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Well It's arrived.

This is a cheap, Very Heavy Duty Bell Tent £200 plus postage.

I had already received three of the poles, four in total as it has a porch flap. So the tent and final pole arrived today. Went to pull the bag off the delivery van, but thought it was stuck on something. No, just very heavy. Managed to lug it up the garden path and into the house. Removed the packing and started to unroll it to gain access to the bits and pieces. Found the peg bag, had to use both hands to pick it up. The peg bag weighed sixteen pounds, oh yes, very heavy duty. The poles weighed fourteen pounds on top. Don't think the pegs will bend if they hit a stone as they are seventeen milimeters diameter. The guy lines are also very thick, eleven mm's diameter, but do not have sliders ?  I will have to make some very heavy duty wooden ones for it. The canvas is of a rough (coarse?) weave, and feels really tough. The seperate ground sheet is a heavy duty plastic woven type as most tents these days. It certainly has none of the finesse of a SoulPad or UK Bell Tent co. version, but I am sure it will feal very safe inside when the wind blows. It does have the unusual feature of the porch style door, which I have never seen before. The two window covers are on a loop system, so can be raised and lowered from inside the tent. When DOH gets in from work with the car, I'll be off to my local grass to have a test pitch. When I get back, I'll add some thoughts on how it is once pitched. It does look a bit agricultural, but I did want an ex army style heavy duty version, and that's what I got. I'm sure it will be great for early and late season camping, and if it doesn't fall to pieces, is great value for money. With regard to canvas being water proof, well I can say that you really can feel the proofing on this tent, it has a very waxy feel to it.

"Cough cough " excuse me Mr Bob but where exactly are the pics of your new belltent?

Sound gorgeous :)

Angie

Hi All,

No can do pictures, that's why none of my tents are on ebay yet. I can only just about get on this forum.

Got back from the quick pitch about 8.30 tonight, fours hours longer than I thought it would take. I can state that it does not leak in the rain, as just as I was about to pack it away, there was a cloud burst.  The heavens opened, but not a drop came in. Not bad for an new canvas tent that had not been wetted before. Each time it was nearly dry, it rained again. So it's in the car boot, and I will pitch it again tomorrow to dry out. If it's raining, then I will hang it from the roof beam at the top of the stairs as I mentioned before. How was it? Well the mud flaps go outwards, so I will cut them so they come into the tent with the ground sheet on top, as normal. It felt completely different from the 5 mtr version. A lot more cosy, dificult to explane, but cosy. With the 5 mtr version, It's a bit like a big tent before the inner tents are fitted, bit like a church hall. I think it will be my first choice tent for solo camping now. I think it was worth the price, and due to the delivery delay, I will get back quite a bit of the postage. As usual, I will be altering it about a bit, but not much. I think the windows will be drafty so some velcro there, also the door canopy, great for shade, but a bit big for every day use. I will make a cross bar, so I can have the flap up but only extending half its length. The roof vents don't have netting in, so insects will find their way in, so a simple fix there. Because it's not smart like the SoulPad etc tents, I will not treat it with the same care. A bit of mud here and there will look OK, it looks butch. I did not bother to lay it on a ground sheet when folding it up, which I would have done with my other bell tent. The centre pole has a spike through the top of the roof, so I will get a nice tent knob to fit onto it. (tent knob is the soulpad term for it)

I actually fancied making sliders, as I have some nice beech that I rescued for just this job on my other bell. I found out that there is some free camping to be had this weekend, but I have to work Saturday night, so perhaps I could just do Friday night. The other thing about this version, is that the guy lines fit through holes in the roof edge, so with a shorter pole section, I could drop it down almost as a tipi with the side walls almost on the ground, with elastics onto the pegs. This could also be a good option if it gets very windy. The other thing I like about the pole going through the top of the tent, is that extra guy lines can be fitted over the spike, for when it's windy. I'm sure I will get my moneys worth from this one. Now looking forward to my first night s camping in it.

Bob

Hi Liverbird,

Sorry to burst your bubble as it were. Me and carving won't happen. Even If I were to whistle, you wouldn't be able to hear it above the sound of the 'POWER TOOLS' ! ! !

Just think of the programe 'Home Improvements', and you should get the picture.

It actually weighs 50 lbs that's for the bare tent fabric, but is very bulky and cumbersome to pick up. That's twenty pounds heavier than the total weight of the normal bell tents. I ended up not being able to camp on the Friday, but intend to go the back end of this week weather and work permitting.

Quote: Originally posted by raf48 on 22/7/2009

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No can do pictures, that's why none of my tents are on ebay yet. I can only just about get on this forum.

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Hi angelahorn, Thanks for the info.

Err, email you the photo's, can't do that either. I really will have to find some time and look into it. I can't even get my digi photos from my camera to my computer. I just have loads of memory sticks that I plug in with a lead to my USB to look at them. I have a record player to copy all my old records to my computer, but can't work out how to do that either. I am a total idiot when it comes to this digital age. The trouble is, there is so much to learn, before anything works.

My job is d j / karaoke host etc. I am the only employe that is using discs now, all the others have lap tops with about 80,000 songs for karaoke plus as many again on the disco side. Fortunately my boss is also my friend, so I get away with it. Perhaps that's the problem. Now when it comes to camping etc, I am on the ball. No electronics, NO EHU

Hi Liverbird08

Just back from a couple of nights away in the 4 meter Bell Tent.

It's great, but I am now thinking about a THREE meter version, just to see what it's like!  It won't be this year though, no funds. Only sixteen days to go untill my seven day trip to the Lakes. This will be in my five meter version as my wife is coming with me.

Hi Liverbird08,

Church Stile Farm nr. Wastwater. Nether Wasdale. Nr. Muncaster  The Western Lakes area. Hoping to get a couple of days kayaking in as well, as I only managed two hours in April due to the weather on Ulswater.

My finger's hovering over the buy it now button, with regard to the Cybercheckouts 3 mtr version £120   The MOT's due at the end of the month, so would be a bit naughty really.