When you are shopping for cheap tents it is important to understand the type of materials tents will be made out of because this will affect many aspects of your camping experience and how long your tent will last.   Different materials have different pros and cons associated with them.  If you have ever wondered about what a camping tent is made out of and how it affects your tent, just think about your wardrobe for a second.  I’m sure you can tell the difference between wearing a cotton shirt and other materials.  Many athlete’s today, particularly golfers, like to wear shirts that are not 100% cotton because it doesn’t  allow their body to cool down enough trapping the sweat.  Make sure when you are finding the perfect camping tent you understand a little about how that material will affect both it’s weight and it’s ability to keep out heat and moisture.   Here is a breakdown of common materials tents are made of.

Nylon Tents- Nylon is the most common material used to build tents and many of the tents you find lining the aisles of outdoor stores are going to be nylon camping tents. Nylon is a very lightweight material one of the lightest when it comes to materials tents are made out of.  Think of those pop up tents and tunnels little kids play in.  They are very light weight and take up very little space.  It’s also a pretty weatherproof material as long as its sealed properly and has a good fly.  Nylon itself is also less likely to mold compared to other materials due to the fact that it is quick drying.

Canvas Tents-  Most people have heard of canvas tents.  When you picture a canvas tent you may picture a tent that soldiers used in the civil war and maybe even the revolutionary war.  Although canvas today is made a little differently than it was in the 18th and 19th centuries it is essentially the same thing today.  Today most canvas camping tents are 100% cotton.  If you look at the description a manufactures gives of a canvas tent you will often find that they advertise it as “100% cotton canvas tent.”  While canvas can be very durable and can withstand the test of time, think of canvases artist use, they can get really hot.   The problem with 100% cotton is that it can get really hot.  Picture how it feels to be outside wearing 100% cotton on a hot day and how the heat gets trapped by the clothing.  Now picture sleeping in a tent made of cotton on a really hot day. Without proper ventilation or tent fans this can become quite uncomfortable! Another problem with 100% cotton is it tends to shrink.  Remember the first time you put your cotton shirt in the drier it almost always comes out smaller.    Canvas tents can also make the tent a lot heavier to carry, especially if it is big like cabin tents. 
Canvas tents are also pretty commonly used as base camps for hunting and as winter base camps. If you are looking for a good canvas tent you might want to check out some of Cabelas Canvas Tents.

Polyester Tents- As opposed to other tent materials polyester is resistant to UV rays.  L.L. Bean says that is why camping tents made of polyester are better for long term campers.  Polyester, however, like canvas is a little denser material, so again, this will make the tent a littler more difficult to cool down when it’s very hot outside.  However, most manufacturer’s take into consideration that the material is harder to cool down and try to provide more ventilation to make up for this.  It is also pretty weather resistant.