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What kind of fabric is commonly used for outdoor tents? Which type of outdoor tent fabric is better? The advertising and instructions for tents usually specify the materials of the outer tent, the inner tent base, and the inner tent lining. Do you know what 190T, 210D, Oxford cloth, PE base, and waterproof PU represent? Decades ago, almost all tent materials were waterproof-treated canvas or rubber tarpaulins, although they were both windproof and waterproof but heavy! So in today's era when lightweight and strong materials are widely used, let's take a look at what kind of material is the best for your tent.

1. Fabric:

1. Generally, polyester is thin and lightweight, with high strength, good elasticity, and resistance to wear and corrosion, suitable for mountain climbing and camping.

Oxford cloth is thicker but heavier, suitable for making large tents for car camping or for small groups.

2. From the perspective of waterproof coatings, PVC (polyvinyl chloride) has good waterproofing performance, but it becomes hard and brittle in winter, prone to creases or fractures; PU (polyurethane) coating can overcome the defects of PVC and improve waterproofing performance. It is also very good.

3. Silver-plated material can prevent ultraviolet rays and is mainly used for leisure beach tents, sunshade tents, advertising tents, etc.

4. Now some ultra-lightweight tents are quite popular. Different from the principle of waterproofing by coating PU layer on nylon and polyester fabrics in the past, it adopts silicon (silicone resin) technology, which is much lighter in weight but also much more expensive.

2. Lining:

Regarding the inner tent, there are usually two functions: insulation, moisture permeability, and mosquito prevention. For the previous considerations, polyester twill is usually used, with good breathability and certain insulation capacity. For mosquito prevention, a mesh fabric is sufficient, and a high-density net fabric is better. If it is a four-season tent or a mountain tent, undoubtedly, all the inner tents are made of polyester twill to keep warm. If it is a summer tent or a single-person tent, it is almost all mesh fabric, used for heat dissipation and ventilation. For three-season tents, mesh fabric and polyester twill are compromise and practical choices.

3. Bottom material:

The main function of the tent bottom is to waterproof, prevent moisture, and prevent dust, and the choice of bottom material determines the档次 of the tent.

1. PE-coated bottom paint， which is cheap and commonly used as the bottom paint for low-end tents， but it is prone to breakage after repeated folding.

2. PU-coated bottom paint significantly outperforms PE bottom paint in terms of wear resistance and water resistance， and has a better cost-performance ratio.

4. Fabric specifications

D： called denier value， denier = g/L * 9000. Where g is the weight of the yarn (grams)， L is the length of the yarn (meters)， and it represents the weight of the yarn used to weave this fabric. The larger the number in front of D， the thicker and heavier the fibers per unit area of the fabric. Generally， tents use 150D or 70D Oxford cloth， considering cost/weight/maintenance.

T： called polyester twill， it is a silk-like fabric used to make the outer tent and inner tent of the tent. It is light and strong， such as 190T. The number in front indicates the number of warp and weft roots in 1 inch (2.545 cm). The sum of the numbers (density) is actually a density unit. The larger the number in front of T， the denser and heavier the fibers per unit area of the fabric.

For the outer tent， considering its brittleness in harsh environments， attention should be paid to whether a tear-resistant structure is adopted. In short， it is woven into a small square. Even a little damage will not be stretched apart in strong winds. It is much larger.