The wonderful BellTent! (A few large Photos)

[Bushwhacker]

The woods in the first photo - Its in Winsham in Chard, not sure if thats near forton or not but it seems to be- we spend most weekends in that wood as my partner works and lives in them

The place in the last photo (of the tent hovering) is Lambert Castle

Ah, the Magdalen thingy.

Lambert's is a nice little spot too, I can see it is in the photo now.

 

[Reddo]

Its not the cost, for a family they are a value for money option compared to the cost of better 'family' tents, its where to dry it; I've not enough space to hang a wet heavy canvas tent indoors If I had space I'd go for the 5m model in a flash. Can't see the wife letting me hang one off the beams in the lounge:swordfigh

Ah yea i see - we do have room to dry at the woods but we tend to dry it as we pack up - so far weve been lucky with the weather - its rains, the rain stops and if we know we have to head off soon we get the fire going - which dries it out quicker - we go round the tent brushing of any rain drops and then we dry the underside of the groundsheet with an old towel as we roll it away - it has worked for us so far. But we do have a very large barn as a back up for a drying area if needs be.

 

[Reddo]

Ah, the Magdalen thingy.

Lambert's is a nice little spot too, I can see it is in the photo now.

That top photo was close to the magdalen project but we stay in private woods just next to it- they are next door, pretty much. We visit Lambert alot with the dogs also.

 

[widu13]

http://www.gisurplus.co.uk/shop/product.php/729/swedish-army-wood-burning-stove Can't go wrong. Bulkier than the Frontier stove but a higher flue and bigger stove.

Cheers Rich. I take it the bar in the bottom photo is the spark arrester(s)?

 

[widu13]

we tend to dry it as we pack up - so far weve been lucky with the weather -

Same with us, but I just know it's gonna be a PITA if we get caught with it wet!

 

[rik_uk3]

Thats the problem, great in the summer (types he as a monsoon pours down outside) not so great for year round campers without space good indoor I've got a lock up garage but its full of junk/stoves/tut and tat and its not heated the loft could maybe do the job but thats full of kit and food preps plus when we finally finish the building work/conversion the loft will be a home cinema.

One of the stovies did a video of a Bell tent during a really nasty storm up north, I can't find the link but Ian may well have it, the tent took a right hammering.

 

[fredster]

Wonderful tents - I put mine up at the bottom of the garden for a nice view across the fields and invite people round for a cook out. Much more fun than being in the house for a get-together. People always seem to relax and open up more in a tent, especially a canvas one. I think its because so many of our generation camped under canvas as nippers, you never forget the smell of canvas. Its a shame that todays kids will mainly associate camping with characterless nylon tents. Here's mine set up. There's no boundary between my garden and fields beyond, you've just gotta love Suffolk!

 

[lavrentyuk]

Great tents - got mine in 2008 (I think) and haven't stopped using it yet. I have replaced most of the nylon ropes with sisal now and am working on a way of hiding the ventilation holes in the sides, together with the front zip, so it fits the re-enactment needs to but it is so much nicer than nylon to sleep under.

Family of six have used it with space to spare on occasion.

 

[MrHare]

Mrs Hare and I bought a 4m bell tent at the beginning of this summer. Fantastic tent, very comfortable and airy. Very strong too, as we found in some fairly manky weather in Pembrokeshire when modern tents were disintegrating all around us. It reminds me nicely of an iron age roundhouse

Ours came from BCT (Bradford Canvas and Tent) so it was made locally to us. No connection with them, but very happy with the tent and the service we received from them - the door pole top bracket we got with the tent was the wrong angle, and they shipped a replacement to us at a campsite to arrive <12 next day.

A stove is something we're looking at, but I was thinking about one with the flue coming out the back instead of straight up, to avoid cutting into the roof. Does anyone have strong views either way on that one?

 

[bilmo-p5]

If you have a ceiling high enough to accomodate the height of the pole, then you probably have space enough to dry out a wet bell tent. If you stand the tent on its pole in the corner of a room, like a big closed umbrella, and pull one 'segment' at a time out to dry, by the time you've worked your way all round; turning it and pulling out another 'segment', you will have a dry tent.

 

[spiritwalker]

i like them but i cant see why they havent cottoned on to the bushcraft scene and knocked one out in olive green?

 

[DiamondAl]

We still own a pyramid tent, (centre pole, and framed front, with an awning coming off the front frame), in polycotton, and I think they keep them in light colours to allow more light into the interior, and to keep the interior cooler.

Regards,

Alan