Kodiak tents.

[Beachcruiser]

I'm moving from a RTT to a ground tent. Been looking at the kodiak and the oz tents, I'm liking the kodiak tent more , but lots of mixed reviews, depends on where you read them at. For the most part it's all positive stuff but the ones that are negative the people seem really unhappy with them. Just want to get yalls opinion.

 

[VCeXpedition]

What are those Kodiak owners complaining about? This is a copy of a very popular tent, the SpringBar tent.
It's a little challenge to set up, if the time spent setting up is more important than the price you pay, then OzTent is looking pretty good.
The Kodiad has a very decent canvas and is roomy and durable in a rainstorm, possibly not so much as the OzTent if I believe all the stories of "I set it up in a hurricane and stayed dry..."
They're pretty fantastic!

I like the Kodiak but just for a little more dough, you could have the premier overlanding tent (if labels are important to you).

G'luck, let us know what you do!

BTW, why the move away from RTT?
Full disclosure: let me say that I am not an RTT fan.

 

[BlkWgn]

I have a kodiak and love it, but if I had it to do over again I would get the oz. I think the kodiak is faster to set up, and you get more usable space for the same size footprint due to the roof shape. The downfall of the kodiak is the reliance of the stakes to the tent standing. It can be almost impossible to set up in sand

 

[tarouszars]

I've been looking into both. To me the big advantages of the Kodiak are price and size. You get a bigger tent for half the price and it is high quality from everything I've seen. It also packs nicer. The oz tent is crazy long in its bag and basically has to be carried on the roof. The oz tent goes up faster and is also super high quality. I think you will be happy with either just depends on your priorities.

 

[RaggedViking]

Though my experience with both is limited, I was toying with the idea of getting a Kodiak tent before I piocked up my Tagalong (OZ Tent) sold by Rhino.
In their video for the 10x14 Flex-Bow, they show the set up to be relatively easy - granted, they probably had this guy run through it a few times before they videotaped it.
In the 5 times I've used it, I find the Tagalong to be super easy to set up, comfortable, and about as durable as it gets.

 

[Beachcruiser]

I have a kodiak and love it, but if I had it to do over again I would get the oz. I think the kodiak is faster to set up, and you get more usable space for the same size footprint due to the roof shape. The downfall of the kodiak is the reliance of the stakes to the tent standing. It can be almost impossible to set up in sand

I'm not liking the OZ because of the back window, gotta get out to open and close it. Also being 6' it looks like it be lackin head room. As far as stakin out in the sand I'm use to that , tie string Around small logs or like short pieces of 2x4s and bury them like 12" then tie tent rope to the rope from what you buried , works great

 

[Beachcruiser]

What are those Kodiak owners complaining about? This is a copy of a very popular tent, the SpringBar tent.
It's a little challenge to set up, if the time spent setting up is more important than the price you pay, then OzTent is looking pretty good.
The Kodiad has a very decent canvas and is roomy and durable in a rainstorm, possibly not so much as the OzTent if I believe all the stories of "I set it up in a hurricane and stayed dry..."
They're pretty fantastic!

I like the Kodiak but just for a little more dough, you could have the premier overlanding tent (if labels are important to you).

G'luck, let us know what you do!

BTW, why the move away from RTT?
Full disclosure: let me say that I am not an RTT fan.

The worst review I seen was that it leaked through so bad that everything in the tent got soaked. He got so mad he threw the whole tent in the dumpster at the campground.
I've helped set a springbar tent up about 5 years ago , it was a pain until we figured it out.
I'm selling my RTT because I don't like the fact of climbing up n down the ladder, also I can't stand in it unless I put the annex on , but that's too much work and more stuff to haul than I want to deal with

 

[BlkWgn]

he worst review I seen was that it leaked through so bad that everything in the tent got soaked. He got so mad he threw the whole tent in the dumpster at the campground.

the first time it rained my Kodiak leaked all over the place as well. Then I read the instructions where it tells you to set it up and soak the tent and let it dry. The fibres tighten up and it has never leaked again.

from Kodiak

"
Q: Do I need to waterproof my tent when I first get it?

A: After initial set-up, it is suggested that you spray the tent with water and allow it to dry completely. This “seasons” the canvas. The water causes the canvas to shrink slightly, closing the needle holes where the canvas was stitched. The most effective way to do this is to have the tent out in its first good rain. This process is only required once. "

 

[Beachcruiser]

the first time it rained my Kodiak leaked all over the place as well. Then I read the instructions where it tells you to set it up and soak the tent and let it dry. The fibres tighten up and it has never leaked again.

from Kodiak

"
Q: Do I need to waterproof my tent when I first get it?

