O
Old Timer
Guest
Does anyone know where I can get one of the old canvas bell tents we oldies remember from scouting? 
-
Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
ebay has a company that has just started making them putting some up every so often. look good too.
best place to get good quality one is BCT outdoors, bell tent biz do really good ones too, both company provide fire proofed units in a good grade canvas. Thers a company that also hires ot bell tents with wood burning stoves, called cariadcanvas.co.uk they also rent out Bison Lavuu's that they post of to you pretty cool for bushcraft, also hire tipis and yurts, a good way to get the wife and kids into camping.
forgot to say watch out for cheaper ones like from bell tent uk the canvas is flimsy and the peg attachements dont last very long, but like anything you pay your money you get what you pay for.
compared to others like bell tent biz they are ones supplied by bell tent uk are cheap chineese imports, canvas is thin and flimsy, guy ropes are like paracord, elestic loops for base are held together with light metal bands that broke on first outtiing, believe me i have had tents from both and used them for expeditions and bushcraft course. If you have the money go for a tent tipi if not bell tent biz if you want scouting ones go for BCT outdoors they have been supplying the scouts for over a hundred years.
Before you buy go view is my recommendation side by side the quality difference are miles apart
Before you buy go view is my recommendation side by side the quality difference are miles apart
Just saw these mentioned in the Sunday Times today, was gonna post about them then saw this thread. Here's a link to some: http://www.belltent.co.uk/index.php
I wonder how would they hold up in UK/Irish weather? Lots of rain and wind, would they just give up?
I wonder how would they hold up in UK/Irish weather? Lots of rain and wind, would they just give up?
from my experience of the bell tent uk ones, im a trained mountain leader, climbing instructor, level 3 inland kayak coach and am a qualified bushcraft instructor, ran all courses for famous N wales bushcraft company for quite a few years, and spend a lot of time outdoors in all sorts of conditions in many different tents, I have owned one of their tents and have now upgraded because it was pants to be honest, you wold be better getting one from argos, it lasted less than a year, the one i have now is from http://www.belltent.biz/ got a nice bushman one, had it for one season now, camped with family and its far far better made, the canvas is much thicker, the sticting is double and all the guys are proper rope, not some paracord, pegs are wooden ash as is the pole and the groundsheet is very thick and robust, after a full seasons use its still looks new, great job, pay the extra and have one for life i reckon, if if want to chuck you money away buy one from bell tent uk and receive a pile of crap with customer support that does not give a crap after they have your money. For me i've put a woodburner in mine now, another selling pioint of the bell tent biz ones, they are proofed against water, rot and FIRE, so i may get out a few times over the winter, but its more likely to be the terra nova quaser hitting the mountains with friends or my new terra nova laser comp alone, having ditched the hilleberg akto cause of dreadful condensation eveny morning in every condition, another waste of money and time, though could be cause im 6'2 100kg and breath a lot, according to hilleberg dealer, great excuse hey, terra nova, uk tents all the way for me. For those looking for single tents I also have had a lightwave t0xt for 7 years now and although is 1.8kg nearly twice the weight of the laserlight comp, its a great proper 4 season tent with bags of room, if out by self and snow likely in mountains i will continue to use the lightwave and leave the terra nova at home. There you go my rant on tents.
i bought my 4m bell tent from belltent.co.uk four years ago, it have been out on paid flat grass camp sites for 4 x 1 week, at glastonbury for 8 days at a time for the last 4 years and have been out wild camping in woods (with permissions) several times. a fair few weekend overnighters too. Been used both summer and winter.
yes its lighter grade canvas, but its also 30% cheaper and 25% lighter (and at 35kg you want to save that 25%). never had any problems with the pegging points (no idea what those metal rings are that are refferred to)
but to compare it to anything you will pick up in argos is a joke.
im not a trained anything outdoorsy but i do have 30 years of camping experience in everything from vango force 10, scout patrols, army bashas, bivybag and tarp, top of the range 16 man base camp tents, one man back packers, tipi and the bell tent. i have no complaints for what it is used for 95% of the time...... low level family camping
its just fine for camping in in pretty much anyplace you will carry it to.... ie not that far from your car
yes its lighter grade canvas, but its also 30% cheaper and 25% lighter (and at 35kg you want to save that 25%). never had any problems with the pegging points (no idea what those metal rings are that are refferred to)
but to compare it to anything you will pick up in argos is a joke.
im not a trained anything outdoorsy but i do have 30 years of camping experience in everything from vango force 10, scout patrols, army bashas, bivybag and tarp, top of the range 16 man base camp tents, one man back packers, tipi and the bell tent. i have no complaints for what it is used for 95% of the time...... low level family camping
its just fine for camping in in pretty much anyplace you will carry it to.... ie not that far from your car
Anchor Supplies in Nottingham sell ex-military bell tents in good condition. (no connection, etc. etc.....)
Alan
Alan
got my 4m bell tent from a company called canvas and cast . had plenty of tents over the years and this is by far the best - the quality is great , all wood and rope pegs and tighteners , ash centre pole - and you couldn't get any easier to put up
of course it weighs alot , but i only use this tent when i'm camping out of my car
of course it weighs alot , but i only use this tent when i'm camping out of my car
Similar threads
