Tents- Unusual, spacious/Teepee style- basically tent recommendations

So we’ve decided, we love camping. We’ve currently got a Hi-Gear tent and would like to get something longterm, robust and abit of ‘character’.

Teepee style? In —–>>> theres a Bell tent for sale. It looks pretty good.

Anything ‘Army’ too?

http://www.anchorsupplies.com/tents/ex-british-army-10-man-arctic-bell-tent-heavy-duty-unissued.html

Whilst canvas teepee style tents are de rigour, and doubtless they’ll last for years, they weigh a tonne when wet and will rot if you don’t dry them properly.

There’s a reason nylon became more popular.

IMO you’ll struggle to beat a good tunnel / geodesic tent with a large porch. I reckon a teepee style tent with children is asking for problems.

big issue I had with teepee style is that there’s only a small area in the middle an adult can stand up straight in so you end up crouchign around the edges to do anything.

tbh, for most people the standard family type Outwells are the best most workable designs with fewest compromises on useablility.

If you can afford it get a cotton one as they’re cooler int eh summer but can take a long time to dry out once you get home. I’d try and buy somethign you have room to put up in the garden to dry if you get back from a wet camp.

We’ve got a trailer tent now and it’s probably the most convenient way fo camping – everything stays in the trailer and we just bung cases and beddign the car hitch up and go. Pitching is easy and it’s more substantial than a standard tent (it weighs 400kg so it’s built to last!).

they weigh a tonne when wet

They weigh a ton when dry. Mate of mine has one, takes two people to carry it.

The one we have is quite flimsy (go outdoors hi-gear) and it was free.

We’d like something good for 2-3 seasons? and easy to put up- good for 6people.

Outwell?

If you insist on having something ‘Different’, then the Robens 600 Vista is nice. Has all the benefits of modern design but made form cotton.

http://www.allweathers.co.uk/robens-vista-600-tent-2014-model-24981-p.asp

We have an Outwell Montana M, very good but I think an inherent problem with tents that big is that in time they’ll rip themselves to pieces due to their weight in bad weather. Big tents = big sails. I think site location is a big factor when camping in rougher weather.

Have you got the ‘Cool Camping’ books?

Outwell?

After replaced a couple of duff tents, Outwell is what I bought recently – Nevada MP. Probably too small for 6 (it was just me and my OH) but it’s a great bit of kit.

Funnily enough we have that Robens too 🙂 It’s the nylon not cotton version but it’s about the best designed and built normal tent I’ve ever owned – owned by Outwell but act as their premium brand.

Depends how often you want to use it, for what time stretches, how big a space required, what transport, climate and what season. I had a 5 metre bell tent, best quality I could find, was actually too good for what I required and echoing others sentiment about care and mildew, long term pitching it really is best used on short grass in the summer months, rotate every few days to get sun on all sides. It cost a bomb to get (and badly at that) cleaned and reproofed after being in long grass and near trees,/black airborne tree stuff.

For very occasional use in the UK I’d go for a lightweight bell tent, even a nylon one if you want that style, although will be flimsier in high winds. Sometimes just rigging a big canvas awning in front of a nylon tent will give you that luxury camping feel, a nice shelter that sounds/feels great with either pattering rain or beating sun.

Canvas is great for heavy rain, such a gentle sound, I have trouble sleeping in nylon tents (without earplugs) during downpours . Great compromise if can find is an older Cabanon Vis-a-Vis frame tent, canvas inner and thick polycotton type flysheet. It lived through some absolutely mental storms earlier this year. I found second hand in great condition for less than 200 quid, it really is another league. I like their ‘Pyramide’ also, but is expensive.

De Waard tenten worth looking at, especially if have someone or self in Holland to grab a Marketplaats bargain…they are quality that should last a lifetime if well cared for.

past tents with character we have owned.

friend has robens tent I wasn’t that impressed
Vaude Badawi 6

vaude castle explorer absolutely loved this tent was massive

now own one of these

wild country elesian 6

I have a 3-man Outwell tunnel tent from when they used to do smaller versions. Pretty much lived in it for 18 months with daily repacking as we were bike touring. Its still going strong, really well made. I presume the big ones are too.

The Outwell Nevada M is only £279 at Goutdoors. Seems cheap?

We have this set of crockery (well plasticky) for the tent;

^ thats brilliant 😆

Our 5 metre, as mentioned, pictured a couple of summers back with solar powered leds, bed, candleabra etc. It really is worth it if you want to go the hog/have a van/other half who doesn’t like camping so much because of prior cheap nylon survival episodes. Space was fine, table, chairs, double bed, wooden storage chest, room in front for cooking, and that’s without the awning. Would have preferred plain colour but got a deal on ‘Wimbledon’ colours owing to travelling and then being disappointed on promise of plain canvas stock. The green roof actually made it really cheery. If you have shedloads of sun (and buy the non-zipped groundsheet) the side walls can be rolled and fixed all around, so you get a kind of suspended shelter with nice cool breeze right through.

I had a bit of a look at Tentipi at the start of the season.

Bit of an investment.

We’ve had a Vango Orchy 600 for quite a while now with the canopy, which makes is a lot more usable.

We only use it once or twice a year, but it’s 6 years old now and fine. Not the easiest to put up, but not sure if that’s due to the tent design or our lack of communication skills….

Malvern Rider – thats a beaut

The Outwell Nevada M is only £279 at Goutdoors. Seems cheap?

The M has been replaced by the MP – that’s old stock they’re selling off cheap I expect.

We got the M at a similar price. We’ve used ours for 2 weeks in a row and there were no obvious shortcomings, good price IMO

Robens Klondike?

Modern Polycotton Teepee, can get inner bedrooms if needed and has a chimney for a stove!
RM.

Thnks Hora, I got it from Mark at Windjamma Designs (trading as belltent.biz), Newton Abbot. As I say, it’s a hefty piece of kit but carryable in an estate. The flue panel for stove is on the front sidewall. The groundsheet is most of the weight, but it is built like an artic tarp so can suffer all manner of abuse, including poncey ethnic rugs, dog nails and bootsoles with stones in them.

My 5m soulpad

+1 for the klondike! Goes up in 10 mins singlehanded, lovely space, dries quickly, withstands 100 mph winds too (not tested this yet)!
About half the weight of a similarly sized canvas job which means more cheese can be brought home…

Look pretty good- which one is yours bregante?

http://soulpad.co.uk/t/categories/canvas-bell-tents/5-metre-soulpad(r)

Wheres your tarp from?

Also versus the Klondike, which is better??!

http://www.norwichcamping.co.uk/products/robens-klondike-tepee-tent-2014—130083/

Looking now it seems like my old Canvas and Cast job has since been upgraded to 35/65 polycotton with a mesh door. ‘Early adopter’ blues!

Like the Roben’s bell-tent lite take on things, but a De Waard still beckons to me from that distant future, a future where plentiful money and space are now good friends…

Mine would appear to be the one now called the “ease” (sewn in groundsheet). I got my tarp from a dutch site. The name escapes me but it was about £80. There was a huge thread running on UK campsite at the time we bought ours and it was recommended on there. Hard to believe but ours is now 4 years old and its been the main source of our holidays each year.

We have a saying round these parts…

YTFU or STFU

YTFU or STFU

😛

That made me laugh. Once passed on a proper felted yurt for half a ton, and also further kicked self when the Waitrose/surf mums decided it was de rigeur, the resale would’ve bought me a nice De Waard if some questionable karma…