A: After initial set-up, it is suggested that you spray the tent with water and allow it to dry completely. This “seasons” the canvas. The water causes the canvas to shrink slightly, closing the needle holes where the canvas was stitched. The most effective way to do this is to have the tent out in its first good rain. This process is only required once. "

Yeah I seen that , his reviews said he did all that , did he do it right? Who knows.

Have you had it out in the rain since then?

 

[BlkWgn]

had it out in the rain many times since then and only ever had a leak the very first time.

 

[Beachcruiser]

had it out in the rain many times since then and only ever had a leak the very first time.

Good news , I thank Ima end up with the kodiak then. Just gotta sell my RTT now

 

[Beachcruiser]

Well the RTT is sold.
I ordered the 10x10 kodiak.

 

[tarouszars]

Keep us posted on how you like it after you have used it a few times.

 

[tarouszars]

I finally picked one up as well. I can't wait to take it out camping. Just pre-soaked in the yard today. Setup wasn't bad but to get all the stakes in is a lot of hammering. My programmers arms got pretty tired.

 

[Beachcruiser]

Nice. I set mine up and pre soaked it as well. Just got to find time to use it now. Too much goin on in my life lately. I think I'm about to have some free time

 

[O2BTXN]

I know this is an older thread, but thought I'd add my two cents in case others come looking for more info. We got our Kodiak 10x10 basic last year and we love it. Our last camping trip of the year was the beach/Outer Banks and we got hit with a small tropical storm...two nights of major winds/rain and our tent barely moved. We did have a small amount of rain come through (from the window/zipper seams), it was a tropical storm after all, but we were 100% impressed with it's performance. Our only regret was not purchasing the 10x14 deluxe model. We may use it another year before upgrading. As for sand, we bought special stakes that screw in, so it wasn't a problem setting up in the sand and it's what probably kept our tent from flying off in the storm.

 

[Beachcruiser]

I know this is an older thread, but thought I'd add my two cents in case others come looking for more info. We got our Kodiak 10x10 basic last year and we love it. Our last camping trip of the year was the beach/Outer Banks and we got hit with a small tropical storm...two nights of major winds/rain and our tent barely moved. We did have a small amount of rain come through (from the window/zipper seams), it was a tropical storm after all, but we were 100% impressed with it's performance. Our only regret was not purchasing the 10x14 deluxe model. We may use it another year before upgrading. As for sand, we bought special stakes that screw in, so it wasn't a problem setting up in the sand and it's what probably kept our tent from flying off in the storm.

Good to hear.
I finally got a chance to use mine.
Did a weekend beach campout on surfside beach Tx., a friend of mine had the big Colman tent and I had my kodiak 10x10. We used boards and rope to make sand anchors for the Colman tent to anchor it down in the sand good , I just used the stakes that came with mine to anchor it down. Got em both up and it was a steady 20mph wind with higher gust, the Colman was blowing around like crazy and mine wasn't moving.
The second night the wind shifted outa the north , still around 20 mph, we had to put a splint on 2 of the poles on the Colman tent , mine was still standing with no issues. Temps dropped into the low 50s but I stayed good and warm inside , the ole kodiak kept all the wind and the chill out. I was very satisfied.

 

[O2BTXN]

Good to hear.
I finally got a chance to use mine.
Did a weekend beach campout on surfside beach Tx., a friend of mine had the big Colman tent and I had my kodiak 10x10. We used boards and rope to make sand anchors for the Colman tent to anchor it down in the sand good , I just used the stakes that came with mine to anchor it down. Got em both up and it was a steady 20mph wind with higher gust, the Colman was blowing around like crazy and mine wasn't moving.
The second night the wind shifted outa the north , still around 20 mph, we had to put a splint on 2 of the poles on the Colman tent , mine was still standing with no issues. Temps dropped into the low 50s but I stayed good and warm inside , the ole kodiak kept all the wind and the chill out. I was very satisfied.

Always glad to hear another positive review! Is Surfside Beach near Galveston? I'm originally from Texas, just outside South Padre. We're planning a small trip in a couple weeks to make sure everything's in working order before we go to Virginia Beach next month.

 

[WrightRunner]

I have a kodiak and love it, but if I had it to do over again I would get the oz. I think the kodiak is faster to set up, and you get more usable space for the same size footprint due to the roof shape. The downfall of the kodiak is the reliance of the stakes to the tent standing. It can be almost impossible to set up in sand

very helpfu!ll

 

[Albacore]

I'm looking at a Kodiak a well. I've seen other debates about Kodiak vs Springbar. We live in SoCal and camp throughout the SW i.e. warmer weather. Most reviews of various canvas tents I've found show how well they hold up in rain and snow. We're more concerned about the heat. They say canvas "breathes" but how much? We're leaning towards the Kodiak just for the additional windows over the Springbar. Any input from those who have used said tents in warm/ hot weather would be appreciated.

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