"Ranger" 5m 450g/m2 Poly-Cotton Bell Tent with 100cm high walls

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Flannelfoot

Tenderfoot
Apr 15, 2012
84
0
South-west
We're selling a 5 metre diameter "Ranger" model Poly-cotton Bell Tent. This was purchased for over £800.00 in 2012 from www.thecottontentcompany.co.uk (which reopened business this year as diejurte.com). I'm asking for £550.00 plus £40.00 for delivery. If you can collect in person from Tiverton, Devon and pay in cash, in which case the price is £550.00. The reason for selling is that we simply do not get enough use of out of it. There are only two of us and it we don't camp with friends or bigger groups.

Here's the retailer's website for the Ranger bell tent: http://www.diejurte.com/product/ranger-5m-bell-tent/ Please note - the retailer specifies a lacing system door, but ours is with a zip. The spec. must have changed.

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We actually purchased this, along with another larger tent, as my partner and I were temporarily moving to South-west France for a summer to help a friend build an earth eco. house. Well, in the 35c June weather we pulled up to his poison-ivy ridden, undulating rural site... one look from the missus was enough to tell me the camping idea was well and truly off, so we got a studio flat in the village instead. Therefore, the larger tent has seen practically no use, and the new Windysmithy stove we bought hasn't even seen a flame yet. Our Ranger, however, being lighter and more manageable for just the two of us has seen 3 summer camping holidays and several impromptu "erections" in the last 2 years. We have used the Ranger for about 60 nights total use since 2012. As a side note, if you have ever been near the Pyrenees in August, you'll know about the frequent & insane electrical storms. They usually roll on after 4pm. The Ranger shrugged off possibly the worst and scariest storm I've been in. No damage, no tent pegs (see below) were dislodged... but we did close the window flaps!

We looked at cheaper bell tents from Soul Pad, Obelink, etc. but after much deliberation, we went for this one as it is a higher spec. therefore much higher quality. We reasoned that this would be a once of a lifetime purchase, so we wanted it to endure.

It is made by "Scoutdoor" which is a small German company specializing in poly-cotton tent designs and the tents are manufactured in the Czech Republic. The build quality and attention to detail is fantastic (as you would expect from the Germans), and from personal experience I can say better than Obelink/Soulpad which are made in Asia.

Please see the "Scoutdoor" website (in German) for additional details: http://www.scoutdoor.de/ranger.html

No fires have been lit inside. It has some normal dirt marks from general use, but all in all, it is an excellent, clean condition. No serious dirt or grass stains. Please note - due to the light some photos make the tent look blindingly white and perfectly pristine, but it does have general dirt marks from normal use. I think it is fair to say it is in very good/excellent lightly used condition. On the interior of the top vents, the mesh has become a bit frayed and split. This happened the first time we erected the tent, but does not affect performance of the tent whatsoever. We fully illuminated the tent at night (albeit not right at the top of the 3.10m apex), and with the doors shut, experienced no moths or winged creatures inside. Please see the photo of the interior apex - it is barely visibly from 3m below!

450g 50/50 POLY-COTTON VS. 285g COTTON: The Ranger is made from 450g/m2 50/50 Poly-Cotton which is superior to the 285g/m2 100% Cotton fabric used in Soulpad, Obelink tents. The 50/50 Poly-cotton mix, compared to 100% Cotton Soulpad, Obelink etc, was a major deciding factor at the time of buying it. Gram for for, poly-cotton is stronger than cotton (both vs. abrasion and in tear strength). It holds up better against sun UV, and will therefore last longer.

Obviously the 450g/m2 grade fabric means more durability, but the weight also refers to the weave of the fabric. 285g is a looser weaver than 450g for example. Having compared ours to a friend's (From Belltent.co.uk I think), the different in fabric weight is noticeable and ours had a much better feeling of "solidity" or rigidity when erect. It just felt more cosy and protective.

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Also, we noticed most modern spec. Poly-cotton tents are a 70/30 blend, so you get some of the benefits but not the proper weather resilience of cotton. The 50/50 has the best of both worlds.

Due to the Poly fibres, it does not soak up as much water so it dries quicker after a rain shower. The guy at thecottontentcompany.co.uk also had the tents proofed by Novosail of Southampton (a marine company) as he wanted to ensure they could cope with UK year-round weather. They had the proper treatment of being soaked, not sprayed or painted. He said the waterproof treatment should last a good 15-20 years before requiring another treatment.

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The Poly-Cotton is easier to clean by hand. As mildew/mould clings to dirt, a poly-cotton tent should last longer than a cotton version if kept clean and cared for.

On paper, a 285g/m2 looser weave tent should breathe better than a tighter weave 450g/m2, but in real life & with all the venting options in the tent, we had no problems at a forest campsite in S. France where the weather topped 40c for our entire trip. As we know proper site selection plays more a part in keeping cool than anything else.

The other reason for choosing a more heavy duty, insulative tent was so we could comfortably use it outside of the "normal" season. The 450g/m2 can cope with weather from Oct. half term to Easter with no problems. As we had purchased it with longer-term use in mind, this was a no-brainer

The clincher was, for us, during our conversation with the retailer, he explained the Rangers are used by Glamping sites in the Lake District (withstanding all weathers) and are used by festival hire companies because they can take the abuse of 20-25 weeks of non stop use at multiple locations.

Apologies for the slack pitch. The site was a bit uneven and we were in a rush to get the photos done :rolleyes:

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FEATURES:

GUY ROPES AND TENSIONERS: The guy ropes are heavy duty Poly-Hemp which look great and also shrug off water/UV damage. The tensioners are hardwood (oak I think) and I have given them a lick of mineral oil to feed them, but you might want to give them another wipe. All in great condition with no damage, fraying, etc.

