Review: Montana Canvas Bridger Tent

For a comfy elk camp, nothing beats a canvas wall tent—except maybe the new Bridger Tent from Montana Canvas. Its five-foot walls and spacious interior give you all the benefits of a traditional tent, but the lightweight polyester fabric and aluminum poles pack up into a single bag, so it's much less difficult to tote around, let alone set up and take down. What's more, the Bridger's got a few things a typical canvas tent doesn't—most notably, a 10-foot peak ceiling height, a sewn-in floor, and a lower price tag. Which of course means way more headroom, way fewer unwanted critters, and plenty of extra cash for other indulgences.

At 14 feet square, there's loads of room for several cots, a kitchen corner, gear tubs, even a table and chairs. The multiple guy-out points and burly tensioners draw the tent tight to fend off wind, and the built-in awning provides shelter for dirty packs and stinky boots. A zippered floor opening and standard stove jack mean you can enjoy the natural heat of a woodstove, should the temps plummet.

Three screened windows offer ventilation without bugs, and small access ports allow extension cords from a generator or when camped in a powered campground—as I and my two friends were during archery season this year. Every day we returned to camp, we appreciated the Bridger's roomy interior and thoughtful design. Each of us had his own space, plus our community pantry in one corner and ergonomic kitchen in another. That left plenty of room for counterspace and camp chairs, creating comfy environs for dinner & drinks after a long day in the field.

Setup was intuitive, and takedown was fast. After two weeks, we all agreed: this tent's coming with us next year, too. I still love my classic canvas tent, but when it comes to price and packability, the Bridger's got it beat.

Available at montanacanvas.com; $1,500.