Can someone talk to me about Bell Tent awnings please?

[UterusUterusGhali]

I'm thinking of going down the canvas tarp route.
I've seen some for sale much cheaper than on the Belltent websites, but where do I get thick enough poles?

What do you do about the guy rope that comes from the door?

What size do I need?

I've seen some snazzy set ups on sites, but were too shy to ask irl.

Could I get some advice/pics of your set-ups please?

Tatonka make really good, lightweight tarps. We use one with our tipi tent. We bought dyneema cord for our guys because it is the same used on our tent but you don't need that tbh.

Tent spares have poles and guys, often as a kit. You need King poles of whatever length/diameter you choose, check the description, they often include guys and pegs?

www.tentspares.co.uk/universal/king-pole-sets

My poles came from point north because I wanted silver and adjustable and I bought some canvas from there to make a tiny tarp to provide door cover in windy/wet weather.

www.profabrics.co.uk/products/adjustable-steel-pole-140-to-200cm

Three poles affords loads of options.

You beaut!

Those poles are perfect!

I've only been able to see the flimsy, flexible kind on the sites I've looked at. Didn't know the term "king pole".
Thank you!

You need more guys than you think you need uterus. With three poles and two, sometimes three guys attached to each our small tarp has withstood really strong winds. We had 60mph winds the week this was taken. We did take it down at times though but the weather was truly awful.

Angling the poles and guying the hell out of it makes it quite strong.

I don't have a guy that comes from the door.

That's a lot of guys!

I would totally find myself trapped in that, human-spider style after a few sundowners on the way back from the loo.

We are not glampers are we in that tent. Walking or canoeing holidays when a bit of heat is required .

Just looking in to see as we have a bell tent too and I often wonder about those tarps.
But loving your camp set up there Catherine! Is that a wisp of smoke I see from the top of that flue?

This is our dodgy weather tent Sister, a tentipi Safir with the tentipi fire or a heat pal depending on whether we are travelling in our canoe (when the stove would sink us).

Photo last August .... 9 degrees and very wet on Ardnamurchan Point. When we got to Skye most tents were in the bin and people were sleeping in their cars. These tents are used in extreme conditions and we were fine .... an unknown family slept in there with us one night!! They had a baby and everywhere on Skye was full!

We don't actually use it much with this tent because I made that little one to cover the door but these are the fantastic tatonka tarps.

www.tamarackoutdoors.co.uk/PBSCProduct.asp?ItmID=10196866

Sounds brilliant. Especially the fire.