Just bought new bell tent, very excited, tell me what else I need...

[MrsLovely]

....before I waste my money on a load of old tat due to severe over excitement!

What tried and tested extras have you done the hard work to find so I don't have to?

The tent will be expected to take two adults, two children (one 7, one baby coming up to 12 months when the tent will first be used) and occasionally two dogs.

What do I need???

Quenelle we already have a portaloo for emergency weeing! Most important thing first!

A tarp
We bought our bell last year and the addition of a porch using a tarp made a huge difference. Now all our cooking stuff etc is outside under the tarp, and it gave dh and I somewhere to sit once the kids were in bed.

We got a cream cotton tarp direct from obelink, but had to order through their French site. Identical to the malu tarp on the belltent website.

Second SIM. We have wideboys from alpkit. Super comfy. (would have gone for dozers but they had supply issues last year, so if you want them order early)

ttc whilst camping!!!!

you must be insane. The trouble we have is that we all sleep in together (hence no ttc!) but I have to get up with ds several times a night, normal airbeds are too wibbly wobbly ime, but I'm not sure I'm convinced by the comfort of the self inflating mat. My friends swear by their aerobed, and they have single ones half price on their website at the moment.....hmmm.

I quite fancy the double depth beds too, but after looking at them on the belltent site I was confused as to whether they sell two together or singly and then gave up.

Do I need rugs/matting etc? or is this for looks only?

Definitely need to get a trailer for the car....

If you find normal airbeds too wibbly wobbly then definitely look at the Coleman Comfort - they feel much more stable!

Mrslovely - are you me? I've just sold my campervan and replaced it with a 5m bell tent. It came last week and I'm very excited.

So far I've bought an iceytek box, a sheepskin rug and an alpaca wool blanket. I'm looking at stoves as well. Have looked at the frontier one but not keen on the legs sticking out of it, am worried it will be a trip hazard as well as taking up more room.

Am now looking at kp stoves instead. The 4kw rated one I'm looking at has a firebox which off thE top of my head measures something like 12"x10"x8". The legs don't fold up so that makes the overall height a bit more but at least in the car you can pack stuff between the legs. What's putting me off you see is boot space, I only have a ford fusion so it's not huge. Now that firebox measurement doesn't seem big but looking atphotos of the stove on the bell tent site (same stove but pricer) it looks huge. The 2.5 kw stove has slightly smaller firebox measurements but not a vast difference and I've read on ukcamping a 2.5 kw will struggle to heat a 5m bell tent. But then I'd only want to camp Easter to sept so not like I'm looking to camp in winter. Frontier stove does look to pack down well for travelling. Anyone any thoughts.?

I've also bought a gillie kettle. Already had self inflating mats and sleeping bags so pretty much think I'm sorted now. I'd like one of those tarps as well to use for a cooking shelter......can't remember the name now.....maue tarps or something?

Yes the tarps look good and useful, really can't decide on the stove thing what with small child on the move. Maybe we could wait till next year for that. Will have a look at the kp stoves Viva (fairly sure I'm not you, but if I am, could you sort out dinner tonight as i can't be bothered )

Haven't even got sleeping bags as used duvets in the camper! Am highly tempted to use duvets in the tent too, am assuming they'll be warm enough with a decent mattress underneath. Am off to check out the Coleman and the aerobed....

We always use a duvet. The only thing about an airbed is that you need to insulate it otherwise it tends to be chilly... so we tend to put a cheap fleecy blanket underneath the aribed, a fleecy thermal fitted sheet from Dunelm over the top, a jersey sheet and then a fleecy blanket and duvet. We then stay snug as a bug. It sounds like a lot but it makes a big difference to staying warm.

Did you see my post about the tarps?

Obelink.

Don't pay full price!

We also have the tarp and is very useful

As for beds we have the aerobed, dual chamber. Best bed we have ever bought. Goes up and down easily and very comfy.

I too bought a Kampa khazi last yer, there massive! How the hell do you fit it in? We sold it on (unused in case you were wondering )

Re fairly lifts, can't remember what they're called but Belltent.co.uk sell them. I just got them cheaper from amazon! Very pretty they are too

And ignore the others. Of course you need bunting . (ours doesn't flap, must be superior quality )

MrsLovely, unless you are planning to do 3-4 season camping and do not want to go down the path of ehu, then the stove as lovely as it is FIRE HAZARD FIRE HAZARD is really not necessary at all. Ditto bunting .

