Kodiak 12x9 Cabin Tent vs Kodiak Flexbow 10x14 Noise Factor

[Deleted member 52995]

I'm considering both the Kodiak Cabin, and the Flexbow model as well, but I'm concerned about something which is never addressed in reviews, or this site as well, and that would be the noise level created by either tent in windy weather. Which tent is "quieter" in low to moderate wind conditions? .... Thank you for your response....

 

[stratofisher]

I have a 10x14 and can't say much about wind noise. The heavy fabric really doesn't make much noise in the wind from my experience. So I can't speak to differences, but can say not to worry. Much quieter than any light nylon tent

 

[4rcgoat]

I have the 10x10 kodiak canvas,never heard a thing.....except the wind.

 

[dirtytough]

I have the 9x12 with the 8x8.5 awning. I have never noticed it being noisy in the wind.

Regards, Branden

 

[JR Greenhorn]

M cousin has the Cabin, and my friend has the Flex Bow. The Flex Bow is definitely the quieter of the two in the wind, due to the way the rods tension the canvas. The exception is certain rain, which drums on the taught roof. Light rain and heavy doesn't, but in-between is noisy.

 

[Where's Bruce?]

Flexbow is quiet, easy to erect solo and holds up long term. So I bought a second one (the VX model) for warmer weather.

 

[LongCarabine]

This was a good question. I’ve been in nylon tents in the wind that kept me awake all night. This was my primary reason for looking at canvas as it’s pretty much windy all the time here.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Where's Bruce?]

I think this guy is onto something.

 

[Firehawk]

I have loved my Flexbow 10x14. Now,...wind? That reminds me of an experience that will go down in family folklore for a very long time. It happened this past fall.

My brother had drawn a special LE deer tag on a unit neither of us had ever been in before. After consulting with some good friends who have hunted it a bit, we selected a campsite for his hunt. With one understanding, this area is known for black bears. You must keep food separated from your sleeping quarters to remain safe, etc etc etc.

So...after the first night and enjoying a day of scouting prior to the hunt starting, we were ready to turn in for our next day "Opening Day" adventures. It was going to be epic. We were so excited and had seen several animals that he would gladly unload his ML on.

So...we go to bed with great anticipation for what the morning will bring. Now, it is important to know that we have camped in a place where we can pull the truck, ATVs and utility trailer right into. It was convenient and allowed us to set up a nice kitchen/cook area that we vowed to keep clean. My tent, we had also set up the Vestibule on the rainfly like "where's bruce" shows above. We loved to eat in that vestibule and had a cooler set in there to act as a small table with two chairs. I had also brought my nice Kelty camp chair that I ended up not using that first day, so it was still wrapped up in its case leaning against the vestibule out of the small rain we had received.

Now...I am not used to being in real bear country. They scare the crap out of me. So we slept on our cots with our handguns and pepper spray close by just in case.

About 10:30 PM, in the darkest night I had experienced in a very long time, I was awoken to something making noise outside. There was a breeze and so I listened to see if I could pin point if it was something just moving in the wind. It sounded like it was moving all around the camp, like soft footsteps. I KNEW it was a bear in my camp. I just knew it. I lied awake for nearly an hour trying to decide what to do. I swear I could hear him breathing around the tent. Was it really? I didn't know, but what I knew is that I was starting to freak out and had my hand on the gun but still lying in my sleeping bag. I tried to wake my brother, but he was slumbering away dreaming of giant muley bucks he had waited so many years to pursue. I was on my own.

All of a sudden, something brushed against the canvas of the tent and I immediately rolled off my cot onto the ground between my cot and my brothers. My cot was between me and the outside of the tent where the intruder was rummaging. "Quick Firehawk" think about what you should do. I have my handgun at the ready, headlamp on my head, but not turned on yet and I am standing in my skivies. I need to make it to where my keys are, in the pants I have laid out for the morning hunt. I remember that with the truck parked so close by, I can hit the panic button and scare off this would be attacker. Slowly I work my way over, pointing my handgun toward the direction of the sound. I manage to get my keys and start honking the horn. Then I hit the panic button and start the alarm. My brother shoots out of his bed with wide eyes and wondered what in tarnation was going on. He sees me standing in the darkness, in my skivies, holding my Glock and the keys. "What in the world are you doing?" I am full blown scared now. All the adrenaline is hitting me. I can't hardly move, but the sound seems to be gone.

