Retro tent- cool or not cool

[Countryman]

Amid much pleading I succumbed to the will of my kids and bought this old frame tent at the Church fete.

I shoved it to one side and then last week a friend in the village who saw me buy it called to say she had a further part for it.

Over the weekend my eldest had planned a sleep out with her friends and having set up our enormous Coleman dome tent for her the younger kids wanted to set up the frame tent. Off I went to collect the missing part which turned out to be the whole inner and ground sheet.

We put it up without instructions and much hilarity followed.

Having erected it we decided to name it Retro-Tent and let the girls use it for the night as home to the porta-loo as it has a living area without a groundsheet. Have to say that for a probably 45 year old tent it's in amazing condition.

When my wife arrived she took an immediate liking to it ( think it was the cotton canvas and childhood nostalgia) and declared that she wants to use it for Bushmoot!

Trout slapped! (Understatement.)

It's her first year coming with us this year. Not sure about this idea at all. We all have "proper" bushcraft kit with plenty of spare tarps hammocks and more modern tents. I saw Retro-tent as a bit of fun. I have gone all canvas this year but not like this!

Am I missing some appeal guys? I clearly don't get whatever it is.

So help me out, cool or not?




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[Stew]

I don't see the appeal, personally.

 

[crosslandkelly]

I like that a lot, very cool and retro. I'll have to come and have a proper look at it at the moot.

 

[mousey]

who cares if it is cool or not, if the kids like it and the missus likes it then what's not to like

 

[cranmere]

Who cares if it's cool provided the family like it? It brought back memories of family camping back in the 1970s, with an enormous frame tent. We got pretty darned good at putting it up and taking it down in windy conditions.

 

[Riven]

Very nostalgic, reminds me of camping with my parents in the 70s. Ah the smell of wet canvas.

 

[sunndog]

Put a wood stove in there and i reckon you'll change the how you feel

 

[bob_the_baker]

I think I've got an orange Beanstalk kitchen unit thing somewhere that would suit that.

 

[Monikieman]

Quite retro and looks no' bad but it seems to be missing something!

Ah, a caravan Reminds me of caravan holidays in the 70's.

Nothing wrong with a bit fun (depending in the cost of it).

 

[Robson Valley]

Look, Dad: Your whole family likes the tent = you can do no wrong.
Let them take posession of the set-up, take-down and maintenance.
Best of all, you got everybody out of the house.

 

[Harvestman]

Orange and brown colour scheme - err yeah, okaaaay...
Retro frame tent - well it's... different...
The wife and kids love it - priceless!

 

[mick91]

I quite like that I have to admit! Probably not the most practical or waterproof but who cares so long as you like it

 

[mountainm]

Give it a good 2 coats of Fabsil and an airing. Fit a stove jack and a woodburner. Awesome stuff. Canvas tents breath so much better than modern tents.

 

[Tengu]

Its the dogs bits. Will keep you warm in cold weather and cool in hot.

I love my frame tent.

Frame tents are very desirable so you can sell it on for a profit if you do not like the colour.

 

[tiger stacker]

Family tent was orange took up half the boot with frame and canvas, throw in a gas heater boot full. Yet it was great fun to live out of.

 

[worzel 5]

it reminds me of my old trailer tent, made with good canvas

 

[Countryman]

Thanks everyone. Well it looks like the wife is pretty determined.

Blimey Tengu, one like it on EBay went for £99!

It's a well made thing and in good condition. After we put it up there was a big thunder storm and it stayed dry. ( big consideration after the soaking we took in the wake of Bertha last Bushmoot)

Kind of needs one of those wooden camping trailers now and some flares.

I should have asked for ages with the opinions. Well into my 40's I see this as just old fashioned but I never camped in one like this. I suspect those of you experiencing this for the first time are the ones leaning on the retro chic side.

Thank goodness for my decent sized 4x4!

Now if Wynnchester made one.....



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[Mike313]

This is very similar to the first family tent we ever bought. And it was already old when I bought it second-hand. First trip away was 6 weeks camping on the south coast of France, and it was the kid's first foreign holiday. We had a brilliant time, loved the tent and it served us well for family camping holidays for quite a few years. Good luck with it.

 

[mrcharly]

Camped in a borrowed one in the Lakes, appalling weather. Horizontal sleet, well below zero at night (this was at Easter).

Half the camp was flattened. Not our borrowed frame tent. We even got away with cooking in it with entrance mostly closed. Sure there was CO given off, but everyone was sat low while the stove was on, no condensation. Great tent.

 

[mountainm]

...Sure there was CO given off, but everyone was sat low while the stove was on, no condensation. Great tent.

CO diffuses pretty evenly so not sure sitting low gives you an advantage, but as long as it's vented cooking in a tent (on gas) should be fine.