The Best Tents in History!
Used as early as the Renaissance, and still a popular design today, the marquee is appropriate for virtually all historical reas of re-enacting. This large tent is often used for merchants' stores, as well as officers' quarters and fancy residential units. The 6' to 7' high side walls mean you get more headroom than with any other tent. Panther offers over 30 standard square or rectangular sizes and 13 standard oval sizes, and can in addition make just about any variation that you request, including shorter side walls, taller roof pitch, odd sizes, and the like. Many options and accessories of all sorts are available, and are detailed below.
Panther marquees are made in sections: each marquee is typically made up of a roof and four separate walls. The walls attach to the roof by means of a series of brass s-hooks. The advantage to this system is that you can configure the doorways to your tent in any manner that you please: you can place them at each corner, or at any point along a side, just by hanging your curtains differently. The walls are also built to overlap, with ties on both the insides and the outsides, to give you maximum protection from heavy weather.
Standard wall height for Panther marquees is 6'. This measurement is from the ground to the edge of the roof: the scallop guard hangs down below this, making the edge of the actual opening approximately 10" lower. Many people prefer to order taller walls, measuring either 6' 6" or 7' -- this option is available at a cost of US$60.00. Other sizes of walls (either taller or shorter) are available by special order: please contact us for details.
The scallop guard, which runs along the edge of the tent roof, is a critical factor in helping your marquee to shed water easily, and of course provides an elegant ornamentation to your tent. One concern often voiced about these scallops is that of the wind blowing the scallops up and allowing rain and dust in. To combat this, Panther's marquees have a strip of canvas approximately as wide as the scallop guard added along the inside of the tent. Your curtains hang up in between this strip and the scallops, effectively sealing out the wind, rain, and dust. There are eight styles of scallop guard available, and 15 colours of braid for the edging: click here for forther information on these choices.
Sod cloths (a 10" flap of canvas sewn to the bottom skirt of the tent, folding inwards to help keep out moisture, cold air, and dust, especially on uneven ground) may be purchased as an option on all models of marquee tents. However, a couple of notes on the use of sod cloths on marquees is important. Unless you have slanted walls on your marquee, the sod flaps are designed to fit under your perimeter poles. The positive side to this is that your wall curtain is held very firmly in place; the down side is that the pole can push the sod flap down into the mud in wet conditions and promote rotting in that spot. Therefore, you will need an extra barrier under the sod cloth to protect it if you intend to use it this way. That being said, we have always had sod cloths on our marquees, and we've never tucked them under the poles: we simply let them hang loos at the bottom of the wall, forming a close barrier to even the roughest ground. This works a treat, and keeps out moisture and dust extremely well. The caveat here is that you must be extra careful that your sod cloths are fully dry before you pack them away -- if they are sitting bunched at the base of your walls, they will dry considerably more slowly than the rest of your walls. Pricing for sod cloths is different for each model -- see the pricing tables below for more information.
If you would like to use a stove in your marquee, Panther makes a special stove hole wall, which is a 3' wide (plus overlaps) wall made of flame retardant canvas with the stove hole (made of non-asbestos material that is heat resistant to 1000 degrees Farentheit) and covering flap inserted 4' up from the ground. This special little wall hangs in place just like your other walls, and allows you to move your stove anywhere around the edge of your tent that you wish -- and it eliminates the need for a stove hole in your marquee curtains. This option is available for flame retardant and Sunforger flame retardant tents only at a cost of US$80.00. If you prefer, you can have a permanent stove hole insert placed in on of your marquee walls for the price of US$40.00 -- again, this option is only available in flame retardant and Sunforger flame retardant tents.
Stoves are great for staving off the cold-- to stave off extreme heat, nothing works better than a roof vent! Panther can make these in virtually any size, depending on the size and style of your tent. A reinforced lattice-style opening is covered by an oversized flap of canvas. You control the flap from the ground by using a series of ropes. Think of it as a skylight that lets hot air escape from your tent! Contact us with your specifications for pricing; as a guideline, a 24" x 48" roof vent costs US$60.00, and a 30" x 60" roof vent costs US$75.00.
