One year life in a tent?

[blacktimberwolf]

Aren't those " static " caravans you describe ged, called mobile homes ?

 

[ged]

Aren't those " static " caravans you describe ged, called mobile homes ?

Yes, people do call them that. But it's a confusing description, especially for a foreigner, which is why I haven't used it yet.

 

[Aufdemweghinaus]

V-ness, thank you, that sounds lovely, I will definitely have a look into it

Ged, - ah, I see what you mean, yeah that is very good, I looked at some of the campsites around and most of them have those static caravans/ mobile homes, that is very good, I will send some mails around, thank you

Oh, and, I contacted some tent-suppliers that's what I got back:

-Canvastentshop.uk-

Good morning. The tent is totally waterproof and the waterproofing should last for years.. The shape of a Bell tent makes it cope well in windy conditions but you would need to check the pegs and guy ropes regularly to ensure they are secure. I would recommend the ground sheet is lifted sometime to allow it to air and dry whenever possible, this would also allow the grass to dry and breathe. The canvas is breathable and as long as you do not cook in it and roll the walls up whenever you can to allow the air to circulate condensation should not build up. If I can be of any further help please do not hesitate to contact me.

Regards

****


and

-BCT outdoors- (which I thought were the manufacturers?)

Hi Anna,

Thank you for your enquiry.

I’m not sure that I am going to be able to help you very much I’m afraid.

Our tents are not designed to be lived in all year round and so we have no information as to how well they would withstand permanent use. They are temporary structures and as such, however sturdy and well made they are they may be affected by extreme weather over a long period of time.

Regards

******

Well, the second does not help very much does it?

 

[mrcharly]

Ged is spot-on. Living year round in a tent/bender/yurt isn't for people whose health is dodgy. It's not the extreme cold, but persistent damp that really gets to people. I wouldn't recommend sleeping year-round in a sleeping bag either, they are quite hard to dry out.

Look into static caravans, and student accommodation schemes. You could also consider a boat - you need to be around bristol, did you say? See if there are any marinas that allow people to (probably unofficially) live aboard. Sometimes that can be quite affordable.

 

[ged]

... Well, the second does not help very much does it?

I think the second probably helps you more than you think it does.

From my reading of the first, and assuming that you have told its writer that you propose to camp for a year in one of his tents, I think I might conclude that he doesn't have the experience you need. If you camp for a year in a tent, the grass underneath it will die, whether or not you occasionally lift the groundsheet.

Having said that I think a good canvas is as good a material as any for a long term camp. Since it is a long term camp, the fact that it is a lot heavier than man-made fabrics is not necessarily such a big disadvantage as it might be. Canvas does not 'sweat' like man-made fabrics do. Pitched permanently, good canvas can definitely last for a year or more, and you might be able to find protective coatings which absorb UV and so extend the life of the fabric even further. I have used canvas awnings on caravans which have lasted much more than a year with no special protection. They have however all eventually fallen to pieces because of the damage from sunlight. I have a PVC awning for a caravan which has lasted much longer than that, but I don't know of many PVC tents. I don't think I'd want to sleep in one and it could be very dangerous if it caught fire.

 

[Aufdemweghinaus]

Student accommodation schemes? We are not thinking about this because we have problems to find accommodation and as I said unfortunately we are at two different unis...

 

[mrcharly]

I suggest you talk to the university student support departments. Explain the situation. They might be able to help.

 

[myotis]

-BCT outdoors- (which I thought were the manufacturers?)

Hi Anna,

Thank you for your enquiry.

I’m not sure that I am going to be able to help you very much I’m afraid.

Our tents are not designed to be lived in all year round and so we have no information as to how well they would withstand permanent use. They are temporary structures and as such, however sturdy and well made they are they may be affected by extreme weather over a long period of time.

Regards

******

Well, the second does not help very much does it?

BCT are being cautious, try asking them what the difference is between the cotton they use on their bell tents and their

‘All Season’ residential fabric that they expect to last 10 years.

http://www.bctdivisions.co.uk/page.php?id=488

Graham

 

[bilmo-p5]

BCT are being cautious, ...

Unless their policy has changed in recent years I'd say that rather than being cautious, BCT are politely saying that they're not really interested in orders from private individuals. If you were gearing up a scout troop, say, they'd love you, but one-offs... forget it. It's a pity because their stuff is really good quality.
Just my personal experience.

 

[myotis]

Unless their policy has changed in recent years I'd say that rather than being cautious, BCT are politely saying that they're not really interested in orders from private individuals. If you were gearing up a scout troop, say, they'd love you, but one-offs... forget it. It's a pity because their stuff is really good quality.
Just my personal experience.