My brother gets out of bed, now quite alarmed by what I have explained was going on. He grabs his pistol and a flash light, and slowly headed out of the tent into the vestibule and the scary outside darkness. I am right behind him, pepper spray unlocked in one hand, glock in the other. If we go down, we are going down fighting....in our skivies.

We glance around with the light from his flashlight and now my headlamp as well. When we peak around the vestibule, we see the source of our night terror. It was there glaring at us. The light reflects back to us the ratchet strap we had used to secure the vestibule during the wind. The D&%* ratchet strap had been blowing lightly in the wind and was rubbing on the vestibule wall. Ok... That explains that part, but what about the loud rub across the canvas tent. Looking toward that sound, there it was..........my Kelty camping chair, laying on its side on the ground. The wind had blown that thing over causing it to rapidly rub against the canvas wall.

We both started laughing and then I started shaking uncontrollably. I stayed awake for a little bit, trying to get my wits about me. My brother shaking his head, climbed back into his sleeping bag laughing. Eventually I calmed down, primarily with the help of some Tylenol PM (which my brother didn't know I was taking, he actually asked if I had some serious anxiety medicine he should know about), I quickly fell back asleep to the sweet sounds of the ratchet strap brushing against the canvas vestibule.

Later I found out that my brother laid in that tent hearing the noise and trying to convince himself it was just the ratchet strap for a few hours. If he had let me know, I would have gladly shared a Tylenol PM with him. Talking about that is what started the whole anxiety and what medicine I was taking conversation. Ha ha.

Opening day came and went, with no shots fired, but several deer close by. That same evening, while driving into a canyon we hadn't seen before, we saw a black bear. Wasn't too far from the camp, but far enough for me to know this little cub wasn't one who was going to be in our camp. Wait....a cub. Where is momma bear?................................

Never did see momma bear, but I am willing to bet she was sitting there laughing at us about what had happened the night before.

So....the tent itself doesn't make noises that are too annoying, but be careful what is leaning against the canvas, you might convince yourself it is a bear.

FH

 

[Newtosavage]

I have the 10x10 kodiak canvas,never heard a thing.....except the wind.

Same. Probably the quietest tent I've ever slept in, and it's seen some 30+ mph winds in NW Colorado.

 

[JLane330]

I have two Flexbow tents as well, a 10x10 and a 10x14. I've probably spent an average of 30 nights a year in my 10x10 for the last 8 years in all kinds of weather except snow. Wind is the big one on the beach at the lake, and these hold up awesome to moderate wind. As others have said, the canvas is quiet compared to a nylon tent. They are not perfect though. The awning doesn't drain water when it rains. If you have rain, you'll need to shorten the poles to get it to drain a little. Set-up and take down is very doable by yourself, and easy with two people. Really great tents...

 

[LongCarabine]

I have loved my Flexbow 10x14. Now,...wind? That reminds me of an experience that will go down in family folklore for a very long time. It happened this past fall.

My brother had drawn a special LE deer tag on a unit neither of us had ever been in before. After consulting with some good friends who have hunted it a bit, we selected a campsite for his hunt. With one understanding, this area is known for black bears. You must keep food separated from your sleeping quarters to remain safe, etc etc etc.

So...after the first night and enjoying a day of scouting prior to the hunt starting, we were ready to turn in for our next day "Opening Day" adventures. It was going to be epic. We were so excited and had seen several animals that he would gladly unload his ML on.

So...we go to bed with great anticipation for what the morning will bring. Now, it is important to know that we have camped in a place where we can pull the truck, ATVs and utility trailer right into. It was convenient and allowed us to set up a nice kitchen/cook area that we vowed to keep clean. My tent, we had also set up the Vestibule on the rainfly like "where's bruce" shows above. We loved to eat in that vestibule and had a cooler set in there to act as a small table with two chairs. I had also brought my nice Kelty camp chair that I ended up not using that first day, so it was still wrapped up in its case leaning against the vestibule out of the small rain we had received.

Now...I am not used to being in real bear country. They scare the crap out of me. So we slept on our cots with our handguns and pepper spray close by just in case.

