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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

Been asked 100's of times already....

52 replies

muchostinky · 07/08/2011 16:31

Hi all you people with a fountain of camping knowledge Grin trying to butter you up so you don't get sick of my repeated questions

I am looking at a tent to get for me, my DP and DS, currently it will just be for the odd couple of days here and there but from next year I am hoping we can get away for weeks or longer at a time.

Now my question is, to bell tent or not to bell tent? I love them - look gorgeous, size and space seems great and my son would love it too I think. BUT would I find it easier to have some covered 'other' space to put stuff in and for some properly separate bedrooms? I am currently watching a Vango Aspen 500 and a Outwell Oakland XL on ebay and they look good too. Been to Towsure and we all liked the look and feel of these, haven't seen a Bell Tent up but I just know I would love that.

I am so confused and just don't know, am trying to do a pro's and con's list of both types but I am coming up a bit short....

Please help oh wise ones!!??? Blush

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mel2005 · 08/08/2011 11:20

i cant stop looking at the site now, there is some lovely bits on there, i have those stripy bill brown bed mats, i got them from e-bay £30 each and they are soo comfy and so much warmer than the airbed (which even when i have put 10 blankets on top still feels like sleeping on ice), wouldnt have spent £85 on them though. i sooo love the windbreaks, i had planned on getting two windbreaks for each side of the tent wing but at £65 each i am not sure, i was thinking more £20. i have loads of bits to list on e-bay so i might see what i can sell today, then it doesnt feel so bad. i did sell my old bike this week as well but i am not sure i can count that as the bike i replaced it with cost alot more but i did buy that with money from a buggy i sold.

mel2005 · 08/08/2011 11:24

the site in the photos is NANTCOL which is near snowdon in wales, i really want to go but with 2.5y twins running around as well as a 5y and 6y old, i think it would be better if we went next year or even the year after. i have camped near there many times in my teens and 20s but not on that site and its such a lovely area even when its raining.

mel2005 · 08/08/2011 11:25

nantcolwaterfalls.co.uk/

Original poster
muchostinky · 08/08/2011 11:29

Wow - thanks for all your replies, the Bell Tent Brigade are definitely winning!

dontcallmebaby it is lovely isn't it? I am sure i could take all that stuff, just would have to leave my son at home to bring it all. From reading what Zen from that link said, she makes a lot of stuff and customises things - just wish I had that talent!

mel thanks for the link to yours, the tealights are a great idea and very handy for night time wee's! Have had a wee look at those carpets, was wondering what we would do for flooring. Was looking at rag rugs to be fair, so thanks for dragging me back a little. Lol

Oh winefairy you can't post links to sites like that!! How lovely is that windbreak?! Think I might have to find a link to a pattern and make one like that, does anyone know if you would have to waterproof the material you use?

bbbbob that campsite is Nantcol Waterfalls Camping ground. Gorgeous isn't it? It's on my list for next year!

OP posts:
Original poster
muchostinky · 08/08/2011 11:30

Oops - cross post with you mel took so long to reply to everyone!

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DontCallMeBaby · 08/08/2011 11:32

Mel, not as pretty as the £68 windbreaks, but Blue Diamond ones have a similarly retro canvas feel for as little as £26 each - they're a little lower and quite a bit longer than the Glam Camping ones.

bbbbob · 08/08/2011 11:32

Thanks Mel. just had a look at their website - looks amazing. Smile

bbbbob · 08/08/2011 11:36

Much I'm going to book for next year too. Looks beautiful

mel2005 · 08/08/2011 11:51

dontcallmebaby the blue diamond ones look fab, are they canvas material?, i cant tell.

DontCallMeBaby · 08/08/2011 11:58

Apparently they're polypropylene, but they feel very canvassy, rather than plastic/nylon. Really heavy duty with big sold wooden posts, couldn't be more different to the nylon thing we had previously!

mel2005 · 08/08/2011 12:03

thats great, thats what i wanted, a more canvas feel strong one, i am now looking where i can get one

lovecat · 08/08/2011 13:19

Mucho, there are a couple of pics on my profile showing the tent with the chandelier lit, outside and in - it gives a really lovely feel :)

I've fallen in love with the Nantcol site too - perhaps we should have our MN camping meet next year there? :o

LauraIngallsWilder · 08/08/2011 13:33

Bell Tent :)
We are 2adults 2kids and love our 4metre bell tent
We recently spent 10 days in it and commented that we are glad we didn't get a 5 metre one as 4m was fine.
We found our gelert self inflating mats were perfect. Also loved our weeny gelert table and stol chairs.
Not so keen on the struggle to fit everything in the car and drying the tent owing to yet more rain.

