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Our UK Camping forum has all the information you need on finding the right equipment for your tent or caravan.

Original poster

help from canvas/bell tent peeps please

68 replies

millenniumfalcon · 04/08/2009 23:16

drying a large canvas tent - say the size of a 5m bell tent - at all possible in a small terraced house with no garden of which to speak, or an utterly foolhardy endeavor?

we have a (small) spare room which is largely empty and one of those heated airer things. alternatively we could take it down the park if the weather was good, but this thing will be heavy, with a SIG too.

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paisleyleaf · 04/08/2009 23:20

Over the banister?

Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 04/08/2009 23:22

we've got a short banister we could drape part of it over, but not one of those nice long staircases unfortunately.

how long does a sopping wet tent take to dry indoors?

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Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 05/08/2009 09:20

hopeful bump

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MrsBadger · 05/08/2009 09:53

we have only had ridges sans SIG and used to spread them over either the sofa or the dining table

coud you put it up in the spare room, or at least put the pole in a bucket of sand

otherwise I would say pitch it in the garden and wait for a dry day to strike it

Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 05/08/2009 14:32

pitching in garden not even slightly possible

could drape in spare room, and maybe put central pole up part way... that's sounding like the best option so far.

is still only outside chance we're going to get it though, keeping everything crossed.

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Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 05/08/2009 15:41

forgot to say thanks paisley and mrs b

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sarah293 · 05/08/2009 18:35

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Slubberdegullion · 05/08/2009 18:41

umm

sorry to be the bearer of bad news but if this is a new canvas tent, and as it is a SIG, you will have to re-pitch it to dry it, or it will shrink and you'll never get the pole up (easily) inside.

We have a canvas with sig and I'm afraid we do have to repitch if it's wet when we strike camp. It's a monumental sod,. One of the BIG downsides of having a canvas tent I'm afraid.

You'll need to go to the park of a friends with a big garden.

MrsBadger · 05/08/2009 18:46

I think the answer may be that This Is Not The Tent For You

sarah293 · 05/08/2009 18:55

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Slubberdegullion · 05/08/2009 19:12

yup, get the non SIG version or does it come in a ZIG? You can dry it out draped over stuff as Mrs B and Riven have said, but you have to be really meticulous with getting it dry, turning and airing it. If it goes back into the bag even slightly damp it'll go mouldy

It will still shrink a bit (if you dry it non-pitched) but you'll still be able to get the pole up inside, then stretch it out slowly by re-pegging the guys.

Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 05/08/2009 19:38

oh dear

it's not a new tent (so no option of choosing without SIG) i'll ask the current owner whether they re-pitch to dry it (presumably if they haven't done this in the past and can still erect it okay thenwe should be fine, yes?)

realistically the park isn't an option since we cant just leave it there until it's dry if it might rain for several days (weeks) in a row. no-one round here's got a garden big enough to pitch it in.

well, better find these things out before parting with any hard earned cash, right (leaving aside that i had rather got my hopes up ).

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Slubberdegullion · 05/08/2009 20:04

hmm if that's the case I would go with what Mrs B said (not being the tent for you).

Mintyy · 05/08/2009 20:14

(am lurking as an interest in camping has recently been awoken in me so, sorry, can I be a monumental pita and ask what is a SIG and indeed what is a ZIG?)

Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 05/08/2009 20:20

but it's the oooonly tent for me

i spotted one on our last camping trip and couldn't take my eyes off it for days...

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Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 05/08/2009 20:21

btw minty sig = sewn in groundsheet zig = (i guess) zip-in groundsheet

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MrsBadger · 05/08/2009 20:25

no it's not, millennium

it is beautiful but entirely impractical and you know it

[firm but kind]

Slubberdegullion · 05/08/2009 20:26
Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 05/08/2009 20:38

ha that just about sums up my life: the pursuit of one impractical but beautiful thing after another :D

i'm waiting to see what the current owner says, but from what i'm reading elsewhere it seems to be normal practice to spread these things out to dry

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Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 06/08/2009 00:07

woo! i have it from 2 separate sources (including the current owner) that i have no need to repitch to dry it

now to work out whether being able to have it in time for my birthday camping trip outweighs the fact that it's prolly somewhat overpriced...

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sarah293 · 06/08/2009 07:46

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seeker · 06/08/2009 08:02

You know they say that it's no use throwing money at a problem? Well, it's not true. We threw money at the tent problem and bought one of these We have never regretted it for a moment. It's light, easy to put up, absolutely water tight, windproof, huge inside, comfortable and beautiful. We love it! The only downside it the price - we were quite rich when we bought it, and we guard it with our lives!

seeker · 06/08/2009 08:02

And it dries out in no time flat!

sarah293 · 06/08/2009 08:07

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Original poster
millenniumfalcon · 06/08/2009 08:40

yay riven a woman after my own heart

the one i'm after isn't actually a bell tent, it's one of these

and it's definitely overpriced, i really should get one elsewhere, but that would involve a) buying something sight unseen, that i'm loathe to do, and more importantly b) having to wait, hardly my forte

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