About 10:30 PM, in the darkest night I had experienced in a very long time, I was awoken to something making noise outside. There was a breeze and so I listened to see if I could pin point if it was something just moving in the wind. It sounded like it was moving all around the camp, like soft footsteps. I KNEW it was a bear in my camp. I just knew it. I lied awake for nearly an hour trying to decide what to do. I swear I could hear him breathing around the tent. Was it really? I didn't know, but what I knew is that I was starting to freak out and had my hand on the gun but still lying in my sleeping bag. I tried to wake my brother, but he was slumbering away dreaming of giant muley bucks he had waited so many years to pursue. I was on my own.

All of a sudden, something brushed against the canvas of the tent and I immediately rolled off my cot onto the ground between my cot and my brothers. My cot was between me and the outside of the tent where the intruder was rummaging. "Quick Firehawk" think about what you should do. I have my handgun at the ready, headlamp on my head, but not turned on yet and I am standing in my skivies. I need to make it to where my keys are, in the pants I have laid out for the morning hunt. I remember that with the truck parked so close by, I can hit the panic button and scare off this would be attacker. Slowly I work my way over, pointing my handgun toward the direction of the sound. I manage to get my keys and start honking the horn. Then I hit the panic button and start the alarm. My brother shoots out of his bed with wide eyes and wondered what in tarnation was going on. He sees me standing in the darkness, in my skivies, holding my Glock and the keys. "What in the world are you doing?" I am full blown scared now. All the adrenaline is hitting me. I can't hardly move, but the sound seems to be gone.

My brother gets out of bed, now quite alarmed by what I have explained was going on. He grabs his pistol and a flash light, and slowly headed out of the tent into the vestibule and the scary outside darkness. I am right behind him, pepper spray unlocked in one hand, glock in the other. If we go down, we are going down fighting....in our skivies.

We glance around with the light from his flashlight and now my headlamp as well. When we peak around the vestibule, we see the source of our night terror. It was there glaring at us. The light reflects back to us the ratchet strap we had used to secure the vestibule during the wind. The D&%* ratchet strap had been blowing lightly in the wind and was rubbing on the vestibule wall. Ok... That explains that part, but what about the loud rub across the canvas tent. Looking toward that sound, there it was..........my Kelty camping chair, laying on its side on the ground. The wind had blown that thing over causing it to rapidly rub against the canvas wall.

We both started laughing and then I started shaking uncontrollably. I stayed awake for a little bit, trying to get my wits about me. My brother shaking his head, climbed back into his sleeping bag laughing. Eventually I calmed down, primarily with the help of some Tylenol PM (which my brother didn't know I was taking, he actually asked if I had some serious anxiety medicine he should know about), I quickly fell back asleep to the sweet sounds of the ratchet strap brushing against the canvas vestibule.

Later I found out that my brother laid in that tent hearing the noise and trying to convince himself it was just the ratchet strap for a few hours. If he had let me know, I would have gladly shared a Tylenol PM with him. Talking about that is what started the whole anxiety and what medicine I was taking conversation. Ha ha.

Opening day came and went, with no shots fired, but several deer close by. That same evening, while driving into a canyon we hadn't seen before, we saw a black bear. Wasn't too far from the camp, but far enough for me to know this little cub wasn't one who was going to be in our camp. Wait....a cub. Where is momma bear?................................

Never did see momma bear, but I am willing to bet she was sitting there laughing at us about what had happened the night before.

So....the tent itself doesn't make noises that are too annoying, but be careful what is leaning against the canvas, you might convince yourself it is a bear.

FH

I really enjoyed reading that account, Firehawk, haha. Those types of stories are what the outdoors are all about.

Sounds like canvas is still better than nylon for wind... assuming you don’t scare yourself with ratchet straps and what not, haha.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[4rcgoat]

I have loved my Flexbow 10x14. Now,...wind? That reminds me of an experience that will go down in family folklore for a very long time. It happened this past fall.

My brother had drawn a special LE deer tag on a unit neither of us had ever been in before. After consulting with some good friends who have hunted it a bit, we selected a campsite for his hunt. With one understanding, this area is known for black bears. You must keep food separated from your sleeping quarters to remain safe, etc etc etc.

So...after the first night and enjoying a day of scouting prior to the hunt starting, we were ready to turn in for our next day "Opening Day" adventures. It was going to be epic. We were so excited and had seen several animals that he would gladly unload his ML on.

