What do you use to carpet your bell tent?

[OneHundredSecondsofSolitude]

I keep looking at coir matting but it's so expensive

We've been using various fleecy throws and rugs but it always looks messy

Has anyone found an affordable, transportable solution?

I haven't got a bell tent, but want one, so if it's ok with you, I'll lurk here until someone answers.

What size is yours... do you love it?

in all our tents we put down rugs,

here

here

just look for vintage kelims, vintage rugs, circler rugs, on ebay, go for smaller than the tent, you don't want to be touching the edges, you don't need them to go right out to edge either. over lapping small oblong ones work well also,

or go down to the local auction house, they come up a lot, I usually pay about £25 for them, a thin kelim does a brilliant job and rolls up to pack easily, they feel nice to sit on, we have a few old tatty persian rugs which are brilliant for camping, I chuck them down outside during the day for people to lounge on, last one to bed rolls them up, they last forever, as long as you make sure they are bone dry before you store.

I've managed to find round ones for all our bell tents, and yurts.

Ring the auction houses and ask them to let you know if any round ones come in.

check out the really interesting tent company on FB for better pictures, they are brilliant, and will put a porch on your bell tent, which really improves bell tent life.

they will make you anything, everyone else copies them, but never as good quality, if you are not ready for a yurt, do check out the geo domes any size, because they are a brilliant alternative to bell tents, no central pole.

Thanks quote unquote I'll gave a look at those sites and eBay

Shockers, it's fab get one. Ours is a 5m zig and yes, I love it! I got a chandelier for it got Christmas so am eagerly awaiting camping season. Lets hope it's better than last summer eh

Woven elf hair. I bought a load of it cheap from a stall in Shrewsbury market (Tuesdays) and then got a mate with a loom to turn it into a round mat with a Velcro flap to go around the central pole.
Lovely it is, very soft and squashes up small to fit in a laundrette washing machine. Use wool soap on it though!

I have three plastic backed picnic rugs. One goes under the central pole and one either side. My bell tent is a 3m so I don't have a huge space to cover.

We have a big tent carpet in our 5m. It is foil backed so helps a bit with insulation. It doesn't fit perfectly and we have to do the whole "lift up the pole and shuffle it under and stretch it out flat" thing, but it works!

I just wish we had bought blankets to match the flooring...it's all a bit mix n match! [poncey]

I'd dismissed elf hair, it just doesn't match the bunting

I personally would go for the coir - very bulky and heavy. Use a Hartford XXL carpet in ours, unfortunately I don't think they make them anymore.

We use coir mats for all our yurts and bell tents as they last several years. Recently bought some new 5m mats from Coir Store and really happy with them