Many of our medieval customers like to add colour to their marquees. Flame Retardant Army Duck canvas is available in red, blue, black, green, yellow, khaki, and purple as well as the traditional white. That is, if you choose the colour option, your marquee must be made of this canvas: Sunforger canvas is not available in colours. Colour option tents are special orders and are considered custom tents, so we'll need a sketch of what you'd like it to look like. Please note that on rectangular marquees, alternating bands of colour will not normally come out even, like on some other tent styles. Pricing for the Medieval Colour Option varies with the style and size of the marquee: see the pricing tables below for details. This pricing reflects either one solid colour or alternating strips of canvas approximately 33" wide. The colour option price is in addition to the price of the basic tent in flame retardant canvas. If you want a customized colour combination, we'll quote you a price based on the sketch that you send us.
Pole ties are available for US$25.00 extra, and attach midway up each pole. Be aware that if you use pole ties, your curtains must always stay in the same position. In other words, you lose the flexibility of moving the doors around (at least if you want to make use of the pole ties). The only exception to this rule is if you order a seam engineered tent (see below under Rectangular and Square Marquees or Center Pole Marquees).
Set up packages are available for all of Panther's tents, and they include all of the poles, pegs, and ropes that you will need to put up your tent. Pricing for these packages is different for each style of tent: see the pricing tables below for details. If you choose to order walls taller than the standard 6', please add US$35.00 to the costs reflected in the tables.
Regular and Super ground cloths are available for all styles of marquees: click here for further information.
Marquee Flys of various sorts are available for most marquee styles, as are a number of accessories -- click here for further details.
Shown in the pricing table below are the standard square and rectangular marquees that Panther produces. If you would prefer a different size, please provide us the details, and we'll provide you with a quote.
Any square or rectangular marquee whose dimensions are divisible by 3 can be seam engineered. What this means is that your pole positions (grommets or loops) are placed at every seam instead of at measured intervals around the tent's perimeter. The benefits are that all of your roof seams will automatically line up with your wall seams, so your tent has a more symmetrical look, and in addition, because your poles are closer together and lined up with your seams, you get a more rigid setup on a larger tent. The downside is that, because each panel of canvas is only about 33" wide, the actual size of the finished tent is smaller: a seam engineered 18' x 24' marquee would actually turn out approximately 16'6" x 22" -- and additionally, your tent will require more poles, ropes, and pegs for setup. The seam engineered option is free of charge; however, the cost of a set up package is higher for a seam engineered tent -- please contact us for details. For your convenience, tents that can be seam engineered have been indicated with an asterix in the pricing table below.
Slanted walls are available on square and rectangular marquees for an additional cost of US$50.00, but are not recommended if your impression is for a date of the mid-1700s or later. They significantly increase your floorspace because chests, baskets, and the like can be stored under the slanted area. However, with slanted walls, you cannot move your doors around the way you can with normal walls: the doorway must stay in the center of the walls, and cannot be placed at the corners.
The pricing table below indicates that we offer tents in four different types of canvas: Flame Retardant 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, and Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 13 oz. Army Duck. To help you choose what type of canvas you would like for your tent, check out the details and descriptions on each. Please note that the prices shown are for canvas only: to add poles, pegs, and the like, you must purchase the set up package as shown in the second-to-rightmost column of the table.
While these tents are not as space efficient as the rectangular marquee (a 10' x 14' oval marquee has approximately 30% less square footage than its rectangular counterpart), the rounded ends are more traditional for an officer's impression, and they're every attractive to boot! You have your choice of slanted or straight walls on all sizes of oval marquees: slanted walls are available for an additional cost -- contact us for details.
