Recommendation for good Tent for Garden Bushcraft?

[gibson 175]

I would like to setup the tent, and leave it for the whole summer while works going on. So, something more solid and robust tent would be ideal. Looking at the new 3 sec. setup tents in Amazon and eBay, they didn't look too strong to last for long time.

I have not seen the inflateable fram tunnel tents before, so will have browse for them for the price and how they work.

I had a vintage canvas tent for the scouts a few year ago, and setup at the corner of the garden for wood carving works in there in the rain. They were heavy, sturdy and good, but was bullky to store and tricky to set up, and take off fold. They could be more expensive than the plastic tents. If parts were lost or broken, it was difficult to source them too.

Hi.Something I just learned a few months ago is that tents, even ridiculously expensive top of the range canvas tents have a certain amount of life measured in weeks. eg to quote from one of the de waard tent forums
' A De Waard has an expecting life span of around 45-50 camping weeks (15+ years of camping 3 weeks a year)'
I think this is because of the damaging effects of UV. Something you might want to consider-most camping tents are not designed to be left standing for many weeks/months at a time. The life expectancy of a synthetic camping tent would be shorter I imagine. I have no experience of this ,it's just what I have read, so I may be wrong.
Also,I am not sure what happens when a tent has too much exposure to UV.
I know you can buy tents that are meant to be left out all summer or all year but I think they use different material to leisure camping tents and are consequently quite expensive.

 

[Pattree]

That’s interesting! I’m lying in the crazy quasi tipi right now. I’ve had it 16 years and it’s made of cheap poly-cotton! I camp a lot more than three weeks a year.
Mind you I’m probably sleeping under more Fabsil than cotton by now.

I can imagine mildew and algi accumulating over a wet summer. That would damage a natural fibre.

 

[spader]

I would be concerned about meeting your shelter for some of the suggestions if you’re having a fire under it.

In the case of the side panel / wall-less carport, fire wouldn't be much problem of concern. All you got is the roof and metal frames. In confined space, woold burning stove can be hazard, but it would be so in any confined space.

 

[spader]

Hi.Something I just learned a few months ago is that tents, even ridiculously expensive top of the range canvas tents have a certain amount of life measured in weeks. eg to quote from one of the de waard tent forums
' A De Waard has an expecting life span of around 45-50 camping weeks (15+ years of camping 3 weeks a year)'
I think this is because of the damaging effects of UV. Something you might want to consider-most camping tents are not designed to be left standing for many weeks/months at a time. The life expectancy of a synthetic camping tent would be shorter I imagine. I have no experience of this ,it's just what I have read, so I may be wrong.
Also,I am not sure what happens when a tent has too much exposure to UV.
I know you can buy tents that are meant to be left out all summer or all year but I think they use different material to leisure camping tents and are consequently quite expensive.

Good point. Many tarps and plastic tents might peel the coating after a few days under the scorching sun. That's why they go for the cotton fabric ones? But even they can have some shortcomings under constant use.

Having said that, my neighbors gazebo with hard plastic over seems to have lasted almost 10 years. I have seen it blown off and in bits on the ground after the storm, but they kept on putting it back on securing with some large bolts and thick guy wires, which seem to have made secure. It looks now a bit weathered, but it seems still standing along the hedge.

 

[spader]

Got a popup tent set up under the canopy for further sheltering from the storm, and now quite cozy for a quick rest, sit down for a drink and read or repairing and cleanig the garden tools in it.

It takes about 5 minutes to erect, and 5 minutes to dismantle fold and put it in the carry bag the popup tent.

 

[rowen]

I have this in my watch list but I’ve no idea why so I thought I’d share

Pardon our interruption...

Should last a year I would have thought.

 

[Billy-o]

I think I'd re-prioritize. Build a proper shed/workshop in the garden first, and let developments flow from there

 

[chjo]

Just thinking the same myself. Just concrete fence posts in and use what you like on the sides and roof. Plenty of vids on youtube if you can source enough pallets you can clad the sides with them I use a pallet buster bar to break them up. Doesn't have to cost a lot of money to build.

 

[spader]

For garden bushcrafting, tarps and tents seem doing good job providing the temp shelter for practicing the real bushcraft skills - outdoor cooking using wood fire, alcohol or gas stoves, forging and sharpening tools, learning about the way to put up tarps (tents only set up one way - tarps have many ways to set up), basic knot skills, fire craft (operating wood fire, wood stoves and firepits) ... etc.

All the skills would be very useful in the real bushcrafting in the woods which we are planning sometime in the future, or in the event of possible apocalypse if we survived the event.

Far from the popular concepts, garden is not just for the plants and trees, but it is also for wood stoves, firepits, tarps and tents, and good place for practicing the crafts.