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Subject Topic: Bell Tent once again!
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21/9/2014 at 9:59am
 Location: From Wales living in Northamptonshire
 Outfit: None Entered
View Pendragoncs's Profile View Profile   Reply to Pendragoncs Reply   Quote Pendragoncs Quote  
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Also consider what and how you'll be sleeping.

Reduced living space would only become more of an issue if you plan to set up a permeant sleeping area. if you are all on SIMs etc these can easily be moved away to provide lots more daytime living space.

Theres only 4 of us...2 kids under 4 and our plan is to use 1 1/4 inner tent for them to sleep in on 2 camp beds/bunk beds + sims. This would still leave room for us to sleep in the inner tent on colder nights if needed or out in front of the fire.

During the day our beds (Sims) will go under their camp beds and if required we can convert the camp beds into a sofa and the inner tent becomes a chill/play area for them.

This leaves us 3/4 of the tent for living space which is bigger than we had with our Outwell Nevada L.

(note this is theoretical as everything is ready for a first camp )

-------------
Tents:
Vaude Ferret 3
TNF Tadpole 23
Outwell Nevada L
SoulPad 5000-hybrid-G + the works


21/9/2014 at 7:40pm
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View Biker-medic's Profile View Profile   Reply to Biker-medic Reply   Quote Biker-medic Quote  
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Well after a long chat with OH about pro's and cons have decided that probably the bell tent is going to be a non starter for various reasons some of which you nice people have mentioned.

I have been looking at the suggestions made in this thread about the outwell lakes tents. So much so that after taking the girls the cinema off we trotted to a tent display shop an hour away from us!

The upshot of the visit is that we both like the polycotton type of tents over the normal material ones.

One that we loved was the outwell wolf lake 5 and the bear lake 6 and both are a lot of money!!

So have taken the advice and been looking on Ebay etc but they WL5 doesn't seem to appear much but the BL6 does.

So any other suggestions from you intelligent tent people on polycotton tents that are similar to the ones I have said would be gratefully received and googled!

Thanks in advance

Matt


21/9/2014 at 10:51pm
 Location: Wiltshire
 Outfit: Eureka Lone Tree 4
View FOAM's Profile View Profile   Reply to FOAM Reply   Quote FOAM Quote  
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Have you looked at Obelink at all, they are a Dutch brand but are often reccommended.

They do large polycotton tunnels such as:

Familia 6



They also sell more traditional cotton tents as well. The delivery cost is pretty cheap too considering how far away they are.


22/9/2014 at 12:10pm
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Hi Pencamper,

Just wondering where/if you've advertised your 4m Bell ?
And if it isn't sold, what type is it and how much etc ?
Sorry - been trawling the ads recently, but had no joy.
Many thanks,

Quote: Originally posted by pencamper on 19/9/2014
Don't get me wrong they are great tents and look fantastic but they are not that practical.
We have both 4 metre and 5 metre but are currently selling the 4 metre.

If I was you I'd go for an outwell lake tent but they do take a lot of erecting and not really good for weekend camps.

If you do go for a bell tent I can recommend soulpad as we have had 2 and they are good tents.

Pencamper





22/9/2014 at 6:28pm
 Location: Herts
 Outfit: Karsten 350 Pod CA EA FW RA COMBI
View quilly101's Profile View Profile   Reply to quilly101 Reply   Quote quilly101 Quote  
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The Montana 6 was available for a while in polycotton, we have one and its a great tent, seen a few of those go thru on ebay, ours will be off for sale after we've used it for the October half term, we have converted to a 5m Bell, but we're gonna have one last fling in Monty before it goes


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23/9/2014 at 4:43pm
 Location: Yorkshire
 Outfit: Nevada M
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Go outdoors were selling some of their ex display outwell lake tents for a good price.


29/9/2014 at 4:09pm
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So we have brought a Bear Lake 6 polycotton tent! It was a second hand one only been used 3-4 times. Came with:

Two burner gas cooker and toaster
Outwell carpet
Footprint groundsheet
Fridge
1 double air bed
1 Single airbed
Gas heater
2 water carriers
Electric hook up

So pretty much everything we needed to get us going! On the hunt for a roof box now!


29/9/2014 at 5:00pm
 Location: Kent
 Outfit: 5m Bell Tent & Olpro Pop Tent.
View geoffprinter's Profile View Profile   Reply to geoffprinter Reply   Quote geoffprinter Quote  
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I think you have made a wise choice. We love our 5m Bell, but theres only the 2 of us, so felt it might not be right for me to comment on one for family use. Good luck with the Bear, a really fine tent. Geoff


04/10/2014 at 1:15pm
 Location: Hitchin
 Outfit: 5m Ultimate Bell Tent
View Lullabelle's Profile View Profile   Reply to Lullabelle Reply   Quote Lullabelle Quote  
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What a shame you have been put off. We have a 5m bell tent there are four of us and a HUGE dog and we wander round tent displays thinking "so glad we have the bell"

We have a huge awning from Obelink which we cook and eat under - it came with two poles and we have an extra two - tons of set up combinations. It fits a table and four chairs and the kitchen set up with space to spare.

