God i want a bell tent..

[swiftyknickers]

yes i know there a bit poncey but I have such a hankering for one. I want to be able to put rugs in my tent and decorate with bunting...i like really really want one

www.belltent.co.uk/

anyway as you were

I have one - they're amazing! I'm totally evangelical about it.

Go on, get one, you know you want to

And you can get stoves for them too...

oh dont tease me with your bell tent stove!!
I would get one but just can't afford one at the mo!

but i really really really want one, i look at them on the internet constantly (loser emotion!!)

They are like tent porn!

do you decorate yours?!

I do throw rugs around, and I always take sheeps' fleeces and cushions and that sort of thing with me, to make it really cosy. Would love some more bunting and things though!

bell tents are not poncey.

Traditionally these are used by travelers & real true festies.

It's only recently that the er, ponces have started to buy them (and calling them ridiculous names like 'my soulpad 5000' - it's a bell tent FFS!) and making them seem that way.

Get one. They are the most wonderful space to be in when camping.

They are lovely! We bought one (yes a soulpad!) and they have really changed the camping expereince for me. Much more relaxed and less like the leaky nylon coffin we used to have. We have tried to fall between minimalist decoration and an explosion in a Cath Kidston shop which means lots of sheepskins and floor cushions but still end up looking a wee bit twee, if gorgeous. Anyway, the outside looks great in all the photos! Get one.

I'd love one too. Do any of you miss sitting under an awning? Do you have a separate shelter for cooking/sitting under when it's raining?

I also notice on the 'soulpad'(!!) site that there is the option of having one with a sewn in ground sheet which would mean we wouldn't be able to roll up the sides. Would we be dryer and more bug free if we had the sewn in ground sheet? I have a 2year old and a 4 and a half year old and wonder whether the fully sewn in groundsheet would be more practical.

Finally, are they really easy to put up?!! I'd love, love, love one. Just need to sort our the practicalities for DP!

Thanks for posting the link, Swifty! (Which I didn't look at beofr posting.) I've looked at the bell tent site and I can see that if we want to spend lots of money, I could have awning, unzippable ground sheet and everything! I think we'll borrow our friends' old nylon one this Summer and save for next year.

What about these?

They look lovely

Daisy, I wouldn't go for the joined-up groundsheet - I suppose they are a little more convenient but I've never had a problem with leaks or anything with a separate one. It's worth it to be able to roll the sides up if you're camping and it's really hot - means you have somewhere shady and cool if you want to stay out of the sun for a bit.

ah we had a bell tent when I was young
it was gorgeous

i want one of these www.dewaardtenten.nl/tenten.html
not a bell tent, but a lovely De Waard...........

The Dewaard tents look lovely but they're terribly expensive. I'm sure they'd last several generations though. Thanks for the thoughts on the fixed v unfixed groundsheet steamed!

nice tents scrambled.

We have three canvas tents, one of them is a bell.
I just love canvas. The bells are good for festies, but I like my Cabanon for long term camping.

I am SO over my love of the bell tent and am now completely in love with my lovely tent

It kept us dry and cool-ish at the weekend, plus there was SOOOO much space. And we had some marital pleasantness which would NOT have been possible all in one room!

And I can stand up and put my hands right up in the air in the main room, and stand in the bedroom. Hooray!

I'm soooo with you on the standing up thingy specialmagiclady slopey sides drive me bonkers - the thought of not being able to stand up properly in a tent for 4 weeks in France...well no not for me.

Quite - we def intended to be weekend campers only, but with this tent, we are wondering why we would ever rent a cottage again, frankly!

iwant a bloody cabanon now!!! wozers they are gorgeous, like 70's cool but modern fabrics etc.... stop teasing me with your lovely tents

off camping tomorrow to christchurch in the forest of dean, cant wait!

scrambled I want a De waard too. It's in my dreamy dreams though, £2500 for the Vergrote. lalalalalalalalalala

It's nice to have a fantasy tent though.

Swifty - we LOVE LOVE LOVE our cabanon. And the best part is that someone gave it to us on FREECYCLE!!!!
Hve fun this weekend!