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Camping

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

Original poster

soulpad, bushcraft or 10T bell tent

28 replies

lifeistooshort · 24/05/2011 22:58

I am still lusting after a bell tent. Any experience of the above? and if so which one would you recommend? Are they all the same quality?

OP posts:
airborne · 25/05/2011 07:33

Soulpad. Excellent customer service, so helpful - when it arrived the pole had been ever so slightly damaged in the transport - I took a photo and they swapped it without any question, arrived the next day & I didn't even have to send the original one back. Not sure about the quality comparison but my soulpad seems pretty high quality. I think the higher quality ones are heavier cotton and might have fancy pegs with them. I haven't felt the need for better pegs and the 5m soulpad is heavy enough thank you very much!

needanewname · 25/05/2011 10:23

I got the 5m hybrid equivalent from Obelink, however I know someone who got one from Soulpad and they have been very happy with their customer service and delivery. I have bought bunting and the door mat from Soulpad and have been very happy.

I know people who have bought from Belltent.co.uk and have not been happy with service or deliver. No idea of the other 2 I'm afraid.

Lovecat · 25/05/2011 12:35

people are probably sick to death of me banging on about my soulpad, but I do love it :)

It's very thick canvas (agree with airborne, it's bloody heavy!) and seems very well made. Can't compare with other makes, as I haven't seen any, but their customer service is fabulous and their delivery very speedy. Despite the somewhat daunting instruction sheet that came with it, the guys were pre-tied in place (thank Christ!) and pitching was a doddle. I had DH stand there with a stopwatch just to see if I could do it single-handed and it took 25 mins from bag to putting out the doormat! This after us spending 3 hours and needing 2 people to come and help us put up the crappy nylon tunnel tent we had at Latitude last year!

I recently ordered a 1/4 size inner tent which I will be road testing on Friday and it seems the same excellent quality.

needanewname · 25/05/2011 16:27

Snap Lovecat!

Original poster
lifeistooshort · 25/05/2011 17:50

Interesting....sounds unanimous....Would have like some views on the other two but it seems everyone is buying soulpad (which is probably why they are sold out!)

OP posts:
needanewname · 25/05/2011 18:05

Can you get over to Holland?! Or do you know anyone in Europe that you could ship it to and then they to you?

Also look on campsite UK and ask there if anyone has bought from the others.

poppyboo · 26/05/2011 10:36

another very very happy soulpad owener here, 5 m Hybrid, beautiful tent, cotton very thick, the customer service from them is really really brilliant! very friendly, helpful, speedy...i also ordered a brazier from them, said i wanted it for the next evening, and they got it to me within 24 hours ! don't know about the others I'm afraid.

Original poster
lifeistooshort · 26/05/2011 13:34

I could get it sent to my SIL in France but first I need to make up my mind...which is really difficult thing to do as I have actually never been camping. It might sound mad but I know that with DH whatever we buy now we'll camp in for the rest of our lives so I want to make sure I get it right....part of me is also still lusting after the emperor tent.....I wish I could win the lottery!

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MisSalLaneous · 26/05/2011 14:06

It's a shame we don't have anything like the Obelink store here in UK - it was extremely useful being able to actually go into all the different tents so get the "feeling". For example, I loved the Tripstein a lot, although still went for a bell in the end.

Why don't you try a bell tent before buying anything? I've just done a quick search, and this is an example of a place where you can try before you commit? (Please note, I know nothing of this place, just random internet search.)

needanewname · 26/05/2011 16:34

Where abouts are you? There may be some bell tent owners camping near you over this weekend (or fairly soon) and you maybe able to have a nosey!

The emporer os gorgeous, and if they had the ZIG when we went over last year I think we'd have got it, but they didn;t and it probably is a bot too big really - however it is gorgeous and I'm not sure how many of them are over here so it would be abot different too.

I would def get it shipped ot your SIL if she will do that.

PrinceHumperdink · 26/05/2011 20:40

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

needanewname · 26/05/2011 22:38

But then you just get a stove!!!!

Original poster
lifeistooshort · 26/05/2011 23:46

oh god I will end up having to buy a lorry to carry the lot....I hadn't thought about the emperor being cold. All I could think off was space with my free young DC....I really do know nothing about camping. Still I impressed myself by buying ONE self inflating mat to try on at home before I end up buying 4... I should be as sensible about the tent really....ooh I like the tripstein too....

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PrinceHumperdink · 27/05/2011 09:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MisSalLaneous · 27/05/2011 09:30

PrinceHumperdink, what tent to you have? Interesting to hear about heat, and I wondered if the size of tent would influence it massively.

PrinceHumperdink · 27/05/2011 10:41

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MisSalLaneous · 27/05/2011 11:17

Thanks. For ages now I've been itching to get one - I just love the idea of it. We've only ever used it in yurts, but it was wonderful there.

Two things have been putting me off: Space in car, which is an issue as it is, and the idea of having to cut a hole in my tent. Shock

Not being that useful for heat therefore good to consider. We've got the 4m hybrid one (or whatever it's called - the zip-off groundsheet).

PrinceHumperdink · 27/05/2011 11:46

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Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MisSalLaneous · 27/05/2011 11:52

Would love to camp in Scotland, wish it wasn't so far.

Yes re flap - I had a look at the "ready made" options the other day - ridiculously expensive, so I'd make one myself should we ever need to, I think. What do you do when you don't use your stove, or do you always take it with?

Sorry btw for the many questions, it's just so nice to speak to someone that uses it for inside info vs sales pitch. :)

PrinceHumperdink · 27/05/2011 12:06

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MisSalLaneous · 27/05/2011 12:41

I've found one that, whilst not as great performance as the other bigger ones (and needs cleaning more often), is very portable, and the reviews seem ok. It's this one. It's also the only one I could persuade dh on. Now just to decide if it's something I really want ...

Original poster
lifeistooshort · 28/05/2011 21:48

for those who have soulpads, do you have the inner tents? Is the idea just to partition the tent or that the sleep pods keep some heat?

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ReshapeWhileDamp · 28/05/2011 22:09

I think Soulpads are restocking at the beginning of June? I'm still dithering about bell tents or not bell tents, and I just hope there are some left by the time we make up our minds! Sad

In my la la fantasy world, I have an Emperor and a Bell, because they mate at one end of the Emperor, so you have a bell-sized pod at one end! Grin

Original poster
lifeistooshort · 28/05/2011 22:38

reshapewhilstdamp you and I seem to share the same fantaisy! I also would like to know the answer to your question on the other thread as to whether there are any places you can see a bell tent pitched

OP posts:
scaryt · 29/05/2011 07:32

OK first the admission whispers I own a caravan....but bell tents are mightily cool.

Sal, love that wood burner. Gorgeous.