Tentsmiths

Tentsmiths We manufacture historic canvas tentage up in the lovely White Mountains of New Hampshire. A variety We would be honored for the opportunity to build you a tent.

So, you want to know a little bit about us... well, we're the folks you've heard about. We're the detectives who museums call to learn details of what it is they have crammed away in their vaults. We're the facilitators movie production companies call to help complete a scene. We're the people reenactors call for a livable, believable historic tent impression. And we're the folks to speak with wh

en looking for anything in the way of cotton canvas tents. With over thirty years of research and experience we're the folks you want to talk to first when looking for your next tent. Birthed in 1982 with the goal and promise to produce the best historic tent impressions available, TENTSMITHS has researched and replicated tents through the ages. Our earliest tents are Viking tents with the ability to be framed for free-standing. Our most recent tents are WWII, both German and British influence. We offer everything in between from Medieval to Mountain Man, from Rev War to Indian Wars, we've done it all. And we're not limited to purely historic tents either, we build tents for people to live in every day and for hunters to hunt from. We know how and why cotton canvas does what it does so well and we're experienced in what designs work and why.

08/01/2026
Back for our fifth Pennsic war, and our earliest opening yet!
07/27/2026

Back for our fifth Pennsic war, and our earliest opening yet!

Every tent we make is stitched in New Hampshire. But like all other tent makers, we buy our canvas, and that is woven ov...
05/06/2026

Every tent we make is stitched in New Hampshire. But like all other tent makers, we buy our canvas, and that is woven overseas. Though the US produces some cotton cloth, it isn't the type we need to keep our customers secure under shelter. We depend on international shipping to bring the canvas to us, and right now we're dealing with a lot of uncertainty. As this New York Times article points out: "The fallout from two months of war in Iran is shuttering textile mills in India and Bangladesh" so please bear with us while we do what we can.

In just eight weeks, much of the global economy has been knocked sideways. America has mostly been spared from the tumult.

We’re enjoying some lovely camping ahead of the Nessmuck Spring Festival this weekend. If you’re near Morris, PA this we...
04/17/2026

We’re enjoying some lovely camping ahead of the Nessmuck Spring Festival this weekend. If you’re near Morris, PA this weekend, stop by!

It's always great to see our products in the field, and this one from Dan Ward has a pretty cool setup in it, to boot!
03/09/2026

It's always great to see our products in the field, and this one from Dan Ward has a pretty cool setup in it, to boot!

Join me in the beautiful Ochoco Mountains for a day of Bushcrafting, & stay tuned for part 2!

We've tried to hold it off, but, likely unsurprising to anyone, we're going to have to do a price increase again. Materi...
02/19/2026

We've tried to hold it off, but, likely unsurprising to anyone, we're going to have to do a price increase again. Material costs have gone up, as well as a number of back end costs. We will be increasing prices as follows:

Poles - recently adjusted prices, no change at this time
Canvas items and accessories - increasing by 10% on March 15th
Oilskin items and accessories - increasing by 10% on April 1st

Thanks for your understanding and continued support!

Hoping you are all enjoying your holidays! Even though we are closed for business between Christmas and New Years, there...
12/26/2025

Hoping you are all enjoying your holidays! Even though we are closed for business between Christmas and New Years, there's still work to be done. Having the machines down for the week means we can do some odd things.

Over the summer we had a bolt that, unbeknownst to us, wasn't fully treated. Fortunately, this seems to have only impacted this roof and the single repair panel on the tent in the back. So, while everyone is out and the smell can dissipate, time to re-apply!

Have a wonderful New Year, and thanks for your support during a rough 2025. Looking forward to working with you all for years to come!

Some days, we get to visit really cool places!
11/24/2025

Some days, we get to visit really cool places!

10/02/2025

We're sorry to say that we will not be attending Feast of the Hunter's Moon this year. Alena has just entered chemotherapy (preventative, thankfully) and as far too many of you know, this isn't easy. We've opted to stay close to home and work on catching up. We'll miss you all, and are reaching out to those who planned for us to hand deliver tents to get you squared away.

Thank you all for your continued support!

One tent up just in time! Welcome to war!
07/26/2025

One tent up just in time! Welcome to war!

Address

Rochester, NH

Opening Hours

Monday 10am - 5pm
Tuesday 10am - 5pm
Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

Telephone

(603) 447-2344

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Tentsmiths posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Museum

Send a message to Tentsmiths:

Shortcuts

Share