Glastonbury - would you take a bell tent?

[DallyG]

I was planning on buying a 4/6 man tent to take for me and my friend (she’s super tall and would ideally want to stand up inside!)

Now I’m thinking I could just take the bell tent. Not worried about carrying it in as will have a trug. But space wise? Would be be dicks to take up that much space?

I wouldn't. It will get filthy and wrecked imo
I would take a lightweight dome

I’m happy to wash it when we get back, unless it’s awful weather I don’t think it will get to dirty?

You'd have to be first in the queue to find a big enough space for a big bell tent especially if you have a particular field you want to camp in because it'll be full by lunchtime. And although you say you have a trug to carry it, the car parks are miles away and all the stop starting with the queue is really tedious even with a lightweight tent.

Have you been to Glastonbury before? It will get filthy.

I haven’t been for years but it’s not like normal camping. Your tent will just be a base.

Don’t take a tent you would mind if it got damaged, also a big one might stand out as a target for a drunk person to jump on or look for things inside. Unless you are in family camping field which might be fine i think.

Lordy!

Family fields then yes. Have you been before?

General camping? NO FUCKING WAY.

It won't get dirty? Really?

Everything gets dirty!

Standing inside a tent? Not a priority surely at something like Glastonbury...as PP said it's simply a place to crash at the end of the day.

No way, even in a trig it would be horrendous trying to pull that across the rough fields. If it rains while you're there you won't get it home because you won't be pulling a trug with a 25kg tent through the mud!

No, no way, it might get damaged (some lovely Welsh lads exploded a gas canister next our tent at Glastonbury, they were off their tits and thought it hilarious, but it ripped a big hole in our tent). It's also a bloody long way even with wheeled transport. The tracks and fields are really hard to negotiate even if it hasn't rained. Any rain and it's Armageddon (seriously check historic photos, u can barely walk in the mud let alone pull something).

Fuckkkkkkkk

Right that’s a no to the bell tent then 😂

Gutted as we were supposed to be there by wed morning but my mate can’t get off work so we aren’t going to get there until wed night, are we going to be screwed trying to find a spot?!

You'll get a spot somewhere but you'll have to wander a bit trying to find space with a big tent. Everyone is proper packed in on top of each other especially in the popular parts like Big Ground or Pennards.

so we aren’t going to get there until wed night, are we going to be screwed trying to find a spot

You won't be screwed but you will have a bit of a job finding somewhere

Glastonbury is something like 1000 acres, over a mile from one side to the other and becomes the largest "town" in the southwest for it's duration. Even in good weather, it will be probably take you over an hour from your car to a camping spot, over uneven ground, lots of queueing, lugging lots of heavy equipment. Those trug things are a joke even on decent ground. You'd be better off with as much on your back and in your hands and accept that you'll be spending a shit load of ££ when you get there on stuff you can't carry or forgot.

As PP have said, you are not there to camp. Your tent is just a base to sleep and store your stuff. On that note, don't take anything you can't handle losing or can't carry with you, there's every chance it'll be fine, but a higher than normal chance it will be stolen or shat (literally even) on. Have fun, am very jealous!

Just seen you're not arriving till after work on a Wed night. Then take a head torch because you'll most likely be doing all of the above in the dark.

I have lent my bell tent to friends for glasto. For myself I don't have any bannisters to dry acres of soaked bell tent canvas so this year I have gone for hybrid - a bell tent, easy for one person to put up quickly in tbe dark and rain, but made of lightweight poly fabric not canvas. There are various options and I am not making any direct recommendation but something like this:
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Head torch is a good shout. I wish I was going! You'll have so much fun.

Omg no way would I take a lovely bell tent. I've taken tents to Glastonbury which I've had to drop off at the skip on the way home as they have been broken beyond repair when someone's fallen on them, ripped them or broken the poles.

I agree with not taking a lovely, expensive bell tent, but please bring your cheaply made festival tent away with you to store and reuse again.

It really isn't ok to leave or dump them in skips on the way out anymore just because.

My (rubbish!) tent is sitting in my garage but don't PPS mean they use the proper tent recycling scheme?

Glastonbury this year will be very muddy. Don’t take a bell tent, tall friend will have to crouch down.

Enjoy. (The mud)

@OldUnit You have misunderstood me there - I didn't leave my tent in a skip on the way out. I took it home (only 5 miles) put it back up the best I could, assessed the damage and then took it to the skip / council recycling centre. I live with I'm spitting distance of the festival site and I've seen what gets left and it's disgraceful.

I would never leave anything behind!

Aldi has a cheap 4 man for sale this week, not sure how it will stand up in the rain but if it’s going to get trashed I don’t suppose it matters. I’m loath to borrow a tent from anyone in case it does get fallen on or broken

Any more hints and tips very very welcome!