The missus, kids and I enjoy camping in the summer, usually manage 3-4 weeks each year, and last year a couple of people on site had Bell tents. The missus was rather taken by them, and i'll admit they look kinda smart, in a hippy dippy kind of way. Anyway, happy wife, happy life and all that, so we're considering buying one, with all the hippy adornments that go with them...rugs, tea lights, stove etc. To buy the whole shebang that she wants is looking at about £1500 so im loathe to buy one and find out they're terrible...so does anyone on here have one, what are your experiences? Obviously they weigh a ton, but we usually stay at a site for at least a week, often closer to two weeks so it negates that problem...and our current tent weighs the best part of 25kg anyway, so we're used to that side of things.
I came at this from a different angle to you, I wanted a large tent with no inner without the faff of assembling poles. I also wanted interior storage without groundsheet for a pram at least. I went for nylon, it's way lighter, quicker to dry and if you put it away a bit damp the sky doesn't fall in.
For me the only drawback is the instead of a massive pole faff I now have a massive peg faff so I'm not sure I gained that much in terms of pitching time!
However delighted with the Bell tent as a design and given what you say it sounds perfect.
Maybe take a long hard look at Polycotton before committing to cotton. Sounds like Nylon ain't gonna suit you if lifestyle is part of the thing for you.
The missus was rather taken by them, and i'll admit they look kinda smart, in a hippy dippy kind of way.
I predict a bargain for someone else looking for an unwanted bell tent come September this year 😉
Spend the money instead on expensive packaged food and a cheap nylon tent. Hippies are rubbish and their rubbish is rubbish. That middle-class teepee lifestyle fake-hippie mumsnet stuff is already toadally last season. Along with recycling, freeganism, roadkill sculptures and Birkenstocks. Whatabout renting a Shepherd's Hut?
Disclaimer, I had a 5m bell tent and mostly enjoyed it. Lived in it for a year. Lovely and cool in the daytime. Nice to wake with the sun streaming coolly through the weave. I'm not a fan of baking in nylon but if you're up at 6am then no prons anyway. It (bell tent) finally went mouldy during a very damp autumn. Not worth the faff for me.
I had our work 12 person Helsport Varanger up yesterday. I had forgotten how simple it was to pitch and how much space there is.
Advantage of a tepee is better rain resistance and hanging space up high. Combine with a stove for uber warmth.
As above, polycotton or nylon has huge advantage when it comes to drying and weight.
Fwiw, I know two people who flew to Scandinavia, bought a tepee or tent, and flew home. Despite flight costs, it saved hundreds over UK prices.
Same kind of usage as you, we're normally in it for a week at Easter and four or five weeks over summer. Drying is the big problem; we've got nowhere big enough and have avoided packing it wet by leaving a day early or later. You don't buy one because it's more practical than other designs.
What is nice (mine is the 5m ultimate from Obelink, albeit with inner and tarp rather than the candle holders etc!), is having the walls zipped down on hot afternoons or when my 3yo brings all his new friends over to play in it. It's going to last years, but then the old vango it replaced lasted 7 solid years for a fifth of the price.
The pegging out is a big faff, I counted 36 when I was putting up in the dark in lashing wind and rain. In Catalunya last Easter we had really strong winds and although the blurb says it resists up to 80kmh or something, I wasn't convinced. In short, you'd really have to want one. Like you, my OH loves it and is not a camper by nature so it does mean longer holidays.
Fwiw it wasn't anything like £1500. Think I paid about 7 or 800eur for tent, inner and tarp.
U.K. Belltents 5m ultimate here. This one has a heavy zip in groundsheet.
I've got a really nice heavy rug and tea light chandelier but stopped short of the stove (rarely do longer than a long weekend and fair weather)
I can pitch it in about 10 minutes but I usuallly spend another 10 adjusting the guy ropes as I like it "just so" but really, it's incredibly easy to pitch. It's also absolutely rock solid if it gets stormy. One year we had a stormy night on a Yorkshire cliff top camp site and spent the night listening to frustrated campers bundle into cars and head off. Next morning was a scene of devestation except for my belltent and a couple of expensive looking tunnel tents.
Think I paid about 7 or 800eur for tent, inner and tarp.
That's not factoring in:
Bunting
Led lights
Stove
Flue kit
Coir matting
Awning
Shabby ethni-chique rusty iron candle chandelier (imported from China by artisans from Somerset)
(Edit) +1 for stability in winds. Top notch. If I was buying canvas again I'd probably be looking to the Netherlands for a more usable setup (De Waard etc) with regards to living space and porch areas.
We had a 9-person Tentipi teepee on loan for a month or two a few months back and it was brilliant. Super easy to put up, huge, inside, you can add a firebox or stove in winter and it was cool when hot and no worse than any other tent when cold, much better with a firebox in.
Tent was made from a heavy-duty poly cotton, wet up super easily - peg out the periphery then shove a central pole up the middle. I really liked it, they're surprisingly practical and make camping feel a little bit special. They also make folk smile, which is nice.
But they are stupidly expensive...
Spend the money instead on expensive packaged food and a cheap nylon tent. Hippies are rubbish and their rubbish is rubbish. That middle-class teepee lifestyle fake-hippie mumsnet stuff is already toadally last season. Along with recycling, freeganism, roadkill sculptures and Birkenstocks. Whatabout renting a Shepherd's Hut?
Would you like some organic-fed, free-range, non-farmed fish to go with your massive chip? Peace and love bro... 😉
Peace and love my arse! Note to self - never do two-way satire again 😉
Mate had one at BBB last year and the only reason I could see for having one, over our excellent 2 bedroom Vango, is to be briefly fashionable. I cannot see a single advantage they might have, even the stove was rubbish, and they mark you out as a try hard.
Great thred from a few weeks back
http://singletrackworld.com/forum/topic/bell-tent-recommendation-please#post-8200899
Bell tents are great, and you don't need to be a hippy to appreciate them
I've had a large repro medieval tent that is essentially a bell tent in design.
Made in heavy canvas, they weigh a ton, are a pain to dry out & can suffer from mildew if poorly looked after.
They act as sails in strong winds as well.
My advice is to buy a decent sized modern tent with compartments & a good sized awning for far less than £1500.
Having done ten yrs camping in a canvas tent I'd never go back to one.
Many years ago well before hipsters, modern hippies, tepees, etc. I was on a camp site on the edge of Dartmoor which appeared to be occupied almost entirely by Dutch families. They all had fabulous looking big, heavy, cotton ridge tents complete with kitchen sinks. Looked much more comfy than my Mountain Equipment Trango. I had a look at some websites later. Very pricey.
Helsport Varanger here too. Great tent, loads of room, easy to erect.
Looks a bit different on any campsite. Bought it off Tamarack in Lancashire. They often have deals especially if you sign up.