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STEEL T-PEGS AND V-PEGS: We went with the longest, heaviest duty galvanised steel T-pegs for the guy ropes. These are massive - 12" long and weigh over 300g each! These were quite a costly extra, but well worth it in our view as it meant that we wouldn't have any doubts in the nastiest conditions. As mentioned above, these did the job during a terrible electrical storm with crazy winds.

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The bottom skirt is pegged down to the floor with 12" long steel V-pegs. Again, these are probably overkill but we have never had any of the pegs come loose since ownership. All pegs are in very good condition. Some show the slighest signs of surface rust due to being stored muddy, but I have scrubbed them clean and given them a good spray down with TS-10. Most look almost like new.

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TALLER SIDE WALLS: Another big reason we went for the Ranger is that it has 100cm high side walls. The Soulpad, etc. tents have 60cm high vertical side walls. Not only does this give you (a lot) more useable interior space, but it also gives you more options for stove pipes.

Structurally it is superior to a regular bell tent: numerous vertical steel poles surround the entire perimeter - secured with with nylon tips that press directly into the ground, and steel tips which feed through brass eyelets in the overhand of the rain fly. Once everything is properly guyed-out and tightened, it is absolutely bomb proof and shrugs off very high wind with no problems. I imagine this would also allow for quite heavy snow loads, but we've never had it up in such conditions.

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ENTRANCE: Entrance height is 210 cm. It has a steel entrance centre pole, with foot, which lifts the front and diverts rain. This feeds through an eyelet in the top of the rain-fly, and is securely fixed with a long guy rope.

It has a heavy duty, brass YKK brand double zip on the entrance. This are bombproof and will last a lifetime. They run smooth with no problems or faults. The double doors can each be rolled up and fastened with cord on the interior of the tent, or you can just hook the steel D-rings onto the vertical supports for convenience (as shown).

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My father is 5'9" and not included!

PVC SKIRT: A generously sized, very heavy duty PVC skirt surrounds the bottom of the tent and can be tucked under a groundsheet with no problems. We have never used a full groundsheet with this, but cut a 5m diameter semi-circle of out a tarp. In the end, we ditched this and went without a groundsheet, which we preferred. Clean, excellent condition - no damage to the PVC skirt or steel peg d-rings. The interior of the apex, where the centre-pole meets the tent, is lined with the same heavy duty PVC material as the groundsheet skirt. This offers good prot

MESH WINDOWS WITH COVER FLAPS: Four large heavy duty mesh covered windows keep the interior of the tent feeling very fresh. They have flaps on the exterior which can be rolled up and tied away. They can also be tied down in the 'closed' position if its windy or cold.

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INTERIOR POCKETS: There are several interior pockets sewn around the perimeter. These are huge and could fit a full sized flashlight & more, for example.

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CENTRE POLE: A heavy duty aluminium 4-section pole with foot. Excellent condition and with no damage, kinks or dents. Very tough and heavy. Comes in a separate stuff sack.

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CAPACITY: As already stated, my girlfriend and I have been the main users and for 2 people, it is absolutely a palace. Our US army cots tuck away in one "corner", dining table and two chairs in another, kitchen with gas stove near the door on one side and a "chill-out" area on the other side of the entrance with rugs, pillows and some hides. We used it as a car camping "base camp" at campsites in the Pyrenees in both Spain and France, and from there went day hiking on the GR10 and GR11 routes. It was so unbelievably nice to return to campsite, shower and relax in the bell tent after doing a section of the route. A trip I highly recommend!

6 adults have lounged inside, pitched in a friend's garden playing board games all night with acres to spare.

For a group of 4 or 5 adults with kit and possibly a stove it would be ideal. I think you could quite happily cram 10 to 12 people in there, fanned around the centre pole, expedition style.

INTERIOR PHOTO 1 = http://i58.tinypic.com/2jb350w.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 2 = http://i58.tinypic.com/v64thi.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 3 = http://i62.tinypic.com/zkr67r.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 4 = http://i61.tinypic.com/xdyviw.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 5 = http://i57.tinypic.com/ealgg7.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 6 = http://i62.tinypic.com/b7apvc.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 7 = http://i62.tinypic.com/hx0jg3.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 8 = http://i57.tinypic.com/20u4hl1.jpg
INTERIOR PHOTO 9 = http://i57.tinypic.com/2l8umba.jpg

DELIVERY: As I live and work away from home, I have left the tent at my elderly parents house. Delivery via courier. The tent comes in its own Poly-cotton sack, as do the pole sections. The ropes and pegs will be contained in a cardboard box. The whole packaged will be shrink-wrapped (clingfilm) into one courier-friendly parcel. The tent, plus poles and ropes, weighs approx 40kg. The pegs must be around 5kg.

If you have any questions, please post a message in the thread. Thanks for reading.
 

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Dave

Hill Dweller
Sep 17, 2003
6,019
9
Brigantia
Very nice tent, at a cracking price for someone.

I'd have that off you if I didnt already have a large canvas tent
 

Harvestman

Bushcrafter through and through
May 11, 2007
8,656
26
55
Pontypool, Wales, Uk
I have no use for your tent, but after that superb sales post I almost wish I did! Great attention to detail on this post. You really covered everything. I hope you get a sale soon. You deserve to.
 

Flannelfoot

Tenderfoot
Apr 15, 2012
84
0
South-west
Thanks for the kind words. I thought I'd like lots of details if I were making the purchase of a big tent again, so I thought it was only fair to the buyer.
 

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