Cutting a big fat hole in my bell tent

[MisSalLaneous]

Talk me through it. Not the technical bits, Google is my friend and all that, but I need emotional support! D-day is tomorrow. Have scissors to hand, glaring at me... How did you do it? Done the deed, then hoped and prayed it would be fine when you camp, or did you do a little test before? I'm so nervous, but as this is my Big Brilliant Idea, I cannot admit my sheer terror to dh.

This stove better be worth it! My (non existing) manicurist will be heartbroken to see me now.

Blimey

Really?

You just go at it with a pair of scissors? Rather you than me. I get a bit agitated when a bird craps on my canvas.

[spectacularly unsupportive post]

Sorry Sal

Haha. Ah, doesn't matter, this is a thinly disguised post to brag about my stupidity cool new stove.

Am very nervous about the whole cutting thing though. It's like that first kiss - yeah yeah, it all sounds good and nice and everything on paper, but where the hell do you put your tongue scissors, and if it all goes wrong, the embarrassment might kill me off...

Ha, I even tried chickening out tonight - asking dh whether he didn't think that, since summer is now so obviously here, we should wait until winter for the whole cutting exercise. He laughed in my face, grrr. Either way, I'm trying out stove on its own tomorrow. Will bore you to tears report back tomorrow.

How was your trip?

Trip awesome ta.

lolol at you buying MORE stuff. You are so addicted

Have you had to buy a trailer yet for all your things?

I cannot get my head around having a fire in a tent. I understand the theory and have seen the photos but just could never ever relax with it on. I would be sat next to it in a heightened state of alert with many fire buckets and extinguishers and a taped off perimeter which the dc would not be allowed to traverse. That and you have to cut a hole, a HOLE, in the lovely canvas which keeps the rain out.

[continues on with unhelpful posts]

What do you do with the hole when you go without the stove?

Do you fashion a Velcro flap?

Gah, can't believe I've wished you back - you're no help, no help at all!

Yes, the fire in a tent thing. Have thought about it for so long, but will be super strict on it (for what it's worth, obv). E.g., carbon monoxide and fire alarm, fire extinguisher, which we always have anyway, and knife (folded, obv) under mattress. Will also have ds sleep further than us from stove. Not that the minutes available should things go wrong is that much, I know, but every little helps the nerves. Have stayed in yurts with stove before, so at least know that he's old and scared of me enough not go go close to it etc.

Main reason, on top of the cool factor , is that we wished to extend the camping season a bit, and I don't want gas in tent. Also found place to go wild camping (with permission), so nice to have stove. I've got a long list of excuses.

Haven't made up my mind about seal when not using. One option is to make a flap thing, or could just get dh to make a silicone circle of same size to bolt on when not using. Both involve unscrewing the thing (technical term) though, which I'd rather not. So might see if I can think of better solution - perhaps some cup thing. No, not a coffee can!

Trailer. I fear not even dh loves me that much, would be a push too far. So, much to my bank manager's delight, I think this will be it for the foreseeable future. No, really, it would.

Oh good grief, sorry, didn't realise how much I've typed.

Anyway, here's the "instructions" - looks all straight forward, but still horrified thinking I'll have to put knife / scissors through my much loved tent. Flashing

A cup thing? Whaaaaaaaaaat?

What about just investing in some deeply impressive vests and a nice warm coat?

You could do your whole fire pit action outdoors, sling a hot water bottle in your sleeping bag, fully embrace all sections of the Damart catalogue and you could leave your canvas hole free and water tight.

I will never be convinced sorry

That I could do, granted. However. I can make us coffee and hot chocolate first thing in the morning without even having to leave the tent...

We should do a big camp once. Ignoring the fact that I am hugely antisocial and camp in woods to get away from people, we'd be the perfect match. I'll start fires, and you and your fire bucket can come to the rescue. Should we not require your services on a specific morning, your vigilance would be rewarded with steaming cups of hot choc. Win win all around, I tell ya.

You're on Sal

Hot cup of coffee without leaving tent does sound extremely wonderful but don't you, you know, have to light the damned thing first, or will it keep burning all night? And what about your morning wee, don't you have to exit stage front to do that? (or are you a bucket person?)

Quick shuffle off to the loo, pop on the gas stove , coffee made whilst looking at birds/trees/approaching rain clouds, turn of gas , re enter tent, consume hot beverage.

AND LOOK all that and the canvas remains totally hole free.

