novice question re Tarps

[Lovecat]

I went 'proper' camping with the guides some 30 years ago and have only done intermittent festival camping with pop up tents since.

Bought a bell tent last year (ooh, it's lovely!) and went away with it for a weekend before summer ended - we had lovely weather so no need for any special arrangements.

Now, we've booked 2 places in Cornwall this summer for a week at a time.

I am always reading on camping threads about Tarps - for shelter, cooking under etc etc. As the weather may be iffy, I'm thinking I should get something to cook under if it's raining and get the impression from these threads and others on the UK Campsite forum that a gazebo-type structure is frowned upon.

My question(s) re Tarps -

From scrolling down to the main picture on this link, is that really how it stays up, with just 2 poles and some guy ropes? It doesn't look very stable at all...

Or is it meant to be attached/adjacent to the tent itself like in the picture further down on the left with the teeny little tent (or does the tent just look teeny because the tarp is big?)

Or do you really need 4 poles like the pic on the right to create the right-angled structure (which at least seems to look a bit more stable?!)

And as I've got a bell tent, would one of these actually work with it or do I need to fork out squillions for the 'proper' bell-tent tarp thingy?

I'm sure these are really obvious, stupid questions, but I just can't see how it's supposed to work...[d'oh!]

Or can I just take my 2-sided pop up gazebo [lazy arse smiley]?

The most brilliant thing about a tarp in the huge number of different ways you can use it, and how quick and easy they are to put up and down.

I've done similar things to all those picture and plenty of other styles using 1,2,3 and 4 poles. You construct what you need to suit the conditions. So if it's very windy with rain coming in at an angle you can angle them to deflect the rain and not act like a big old kite...which is what most shoddy gazebos end up like, and why they are unpopular due to the damage they cause as they career across the campsite.

I quite like fartarsing about with the poles and guys. Sometimes with varying levels of success. The more you play with it the more you know what works.

I have a Tatonka tarp which is very strong and has good uv protection so we take ours down to the beach to make into a sun shelter.

Now I'm no glamper so couldn't give a tinker's cuss if my tarp matched my tent or not, I'd get the best you can afford in your budget ( and something light and quick drying). The hard core glampers I'm sure would prefer the matchy matchy look.

Thanks Slubber, very helpful :)

(although I think I will have to buy the damn thing and then work out how to put it up, I'm still a bit confused by the pictures...)

I may have a bell tent but I am soooo not a glamper - I think proper glampers would defintitely wrinkle their noses at my arrangements!

Having googled, I like the sound of the Tatonka, may I ask if you have to use same-brand poles or can you use any poles you've got?

No worries

Here are a few threads on ukcs about tarps. I'm looking through it at the moment checking out how other folk have used their tarps for kitchen set ups.

There are some glampery ones on there to get ideas from

I think fiddling about with it on a calm and dry day is the best bet to find out what works best with your tent.

I just used my old poles that I kept from old tents that have now gone to the big campsite in the sky. Iirc the Tatonka ones were SO expensive. I bet they are very strong and super light weight though.

Lovecat, we bought a tarp at the same time as the bell tent, and it really is very useful when it rains etc. We got a cotton one (similar to the one on Belltent UK (click on belltents, then scroll down - I don't know why they can't do links to individual items, or maybe it's just me! Ours is exactly the same, just bought it elsewhere (cheaper).

Anyway, if you click on that, it'll give you a couple of more ideas on how to use with bell.

Enjoy!

Ah, I missed Slubber's post. Yes, good ideas on pics on there.

Can't wait to go camping again, but ours still far off (end June). Enjoy!

I'd recommend that if you buy a tarp then make sure you have extra poles to faff about with, to make it taller at one side or to raise it up off the ground completely so you can put your dining table under it. We have a Decathlon one - well actually two this one here

For cooking a Utility tent might be better?

Wotcha Lucy. But Bell tents and utility tents just don't go together do they? The juxtaposition of glamper and utilitarian is too much for the space time continuum. A worm hole would open and all the campsite would be sucked into it.

I'm going to do without my beloved utility for my six week jaunt. Did you see my 6 weeks on the continent thread ?

Wow - you're off to the continent for 6 weeks?! How have you managed to persuade dh? or have you swopped him for a camping-travelling version?

We have time restraints this year as dd1 (understandably) wants to stay until the end of the school year as she is in year 6 (so that'll be the 29th July)and we have to be back for A Level results in the middle of August so we only (only ) will have 2 1/2 weeks.

Point me in the right direction of your thread - as for the mismatching - tis all the rage. Mind you I just don't get the lets-all-sleep-and-live-together-in-one-room aspect of a bell tent.

Lol

Nope am keeping current dh despite all the trailer ishoos. It's his turn for a sabbatical this year, although there were mutterings this morning of 'how much is this going to cost' etc etc

thread here

Sorry for hijack Lovecat.

And bad luck at only two and a half weeks. Are you going back to your usual French site?

Nope been there done that - I fancy hotter sun, cheaper wine and Roman stuff to see. Not booked anywhere yet though.

Possibly Domaine de Gil? er not sure!