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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

Anyone thinking of buying a tentipi or teepee with stove?

41 replies

Ripeberry · 06/03/2008 17:35

Hi, our trusty trailer tent has finally had its day and is unusable after the welding on the frame decided to fail completely.
It is almost 25yrs old after all.
I've always liked to idea of having a tipi but the poles were always a problem.
But now there seems to be loads of tipi style tents around and some can even be fitted with a little stove and chimney for those chilly nights if you wish to camp in spring or autumn.
Found a great site www.soulpad.co.uk and these canvas tents are very spacious and only use 1 central pole which is telescopic/collapsable.
I've never liked the dome familly tents and think that real canvas is much nicer, but then that's me.
Anyone else thinking of getting one, or do you have one and how is it?
AB

OP posts:

FloraPosteschild · 06/03/2008 18:44

Look at the other thread, the one about Bell tents as that is apparently what they're called.

I was looking for one before I even knew they existed any more, and the links on the thread are brill - Soulpad is dear, try the Dutch website - I ordered mine there today and saved about £100.

I can't understand the emails though so not sure how long it takes to arrive.

Surfette · 06/03/2008 21:36

Shouldn't take too long to arrive. We ordered one from the Dutch site the weekend before last and it was with us on the Friday following.

Hoping to try it out this weekend - weather permitting

lennygrrl · 07/03/2008 08:02

Message withdrawn

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 08:08

Wow, the tundra is pretty cool

I kind of like the stove idea too, but would be in a similar position re children. Also you'd have to be sitting in the tent for a while in order to make the most of the stove - maybe great in the evening, actually...Oh well, you can get a kit on ebay to add later!

Surfette - does your tent look good? I was a bit worried in case the Dutch one wasn't as nice quality as the Bell tents version - though I think it's actually identical?

I've had an order confirmation now, Google translation is working overtime for me

Thanks for letting me know it doesn't take too long to arrive.

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 08:10

Ps I thought I'd ordered it the first time but it actually said the card had been declined (I hadn't registered my new CC) and I sat there thinking, ho hum, all done, and it was only when I C&P'd it to google that I realised it hadn't gone through at all!!

So be a bit careful, anyone who is ordering...

lennygrrl · 07/03/2008 08:15

Message withdrawn

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 08:17

Can you imagine the festivals this year? They will take up twice the usual amount of land because everyone will have a bell tent!

I am feeing most guilty and extravagant about mine. In fact I may ebay it and get something cheap. We are poor atm.

However I got sort of carried away!!

lennygrrl · 07/03/2008 08:24

Message withdrawn

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 09:19

WelliesAndPyjamas · 07/03/2008 10:41

Recently bought one of these, HelSport 'Varanger' teepee, for our safaris. You can put it up on your own - a good thing! Synthetic fabric so it can't rot. It was £550 but sleeps 8 to 10 people.

It's got the hole in the top for a stove or fire, which you can adjust fro inside. And it's got vents built in to the sides if you want to have a proper fire. It seemed to us that it had all the features of the tentipi but for much less money.

We're really pleased with it.

WelliesAndPyjamas · 07/03/2008 10:43

Oh and also they do a smaller one. Four people I think.

lennygrrl · 07/03/2008 11:44

Message withdrawn

preggerspoppet · 07/03/2008 11:48

I got mine from soulpad, the one with the sewn in ground sheet, it is fab fab fab, my best perchase of the year last year, takes 5 minutes to errect (one person!) and is a great space, great bargain, just all round great really!

get one!

Original poster

Ripeberry · 07/03/2008 12:00

Thank you pepper, yes i'm seriously looking at the soulpad 4000-ease as i like the fact that the groundhseet is already in place so no faffing around and also there are vents in the tent anyway if you need air.
Would still love a stove, may try and use a collapsable dog crate or something and adapt it as a wrap around fire guard for the kids, but we have a woodburning stove at home and they know NOT to touch it.
Just got to convince DH that it's a good idea.
AB

OP posts:

Original poster

Ripeberry · 07/03/2008 12:01

Sorry, need glasses, meant Preggers.

OP posts:

Surfette · 07/03/2008 12:08

Hi FloraPosteschild. Our bell tent looks great. We were worried it would be bright white but it's not at all. It's a sort of beigy-cream (not very good at describing colours but it's nice). Also feels good quality. Not had it up yet admittedly but going away tonight so will let you know how it was after the weekend. Good chance I will be able to report on weather-proofness too as the forecast is looking a bit showery at best but have waited a week already and can't wait any longer to try it out.

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 12:08

Ripeberry did you see the other thread? There's a link to a Dutch site where they are much cheaper, the Lite version is E159 plus about £12 postage.

I ordered the one with the sewn in groundsheet as I am scared of rain

It came in at £206 including post, which saves about £100.

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 12:10

Ooh Surfette, cross posted there! Wow, I am so excited! I hope it goes well and is very waterproof for you

My parents were going away too but are cancelling because it does look wet this weekend.

I'm glad it is creamy and not white, thanks for letting me know!!

preggerspoppet · 07/03/2008 12:54

here is our one slept 5 of us for 10 days no probs
myself, an 8 yr old, a 2 year old, a 3 month old, and a thirteen year old, so we all had LOTs of stuff, but very easy camping with this tent.

preggerspoppet · 07/03/2008 13:00

only thing I would say about cheaper tents is that there may be a difference in quality, my mil bought a bell tent online for the same camping trip, hers had the open sides, it felt smaller and more flimsy than mine and was also not very easy to put up and didn't quite stay up for the 10 days. hers did have nice authentic wooden pegs and rope which looked great but not as functional as mine. hers was about £150 iirc.
I promise I have no connection with soulpad!! I would buy mine again for the extra money without question.

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 13:31

Ooh I hope mine is Ok...It didn' say anything about wooden pegs! I've gone for the one with the sewn in groundsheet, as it is heavier I think and I don't like having breezy ankles.

Surfette · 07/03/2008 13:50

Just checked mine (from Dutch site) - doesn't have wooden pegs or rope. Is that bad? I guess not very authentic but perhaps harder wearing?

Mine does have roll up sides rather than SIG because we wanted to be able to roll sides up in the warm weather but it has a rubber flap round the bottom to keep the groundsheet in and fingers crossed that should work ok too.

In terms of flimsiness, ours is 285 gsm - I have seen heavier canvas quoted for some tents but certainly 285 is the same as some more expensive ones I have seen. Weight quoted looks similar to Soulpad ones too. I think we should be ok FloraPosteschild.

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 13:56

FloraPosteschild · 07/03/2008 14:01

The soulpad site doesn't talk about the thickness, but the Bell tent one says theirs are 285 as well.

I think we are Ok!

preggerspoppet · 07/03/2008 14:48

oh good, sorry to have caused minor panic amongst you!

I'm sure your bells will be brill.

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