which plastic is used for making tents and why
Answers
Answer:
That really depends upon where you live or are intending to camp, and your personal tastes. Also, what works for a raincoat might not be good for a tent.
For raincoats, treated cotton has long been the fashionable look, such as the classic waxed-cotton Barbour. But Gore-Tex has for some time been the darling of hikers and campers — it’s as waterproof as polyester, but breathes better. Some people in colder climates use wool raincoats, and treating it with a spray to fill in some of the porous parts. Wool can never be truly waterproof, but it is water-resistant. Be careful, however, because it can add up to 25 percent of its weight before letting any water get to the inside, so it can be a depressing slog home in a torrential downpour, if you live a few miles away…..but if you’re just popping down the block for a spot of tea, it can be the perfect choice, warm and good-looking.
For tents, cotton and canvas are the most durable. They must be “weathered” first — i.e., left out in the rain a few times then left to dry in the sun, so that the fibers expand and press up against each other. They breathe better than any other material. And they work well in both heat and cold, serving a cooling function in the summer and providing coziness in the late Fall or early Spring. But they are the heaviest, and often the bulkiest, to carry. PVC-coated cotton or canvas does not need to be weathered before its first use, and breathes almost as well. Polyester and nylon are lighter, not quite as durable, but are the most waterproof, and easiest to carry. Their downside is that they don’t breathe as well, so it can get stuffy inside, and are prone to “sweating” on the inner surface.
You basically need to gauge your preferences. For camping, consult the experts at the camping store about your intended uses. For raincoats, buy a couple of them — a Gore-Tex for camping, a treated-cotton classic for going on a date, or a vacation with a girlfriend to someplace like London or Prague where you can expect rain, and a heavy woolen one for going out in a New York City sleet-storm in February.
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