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Tents – A Top Pick for Hunt Camp
Canvas tents have long been the shelter of choice for base camps. Their spacious interiors and four-season designs keep intrepid backcountry explorers, hunters, trappers and anglers dry and warm in the worst weather.
White Duck Outdoors recently added a limited edition Realtree EDGE® model to its Regatta line of canvas bell tents. It includes all the premium features of the original Regatta bell tent while using camo for the body. Realtree EDGE easily blends into the woodlands, and the dark colour delivers additional benefits I learned during my field tests. Read on to learn more.
The Specs
Quality materials and craftsmanship are evident throughout the Regatta. Everything is well made, from the tent to its storage bag and the stakes, mallet, poles and tool roll, and it should last a long time.
The Regatta uses DYNADUCK fabric—an 8.5-oz army duck cotton canvas with a water-repellent, mould-resistant, and UV-resistant finish. Thanks to its tall profile and steep roof section, rain flows off the fabric quickly, and the finish ensures that moisture beads on the surface rather than soaking in. The bell-shaped roof extends past the lower straight-walled section, creating a drip edge that protects the lower section from rain.
Double-stitched seams and reinforced corners are made to last, while heavy-duty zippers smooth doors, screens and windows opening and closing. A triangle-shaped door with a zip in the center and along the bottom allows all or only half of the door to be opened. Hook-and-loop closures secure the door without zipping, perfect for faster access in bug-free shoulder seasons. The Regatta has a pre-installed heat-resistant silicone-coated stove jack with a 5-inch pre-cut pattern.
White Duck incorporated a shock-absorbing grounding system that provides stability against high winds. Each tie-out has a thick black cord, a reflective thread for nighttime visibility, and an easy-to-use tensioner. The Regatta includes stout yet light two-piece galvanized steel poles for convenience at camp.
The sewn-in groundsheet keeps gear clean and dry and prevents the creepy crawlies from biting at night. Other extras include a built-in cable outlet, utility pockets, and roof vents.
The Realtree EDGE® is exclusively available on Regatta 13’, 16’, and 20’ tents. These options offer the right size to fit any outdoor lifestyle.
White Duck Regatta Review
Setup
The tent has clear instructions; however, setting it up is intuitive and fast. The first time I set it up, it only took 20 minutes, and now that I know what I’m doing, two people can set it up in under 15 minutes. The hardest part is finding a patch of ground that accommodates the large tent footprint, but that’s not that difficult.
The tent has pins to secure the bottom to the ground and heavy-duty “J-pegs” (rebar stakes) for attaching its guylines. It also includes a rubber mallet. The mallet works well, but I also added a steel hammer to the tool kit. The steel hammer makes driving the stakes into hard ground easier and prevents damage to the softer mallet.
White Duck describes seasoning the tent, which involves spraying the tent with water to tighten the canvas. Seasoning is only needed once and the tent is ready. It took me 10 minutes to season the tent from start to finish
Size
The Realtree EDGE® Regatta comes in three sizes: 13’, 16’, and 20’—I chose the 13’ model for my first bell tent. For someone used to a low-profile 4-person dome tent, the interior floor space and stand-up headspace are an absolute luxury. White Duck’s website shows this model comfortably holding six people, and I’m sure it’s true. It easily held my family of four with our gear and plenty of room to spare for my two large dogs.
The 13’ model features an 8’2” center pole and a 6’6” door, which offers abundant head space both inside the tent and walking through the doorway.
It is tough to describe the size of the tent until it’s fully set up and ready to move in. My kids’ initial reactions were, “It’s huge!” and, “We could fit all of the scouts in this tent!” They’re not wrong. It is incredibly spacious, and that’s one of the best reasons to choose a White Duck bell tent for extended stays outdoors.
Nice Features
The 13’ Regatta has three large D-shaped windows near the base, allowing ample airflow and four roof vents for additional circulation.
An electrical cable outlet is a convenient way of modernizing the bell tent with lighting and power outlets for electronics. I keep it zipped closed on most outings as I prefer a more traditional camp when I want to “get away from it all.” The choice is yours.
Reflective thread in the support ropes is a clever addition for nighttime safety. It catches the light of a headlamp and prevents tripping.
Two storage pouches on either side of the door keep things organized. I found it the perfect place to stash my headlamp and other essentials.
Why Camo?
Camouflage is a popular choice among hunters, so having a tent fabric cloaked in a versatile pattern, like Realtree EDGE®, is a good choice for deer, elk, or duck camps—and anytime you want to blend into the forest. This is the tent I’ll pack for elk camp in 2024.
For stealth camping, the camo forms an ideal base. It can be further brushed in, ‘completely disappearing’ in the woods or an abandoned yard site. There are moral and legal ramifications around stealth camping on private property (and I’m not condoning it). However, where feasible, a discrete base camp—one that goes unnoticed—minimizes attention from passersby.
Dark and Warm
The camo model’s darker fabric (compared to white) has the added advantage of blocking more of the early morning light when you’re trying to sleep. This is a big deal in the summer, especially in the northern latitudes, where the sun is up by 4 a.m. or earlier! Now, the fabric doesn’t completely block the light; instead, it mutes the light for a gentler wake-up alarm.
It also warms in the sun and provides radiant heat inside the tent. I appreciated this most in the spring and now, heading into the fall, when a little extra warmth is welcome. Like most tents, the air gets hot in the summer by mid-morning. Large windows, a screened door and roof vents regulate the temperature and keep it comfortable on most days.
Conclusions
The White Duck Outdoors, Realtree EDGE Regatta bell tents are made to last.
I love the quality materials and workmanship throughout the tent and its accessories, such as the mallet, tool bag, and storage bag. Regatta bell tents are quick to set up, and their staking and guyline system keep the tent secure even in strong winds.
Realtree EDGE blends into the woods well. Whether hunting, stealth camping or being proud of my outdoor lifestyle, the camo Regatta suits me perfectly.
I chose the Regatta 13’, which is the right size for groups of 4-6. I’d consider a larger size or a second tent for larger groups.
If you’re in the market for a canvas tent and you have camo coursing through your veins, consider the White Duck Realtree EDGE Regatta.
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