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...

Yes the sprayway does look nice - feels nice inside as well. And the sort of green that will fade nicely...

argh! The touareg link is doing so well ...and then it spoils it all with stupid arse comments like this

'As you can see from the pictures with a bit of effort you can create your own vibe and be the envy of everyone in naff modern tents with no soul.'

that make me think oh DO fuck off

it's a tent fgs

soul my arse

Hmm, this listing from Belltent says that they will bring out an inner for it later in the year (for £85), so it must work on the same principle as bells. So I assume they will either have little straps/ribbons things attached already, or you could sew some on yourself. Pure speculation from my side though, all I know for definite was that it was a very very very hard call between that and a bell for me - I just LOVED how light and open it all felt. And weirdly, the footprint was actually smaller than most tents, yet it felt huge.

I'd think you'd be able to use this to make a porch. If you look through their gallery, you can see some people making a really nice set-up with their bells.

Yes, but Slubber, that's that stupid silly Belltent lot - they do seem pretty impressed with themselves anyway. The kind of thing that puts you off more than anything. I keep chuckling every time they pull out the "with soul" line, taking into account that it's all hard business for them if you look at their approach to competition and pricing.

Not that I mind a company go full out for profit - hell, if I had a company and I could persuade people to pay, say £1,000 for something costing me £50, I'd most definitely do it. A lot of people has more money than sense. But to then turn around and say "...because we care..." is a bit silly.

Ah, for 'soul' I read 'tent you can have sex in without getting very drunk first'

OMG! I want a touareg! Bugger! Actually, probably too expensive anyway...wish you hadn't posted the link!

How warm/windy is it MisSal? Would you get a draft through the doors?

Uhm, I don't know actually - I was only inside one for 5 minutes inside the Obelink shop in Holland. I'd imagine it would be very drafty if the doors are open though - it's very, well, open. I think if you left both doors open, it would feel almost as if you're outside the tent. Hmm, does that explanation make any sense??

You know what makes me want to have sex in a tent (while sober)? Function. A good functional tent that it fit for purpose, water tight and won't blow over in the syphillitic British gales. Websites full of lifestyle shots with artfully placed asparagus and impractical naked flame lighting just make my clitoris retract.

I like the twodoorsness I must say.

You've got a retractable clitoris?? Am in awe...

I tried to picture a retractable clitoris and now wish I hadn't.

Are single-skin tents OK for windy coastal England?

Given that DS is a grumpy old man and sleeps with socks on (must train him out of that before he's old enough for girlfriends)

MrsWobble, I think if I had to explain my decision making on bell vs Touareg, it might be clearer (probably not, actually, but here goes):

The bell is just that tiny bit more soft and lovely and wishy-washy, in a good sense. The Touareg is lovely and light and open, and, with corners, that tiny bit more practical wrt mattresses. But it's still a bell, so in my opinion not the best option if you're into kitchen tents etc, because it is still, in essence, open plan. If I get on really well with my bell, I'd probably go for one of these when we grow as a family. If not, my next tent, in a couple of years, will probably be something strong and practical, like a Cabanon.

Uhm, taking back my "wishy-washy" comment, as all the bell tent owners I know of are proper campers - I meant "romantic" in an outdoorsy way. Hmm, give up on the explanation part, I'm clearly rubbish at it!

Single skin is fine in a proper canvas tent. imho it is nicer as the inners make it feel smaller.

And would you go separate or integral groundsheet?

I feel a touareg coming on...

integral

and a tarp - yes a bloody tarp not an unbleached cotton canvas malu awning [raspberry] for a porch

malu awning fgs. How do these people come up with such guff

Still if you avert your eyes from the name it is a good looking tarp. V useful to cook under.

I'd go integral as dh wasn't keen on the separate one, but then again, there are just as many arguments against it. Might be worth reading a couple of reviews on UKCS on belltents separate vs integral. The arguments for separate are that it is easier to dry the tent - you could keep a muddy and wet groundsheet separate (and hose it down in the garden) whilst drying the (clean) upper apart.

The only thing that doesn't apply here is that it doesn't matter that sides can't roll up, as more than enough ventilation through doors. That's one strong argument against integral ones on belltents.

Mmmm. Shall talk more with DH and report back. Thanks all

And good luck with that retracting clitoris slubber ;)

PerArdua, I just saw this review.

mm I've been thinking on this further (as you do when you're awake at 5.45am).

The 'lightweight but strong' claim of the touareg is really utter bobbins (as Sal's review points out). 35kg is NOT a lightweight tent. In fact it is a freakishly heavy tent. My guadeloupe is 28kg and I can only just manouver that on the flat or lump it into the back of the car.

Saying that the sprayway is 41, but half of that is the steel poles.

Packsize and weight is a consideration, esp with canvas which is an utter bitch if you have to pack it up when it's wet.

I have concerns about the piddly little flap that protrudes over the doors too. It really isn't going to keep the rain out. You'd have to get the tarp to ensure the doorway stayed relatively dry. More money, more stuff, more weight, more pitching time, more striking time and something else to store at home.

Other than that I do love the design of the touareg.

Glad it's not me making this decision