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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

Bugger - no Bell Tents left

89 replies

Needanewname · 12/07/2010 21:56

Damn damn damn!

I've finally talked DH into a Bell Tent (5m with zig) although he said next year I was hoping to talk him round for this year but they've sold out!!!! So I'm going to sulk now!

OP posts:
poppyboo · 13/07/2010 13:08

Thanks MisSalLaneous for reassuring me about my purchase , those are the exact reason why we chose that one.

Hasn't arrived yet, we are waiting with bated breath LOL We've been told last week of July.

Seriously , I feel like I'm obsessing about camping right now, I'm surprised I'm not dreaming about it. We are so excited about going away in our new tent

MisSalLaneous · 13/07/2010 13:33

Poppyboo, it's fab! Honestly, even dh a convert (he kind of indulged me with the purchase).

poppyboo · 13/07/2010 13:38

That is so great to hear! My DH was so funny last night. Our Vango Galaxy XL sleeping bags had arrived and he saw the pack size and went 'how big?!' I said: 'It will be fine hon, don't worry' He was still looking kind of annoyed. I then told him to climb in one and he sighed in a happy way and then admitted they were fantastic and very warm and comfy. Ha! It made me laugh.

This tent purchase is kind of on my head as I told him to buy it and he did no argument!

TortugaTents · 13/07/2010 13:53

Needanewname - There are alot of bell tent suppliers out there other than Belltent & Soulpad (including ourselves) and this time of year they may well do deals to bring the prices down to something more affordable to you. The ZIG is a nice idea but, to me, dirt & mud and long zips don't mix, you're much better off going for a separate groundsheet and just making sure it's tucked under properly. An inner btw can be made to fit any belltent as it's just a few toggles sewn on the inside edge and attaching it to the centre pole. If you know anyone who lives in Europe then consider buying from Obelink and having it shipped to them and then arrange for it to be collected by courier - will probably cost you about £30-40 so there's still a considerable saving.

TheButterflyEffect - That's not good customer service if you ask me. We would have taken the tent back and either replaced it or had it repaired for you. If you can send me some pictures of the damage I can quote you for a professional repair (also let me have you postcode so I can see what collection costs will be)

If anyone wants advice on tents them please feel free to contact me as there's not alot I don't know about them and we firmly believe in making sure you have the correct information to make an informed choice before you buy - regardless of who you buy from.

Original poster
Needanewname · 13/07/2010 14:32

MisSalLaneous - thats why I wanted the ZIG, apparently its also a thicker groundsheet too. We were also planning to use the carpet from the Outwell tent we have - not as glam as the coir mat but packs up a lot smaller and we already have it. THat with the inner tent we should be cosy and warm!!!!

Tortuga Tents - many thanks for your reply, I have looked at your tents - bit out of our price range I'm afraid but beautiful, however I am considering getting your bell tent awning as that looks a lot better than the others I've seen. I suppose I'll just have to keep looking for good deals!

I even offered DH a dirty weekend in Holland if we could go and get one, he just rolled his eyes at me! Me obsessive - never!!!!

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TortugaTents · 13/07/2010 15:03

Needanewname - We are at the top end of the market, that's true, but we're also EU made and quality controlled, probably the greenest manufacturer and supply all year round rather than getting in bulk from China or Pakistan. That said, I know how tough it is to find a spare penny when you have young children, so cost does become the biggest criteria!

The porches are wonderful and very versatile but they're out of stock for about another 10 days after which we'll have them in again.

Give Dh a kick too, fancy turning down a dirty weekend in Holland! Mind you, the Obelink store has a habit of making you go ga-ga and spend waaaayyyy too much money

TheButterflyEffect · 13/07/2010 15:11

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TheButterflyEffect · 13/07/2010 15:12

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Orangesarenottheonlyfruit · 13/07/2010 16:18

Can i second the lack of SIG not being a problem?? Have taken our 5m Soulpad into pretty horrendously wet and windy conditions and it has never leaked. It's all in the pitching I believe.

Although I did find a frog in our tent when i was packing up last year... but think that jumped through the door!

beccagrace2 · 13/07/2010 17:28

we have just returned yesterday from our first camping trip in our new 5m belltent!! it was fab...so easy to put up, we went for the ultimate one with zip ground sheet. The only thing is that it really did attract alot of attention!! people kept asking for a tour, which was fine as it is so pretty. My dh got a bit carried away on the belltent site and we have the coil matting half moon, multi coloured chandalier(sp?) and even the 4 morrocan style tables! The double queensized airbeds are comfy, we bought 2, and have a huge huge bed right across the back of the tent for us and 3dc. worth every penny!! (we also have bunting and windmills....could not resist!!)

poppyboo · 13/07/2010 17:37

beccagrace it sounds like you had so much fun glamming it up! I would love to see photos? It sounds beautiful! I want bunting but have spent so much this year can't justify it and my sister has my sewing machine right now so i can't make any...

