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Topic: bell tents

mrs squeeky

01/8/2008 at 8:44pm
Location: Somerset
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does anyone have an opinion? they seem to be rather popular at the moment, two were pitched at our last camping trip a couple of weeks ago. They were put up so quickly, and packed away at the same rate!!

Doddsy2978

01/8/2008 at 9:14pm
Location: Shrewsbury Shrops
Outfit: Hartford L

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Bell Tents! Blimey! That sounds a wee bit archaic! Did not know they still existed!

mrs squeeky

01/8/2008 at 9:57pm
Location: Somerset
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yes still in existence. Talked to the owners. they had just got them. They had sig and were very roomy you can even get sleeping pods for them. They got alot of attention.

pete1946

01/8/2008 at 10:23pm
Location: Nottingham
Outfit: Motorhome

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argos have teepees like bell tents

http://www.tkqlhce.com/click-1428744-10294381?url=http://www.argos.co.uk/static/Product/partNumber/3400803/c_1/1%7Ccat_10199392%7CCamping+and+caravanning%7C10199393/Trail/searchtext%3EOUTDOOR+LIVING.htm

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Think this year is to follow old meet friends for 2014.
If you cant do someone a good turn,don`t do them a bad one,its nice to be nice you know,and little things mean much more later in life.
Pete.

rexgrant

01/8/2008 at 11:16pm
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Hi all.
A good cotton canvas bell tent,is one of the safest tents you can buy, but for modern family camping with all the gear we now take they are not up to the job.
Please don't be caught out with cheap replicas, as the cheapest tentipi will cost you over £300 for a basic polycotton one, and a decent 5m diameter cotton canvas will be around £500 Well the ones I have seen for sale are

The top class ones are over £1000.
Regards
Rex.

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"Be the person your dog thinks you are" (BM)

mrs squeeky

01/8/2008 at 11:25pm
Location: Somerset
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The people that had them, loved them. They found the internal space fantastic, oh and they did have kids.

rexgrant

01/8/2008 at 11:32pm
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Quote: Originally posted by mrs squeeky on 01/8/2008The people that had them, loved them. They found the internal space fantastic, oh and they did have kids.

Hi Mrs S
If you are young and fit, don't require camp furniture, are prepared to spend a lot of time bent over or sat around on the floor,or spend your time in the tent centre then they are fine

All the best
Rex.

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"Be the person your dog thinks you are" (BM)

Nic1

02/8/2008 at 12:16am
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Bell tent

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We have one which we got from the Netherlands (http://www.obelink.nl/ws/assortiment_overzichtpagina3.asp?cat=1&id=18&arid=2442) earlier this year. We have been camping in rain and sun and it has been great in both. We don't have a SIG as one of the best things about bell tents is being able to roll up the sides on a hot day. I do think though that you probably need an awning or something as well in case of rain as there are no windows in a bell tent, which can make you a bit stir crazy if you have to sit in the tent for too long.

Like you saw though, they are incredibly easy to put up and take down. We love ours.

nosjon

02/8/2008 at 4:45am
Location: South Wales
Outfit: Ex-army frame tents.

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Bell tent? I did consider this beaut:- http://www.tentsplus.co.uk/10abip.htm

Methinks our Rex would have loved it for his camps years ago.

Eric.

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Can you cry under water?

Doddsy2978

02/8/2008 at 4:59am
Location: Shrewsbury Shrops
Outfit: Hartford L

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Quote: Originally posted by Nic1 on 02/8/2008
We have one which we got from the Netherlands (http://www.obelink.nl/ws/assortiment_overzichtpagina3.asp?cat=1&id=18&arid=2442) earlier this year.

That looks great! It looks just like sommat mye Grandad would have used whilst in the army in India prior to WWI. Cheap too! at £125 or so!

mrs squeeky

02/8/2008 at 10:32am
Location: Somerset
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The 5m ones are huge have windows and have no problem accommodating furniture. So good to here you love yours. i am tempted, does it attract lots of attention?

mrs squeeky

02/8/2008 at 10:33am
Location: Somerset
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look at wwwbelltents.co.uk

rexgrant

02/8/2008 at 11:01am
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Quote: Originally posted by nosjon on 02/8/2008
Bell tent? I did consider this beaut:- http://www.tentsplus.co.uk/10abip.htm
Methinks our Rex would have loved it for his camps years ago.
Eric.

Hi Eric.From the days I can remember we started camping with a bellend ridge, then my father bought an ex army bell tent,We never got wet from above again

But lets be honest about bell tents, yes they are easy to erect, you can roll the walls up in hot weather, SIG should never be fitted, and they will shed rain and snow better than any tent made, Today though,

there are tents that are better designed for family camping.
The pyramid tents are as secure as the bell tent and just as quick to erect, and will also shed rain and snow. and are far better for family camping.
I will say it again

Bell tents are great to attract attention, 50% of the floor space is unusable due to shape and height.
for two adults a 4 or 5 meter one can be made to feel very cosy. The other use is to pack a load of scouts in like sardines, this is what they were designed for, sleeping a lot of bodies, the cooking and living was done elsewhere. in other tents.
good thread this

Regards
Rex
PS if you really want to attract attention on a camp site get a DeWaard

Post last edited on 02/08/2008 11:13:03

Post last edited on 02/08/2008 11:13:39

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"Be the person your dog thinks you are" (BM)

Nic1

02/8/2008 at 12:27pm
Location: None Entered
Outfit: Bell tent

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Mrs Squeeky: "The 5m ones are huge have windows and have no problem accommodating furniture. So good to here you love yours. i am tempted, does it attract lots of attention?"

__________________________________________________________

It does attract plenty of attention (except at Camp Bestival recently where loads of people also had them) and people who have had a look inside have always been very impressed with the size - it is kind of tardis-like and we only have the 4m. The 5m must be huge!

Must admit I didn't know the 5m ones had windows - do you mean at head height? The ones I have seen have ones just above floor level (like ours). Good for ventilation but not so good if you are sitting at a table eating or relaxing with a glass of wine and would like a bit of a view. We tend to either relax outside the tent or have an awning/gazebo-type thing.

If you can get ones with head height windows that would pretty much make them perfect.

Agree with Rex there are probably more family-friendly tents but for ease of putting up and taking down they are hard to beat short of a pop-up.

Nic1

02/8/2008 at 12:33pm
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One other thing - prices do vary widely. It's probably justified sometimes - for example to get a thicker cotton or the old fashioned wooden accessories on the guy lines say - but not always. If you are only intending to go for a 285gsm weight of canvas, Obelink seem to be pretty much the cheapest option. Also Obelink and other European companies do distribute through some UK websites who then sell the same tent for a lot more money. So please do shop around.

If you want an inner tent though I am not 100% sure you can get one for the Obelink tent - it would be worth checking anyway. A company called Canvascamp, who I think are Belgian, sell those.

Good luck and if you do get one I am sure you won't regret it (they're pretty popular anyway so you wouldn't have any trouble selling it on I wouldn't imagine).

princessfish29

08/8/2008 at 4:40pm
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I've just had my 4m bell tent arrive from the Netherlands via Obelink and the heavens have opened.

i must say once I managed to translate the website via Google translate I found tracking its delivery quite exciting, saddo that I am. I ordered on Monday and the tent arrived today. not bad!!!

please let the sun come out now!! want to have a practice run before camping next weekend.

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