I am the small quiet voice of reason before you start hacking up your lovely tent.

Sal -Don't want to piss on your bonfire (or sexy little stove even ) but I wouldn't have a flame ANY where near a tent after our experience last weekend.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/camping/1227946-A-SERIOUS-WARNING-I-SAW-THE-MOST-FRIGHTENING-CAMPING-THING-THIS-WEEKEND

God I read that sassy

Well, it can burn all night, but i was planning on putting log on about 30 mins before we go to bed (to ensure burning slowly and evenly), which would then give heat for a couple of hours. Around 6 when ds wakes up, put on another log whilst persuading him to cuddle up quietly, then make coffee by 7ish. Umm, what you're saying do make sense thiugh, have to grant you that... Also not bucket person, no, so there goes that excuse. This show-off is not going well, is it?

Sassy, I saw that! must have been terrifying seeing in person. I did also look at that video of tent fire where bikes and everything burned in 5 minutes or so. Awful.

Oh I don't know anymore, maybe you two are right after all. Ok, tell you what I'll do first before destroying my tent completely - will give it a try outside first (it was originally designed to work outside, the tent modification is to demand really - e.g. Theses got sent to Haiti after disaster). I guess it will probably be almost as useful if we use it just outside, just about under tarp, with flue outside. Would mean we can sit outside if rains - I can never get myself to make a fire under tarp, whereas at least contained in stove.

Ps: I do actually appreciate the concern, even if I'm stubbornly trying to reason here!

Thanks Prince. May I ask - what stove do you have, and how often (and for how long) do you use it? E.g., do you leave it at home in summer? And if so, what method do you use to close the exit in the tent?

Thanks!

PS: Due to potential for rain, I still haven't tried out my stove today. Am itching to!

Ah, thanks. I know this sounds insane, because I would never, ever, use a gas stove or even heater in a tent - mainly because I'm terrified of leaking gas and hearing of exploding canisters if flames go out - yet I'm ok(ish) about the idea of a stove. I think it's because it's contained, and except for the more obvious carbon monoxide risk of burning anything inside a tent/building (will clean flue after every camp, and will use cm alarm to safeguard though), I'm relatively relaxed about it all.

One of the small things, but that was added to The Reasons List, is that the heat inside apparently helps a lot to dry a damp tent before pack-up. We can't pitch in garden really, so even if just reducing the time it hangs of the doors inside ( ), it'll be good.

With today's cold weather I'm back to thinking this is a fabulous idea! Will, however, hold off cutting hole just yet - want to try stove first.

But won't you have to wait until it has gone out and cooled down completely before you pack it in the car? You'll have a dry tent but will be sat in the car waiting for the stove to go cold before you can go home.

Sal what car do you own? It sounds capacious in the extreme. I need one.

man I want a bongo.

With the back seats folded down can you still seat 4 inside?

It's blue and boxy and frequently occupied by someone closely resembling a medical practitioner

Nah, it's an Audi A4, but contrary to how it might sound, we don't actually camp with much. Most of the time it's only bell tent, camp chair x 2, hammock, bedding, cooking + small utensils and clothes.

Bedding = Fat Airic x 2, Wee Airic for ds, 3 x sleeping bags if overnighter, otherwise 1 x sleeping bag & one double duvet, proper pillows

Cooking = Cadac if longer / grill to use over fire if shorter
and Storm Kettle. Pan if warming up chili con carne or similar for first night, and for breakfast in morning. Cups for coffee. Powder coffee (much to my friends' disgust). Paper (cheap, unwaxed) plates for bbq, which then goes into fire afterwards.

Small spaces filled up with random stuff, but usually space left. Oh no, I'm lying, we bought a roof box, but that was when we decided to take camping cot with last year. Beast that stupid thing (cot) is, but good for sleeping all around.

On stove. Hahahaha. Ok ok ok. I'm sure I've got one or two excuses reasons left on said List, but I'm not telling you.

Hah! Listen to PrinceHuperdink. She clearly knows what she's talking about!

One day, one day...

Should probably own up to talking every single thing I could fit when we first got roof box. Was marvelous comfort wise: Air bed with Fat Airics on top (seriously, seriously good), fleece fitted cover over, down duvet, sheepskin rug, etc. Wonderful, but the whole trek through the trees - especially on the return, when excitement over, was schlepp. Would probably do that again for long camps, but not for weekends.