Any oval marquee whose ridgepole length is 9' or 12' (see chart below) can be seam engineered. What this means is that your pole positions (grommets or loops) are placed at every seam instead of at measured intervals around the tent's perimeter. The benefits are that all of your roof seams will automatically line up with your wall seams, so your tent has a more symmetrical look, and in addition, because your poles are closer together and lined up with your seams, you get a more rigid setup on a larger tent. The downside is that, because each panel of canvas is only about 33" wide, the actual size of the finished tent is smaller: a 9' ridge becomes about 8' 3", and the overall tent is 9" shorter -- and additionally, your tent may require more poles, ropes, and pegs for setup -- call us for details. The seam engineered option is free of charge; however, the cost of a set up package may be higher for a seam engineered tent -- please contact us for details. For your convenience, tents that can be seam engineered have been indicated with an asterix in the pricing table below.
Shown in the pricing table below are the standard oval marquees that Panther produces. If you would prefer a different size, please provide us the details, and we'll provide you with a quote.
The pricing table below indicates that we offer tents in four different types of canvas: Flame Retardant 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, and Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 13 oz. Army Duck. To help you choose what type of canvas you would like for your tent, check out the details and descriptions on each. Please note that the prices shown are for canvas only: to add poles, pegs, and the like, you must purchase the set up package as shown in the right-hand column of the table.
This is the perfect tent for people who camp alone, or for folks who are strapped for space when transporting your setup. By using a single central pole, the need for a ridgepole and a second upright are eliminated, and the roomy interior space that typefies the marquee is maintained. The peak on this type of tent is designed to be slightly taller, which gives a very attractive roof line and excellent drainage in rain showers.
Slanted walls are available on center pole marquees for an additional cost of US$50.00, but are not recommended if your impression is for a date of the mid-1700s or later. They significantly increase your floorspace because chests, baskets, and the like can be stored under the slanted area. However, with slanted walls, you cannot move your doors around the way you can with normal walls: the doorway must stay in the center of the walls, and cannot be placed at the corners.
Center pole marquees indicated with an asterisk (*) in the pricing table below can be seam engineered. What this means is that your pole positions (grommets or loops) are placed at every seam instead of at measured intervals around the tent's perimeter. The benefits are that all of your roof seams will automatically line up with your wall seams, so your tent has a more symmetrical look, and in addition, because your poles are closer together and lined up with your seams, you get a more rigid setup on a larger tent. The downside is that, because each panel of canvas is only about 33" wide, the actual size of the finished tent is smaller: sizes of each tent side will be approximately 9% smaller ( a 15' x 15' tent becomes about 13' 9" x 13' 9") -- and additionally, your tent may require more poles, ropes, and pegs for setup -- call us for details. The seam engineered option is free of charge; however, the cost of a set up package may be higher for a seam engineered tent -- please contact us for details.
Shown in the pricing table below are the standard single pole marquees that Panther produces. If you would prefer a different size, please provide us the details, and we'll provide you with a quote, but please note that single pole marquees must be square!
The pricing table below indicates that we offer tents in four different types of canvas: Flame Retardant 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, and Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 13 oz. Army Duck. To help you choose what type of canvas you would like for your tent, check out the details and descriptions on each. Please note that the prices shown are for canvas only: to add poles, pegs, and the like, you must purchase the set up package as shown in the right-hand column of the table.
Many of the early marquees and pavilions had steeply pitched roofs, giving them a much higher ceiling. One reason for this was that the water repellancy of these early fabrics wasn't up to today's standards, and the steeper slope of the roof facilitate quicker runoff of rain and snow. The steeper slope also allowed early users to eliminate the perimeter poles when needed and support the roof with guy ropes alone. Of course, this also meant taller center poles and more set-up space were needed to erect the tent -- so we recommend sticking with perimeter poles.
Modern fabric treatments, limited set-up space, and a preference for shorter poles have led to today's marquee designs, which generally have shorter peak heights. However, because it makes such a beautiful tent and it's historically correct, we're proud to offer the Classic Pitch marquee as an alternative to our regular marquee tents.
