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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.

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Original poster

How long would a tent last if it was up permanently?

22 replies

IfInDoubtPout · 03/05/2015 19:52

Random question I know, but there is method to the madness.

Dh and I own some land and we want to put a summer house /outdoor building in it. Planning means we can't do anything like this, so we're now thinking of putting up some kind of large tent like, erm, tent in summers to use as a base from to put some seating etc.

Dh likes the idea of a big bell tent and you can get a wood burner for it www.campingandcanvas.co.uk/canvas-bell-tents/5m-canvas-bell-tent.html like this one but we are not campers and have no idea whether this kind of thing wouod last left out all summer every summer or if it would just be eaten by mice etc quickly.

Can anyone offer any advice on this or ideas for what we could put up as a very temporary structure ?

OP posts:

HerRoyalNotness · 03/05/2015 19:54

Not sure about the question of tent

But could you get one of those tiny houses built on a trailer? Completely moveable, proper shelter. I guess you could look at a caravan too

BrieAndChilli · 03/05/2015 20:00

I've lived in a tent for 6 months - twice!
Those house shaped metal framed ones. They were fine and in once we had floorboards and electric (we were in Europe so thankfully better weather than here!)

lentilpot · 03/05/2015 20:04

There are some lovely shepherd hut companies about - I don't think you need planning permission as it is on wheels!

Original poster

IfInDoubtPout · 03/05/2015 20:44

I looked at shepherds huts but they are expensive (the ones I've seen anyway). We were hoping for a covered area to entertain and have picnics etc so the shepherds hut would be a bit small for this, although we could spill out onto the landm there is no shade which is one reason for the building. If the cost were less then it would be a definite possibility, but we'd be paying the same amount as getting a large insulated etc wooden garden building.

OP posts:

Original poster

IfInDoubtPout · 03/05/2015 20:45

Brie six months?! Was it windy where you were? How did the tent cope with wind?

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BrieAndChilli · 03/05/2015 21:19

The 2nd time we were in the Italian Alps (summer time!) and the tents were fine apart from one night when we had really bad winds and I was sleeping in the duty tent and had to run around at 2am trying to tent peg tents back down with a bunch of teenagers running round!

Stealthsquiggle · 03/05/2015 21:27

I don't know for sure, but given that my fathers tent lasted 30 years of being used at least 3 weeks each summer, and the canvas is still fine (it had rubber tent loops which did perish eventually) I would say that it would be fine. If you left food out other than in tightly sealed boxes it would attract mice between uses, I would think, so I would be tempted to set up a gazebo or something each time you used it to act as a kitchen and keep all food out of the tent. I might also invest in an outdoor (mouse proof) storage box to pack up bedding etc each time, just in case.

It does sound like a lovely idea though. I would love an excuse to get one of those tents, but have a violently anti-camping DH and a DS who is heading the same way

Asleeponasunbeam · 03/05/2015 21:38

Yurts are usually left up for long periods, aren't they? DD's school has theirs up from April - October usually.

Stealthsquiggle · 03/05/2015 22:35

OMG, OP, look at this

Original poster

IfInDoubtPout · 04/05/2015 06:35

Love the link stealth but it looks like more of a camping pod than a sitting and relaxing and picnicking one iykwim.

You got me googling shepherds huts and there are some amazing ones, I love them. It's just they are expensive and so much smaller than the price of the outdoor garden room we were planning for less money.

I like the idea of a mouse proof outdoor storage box, this is a great idea. Now I'm worried ant the tent getting mice though as we wouod have picnics inside th tent, I will clear up but can't guarentee every last crumb wod be gone.

Maybe a marquee wouod be a better option.

We looked at yurts but they seem complicated to put up and down and since we can't get planning permission for anything, we need something very moveable and temporary.

OP posts:

Stealthsquiggle · 04/05/2015 08:58

If you look at the bell tents, some of them have zip in groundsheets. You could unzip the groundsheet and store it when you leave, and roll up the sides - leaving nothing for anyone to chew or move into

Daisybell1 · 04/05/2015 10:28

The dutch measure tents 'age' in weeks of use rather than years. They say that a De Waard or similar with high quality canvas has on average 50 weeks use lifespan.