TheButterflyEffect thank you so much for reassuring me, i have felt a bit worried about it today, but still excited. I couldn't not own one of these now IYKWIM, they look so beautiful!

omnishambles · 13/07/2010 17:39

Ours didnt rip but the zip came apart at the top of the front door and now we cant do it up - bought this year. We must be putting it up wrong though because we cant even get the two sides of the door to meet now...

We havent got the zip grounsheet btw and its all been fine...

poppyboo · 13/07/2010 17:42

omnishambles was that a soulpad tent? OMG, are you still able to use it or is that a stupid question?

omnishambles · 13/07/2010 17:52

No it came from belltents - we use it in the garden which was all it was intended for - we sleep in it fine and use it as an outdoor room/party area...

Original poster
Needanewname · 13/07/2010 20:15

TortugaTents - I know, and theres me thinking I was irresistable!!!!

beccagrace, I hate you, I hate you, i hate you!!!!! I tild you all I was going to have a tantrum! Sounds absolutely fab.

Can you believe, I've been trying to find bad reveiws to put me off them and all anyone can say is how fab they are

OP posts:
MisSalLaneous · 13/07/2010 20:17

Well, they're heavy, if that helps?

Original poster
Needanewname · 13/07/2010 20:36

LOL not really but thanks for trying

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TheButterflyEffect · 13/07/2010 22:06

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fireandlife · 13/07/2010 22:32

Mrs Wobble the Waitress, thinking about the tension in the door at the height of the walls... Have you made really, relly sure that the guys on either side of the door are totally in line with the seam on the tent? It's really worth pegging and re pegging if all the pegs and guys are not absolutely in line with the seams.

As for the ground sheet issue - there isn't one with a separate groundsheet. Not even a breeze can get into the tent and the rain has no effect what so ever, there are no zips to break and being separate from the tent means that the dirt is kept away from the beautiful canvas. Ours is Canvas and Cast, 5m bell and it's amazing, heavy but this is what we wanted!

amistillsexy · 13/07/2010 22:40

Just a word of warning about the wind.We camped in our 5 m bell tent at 1/2 term on top of a hill in NYorkshire, then came the gales...We were concerned that the tent would take off as the pegs holding the loops at the bottom of the tent kept coming off-at one point we had a tent full of wind and me and DH were frantically running round re-attaching all the pegs, but as soon as we did one, another one popped off!
Eventually we secured the tent and set off for lunch. We could see the tent from various vantage points as we walked, and it was fine, but then right at the end of the day, we couldn't see it any more.
We hurried back to find a puddle of canvas on the floor. The wind had broken the central pole clean in half, and the whole thing had collapsed. Our A-frame had also broken.
It was NOT fun rescuing all my lovely rugs, cushions and duvets from a collapsed tent in a howling gale!
BUT! It's not put us off-off to Hadrian's wall in August, then Glastonbury (the town, not the festival!), Dorset, maybe Cornwall as well for a bit of beachiness...and lots of glamping it up, with new lanterns, patchwork quilts a-go-go and some new enamel-ware for the stove!!!
(oh, and a doctored cork from the first wine bottle of the camp to go over that pesky A-Frame sticky outy bit!)

omnishambles · 13/07/2010 22:56

Good grief - how did you get a new pole?

MrsWobbleTheWaitress · 14/07/2010 07:31

Fireandlife - yes, every single time!

amistillsexy - Wow! What make was your tent? I cannot imagine our pole ever snapping in half - it's humungous!

poppyboo · 14/07/2010 09:47

I know that Soulpad sell spare parts should pole ever snap in half on a Soul Pad...

The impression that I am getting with bell tents is that even if something goes wrong a rip, pole snapping, tent blowing away, that they are such a great thing to camp in that people just fix the problem and just get right back to the joys of camping

Mine hasn't even arrived yet and to be honest with you, I can't imagine camping in anything else other then a bell tent in the coming years.

Maybe I'm being to hasty in saying that, but once you fall in love, it's forever, right?

TheButterflyEffect · 14/07/2010 12:14

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poppyboo · 14/07/2010 13:10

I'm working on glamming my camping experince up a little bit. This week I have washed two sheepskin rugs, dried and combed them...I thought they would be warm to sit on during the day and nice to spread under sleeping kidi-winks during the night.

TheButterflyEffect family movies sound great!