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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

I'm having tarp issues - can anyone help please?!

16 replies

mogs0 · 17/08/2011 17:03

My tarp arrived and I put it up today but it's not the one I thought I'd ordered - which is the one that fits over the end of the bell tent and covers the sides. Mine is a huge square with lots of eyelets, many guy ropes and 2 very long poles!

Can anyone direct me to a place where I can find out the best way to attach the thing to my tent please?!

OP posts:
lovecat · 17/08/2011 18:20

Sorry I can't be of help because I have the same problem - there are pics of them in various positions here, and pics 2 and 5 are what I'm going to attempt to copy this weekend. Otherwise there are many disturbing videos on Youtube, which mainly seem to be about hairy looking men pitching a tarp as a temporary tent... which is no use to us!

Original poster
mogs0 · 17/08/2011 22:17

Glad to hear it's not just me then! I thought I'd ordered the one which was kite-like shape which looked as though it was designed to fit snugly around the door of the bell tent.

I'll have a look at your link and see if anything looks do-able!

OP posts:
Original poster
mogs0 · 17/08/2011 22:22

That's great, thanks! I'll try and recreate pic 2/5 and see how it looks! I'm not sure how much shelter it'll provide that way though.

OP posts:
Original poster
mogs0 · 17/08/2011 22:23

That's great, thanks! I'll try and recreate pic 2/5 and see how it looks! I'm not sure how much shelter it'll provide that way though.

OP posts:
NettleTea · 18/08/2011 09:48

I too had the kite shaped one, but only with one pole. In the end I have put an eyelet in the centre of the edge that goes over the A frame as I was concerned about it slipping off or ripping. We fixed a champagne cork over the top of it. It seems to be working great like that, with 2 ropes at the back coming backwards (pegs between the 3rd and 4th tent guy ropes from the front) The single pole directly in front of the door, and the others forwards so that the slack is taken evenly between the front and back section. Will try to get some pics up in a bit

Kingsroadie · 19/08/2011 09:27

We had a nightmare trying to set our awning up with emperor this week. It ended up all on one side - you may be able to tell from the pics. Anyway it was NOT what I envisaged (which was pic 2/5 as above!)

NettleTea · 19/08/2011 10:00

This is how ours looks here

Freezingmyarseoff · 19/08/2011 10:53

Just marking my place as we're trying to work out awning/porch/cooking area set up for our new bell tent.

I was recommended this awning but it's a Shock price

Original poster
mogs0 · 19/08/2011 12:26

We're going away this weekend and it'll be the first outing for the bell tent (apart from in the garden) and I'm hoping that the other grown ups will offer some suggestions as to how to pitch the tarp!

OP posts:
ReshapeWhileDamp · 19/08/2011 22:07

Ah, champagne cork. Great idea, will put one in the box for Important Bits. Grin

Mogs, I have that tarp too (Obelink not Bell Tent Co Wink) and have only wrestled with it once, but that was enough to realise that tarps is Advanced Camping... I'm not sure how I'll get mine to fit over my bell tent entrance, but perhaps I'll try pitching it ridge-pole-style like this - either as it is in those photos (looks tricky) or so the 'ridge' of the tarp is in a straight, slanting-upwards line towards the single pole at the front. Not sure what that would do re. channelling rainwater, though.

Freezing, I looked at that tarp too when I was dithering between different ones, but I honestly don't think it's much different from the Bell Tent co/Obelink one - which also has eyelets halfway down the sides. And with that set-up in the pics on Tortuga's website, you'd have to stoop to enter the tarp'd bit, unless you're a real shortarse like me, because it's all on a level with the top of the A-frame. Aside from it being 100% cotton (Obelink one is poly cotton and quite thin), I don't think it's worth the extra.

lovecat · 22/08/2011 07:51

I pitched ours this weekend and apart from getting 2 guys on the wrong way round it didn't look too bad, and was actually relatively uncomplicated (I did have to get my mate to hold the pole, though, til I'd got it rigged...) I will post a pic later on when I've retrieved my camera from the pit of despair boot of the car.

Freezingmyarseoff · 24/08/2011 22:22

Having come back from our first camping trip with our new 4m tent, I'm not sure we'd go for an awning at all, as I totally agree with Reshape about having to stoop. Plus although we loved the bell tent, I think we have realised that having a proper porch or utility area that we can stand up in and have at least 2 sides down to the ground would be much more useful for UK camping.

I guess I'll keep looking for another option.

NettleTea · 24/08/2011 22:27

what you need is one of these

Freezingmyarseoff · 24/08/2011 22:32

Oh yes, that look's fab. What is it? I mean is it a whole tent or something that fits over the top of a bell tent. I mean we only just got our tent, we can't think about another one just yet

NettleTea · 24/08/2011 22:39

It's a De Waard Albatros. The suncanopy and side walls are extras which zip onto the regular awning. Its a beautiful shape like a bell tent at the back, but has a useful full height 4.2 x 2m section at the front which is plenty of room. This is the inside.The standard awning adds a fair bit. They are Dutch pyramid tents - picked this one up from a dutch version of ebay for £275 euros, courier cost £33 including insurance to bring it over from Holland. Its beautiful. I have the big brother version here which sleeps six and is 4 x 4.5m

Freezingmyarseoff · 24/08/2011 23:04

oh Sad don't think we can even consider a new tent, but I will remember it when if we ever upgrade Grin

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