Invest your money in the best beds you can afford, of whatever variety you are most comfortable on. You will also need something to cook on, cutlery, pans etc, lighting, something to sit on, a table (unless you want to go minimalism and eat on a picnic rug) and something to keep your food cold if you are camping for more than a few days and don't want to shop everyday.

Good pegs, good mallet, fire bucket

And um

there is probably more...
[out of camping packing habit]

One or two of those dog peg anchor jobbies.

I don't think the stoves are a fire risk as long as they're not knocked over. They're contained, you can put them on a wool blanket which apparently kills off any sparks that may come out the door when you open the door. Spark arrestor in the flue to stop sparks coming out the top. Loads of people use them. I'd be happier with a stove like this than a gas camping/cooking stove.

Anything that produces heat is a fire risk Viva, and something that produces considerable heat and sparks in an enclosed environment containing flammable materials is very much a fire risk. To not consider it a risk and take the steps to avoid a fire spreading (Sal is well up on all the safety issues) would be foolish imo. I agree with you though, taking the right precautions it is probably safer than a gas stove, but I never cook in my tent anyway.

Risk assessment is a very personal thing obv, but I certainly wouldn't put a woodburning stove in a tent with a toddler and two dogs.

I'm very relieved you've sorted your toilet out. I hate tramping across the campsite in the middle of the night and think it's disgusting to pee outside the tent, especially if you have small children.

We fill the KK with stuff when we pack it in the car (it's all cleaned and disinfected and everything). And we have a very large tent so it doesn't take up much space. I would not be without it now.

DH and I slept on one of those double height airbeds over Christmas and it was horrible. Like trying to sleep on a blancmange. I don't know if it was an especially good one though, and the person who inflated it was a bit of an amateur. We bought a Coleman Comfort for our last holiday and found it very comfortable. I would have 10cm SIM if I could persuade DH afford one though.

By anything I mean heaters, cookers, gas and electrical lighting etc. not a mug of horlicks

No I certainly wouldn't have a stove on if the dog was away with us. DD is 11 and sensible. I'd certainly take a fire bucket, extinguisher with me.

I've seen photos somewhere on the Internet where someone had put their stove in a metal dog crate with the flue coming out of the opening on the top and a fire blanket lining the bottom, which I thought was a very clever idea.

Sal takes a CO monitor too iirc alongside the bucket/extinguisher and a nice knife for emergency evacs. She does own a miracle tardis car though which just seems to absorb all her kit

Yes I see what you mean re; the stove, anyway DP has informed me that as we've I've spent a small fortune on the tent whilst still on maternity leave and not technically earning actual money at the moment, anything else I get needs to be free or stolen!

To be honest, having recently had a woodburner installed at home, I just can't get my head around putting the flue through a tent. A canvas tent. How does that actually work?

I can recommend the fat airic.
Do not leave home without a pillow as sleeping on squashed up clothes and towels is a step too farIMHO
A portable loo and some way of making coffee inside the tent before the world ( rest of campsite has seen you) is vital.
My genius sister has a washing up bowl with a lid into which all plates cups and cutlery fits - just makes life easy if the kitchen in campsite is a bit of a walk.

www.alpkit.com/sleeping-mats
Soz forgot linkage

Oh yes we use foam matting under the bedding as well. You know the stuff that has reflector foil backing. Acts as insulation- we do a lot of spring camping and it's Baltic at night.

MrsLovely, to install a stove in your canvas tent, you have to cut a hole in it, then fit a silicone collar to ensure the hot flue doesn't set fire to the canvas. I love our stove - we went camping between Christmas and New Years and were lovely and warm inside. However, if you're not planning on 3/4 season camping, I wouldn't do it - you need to make sure you're covered for all eventualities (carbon monoxide being obv danger with any fuel). I'm not sure I would have had the guts to cut a hole in a brand new tent anyway - we had our stove for a couple of months before I could bring myself to do it.

Another Fat Airic fan here. Storm kettle also essential imo if you're into wildish camping.

If anyone around London fancy some serious drooling, it's The Outdoors Show again this weekend. I so wanted to buy a dutch oven last year. Hmm...

fat airik/dozer
storm kettle
fire pit with tripod for cooking or one of those nice cadec ones for ease
icey-tec coolbox
tarp
rugs for floor
stove if you are feeling brave

I've just ordered one of these, not quite as good as a Cob but cheaper and less hassle hopefully as just use it on the gas stove (I think).

cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370421196532&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&clk_rvr_id=306569311552

Got it for £26!