The Dominator Bedroll vs Traditional Canvas Bedrolls

For well over a century, soldiers, miners, cattlemen, cowboys, hunters, anglers, and avid outdoorsmen have used some form of a canvas bedroll.

Although various forms canvas bedrolls have been used extensively throughout the past, Canvas Cutter has changed the game. We aren't saying that we reinvented the wheel, but when it comes to bedrolls, we improved it—big time!

The Canvas

Let’s start with the most basic and fundamental aspect of the bedroll system, the canvas cover.

Traditional Bedrolls 

Traditional canvas bedrolls use a conventional cotton canvas fabric or occasionally a duck canvas, which is simply a tighter woven cotton canvas fabric. These canvas materials are waterproof...to an extent.

Traditional canvas will get wet, swell tight, shrink 7-8% or more, and through this process repel water. However, if the canvas is touched from the inside it will begin to wick the water through.

The purpose of a bedroll is to keep you protected from the elements and because you are sleeping inside the canvas bedroll and thus constantly touching it, the traditional canvas bedrolls struggle to do this in wet conditions.

In a rain or snow storm you are going to wick that water from the outside of your bedroll into your sleeping bag. This, we believe would lead you to have a bad night’s sleep and most likely a rough following day.

The Dominator Bedroll

The Dominator, like other traditional bedrolls, is made from a canvas fabric, but there is nothing traditional about the canvas fabric we use. We use a Marine Finish Boatshrunk canvas which takes the game to a whole new level.

This marine boatshrunk canvas has a significant strength advantage over tradition canvas. The cotton strands are twisted together before being woven through each other, forming a very tight and strong weave. The strength of a 10 oz. piece of marine boatshrunk canvas is equivalent to a 14 oz. piece of traditional canvas. This increase strength to weight ratio means we can produce a lighter bedroll that is also stronger than its thicker, heavier counter parts.

At Canvas Cutter we use 13 oz. marine boat-shrunk canvas to make the Dominator bedroll, and it can take some major abuse. Marine boat-shrunk canvas is double treated with a waterproofing agent. Not only does this dramatically increase the canvas’ water repellency, it elements the canvas’ ability to wick water when touched from the inside.

The double treatment also makes the canvas extremely mildew resistant. You can get rained and snowed on all night and remain completely dry, and your bedroll is not going to rot from over exposure to moisture or humidity.

Although the marine boat-shrunk canvas has a tighter weave and increased waterproofing treatment than tradition canvas it still breaths extremely well, eliminating condensation building up within the bedroll itself.    

Zippers, Buckles, Snaps and Flaps

Traditional Bedrolls 

Nearly all traditional bedrolls are open ended at the top. Most allow you to open them down one side, making it easy for you to slide your pad and sleeping bag into it. Others are created as a sleeping bag/bedroll hybrid, but still allow you to open them down one side, or occasionally the right down the top middle of the bedroll.

Almost all bedrolls use buckles that are often bulky, time consuming, and difficult to undo and do up or snaps which can also be difficult and time consuming to click together. Occasionally they will use a simple form of flaps to cover the pad and sleeping bag. A few of them use a zipper down the side or middle to open and close.

None of these bedrolls protect you or your gear from dust, bugs, rodents, wind, or water. They are all open ended, loosely snapped, buckled or flapped together allowing you and your gear to be exposed. Once unrolled the traditional canvas bedroll isn’t much more than an expensive supped-up sleeping bag.

When rolled up, traditional bedrolls can protect your gear from some dust, most bugs, and the wind, but if it rains your gear is getting wet and thus ruined.

Oh and another thing...rodents such as mice will eat traditional canvas.

Canvas Cutter’s Bedroll 

The Dominator does not use buckles, snaps, or flaps to close, but rather a zipper. And not just any zipper, but military grade zipper.

The Vislon zipper we use at Canvas Cutter is extremely strong and lightweight. It is different from conventional zippers because the “teeth” are made form Delrin and the tape is polyester. This zipper is corrosion resistant and self-lubricating. It will operate smoothly despite mud, sand, etc. The Vislon zipper also has excellent resistance to heat (up to 360℉) and to cold (to 60℉ below zero). In other words, you aren’t going to experience problems with the zipper used on our bedrolls.

In fact, for the over 17 years our bedrolls have been in existence, we have had zero bedrolls come back because of zipper problems. It can take some serious abuse.

The Dominator zips completely closed and will zip down both sides almost to the end. This makes it very easy, convenient, and quick to put a pad and sleeping bag into the bedroll, or to throw it off you during hot nights. Because the Dominator zips completely closed, dust, bugs, rodents and weather are kept out.

This is a game changer. 

Straps and Handles

Traditional Bedrolls

Most of the traditional style bedrolls that are being made today are held together by two straps and have no carry handles. These straps are often made from rope or leather, and occasionally 1 inch polyester webbing.

Often these are held tight by a bet-buckle or two d-loops. A few will use light-weight quick release buckles. Some of these straps will form into a shoulder sling, but most traditional bedrolls leave you few options to carry them.

Canvas Cutter’s Bedroll 

The Dominator has three one-inch, 800 pound tensile strength, polyester webbing straps that connect to heavy duty quick release buckles. The Dominator also has a two-inch polyester webbing easy to carry handle. 

The Dominator Dominates The Bedroll Game

Canvas Cutter has taken an extremely simple and timeless system of camping and experiencing the outdoors, and innovated it into something so much better. All this shows through comparison, that there is no comparison. The Dominator stands alone and at the top.

The Dominator is made to handle the abuse, and the wear and tear that mother nature offer. It has improved and simplified our outdoor experience and ability to sleep in comfort. It truly is the best canvas bedroll on the market.