Patrol Tents and other stuff

[Vickyjs]

I'm a Guide leader in South Devon (near Kingsbridge) and a regular reader of this forum (and spooncarver). My Guide unit is losing it's camp store so we are having to downsize! Some things just have to go so… We have a big white mess tent roughly 4.5m x 3.5 - it has been repaired by the local sailmaker but is still a good tent, two green 13' patrol tents (wooden poles) and one lightweight 13' white patrol tent (metal poles) needs some new guys and a small repair , a pile of cotton canvas toilet / wash tents, a couple of elsans, a pile of pots, pans, kettles, grids etc (which are sitting waiting for the scrap man to come and take away), a whole bucket full of tent dollies and wooden guy runners, wooden trestle tables etc etc all got to go … and it just occurred to me that there might be some of you scout guys fairly local who might want to give us a donation to unit funds for some of this stuff!?

It's very sad to see the patrol tents go (we are keeping one just for sentimental reasons) but it's the camping, the activities, the patrol system and the 'spirit' that matters and not the type of tent!

[tiger stacker]

Is there no one able to store it for you. Some one must have space somewhere.

[ex member mick sturbs]

Hi Vickyjs, my name is Ivan and am in the process, after 4 years hard work of completing a bushcraft site on the edge of Dartmoor , some of the items you mention may be of use to me and raise funds for your cause , so before you let the scrap man in ,because of my proximity to you, pm me and i will gladly come and peruse what you have and maybe we can do each other a favour atb Ivan ...

[Vickyjs]

Hi tiger stacker - yes we've been offered some storage, but we don't know how long for and there isn't enough space for everything. We have some newer gear which is easier to transport, lightweight, less bulky etc so we've decided to go with that. The girls don't really like the old style tents anymore - they beg "please can we use the nylon tents", we can't afford to replace the canvas tents as they die… so it's time to let go!?

Mick - I'll PM you, thanks

[Manacles]

Hi Vicky, I'm aScout ASL in Oxfordshire, we have a leaders meeting this afternoon so will ask (one of our guys has a Landie and a GF at Plymouth so we could sort collection). May I come back to you on this?

Cheers

Paul

[brancho]

Why dont you look over on Escouts (http://www.escouts.org.uk/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=167)for some into and a place to flog the stuff too

A 13" patrol tent is about £500 new.

[Vickyjs]

Hi Guys, Ivan is going to come and look at the tents and I've now got a few other people interested as well so hopefully the tents can go to a good home. I've had various local people wanting them to cut up to make boat covers and other stuff and I've said NO - they are way too good for that!!

Brancho - I feel a bit of a fraud going on escouts (being a Guide)!!! Guiding is getting very 'pink and fluffy' and girly which is really very depressing - we are not at all like that!! Every 6 months or so I threaten to leave and join scouts but I can't - I've been a Guide almost all my life.

[ex member mick sturbs]

Hi Vickyjs. Just a quick note, nice to meet you ladies , and thankyou for the various bits and bobs , you have made my new project a lot easier , i now think i can cater for almost any camping situation , from sleeping, feeding and making tea for silly numbers to knowing how to shake hands properly !! atb Ivan ...

PS give me a shout when you want to come and try my site .Lamb under ground !

[ged]

Sorry to hear you're under pressure to empty your store, I know what that's like! Although I'm a long way from you (M1 J28) I can always find storage space for camping kit. If you are eventually faced with throwing out good tents or cutting them up, please drop me a PM. A big tent could be useful at meets around here.

[Vickyjs]

Hi Guys, over the last few days we've found new homes for the tents and other stuff, the bits and bobs that are left really aren't worth worrying about. Good to meet you Ivan, we'll have to come over soon at take a look at your place. Anyone going to Ivan's in April might need to help him pitch the mess tent - all those poles and no instructions!!
The upside is that we've been given the use of part of a rather neglected garage which happens to be in a little field in a lovely valley with a mill stream running through it (and only 5 mins from my house!!). Once we've fixed it up a bit (starting tomorrow) the owner will be so impressed that she'll let us camp, light fires and do our thing in the field - something always turns up!!

We will be all sorted with our streamlined camping equipment and new storage hopefully by the end of the term - just in time for another busy summer.
And then we can get on with the real job of playing the game.

[Whittler Kev]

PM sent grovelling