Inside we have four air bed/sim combinations for us and the two kids (9 &11) with pillows, extra cushions, throws etc and a single air bed plas blanket for the dog. That all fits in one half with the clothes bags. The other half is cushions, a blow up sofa, pop up fabric boxes , a wee table and cool box/food box.

We camp for several weeks at a time and are really happy with it. It withstood a huge storm this year when even two deltas were ripped out with wind. Three weeks in France with the bell were bliss.

And we have a people carrier with large roof box. It all fits. Even with the huge dog on the rear seat...

If the kids need a separate area then that will be an issue but ours are adamant that we don't get an inner.

-------------
June: Waxham Sands, Horsey
          School camp out, Whitwell
July: Pinewoods, Wells Next The        Sea
August: Waxham Sands, Horsey


04/10/2014 at 6:25pm
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Biker medic you got a great tent and great deal but in case anyone else is looking a bell tents we love ours and it fits 2 adults and 4 children no problem. We tend to use it as a bedroom witha dividing curtain and tables kitchen are outside under an awning.


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04/10/2014 at 6:49pm
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Quote: Originally posted by Lullabelle on 04/10/2014
What a shame you have been put off. We have a 5m bell tent there are four of us and a HUGE dog and we wander round tent displays thinking "so glad we have the bell"

We have a huge awning from Obelink which we cook and eat under - it came with two poles and we have an extra two - tons of set up combinations. It fits a table and four chairs and the kitchen set up with space to spare.

Inside we have four air bed/sim combinations for us and the two kids (9 &11) with pillows, extra cushions, throws etc and a single air bed plas blanket for the dog. That all fits in one half with the clothes bags. The other half is cushions, a blow up sofa, pop up fabric boxes , a wee table and cool box/food box.

We camp for several weeks at a time and are really happy with it. It withstood a huge storm this year when even two deltas were ripped out with wind. Three weeks in France with the bell were bliss.

And we have a people carrier with large roof box. It all fits. Even with the huge dog on the rear seat...

If the kids need a separate area then that will be an issue but ours are adamant that we don't get an inner.




To be fair we sat down and wrote pro's and con's for both tents and the Bear lake came out on top.

What sort of car do you have to fit all that in? We also have to be able to fit the dog cage in and have it up in the car as our beagle bless his socks is not the most well trained and slightest hint of a food scent and he is gone!

The bear lake ticks all the boxes for us and has a large area outside of the bedrooms for the kids and us to sit and eat/play/ relax in and the small awning.

We got a pretty good deal for what we got and just need a decent sized roof box and we will be away!


07/10/2014 at 4:59pm
 Location: Hitchin
 Outfit: 5m Ultimate Bell Tent
View Lullabelle's Profile View Profile   Reply to Lullabelle Reply   Quote Lullabelle Quote  
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Fair enough... For me too it's the looks. I just love the way the bell tent and canopy looks. I'm not swapping for anything other than a de Waard or a Karsten!

I have a honda stream (7seater) and a kamei grizzly xl roofbox. There's still boot space behind the rear seats which is why it works. I wish, wish honda still made them. An updated brand new stream would be bliss.

-------------
June: Waxham Sands, Horsey
          School camp out, Whitwell
July: Pinewoods, Wells Next The        Sea
August: Waxham Sands, Horsey


07/10/2014 at 7:02pm
 Location: Leeds
 Outfit: 5m bell 4m Touareg lots of Quechua
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We have a 5m bell tent for 5 of us 16,11 and 6 and love the space. We find most tents shrink in space with all the bedroom compartments, we feel like we have loads of space. Were quite a communal family in that the kids like to be downstairs or outside so this tent fits the bill and more for us. The footprint is small too, its like a tardis!! What suits one doesnt suit the next but for us this tent makes me smile the whole time we camp in it!!


07/10/2014 at 7:17pm
 Location: Kent
 Outfit: 5m Bell Tent & Olpro Pop Tent.
View geoffprinter's Profile View Profile   Reply to geoffprinter Reply   Quote geoffprinter Quote  
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Quote: Originally posted by holdol on 07/10/2014
We have a 5m bell tent for 5 of us 16,11 and 6 and love the space. We find most tents shrink in space with all the bedroom compartments, we feel like we have loads of space. Were quite a communal family in that the kids like to be downstairs or outside so this tent fits the bill and more for us. The footprint is small too, its like a tardis!! What suits one doesnt suit the next but for us this tent makes me smile the whole time we camp in it!!






And I bet with the exception of the 6yr old, you can all pitch it single handed if need be. They are that easy.


07/10/2014 at 7:46pm
 Location: Leeds
 Outfit: 5m bell 4m Touareg lots of Quechua
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Its so easy its ridiculous!



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