Maybe, but they sell their tents through retailers and I would have still thought they could have given a less waffly answer about their products, but who knows.

Graham

 

[Aufdemweghinaus]

Ged, oh yes, I see what you mean, I mean it has to appreciated that the person of the BCT is so honest admit that they don't know...hoever where do I find other manufacturers that might know?

Yes, the one of the canvastent shop sounds rather enthusiastic but might just be saying what I want to hear. He is talking about the groundsheet because of my question if moisture will be able to get through it after a while....those are my questions:

Hello,

I have some questions about bell tents. My friend and me are thinking of living the next year (August - July) in a tent on a campsite. This would be in Cornwall and we therefore need a tent that can cope with moody anf often very harsh weather. We were thinking that a bell tent might be the right choice because of the size, height etc.

So, I know the canvas has been treated with a waterproofing coat but how strong is that and I read it needs to be renewed, how often is that neccessary?
Can a belltent in general survive being used for a full year?
How resistant is the canvas against UV-rays?
How well does the bell tent cope with heavy wind/ rain/ snow (very unlikely)?
If the tent is left at the same space for a while moisture collects and might get through the groundsheet, how capable is the groundsheet against that on long term?
How can condensation e.g. mildew be avoided over the long period?



Oh, there's a second reply:


-canvastentshop.uk-

That is true if the guy ropes get wet they will shrink and become taught so need to be slackened. If you detach them the tent will fall down!!!!. It is possible to buy a special ground sheet that will let the ground breathe but we do not stock them and I do not know where to get one from.
As far as the manufacturer is this is our own supplier.

Regards

****

 

[Aufdemweghinaus]

Mrcharly, - how do you think they could help?

Myotis; Bilmo_p5, As far as I remember I got the name, website and mail of BCT off the canvastent shop website or something so I assumed they were the manufacturers? Anyway, I am a bit disappointed with that answer, even if she doesn't know what to say about that situation that mail does hardly include any information. I send a mail back saying that it is unfortunate and if they are a shop or manufacturers as well.

Oh, can somebody explain what this means exactly, please?

'As far as the manufacturer is this is our own supplier.'

Thank you

 

[ged]

... can somebody explain what this means exactly, please?

'As far as the manufacturer is this is our own supplier.'

That is not a properly constructed sentence and I can only guess at the meaning. Your guess will probably be as good as mine.

 

[Aufdemweghinaus]

Ah! While I am glad that my knowledge of the english language didn't fail, this sentence piece is really not of much help....where do I find the manufacturers then (as in people that give me facts about their product)?

 

[ged]

...where do I find the manufacturers then (as in people that give me facts about their product)?

The easiest way to find out who made something is often to look at the labels on the product. Unfortunately very often the labels are carefully designed to avoid telling you what you want to know. A lot of companies sell products made for them by some other company, and would have you believe that they themselves are the manufacturers. For example I think on the 'high street', most of the well-known brand names in clothing and footwear do that. At one time I ran a factory in Derby which made products for a 'household name' company based in Nottingham. That company never actually made anything. At the same time as the Chief Executive of that company was on television telling everyone how much he was helping the British workforce, he was in fact moving production away from the factory in Derby to a cheaper producer in Turkey. As a result I had to close the factory in Derby. Legally binding contractual agreements were made between the companies which prevent the names from being revealed. That is very common in this situation, so if someone is reluctant to tell you where a product is made it may be because he has a contractual obligation not to tell you.

If you are not easily able to find out who makes a product, and where it is made, I would consider that to be a bad sign. There may be no guarantee that the product is made to any particular specification, and one shipment of the product may be different from the next in unexpected ways. A friend of mine worked for a company in Sheffield which had some children's clothing made in Turkey. The Turkish manufacturer ran out of green fabric and decided to make the rest of the 10,000 garments with some red fabric that they happened to have. Unfortunately these were school uniforms.

A huge quantity of cheap products are made in the Far East. The quality is often suspect and you will find it difficult to find much detail about the product. Often you can buy three or four Chinese lookalikes for the price of something made in Europe. Either take the risk because it is cheap, or look elsewhere.

 

[Tengu]

Why not get two or even three canvas frame tents?

That way, if one fails, you can use a spare.

I saw one at the car boot on Sunday but they were asking £40 for it....too much. (I have picked up similar items for as little as £5)

and it had just one bedroom. I assume you would want two.

 

[mountainm]

http://item.mobileweb.ebay.co.uk/viewitem?itemId=400224142681&index=19&nav=SEARCH&nid=48553109593

 

[Tengu]

But they require you to collect....