Classic pitch marquees indicated with an asterisk (*) in the pricing table below can be seam engineered. What this means is that your pole positions (grommets or loops) are placed at every seam instead of at measured intervals around the tent's perimeter. The benefits are that all of your roof seams will automatically line up with your wall seams, so your tent has a more symmetrical look, and in addition, because your poles are closer together and lined up with your seams, you get a more rigid setup on a larger tent. The downside is that, because each panel of canvas is only about 33" wide, the actual size of the finished tent is smaller: a rectangular or square marquee will be approximately 9% smaller; an oval 15' x 24' marquee will be approximately 15' x 23' 3" -- and additionally, your tent may require more poles, ropes, and pegs for setup -- call us for details. The seam engineered option is free of charge; however, the cost of a set up package may be higher for a seam engineered tent -- please contact us for details.
Slanted walls are available on classic pitch marquees for an additional cost of US$50.00, but are not recommended if your impression is for a date of the mid-1700s or later. They significantly increase your floorspace because chests, baskets, and the like can be stored under the slanted area. However, with slanted walls, you cannot move your doors around the way you can with normal walls: the doorway must stay in the center of the walls, and cannot be placed at the corners.Shown in the pricing table below are the standard classic pitch marquees that Panther produces. If you would prefer a different size, please provide us the details, and we'll provide you with a quote.
Decorative seam stripes look fabulous on this tent! We will do this for you (as shown above in the photo) in red, black, or blue. Prices vary by tent size -- contact us for details. Or, for the do it yourselfer, click here for our great acrylic tent paint.
Shown in the pricing table below are the standard classic pitch marquees that Panther produces. If you would prefer a different size, please provide us the details, and we'll provide you with a quote.
The pricing table below indicates that we offer tents in four different types of canvas: Flame Retardant 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, and Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 13 oz. Army Duck. To help you choose what type of canvas you would like for your tent, check out the details and descriptions on each. Please note that the prices shown are for canvas only: to add poles, pegs, and the like, you must purchase the set up package as shown in the right-hand column of the table.
This is a cross between a marquee and a wall tent. The ends of the roof are straight like those of a wall tent, but the walls come a standard 6' high (taller heights are also available), and are detachable and moveable, just like on our marquee tents. With six-foot walls, the peak is 10' high. With the flat end, it is much heaier to have a fly coming off the end of the tent than in a marquee. You'll also have fewer perimeter poles to carry because you'll only need them on the sides, not on the ends. The tradeoff is a longer ridgepole.
This design is authentic from the 1700s on, and there are strong indications that it was around much earlier than that. The wall tent and the marquee are among the oldest types of tents around, and there were countless varioations of each style.
Our standard trader's tent comes with a straight edge and no braid on the guard (valance), as shown in the picture just above at the left. Scalloping is available in all of the styles available for our regular marquees, at a small extra charge. There are eight styles of scallop guard available, and 15 colours of braid for the edging: click here for forther information on these choices. Contact us for details.
Trader's tents can be seam engineered. What this means is that your pole positions (grommets or loops) are placed at every seam instead of at measured intervals around the tent's perimeter. Since this tent has no poles on the end, only the long sides would be seam engineered. The benefits are that all of your roof seams will automatically line up with your wall seams, so your tent has a more symmetrical look, and in addition, because your poles are closer together and lined up with your seams, you get a more rigid setup on a larger tent. The downside is that, because each panel of canvas is only about 33" wide, the actual size of the finished tent is smaller: the 14' x 18' tent turns out approximately 14' x 16' 6" -- and additionally, your tent may require more poles, ropes, and pegs for setup -- call us for details. The seam engineered option is free of charge; however, the cost of a set up package will be higher for a seam engineered tent -- please contact us for details.
Shown in the pricing table below are the standard trader's tents and flys that Panther produces. If you would prefer a different size, please provide us the details, and we'll provide you with a quote.
The pricing table below indicates that we offer tents in four different types of canvas: Flame Retardant 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 10.38 oz. Army Duck, and Flame Retardant Sunforger boatshrunk 13 oz. Army Duck. To help you choose what type of canvas you would like for your tent, check out the details and descriptions on each. Please note that the prices shown are for canvas only: to add poles, pegs, and the like, you must purchase the set up package as shown in the right-hand column of the table.
Panther also makes a wide variety of flys, wall straps, bags, and the like for marquees. Click here for details.