Kodiak Canvas Tent Customer Testimonial

Thank you so much for your prompt response! That kind of service is rare these days. I got a call from the manufacturer today and he is sending me a replacement part. I'm amazed at such great service! BTW the #6014 Kodiak Canvas tent weathered a very heavy thunderstorm(s) last summer that went on for about 3 hours. Not too much wind, but torrential rain, and not a drop of water inside when the storm was over!


Thank you!

Stephanie B.

For additional information on our line of 4 - 8 Person Kodiak Canvas Tents & Truck Tents visit FamilyTentCamping.com/KodiakTents

OzTent Customer Experience

Hi Randy and Kim,
I got back Sunday from 4 days in NC near Asheville at the SE Overland Rally, part of the Overland Expo events. The front panel and fly arrived in plenty of time to get packed and make the trip. From the pictures attached you can see how I employed the system, docked to the rear of my vehicle so I can take advantage of power and have access to my fridge. The tent stood up to several hours of overnight steady rain without any problems and endured a rather nasty afternoon thunderstorm with heavy wind gusts and side-blowing rain that actually blew over several other tents over the tree line into the woods right next to mine. I also observed that I was the only OzTent owner at the event. The full set-up did attract a lot of interest from attendees as many had not seen one before and they walked away pretty impressed. I know I was pretty happy with it and look forward to exercising it this summer on my month long trip off road in MT, Canada, and AK starting 7 July and ending sometime…
Tim B

Choosing the Right Sleeping Bag for Comfort

During our recent road trip to Amado, Arizona for an OzTent show my wife and I experienced some interesting weather traveling from March to April. We decided to take the southern route from IL through Missouri into Oklahoma to visit our Son and his new bride of 6 mos. they also introduced us to our "grand dogger", an italian miniature greyhound.

As we entered Albuquerque, NM we experienced temps overnight down to 18 degrees, in a camping tent! Needless to say my wife was not a happy camper, unless you are prepared for the elements it could be a dangerous situation if your body temp drops and is not able to warm up could lead to hypothermia.
Choosing a sleeping bag is critical when it comes to comfort and a restful night sleep, a sleeping bag's temperature rating identifies the lowest temperature at which a bag will keep the average sleeper warm. When you hear a bag described as a "20 degree bag," it means that most users should remain comfortable if the air temperature drops no lower than 20°F. These ratings assume that the sleeper is wearing a layer of long underwear and using a sleeping pad under the bag. The other key element in choosing the right temp rating is the metabolism of the person, which can vary from one person to the next, for example my wife & I were both set up on camping cots using + 25 degree bags with a micro fibre fill, which for me was good but in order to provide the needed additional warmth for her we added a fleece blanket for underneath her body with a wool blanket as a liner inside the sleeping bag for added insulation.
Here is a Tip for choosing a sleeping bag:
Select a bag with a temperature rating a bit lower than the lowest temperature you expect to encounter. If you're headed for near-freezing temperatures, then choose a 20°F bag instead of a 35°F bag. If temperatures climb higher than expected, you can easily vent the bag to provide more circulation on warmer nights.
Here is a general rule of thumb when choosing a sleeping bag:
Bag Type Temperature Rating (°F)
Summer Season +35° and higher
3-Season Bag +10° to +35°
Cold Weather -10° to +10°
Winter/Extreme -10° and lower

You will find that sleeping bag temperature ratings vary from one manufacturer to the next. Use these ratings as a guide only, not a guarantee. However, I have found that the newer fibres, oversized and also bags for sleeping 2 have made a huge difference in a restful and comfortable nights rest. you can find them on-line at lots of camping locations including Family Tent Camping

Your OzTent Experience - Jet Tent F30X

Hi Randy,

Thanks for your invitation to provide feedback. Fantastic timing as I just returned from my first “trial by fire” trip for the F30X Jet Tent. Everything about the tent performed famously. I had another set of hands helping with set up. We had no problems whatsoever. I put down a ground cover, staked out the corners of the tent, lifted the center hub and raised and locked the frame. Also put in the peaked sides and front awning. I used the extra awning poles that you shipped just a few weeks ago (from the road trip) to put up the front panel awning. We used the space between the side panels for cooking, bar, cooler, etc. I put up a table under the front awning. See attached pics. Also regarding set up, I put custom made canvas floor coverings in the tent itself (to further protect the pvc floor and make it easier to sweep out dirt) and also as a floor in the deluxe side panel area). Very useful. We had three guys with gear in the inner part of the tent. Plenty of room to spread out.