Off again this weekend to a festival - forecast is for rain!!

Original poster
muchostinky · 08/08/2011 13:35

Thanks lovecat - looks lovely, not too sure about my 4 year old and lit candles to tempt him however. I have got some lanterns from Ikea that will maybe have to do until he is a bit older.

I would def try to make it if it was at Nantcol, bit of a trek for some maybe though?

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Original poster
muchostinky · 08/08/2011 13:36

Laura did you have some outside space too? I am scared we would all get under each others feet.

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victoriasmith · 08/08/2011 14:32

oh winefairy, it's very naughty to show us such lovely things for our tent, I am going to need a bigger car, and bank balance!

I would definitely go for a bell tent, once I had found out about them there was just no way that a "normal" tent was going to be good enough. I received mine from Soulpad this week and put it up at the weekend, 5m lite, was amazing, so much space and light and think it will make camping trips magical in a way that any other tent could not. happy tent shopping.

victoriasmith · 08/08/2011 14:35

Lovecat just seen pictures of your belltent, lovely! where did you get your carpet from please?

mel2005 · 08/08/2011 15:22

i would love to go to a meet next year at nantcol.
you can buy safe tea lights which are not warm but give a flickering light and run off button batteries, mine have lasted around 50hrs, they are a great alternative

lovecat · 08/08/2011 16:56

The carpet is a work in progress... annoyingly, I've now found somewhere on ebay that does them ready-made, but what I did was buy 4 250cmx250cm tent carpets cheap on a link that someone else posted (probably on page 3 by now) and sewed them together to make 2 halves.

Stage 2 (which I've yet to get round to) is to put velcro on the 2 halves so that they can be joined up, and then oversew them with some deep purple throws that I got cheap in a closing down sale so that the green and yellow check isn't too overbearing!

Will try and find the ebay link later, atm I'm at work and can't link...

Original poster
muchostinky · 08/08/2011 18:47

We might have to try and arrange a Nantcol meet up for next year I think - it looks lovely and I don't think it would be awful if they weather wasn't as great as they got!

I like your ideas with the tent carpet lovecat will have to keep it all in mind when I eventually sort out my bell tent. Grin

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LauraIngallsWilder · 08/08/2011 23:05

Umm outside space??? Its camping so surely everything outside the tent is outside? Im a bit confused!
We camped at a site with bigger than average pitches, with unmown grass to seperate them (so not crowded in with other people)
But it rained quite a lot so we spent quite a lot of time sheltering! went out for outings to local places almost every day.

We had the grass that was part of our pitch and the rest of the site where we were staying. We used the boot of our car as a storage space (food kept in there) - car parked a hundred metres away.

I insist on a daily (or twice daily) sort out and tidy up - if I didnt they wouldnt bother. Thats my key job!
Dh does the cooking

No need for us (or space in the car) for a utility tent and all the other surplus to requirements gubbins a lot of people seem to take. We rough it!

Original poster
muchostinky · 09/08/2011 00:41

Laura sorry I meant do you have the awning thing or any kind of windbreak so that you had an area for cooking? I wasn't very clear - sorry. Smile

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LauraIngallsWilder · 09/08/2011 00:45

Nope no awning

We have a dutch oven with big tripod and a gas canister with weeny tripod stove thingy.
Managed fine

Original poster
muchostinky · 09/08/2011 00:51

Ahhhh right, thanks. :)

I think my decision is pretty much made, just have to wait now to have the cash to actually buy one!

Will probably only be going once or twice this year anyway, so we have until next year to get all the bits I want - plenty of time to save!

Thanks for all your help everyone :o

OP posts:
mel2005 · 09/08/2011 07:12

there is that bargain bell tent
new.canvastentshop.co.uk/canvas-tents/bell-tents/bushcraft-5m-bell-tent-used.htm
you would also need a ground sheet
soulpad.co.uk/sanctuary/component/page,shop.product_details/flypage,shop.flypage/product_id,35/category_id,14/manufacturer_id,0/option,com_virtuemart/Itemid,1/
it has 'minor irregularities in the stitching ' i think that just means wonky stitching but i would call them to check.

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