On that basis, you could use it for 2 summers if up for half the year, or 3 summers if up for less.

Blistory · 04/05/2015 10:36

Canvas would deteriorate over summer due to UV exposure. If you're near trees, it would be green by the end of the season.

Wh have my bell tent up every summer and treat it before storing it for the winter. After 5 years, this will be the last time as it has faded, attachment points have frayed, guylines need replaced and there is sap and bird mess that is grotty looking.

On a cost basis, it's been quite cheap and has withstood all manner of weather without needing any serious repairs so I think we will just replace as the costs of anything fixed is too expensive for us.

NettleTea · 04/05/2015 12:19

Our deWaard is up from May-October. It has been up for 3 years now - was cleaned and reproofed this year and still looking and behaving well.

yurts are more substantial and can get removable bases.

How much land do you have?

If the house is in the same bit of land then you can build a summer house without any planning so long as in the cutalidge of the house.

If you have more than 5 hectares then you get permitted development rifghts to put up a temporary building for any reason for 28 days a year without planning.

NettleTea · 04/05/2015 12:20

you can treat for UV as well as for mold and water/fire proof

Original poster

IfInDoubtPout · 04/05/2015 12:25

This is all interesting.

Those who have treated their tent at the end of the year before taking it down, how exactly do you do this?

Nettle our land is about 5 acres ish but it's not in our garden. I rang the local planning about temporary structure etc and because it's not in our garden and its a green belt conservation area it's practically impossible to put anything there, hence our hope of putting a tent up for summer as a base for picnics etc.

Wondering now about a po up gazebo like this galatent.co.uk/popupgazebosales.asp as it'd be easy to get up and down as needed.

OP posts:

UterusUterusGhali · 05/05/2015 20:23

Hmmm. Are you far from the land?

If it's in the green belt you should be able to get permission to keep livestock there; a couple of Kune Kune pigs or a few birds for Christmas?
You'll probably be allowed shelter for the animals. This can be as fancy as you like.

I may be entirely wrong but a lot of young people get around planning laws near me this way; they live in mobile homes in their paddocks.

UterusUterusGhali · 05/05/2015 20:24

But I'd get a bell tent.

Original poster

IfInDoubtPout · 06/05/2015 15:08

We potentially could get a stables but we'd be granted planning permission for stables for use by animals. I'm paranoid we'd get permission for this and then build a structure which wasn't a stables but looked a bit like one and then if ever neighbours complained (the land is visable to other fields and peoples land) and the council looked into it they'd find out it wasn't a stable and could make us take it down, and we can't afford a costly mistake like that.

OP posts:

lavendersun · 06/05/2015 15:24

We are in a conservation area with land (less than you though at the house). I do have horses, but, I bought Redmire Hunter field shelters on big metal skids to get around the anal planning permission rules - you don't need pp for something on skids (well not here anyway).

It is essentially a stable, I bought the bit that looks like a stable door that fits in the 8ft wide opening and reduces it to a 4ft door.

I have rubber matting inside them - same experience as a permanent floor on my land. You could try to make it prettier than a stable I suppose.

Not sure if something like that would work where you are. It wouldn't where my parents are (National Park) I don't think.

Original poster

IfInDoubtPout · 07/05/2015 07:19

Wow lavender I've never heard of these before, it looks really interesting. They do look a bit dark so trying to see on their website if you can get them with windows and also insulated.

OP posts:

lavendersun · 07/05/2015 12:30

I don't know much about it but I wonder if you could get some sort of summerhouse type thing on skids to get around the rules.

Great fun towing them around the field - DH and I used to fight to do it! You do have to be careful on slopes though.

We haven't moved ours for about four years now but we did move it around until we found the driest bit of ground.

You can have windows in the Redmire ones and have them lined. Could you have a chat to your planning officer - mine were really helpful.

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