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Hi

Just come across this video produced by Simply Hike and Kent Fire and Rescue, some useful tips and demonstrations of tent performance. Worth a look.

It's good to see that our tents don't just explode in a fire ball so thank you.

Re smoking in a tent. No insult meant to any smokers, but, smoking will almost certainly kill you in the end any way, so you may as well enjoy a fag as you camp. Acording to Doctors that is. My dad smoked all his life, and had various cancer ailments. The one thing he did have though, was clear lungs. You pays your money and takes your chances.Life's dangerous. 

Quote: Originally posted by raf48 on 03/12/2011

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It's good to see that our tents don't just explode in a fire ball so thank you.

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Yes, that was quite reassuring. I wonder how quickly canvas would ignite. Belltent's bell tents are not pre fire-proofed according to their info.

They learned lots of things - but sadly not how to spell 'inside'.

I am surprised the tents did'nt combust I would have thought.   I have always been under the impression that it would. Condidering there was a bonfire in the middle of the tent.

But I will not be complacant though.  Always be careful.

Heather

People can hold any view they wish, but if the little bit of advice here saves a single life then any attempt to highten awareness and inform others in my mind is worth it.

We hear on the forum about tents being pitched too close together, people launching chinese lanterns at campsites and the near misses that result, people dying from bringing BBQs into tents, heaters going wrong and setting fire to tents and that is a just off the top of my head. Oh yes, we also found ourselves pitched next to a car leaking fuel last year (you could really smell it!) and the owners had no issue using a BBQ in close proximity to the vehicle. Their choice but potentially our lives! Fortunately, they moved the vehicle to the car park when requested.

The "bonfire" in the inner tent in the video was comprised of the usual items you find in a sleeping pod, mounded up un-naturally I'll give you, but still a useful demonstration. Like some, I actually found it useful to know how the tent fabric would behave (and I have done fire training in the past). The effect of it spreading through the grass was also something I had not thought of.

We keep a knife in the inner tent along with head torches, have a fire blanket, fire bucket and will now be adding a smoke alarm if I can find a good one that can be readily hung on a lantern loop. I have slept through the fire brigade trying to wake up a whole building I was in many years back so I am not so sure I'd wake up to just the sound of the fire without an alarm.

But each to their own.... and I'm glad that some people found it useful.

Sceptical Camper

Yes I think any awareness to the dangers of fire must be a good thing.

it may seem obvious to some, not to others, good on the op for bring this to members attention.

My personal feelings on seeing the video, it could have been made a lot better and if i was to show this video, I'd spend more time explaining more about the shortcomings of it.

That said,awareness is better than nothing.

We used to find some members of the public see Fire Prevention way down their list of priorities.(as you will see in most buildings in summer time, a 10 ltr fire extinguisher used as a door prop to keep a self closing Fire door open :- BSW  as we used to call it.= British Standard Wedge).

Only my opinion though.

Andy.

Everyone needs to be aware of the dangers of potential fires within a tent, trailer tents and caravans.   and minimise risks where possible.  For me cooking in a porch of a tent is the same as cooking in a tent, hence why some people use utilities tent.

If the weather is extremely bad.  I will cook inside the tent, still be vigilent and have strict rules.  If I had young children then that, would be a no,no.   I do have a fire extinguisher for when I go camping. 

If I had a bell tent and wood burning fire, with flume, I still would consider that a risk as well. but a risk worth taking.

The film was informative.   Well done speedcamp.

Heather

Quote: Originally posted by 9iron on 05/12/2011A very useful posting Speedcamp. Several months ago I posted a thread about Fire Buckets and their usefulness or otherwise. Some people agreed that they are a handy thing to have outside your tent but a number of people thought that because a tent would erupt in a fireball they would be useless. As Sceptical Camper mentioned, your interesting and useful post actually shows otherwise. A bucket of water outside the tent won't save the tent but could very well put out the fire before all your belongings are destroyed.

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