Aaarrghhh.... Help me decide! Sprayway or Bell tent?

[PerArduaAdNauseum]

5m bell tent or Sprayway Valley 4 (polycotton)?

It's got to be cloth or canvas - can't stand any more billowy nylon in my face.

And I seem to be getting more and more claustrophobic - can't stand having the ceiling in my face (and I'm looking lustfully at double height airbeds now).

So - me, DH and DS (6). For use twice a year for a week or so, possibly the odd festival.

I love the ease of pitch of a belltent, but have never actually been in one since I was a brownie. How in your face are the walls when you're lying down? And if we had the double in the middle of the tent would there be space to curtain off DS to the side for privacy? We'd get one of the inners, as first trip of the year is always end of May with big temperature diff night/day. Does it still feel that luxurious? Have been thinking about a bell tent for about a year now...

However, we were in a sprayway today and it was rather lovely. Just the right size (assuming we can put DS in a puptent in a year or so) and nice and upright. But heavy (steel poles!) and looks like a bitch to erect. It was rather lovely though - and probably a lot easier to find a pitch for in the under-prepared private field we're headed for.

I don't know.

If we got the bell tent, we'd also take it to the local common for picnics. I make it sound like a dog don't I...

If we got the sprayway it would all be a lot neater...

Help me o wise and wonderful campers...

Bell tent :D

Tell me why!

The sprayway would also be cheaper - especially as would save on rugs, throws, tealights...

pyramide

re the in your faceness I suppose it depends where you put your head. If you have your head down by the sides then yes I bet it would be rather in your face.

pffffffffffffft @ rugs and tealights [FIRE HAZARD]

Isn't a pyramide even more slopey though? Link? Please?

Yes, I'd probably dig out the electric candles...

On profile. You have to scroll down past the indulgent and dull puppy photos and there she is.

MUCH better than a bell tent. Slopey sides and standy uppyness at the front.

Yes alright it looks lovely. But does anyone actually sell them? Have googled without fruit.

(very very cute puppy btw)

As a new convert, I say bell.

However, I have to admit Slubber's set-up does look pretty great! Or what about my other favourite (which I don't own, mind you): Touareg. It was SO light inside in real life, better than on picture.

yup This lot sell them and the next size up the Barbados.

They're (sadly) not cheap though.

But look you get a PORCH. You don't get a porch with a bell tent.

I love love love that Toureg. 2 doors is great. Did you feeeeeeeeeel the canvas Sal? I like a nice thick canvas.

But you do get a porch with the sprayway

Lets have a link of the sprayway then please.

Have you read any ukcs reviews?

Have you felt the polycotton? You need to give it a good rub. Canvassy or plasticy?

I rate a good porch I have to say. It would be a bit of a deal breaker for me. Couldn't be doing with muddy crocs and dripping coats entering the tent.

Oh god the touareg looks gorgeous. This is Not Helping.

yes it is. It is very helpful.

Calm yourself muriel.

What is an absolute MUST in your new tent? We can go from there.

Oh and we need a budget.

oh dear sprayway reviews not looking good so far

Headroom - not having to crouch before you bend to get into bed

Lack of nylon

Lack of billow

Floorspace

Probably an inner tent. There are cockchafers in May

list of sprayway reviews

Oh this is the link for the sprayway. Reviews seem to have got better - I did look on UKCS, but all the reviews were 2 years ago and some mentioned that sprayway were sorting things out for the following year.

Material feels canvassy, and wandering in and out of tents under a strong sun it was lovely inside - no cooked air at all.

I love my bell tent.. So much space.. can stand and walk around. We have the inner which is made of cotton although rarely use it as I prefer the openess of the tent as it is.

Plenty of room for tables and chairs and rugs etc.. I simply adore it!

uhu I like your list of essentials.

re sex you can have sex in the guadeloupe without being drunk, but it has to be quiet and small sex.

Headroom - you'll have to ask the belltenters how they do it. I quite like having my face near the canvas but if you had your head by the pole it would be fine.

Nylon and billowing are a-okay with any of the proper canvas tents. Cannot vouch for the sprayway, might be nasty cheap plasticy polycotton - the outwell polycottons are v nice though.

Floorspace, now the sprayway will win on this, with a pyramid 2nd and bell last. there really is a lot of unusable floorspace in a bell that is only useful for putting small things (ie not people) in.

What is more important, porch or usable floorspace?

Yes, Slubber, nice quality canvas (285g, same as the Soulpad/Belltent/Obelink bells. (Same weight canvas as Cabanons, but I'm not sure about quality etc, didn't go into it much further.) They all seem to describe it as "like denim on new jeans", but I think more more like really good quality chinos.

With Touareg you can't do an inner, but what you can do is walk around upright through most of the tent - it's fantastic, feels like you're in the outdoors, just, well, under canvas. You'd need to buy two (or one, of course) tarps to make your own porch. Same thing applies to bell though - we bought an extra cotton tarp to make space to sit under / keep wellies etc when wet.

I like the look of the sprayway. Nice taut looking tent that is.

Tell me more about the touareg... I'm picturing it on pitch more successfully than the sprayway. Damn.

Are there hanging points so you could put a curtain up to screen sleeping areas?

How big is the porchy bit?