My bell tent arrives tomorrow!!!

[poppyboo]

We've had an e.mail from Soulpad saying it will arrive tomorrow! Any last minute pitching tips from Soulpad/bell tent owners! I'm a bit worried about pitching it [hmmm]

That's great news Poppyboo!

But when will mine get here????? [whines]
I emailed soulpad earlier today, but have heard nothing so far. And I'm so impatient I could pop!

Thanks for the tips Riven, I'm worried about ripping it/damaging it by mistake!

MrsMellowdrummer hopefully they should get back to you soon! My husband e.mailed last night and had a reply back very quickly the same evening. It has been arranged with them for ages that it would be delivered tomorrow, so he was just checking things with them. I hope you hear back soon! let me know! We can't wait to get away and have everything packed apart from clothes/food. Kind of wishing I had bought a taupe though so I can cook outside if/when it's raining

Excellent. Hopefully I will hear soon then. The tent was ordered weeks ago, and the last I heard they were expecting them in this week some time, with deliveries next week. So if it comes tomorrow (pleeeeeeeeease!) that will be a bonus!

Are you planning to camp this weekend? I've been mulling over the cooking in the rain thing too. Best strategy I have so far is a big umbrella!
Also, I'm already getting twitchy about putting boring old ugly things inside our lovely new tent. We will have a 4m one, so it's not going to be mega mega spacious I'm guessing. We've got some big storage boxes that I can cover up with nice fabric, but I'm wondering about a utility tent for general mess...
[getting a bit ahead of myself emoticon]

Oooooooh.....

Just checked out the Soulpad twitter page, and look...

yfrog.com/eul2fzj

One of those is mine, and one is yours!!!!

No... but I have just a leeeeeeeetle bit of bunting Riven!

MrsMellowdrummer I have no bunting!
Riven I have no fairy lights!

Getting the camping stuff together has cost us hundreds. Seriously, I'm not kidding. We had none of the things, so we are starting out from scratch. Tent, sleeping bags for four (We sleep cold so we had to go for bags over quilts) Stove (we got a nice one as we thought we will be using it for years, if it doesn't all go wrong) setting up the gas for that, saucepans, kettle, camping bits and pieces...extra blankets.....I like to be prepared

so, bunting and fairy lights bottom of list but we will definately be getting some soon!!! LoL They should have been top of list really!

I know I could have just taken stuff from the kitchen etc etc but I'm the sort of person that wants to get eveything we need for camping in one large box, refresh it at the beginning of each year with new kids medicine, more washing up liquid etc etc so its done and I don't have to think about it. Then in theory if we suddenly decide to go camping all I have to pack is food and clothes. Well that's the idea anyway.

MrsMellowdrummer that pic looks amazing! I've suddenly thought, I wonder if wires have been crossed and maybe ours will come next friday! I guess I can let you know later on today.

Thanks for the tip Riven I was thining about getting the decathalon taupe for £20 and just set up near tent as a shelter. What do you think? We need to keep things as small as possible, we don't have trailer or roof box.

MrsMellowdrummer I haven't thought beyond the practical for camping this year...after the summer I will be thinking about nice storage etc etc. I definately want things to look pretty LOL but my brain couldn't cope with anymore! I would like to get some Cath Kidson floral pillow cases in summer sale time for example....that's bad isn't it?

I don't think I can spell...is what I was talking about actually a tarp?

It's here! It's here! It's here! It's here!!!!

Do you have yours too Poppyboo?

I have five children in the house at the moment, so no scope for sloping off to the garden to put it up... But as soon as they've gone home...!!!!!

I should mow the lawn first, if I'm really being sensible...

Poppyboo, I made our bunting myself out of scraps of old clothes etc, so it hasn't cost anything. Well, just pennies really for the cotton tape, and the thread. I've got some really lovely fabric too that I was given by a lady who runs a posh fabric business - lots of her old samples. So I'm going to get busy and transform that into some more. Now the tents here, I can measure the lengths that I want, and get going!

I'm like you, in that I have a couple of big boxes that I store all the stuff in, so that we can go at a moment's notice. I use Really Useful boxes, and it's those that I'm thinking of using as storage in the tent as well - with some lovely fabric to cover them. Should make good tables/stools I reckon.

Oooh, I'm so excited!

MrsMellowdrummer mine is here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Whooooooooooooopppppppppppppppppppeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee! !!

I am so excited!!!!

I had half an hour of terror when I realised how big the 5 meter one is!!!! So I insisted to DH that we did a trail pack right at that moment. Now I can breathe again because it all fitted in fine (we have a Nissan Note and two children!) I seriously was in a panic!

But now I am very very happy and actually wished we had a campsite booked to go!!! LOL

Let me know when you get your bell up!

Hurrah!

They are big and heavy aren't they. We just have the 4m one, which is probably at least 4 times bigger than our non-exciting 4 man nylon jobbie. We're ok car wise though... I think!

Lol at you doing a practise pack... that's commitment!

Happy erecting!

Am I reeeeeally imature to think the "happy erecting" comment was funny?
Have fun you guys!

I've just got one too- we're planning to take it to the Big Chill next weekend...however our garden is much too small for a practice pitch so we're going to try and lump it to the park later on

I'm sure I read on here somewhere that they aren't properly waterproof till they've got wet and then dried out again? purleeease tell me it ain't so as have no desire to pitch it in south London park then wait for it to rain and then dry out while in the meantime it gets weed on by untold Staffords and has mountain bikes ridden over the top by norty kids

[handwringing fretful emoticon]

SpringHealedJack I wouldn't bother doing that, the instructions I read said there is no need for a first soaking, you can just get camping! We aren't bothering to pitch until our first camping trip! Hopefully i won't end up regretting it!

poppyboo I'm sooooo glad you said that

I think on balance we'll do the same

Hey Poppyboo, slept in the tent last night!

It was sooooooooooooooooo nice!!!

Very easy to put up too - I managed it on my own! And then spent the remainder of the day filling it with cushions and rugs, and lovely things. My husband thinks I've gone a little bit mad I'm sure...