Performance of the tent during the week was stellar. We had rain, cold, thunderstorms and significant wind pretty much every afternoon. One evening a thunderhead produced dime sized hail for nearly an hour. Not a drop of water inside any part of the tent. I did have some pooling where the front awning attaches but that was easily solved by lowering one of the awning poles just a bit. The two other tents we had in the group were covered with tarp set ups – staked out poles, bungee cords to the tarp, full coverage over the tents. During the storms they both had all kinds of problems with pooling, stakes pulling out, sudden release of large quantities of water, etc. The Jet Tent worked so well, everyone in the group of 8 used it for shelter in the worst of the storms. One of the guys dubbed it “Ice Station Zebra”. Pretty creative, I thought.
As we had significant amounts of rain, the tent was wet when it came time to break camp. So, rather than pack it in the bag, I formed it up and laid it in my cap-covered truck bed. I was on my own for the take down and had no problems. It took a while but most of that time was packing and stowing gear.

For a selection of family camping gear Visit www.FamilyTentCamping.com

Jet Tent by OzTent Customer Testimonial

FYI, we used the F30X Jet Tent this weekend and it was GREAT.
It was a windy, 45 degree night at the beach and the F30X was solid as a rock, quiet, warm and completely dry. We didn’t even set the guys, and just used the pegs on the corners. Our 5 month old and 2½ year old slept… well, they slept like babies. The set-up and take-down were very quick and simple. Definitely the best tent that I, or anybody that was with us, had ever seen. The quality and attention to detail is outstanding. You can count me as a satisfied customer.

C C
California

For more great hassle free camping products Visit www.FamilyTentCamping.com

Water Filled Baggies & Pennies Repel Flies

Getting outdoors is a past time shared by many folks, whether your camping or enjoying a picnic in the park. People have tried many remedies for warding off bugs by applying insect repellent, which provides contact protection, however the unwanted pest will continue to invade your space. To avoid this you may consider bringing along a screen tent for optimal results,another common folk remedy for repelling flying pests, however, consists of nothing more than a plastic bag filled with water and adding a few shiny pennies. Sounds too good to be true? Try it out for yourself...

How does it work?

Fill a large, durable plastic bag with clear, fresh water. This water, with its capacity for refracting and reflecting light, will be perceived by flying insects as high optic flow. Flying insects avoid regions of high optic flow in order to prevent collisions. Regarding the science behind zip log bags of water? Research found that each of the millions of molecules of water presents its own prism effect and given that flies have a lot of eyes, to them it’s like a zillion disco balls reflecting light, colors and movement in a dizzying manner.

Place a shiny penny into the bag, the shiner, the better. This penny should only increase the amount of reflection (optic flow) put off by the bag. Multiple pennies may work even better, so long as they increase the amount of reflective material in the bag. Don't add so many, however, that they're liable to strain or break the bag.

Seal the bag shut and provide a way for the bag to hang, should be strong enough to hold the full weight of the bag.

Hang the bag outside a doorway, from the limb of a tree,or anywhere that you are have a bothersome fly population.

Monitor the bug population to see if it has any effects, there is no exact science and results can vary, try hanging the bags in different locations or add multiple bags for best results.

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Build your own Camping Porta Potty

I don't know if anybody would be interested but it's much easier to use
the 5 gallon bucket porta potty with the toilet seat on it than to use
the usual porta potty. With the bucket you can put two garbage bags
together one inside the other and start with 4 plastic cups of kitty
litter and just add to it as you use the potty. When it starts to get
full you just tie the garbage bags closed and toss them in the
dumpster. Much easier than having to go to the dump station and dump
your porta potty. The kitty litter takes care of any odor and this is
so easy and convenient.

Just a thought but you probably already know that. But............

You guys are so appreciated. I couldn't ask for better service.

Thanks again, Louanne Henson