaper. Springbar is current offering a couple of free accessories (ground tarp and door mat).

Basically I've read a lot of reviews and owners of both seem to be quite pleased with their respective tents.

I did talk with a rep from Springbar and of course he assured me that theirs was the better tent, but did acknowledge that the Kodiak was a quality tent as well.

One feature that was noted was that Springbar uses metal stake loops. The loops are not just sewn to the tent though. Springbar incorporates a rope into a bead that is part of the base of the tent. The rope passes through the take loops so the end result when staking the tent down the stakes are pulling on the rope and not just the tent material.

Also not that one would expect problems with either of these tents, both are covered by a lifetime warranty against defects, but Springbar says they can provide parts for tents they made 20-30 years ago. I wonder if 20 years from now if I can get a replacement pole for the Kodiak should I break one.

Besides, right now its nice to stimulate the American economy rather than the Chinese economy!

Anyone out there a Springbar or Kodiak owner?

[renodesertfox]

Expensive Tents

Howdy,
If I had the bucks in my back pocket I would certainly purchase a Springbar Tent over any other. They are expensive, they are built extremely well, they cost alot of doe, they have a lifetime warranty, times today are an uncertainity. Almost everyone is sitting on pins and needles. But I have a 3 season Eureka Copper Canyon Tent that suits me just fine and purchased it for half of what the 4 season Springbar tent would have cost. Eureka is a great tent and we also have Mr. Heater on chilly nights to take the chill out of the air. If I was Zorba the Greek singing "If I were a Rich Man", I would have bought the Springbar a long time ago. But as you will see from where I live I really have no use for a Springbar tent at the present time. I won't camp in snow, I do not like anything under 40 degrees, and If I had a Springbar tent in the summertime I would not be sleeping inside. I have heard of the Chinese tent the Kodiak but I try very hard not to but any foreign product period. If I had an honest dollar that wouldn't change to less than a dollar I would consider it. But for now I'm very happy with Eureka! Hey, by the way, welcome to the camping boards, and I hope that your stay with us will be a long and pleasant one! I'm just one camper, no doubt you will probably hear from others!

[mtb54703]

Howdy,
If I had the bucks in my back pocket I would certainly purchase a Springbar Tent over any other. They are expensive, they are built extremely well, they cost alot of doe, they have a lifetime warranty, times today are an uncertainity. Almost everyone is sitting on pins and needles. But I have a 3 season Eureka Copper Canyon Tent that suits me just fine and purchased it for half of what the 4 season Springbar tent would have cost. Eureka is a great tent and we also have Mr. Heater on chilly nights to take the chill out of the air. If I was Zorba the Greek singing "If I were a Rich Man", I would have bought the Springbar a long time ago. But as you will see from where I live I really have no use for a Springbar tent at the present time. I won't camp in snow, I do not like anything under 40 degrees, and If I had a Springbar tent in the summertime I would not be sleeping inside. I have heard of the Chinese tent the Kodiak but I try very hard not to but any foreign product period. If I had an honest dollar that wouldn't change to less than a dollar I would consider it. But for now I'm very happy with Eureka! Hey, by the way, welcome to the camping boards, and I hope that your stay with us will be a long and pleasant one! I'm just one camper, no doubt you will probably hear from others!

Thanks for the input. I'm currently on my third tent simply because we kept adding a kid and needed to a bigger tent. The current model is a 9x12 Hillary from Sears, probably 8 years old or so. We got caught in a pretty heavy downpour last summer one night and got quite soaked. I know I could probably apply a few coats of water repellent and get some more life out of this current tent. My wife tells me we're years late in considering a tent like the Springbar since my oldest is now 16 so our kid count will likely be going down as time moves on.

There's about a $200 price difference between the two brands for the same size tent - the Kodiak being the cheaper. The Springbar currently offers a free custom sized ground tarp and an attachable door mat that would normally cost an additional $60 at the time of purchase. That offsets things a bit bug I could get by with my tarp from Menards folded up to the correct size for use the Kodiak.

I do some woodworking as a hobby and can definitely relate to the phrase "you get what you pay for" as I've experienced the benefit of spending a bit more and buying a quality tool.

As I type this I'm thinking that it should be a no-brainder - Springbar is the favorite.

[renodesertfox]

Opinions

Howdy,
We like using two tarps underneath the tent, the one that came with the Eureka 10x10 is a bit thin(lighter material) so we use a heavier tarp on the ground and then the lighter tarp on top of it. This combination works well in rain(it does rain on the desert) and it rains in the mountains and these storms aren't drizzles. Good luck!

[Rob22315]

We're using a Kodiak 10x14 Flex-bow this year

and we love it. I expect this tent will last us the rest of our camping lives and well into my kids' (well, at least one of them). The materials and workmanship are all top notch and the design makes it super easy to set up. You really can set this tent up in 15 min or less. The floor is especially well made on these tents. The material is some type of heavy duty vinyl- or plastic-covered cloth with fully welded seams. The canvas seams are double sewn. Poles, ropes and stakes are all much heavier duty than anything else we've seen in tents. The 10x14 has plenty of room for 4 plus gear, maybe 6 plus gear, and will sleep 8 without much room for gear. It includes a gear loft, two organizers. The tent itself has two windows and two doors, one of each on each long side and two vent pockets near the top on both ends. Let me know if I can answer any questions about these tents.

It rained the first time we used it and had no water in the tent. I doubt you'll break one of these poles unless you totally misuse them for something not related to your tent.

I have no experience with the Springbar so I can't say first hand whether there's really a difference in quality or features. This type of tent is very heavy so don't expect to travel far from your car unless you also get a hand truck, dolly, or something else with wheels.

[renodesertfox]

Howdy Rob22315,
Great Point, subject of next question, than you!

[cadfael_tex]

Ok, now you guys have me looking at springbar. I like that they are canvas, made in America, and seem to be (from the limited I've been able to read on them) very well made.

I kinda like the add a room/ modular concept. Anybody used it?

Also interested in their functionality. How easy are they to setup?

TIA,
Tony

BTW, the canvas wall tents look eerily familar (much like many tents I've slept in in the field courtesy of Uncle Sam).