All About Canvas

About Ripstop Canvas

The complete guide to ripstop canvas and why it's the best material for your next project

• Upgrading your tented safari camp?
• Building one from scratch?
• Overhauling your safari vehicle?
• Needing roller blinds for your step or lapa?
• Cushions for your outdoor furniture? 
• There's so much more to canvas than meets the eye!

Looking to Order Canvas?

We sell Canvas from R100 per m (T&C's Apply)

The real deal... Introducing ripstop canvas - a fabric like no other

Here at Kuku Kanvas there's just one material that we recommend for all your canvas requirements - ripstop canvas. The clue's in the name. It's made from a type of fibre called aramid or Kevlar®, which is woven into the textile in small threads that crisscross each other to create a trademark grid pattern. The fibres naturally break before the fabric does, so if one fibre snaps, the rest hold it together. This means that the fabric can stretch as much as five times longer than other types of textiles can before it starts to unravel from those same broken fibres. 

It's this extraordinary ability to resist wear and tear that has seen it used for sails, tents, and parachutes. It's available in a wide range of colours and weights and is the perfect fabric for tents, outdoor blinds, canopies and awnings. It can also be used for outdoor cushions, seat covers, luggage and cooler boxes and, in lighter weights, clothing and waterproof ponchos/jackets. Ripstop canvas also makes the perfect tarpaulin-type covers for outdoor furniture and open safari vehicles.

Ripstop canvas is renowned for its ability to retain its colour and strength even after years of use, thanks to its built-in UV and water resistance. It was effectively adopted by the burgeoning African safari industry in the 1980s with it proving the perfect material for the traditional Meru-style safari tent. Since then, it's been woven into some of the most luxurious and glamorous tented camps in Africa, helping to put African safaris at the top of travel bucket lists across the globe.

As an outdoor fabric, there's really no competition for ripstop canvas and the modern colour palette is one which complements contemporary décor and design, making it the go-to choice of the tented safari sector.

Features

The Advantages

The advantages of ripstop canvas are enormous. Known for being lightweight and extremely durable, a single square meter of ripstop canvas weighs less than 1kg while producing a tear resistance of up to 7kg per square centimeter (100lbs per square inch). It offers excellent thermal insulation, making it ideal for tents as it stays cool in summer and warm in winter.

It meets the brief of being adaptable, easy to deal with, resistant to extreme heat, dust, dry, wet and humid environments and sunlight and durable enough to provide excellent return on investment. 

Maintenance

Maintenance is easy and cost effective, ensuring maximum lifespans in even the most challenging of environments. 

Relatively little upkeep is required for the canvas, which has its own built-in UV coating and is water and dirt-resistant. Stains can be cleaned easily with a soft brush or cloth and some water. We don't recommend using a cleaning agent as this may affect the durability and longevity of the canvas. It's good to maintain good ventilation in all tents, both inside and on the exterior to prevent any possible damage from mould, mildew or algae.

Clear away any leaves or bird/animal droppings regularly with water and a soft brush if necessary. 

For safari vehicles we recommend keeping the vehicle under an awning when not in use and the use of a ripstop canvas cover in between activities. Seats and canopies can be maintained easily as above. 

Just ask

If you have any queries or need advice on the benefits of ripstop canvas, its care and maintenance, we are here to help, so feel free to get in touch.