So...we go to bed with great anticipation for what the morning will bring. Now, it is important to know that we have camped in a place where we can pull the truck, ATVs and utility trailer right into. It was convenient and allowed us to set up a nice kitchen/cook area that we vowed to keep clean. My tent, we had also set up the Vestibule on the rainfly like "where's bruce" shows above. We loved to eat in that vestibule and had a cooler set in there to act as a small table with two chairs. I had also brought my nice Kelty camp chair that I ended up not using that first day, so it was still wrapped up in its case leaning against the vestibule out of the small rain we had received.

Now...I am not used to being in real bear country. They scare the crap out of me. So we slept on our cots with our handguns and pepper spray close by just in case.

About 10:30 PM, in the darkest night I had experienced in a very long time, I was awoken to something making noise outside. There was a breeze and so I listened to see if I could pin point if it was something just moving in the wind. It sounded like it was moving all around the camp, like soft footsteps. I KNEW it was a bear in my camp. I just knew it. I lied awake for nearly an hour trying to decide what to do. I swear I could hear him breathing around the tent. Was it really? I didn't know, but what I knew is that I was starting to freak out and had my hand on the gun but still lying in my sleeping bag. I tried to wake my brother, but he was slumbering away dreaming of giant muley bucks he had waited so many years to pursue. I was on my own.

All of a sudden, something brushed against the canvas of the tent and I immediately rolled off my cot onto the ground between my cot and my brothers. My cot was between me and the outside of the tent where the intruder was rummaging. "Quick Firehawk" think about what you should do. I have my handgun at the ready, headlamp on my head, but not turned on yet and I am standing in my skivies. I need to make it to where my keys are, in the pants I have laid out for the morning hunt. I remember that with the truck parked so close by, I can hit the panic button and scare off this would be attacker. Slowly I work my way over, pointing my handgun toward the direction of the sound. I manage to get my keys and start honking the horn. Then I hit the panic button and start the alarm. My brother shoots out of his bed with wide eyes and wondered what in tarnation was going on. He sees me standing in the darkness, in my skivies, holding my Glock and the keys. "What in the world are you doing?" I am full blown scared now. All the adrenaline is hitting me. I can't hardly move, but the sound seems to be gone.

My brother gets out of bed, now quite alarmed by what I have explained was going on. He grabs his pistol and a flash light, and slowly headed out of the tent into the vestibule and the scary outside darkness. I am right behind him, pepper spray unlocked in one hand, glock in the other. If we go down, we are going down fighting....in our skivies.

We glance around with the light from his flashlight and now my headlamp as well. When we peak around the vestibule, we see the source of our night terror. It was there glaring at us. The light reflects back to us the ratchet strap we had used to secure the vestibule during the wind. The D&%* ratchet strap had been blowing lightly in the wind and was rubbing on the vestibule wall. Ok... That explains that part, but what about the loud rub across the canvas tent. Looking toward that sound, there it was..........my Kelty camping chair, laying on its side on the ground. The wind had blown that thing over causing it to rapidly rub against the canvas wall.

We both started laughing and then I started shaking uncontrollably. I stayed awake for a little bit, trying to get my wits about me. My brother shaking his head, climbed back into his sleeping bag laughing. Eventually I calmed down, primarily with the help of some Tylenol PM (which my brother didn't know I was taking, he actually asked if I had some serious anxiety medicine he should know about), I quickly fell back asleep to the sweet sounds of the ratchet strap brushing against the canvas vestibule.

Later I found out that my brother laid in that tent hearing the noise and trying to convince himself it was just the ratchet strap for a few hours. If he had let me know, I would have gladly shared a Tylenol PM with him. Talking about that is what started the whole anxiety and what medicine I was taking conversation. Ha ha.

Opening day came and went, with no shots fired, but several deer close by. That same evening, while driving into a canyon we hadn't seen before, we saw a black bear. Wasn't too far from the camp, but far enough for me to know this little cub wasn't one who was going to be in our camp. Wait....a cub. Where is momma bear?................................

Never did see momma bear, but I am willing to bet she was sitting there laughing at us about what had happened the night before.

So....the tent itself doesn't make noises that are too annoying, but be careful what is leaning against the canvas, you might convince yourself it is a bear.

FH

Thats FN hilariou!!! you had me right on the edge of my seat there for a second,cool story.