easy pitch tent help please

TheHumancatapult · 2012-01-17T16:17:09+00:00

am looking for a tent for me and younger dc. dd be 8 and ds3 be 6 .We camped last year but tent was to hard to put up without at least 3 people so need something easier occasional ds2 may come . But i need easy pitch for me and the younger dc and if thas not tricky enough im knee high to a sparrows fart as am in a wheelchair.Any suggestions please thank you

needanewname · 17/01/2012 16:22

Would recommend a bell tent as no lip to get over, goes up quickly but lots of space. Only 1 pole and about 12 guy ropes.

Original poster

TheHumancatapult · 17/01/2012 16:29

had a look and trying work out best size am leaning towards the 5m one .

Does anyone know of paces in south east that dispaly them ?

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needanewname · 17/01/2012 16:32

I would def go for 5m, 4m is quite small.

I don;t know anywhere that has them up. All I could suggest is asking where people are camping with their bell tents and can you come have a look!

I'm in SE London and the 1st weekend we are due to camp is easter weekend, not sure where uet though!

Lovecat · 17/01/2012 16:44

Although bell tents are fab and v. easy to pitch (get a 5m if you're getting one), if you're in a wheelchair I'm not so sure how you'd get on with putting up the central pole. I'm 5'4 and I can just about do it on my own, although I prefer to get DH to do it...

Again, not camping til Easter, but if you're near East London you're welcome to come and have a look...

Original poster

TheHumancatapult · 17/01/2012 17:07

can i ask wha part of it putting up that you struggle with .

Upper body strength is pretty good ( wheeling my lardy arse around has one benefit) but if it is attaching anything once its up then i may be in trouble

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SeaShellsOnTheSeaShore · 17/01/2012 17:20

Anyone know if the quechuas have a lip? Very easy to put up and the dc could wrestle it down again (true pop ups)

happyhorse · 17/01/2012 17:23

What about a tunnel tent? I can easily put mine up on my own - lack of height doesn't seem to be an issue.

fireandlife · 17/01/2012 18:14

I find that the pole for my bell tent feels a bit heavy to put up, I think it's having to use it to push the fabric up. I also have to crawl inside on my hands and knees to get the pole in position. It would be really straightforward for you to do all the pegging and getting the tension in the guys just right but I think it would be very tricky to get to get the pole up whilst using a wheel chair (although I have no experience of this so don't really know...). I am very small and manage it on my my own but I do a lot of crawling! With a sturdy DC to crawl in with the pole, it would definitely be possible. The pop up sounds good.

fireandlife · 17/01/2012 18:16

I find that the pole for my bell tent feels a bit heavy to put up, I think it's having to use it to push the fabric up. I also have to crawl inside on my hands and knees to get the pole in position. It would be really straightforward for you to do all the pegging and getting the tension in the guys just right but I think it would be very tricky to get to get the pole up whilst using a wheel chair (although I have no experience of this so don't really know...). I am very small and manage it on my my own but I do a lot of crawling! With a sturdy DC to crawl in with the pole, it would definitely be possible. The pop up sounds good.

Original poster

TheHumancatapult · 17/01/2012 18:20

thank you i have looked at quench had the 4.1 but it had a lip and not enough room , 4.2 has no lip but the Area is mindle is minimumal so barley get my wheelchair in let alone move

hmm tunnel may work if you can do on your own long as do not need to hold one hand and pull with another

Am leaning towards the bell tent style now can shuffle around on my backside if needs .

dam winter as i would ask a willing volinterr to try lifting, pole up while sitting in it

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Slubberdegullion · 17/01/2012 19:14

The other thing to consider with a bell is the weight of the canvas itself and lifting that in/out of a car and into position on your pitch. We have a small canvas tent but the weight of the fabric is 24kg and it's a big pack size to manhandle. It's even heavier/more of a sod if the canvas is wet when you strike camp.

Kyham used to make some pretty quick pitch tents, bit like an umbrella iirc. Wonder if they still do them... Will check for you.

Slubberdegullion · 17/01/2012 19:18

yy Kyham Quick Erect Tents

Any of those any good? Trying to see if all of them have the raised doorways.

SparkyUK · 17/01/2012 20:07

Not cheap, but what about a Vango airbeam? They don't have any poles and you just pump them up, so height definitely not an issue.

SalAbility · 17/01/2012 21:03

OP, Welsummer in SE hires out pre-pitched bell tents, so if you wanted to get the feeling you could try there for a night or two before committing? Very basic but lovely site. Much as I like ours though, I agree with what has been said - it is very heavy, and that's us with just a 4m one!

Original poster

TheHumancatapult · 17/01/2012 21:55

Sparky thank you looked at the airbeam but they have a big lip so no good as stress on door as I'm in and out

Hmm weight could be a issue though I have been known to shove things on my manual chair and steer that one handed while drive my power with the other one Who needs a sack barrow

Sal ty That's good idea that site no good as I need a disabled toilet but may look for another site with them up

I really do Want to camp think just going to be a tad trickier than I thought

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SalAbility · 17/01/2012 22:14

Pleasure. Hope you find somewhere. If not too far from you, I guess you could call them and see if they'll just let you view it if you explain?

Btw, I know you said upthread that it's too small, but I just saw the Quechua 4.2XL, and that one has considerably more living space - 210 x 265 (and bedroom areas 210 x 175. Thought I'd just mention it in case the space was the only thing that put you off.

SalAbility · 17/01/2012 22:15

Make that bedrooms 160 x 210, sorry.

SparkyUK · 17/01/2012 22:36

Have you seen the Eureka Freedom? I just don't know if you can get it in the UK and really, not particularly big. Aren't I helpful :(

Beamur · 17/01/2012 22:41

I've got a Kyham quick erect - it's a bit of a monster, and takes 2 to put really - not quick to put down though, fiddly to fold up and re-pack. Very spacious though.
I was going to suggest looking at the Vango airbeams too - they look super easy to put up.

AitchTwoOhOneTwo · 17/01/2012 22:46

i've got the quechua pop-ups and love them, but for bringing them down you really do need a bit of leg strength. you kind of straddle them to bring them under control, hem hem.