Here at SBF INTERIORS AND OUTDOOR SOLUTIONS LIMITED 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 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 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.