CAMPING | Should I Buy A Canvas Bell Tent? The Ultimate Bell Tent Buying Guide – Updated 2023
Bell tents are more popular than ever, but is a canvas or polycotton bell tent right for you? Read on to find out about all the pros and cons of owning a bell tent, as well as the pros and cons of the various different bell tent material options that are currently available – updated for Summer 2023.
In This Bell Tent Guide
- Introduction to bell tents
- Bell tent sizes
- Bell tent materials
- Using a wood burning stove in your bell tent
- Pros and cons of owning a bell tent
- Bell tent buying tips & recommendations
- Bell tent buying options
- Our bell tent reviews
1. Introduction to Bell Tents
After camping in canvas bell tents for more than 8 years now, I much prefer the more natural feel of cotton canvas tents, however, there are times when I do still prefer a synthetic tent.#
Investing in any tent can be a big decision, but with a bell tent, you’re less likely to visit your local outdoor shop and be able to see one.
Though they are fast and easy to put up, there are some downsides to owning a bell tent too, not least their considerable cost and bulk, which can make transporting them a pain.
2. Bell Tent Sizes
Modern tents usually state that they are a 4-man or 6-person tent etc. however most bell tents don’t tend to give you that information and instead focus on the size of the tent, typically ranging from a tiny 3 metres up to a circus-like 8 metres.
Tent manufacturers will often over-optimistically state that a 5m bell tent, for example, will sleep 6 people or more, leading you to assume that a 5m bell tent might be too big if you’re a small family or a couple.
The maximum number of people you can fit in any tent though always relies on you being packed in like sardines on the tiny little narrow sleeping mats, rarely taking into account the fact that everyone in that tent will also have luggage with them, and if you have camp furniture, of course, you’ll need extra space so won’t be able to sleep as many people as stated.
Even if you don’t take loads of camping gear with you, you’ll still need space for bags and ‘stuff’, at the very least torches and camp chairs if not camp furniture. Try fitting a few camp chairs AND 6 people into a 5m bell, and suddenly that doesn’t make for such a comfortable camping trip!
So whilst technically that 5m bell can sleep 6 – 8, if you are looking for comfort, in our opinion as bell tent users for the past 7 years, a 5m is ideal for up to 4 adults, less if you want to set up camp furniture and use proper camp beds instead of mattresses on the floor.
Some bell tents have much higher sides than others, which means you get far more usable space.
Usable space inside bell tents
Remember too that the sides of bell tents slope down, so if you are using camp beds or want to set up things like a kitchen unit, you’ll have to bring them in away from the sloping walls in order to fit them in, which means they take up more space than if there were able to sit flush again the wall.
Usable space in the same size bell tent varies significantly between manufacturers!
Some bell tents too have much higher sides than others, which means you get far more usable space, and the height of doorways differs significantly too.
If you don’t want to have to bend over to walk in and out of your bell tent, make sure you choose a bell tent from a manufacturer that provides generous door heights as this varies greatly depending on the size, style and manufacturer of the bell tent, though the best door heights we’ve found so far are from Boutique Camping and Life Under Canvas.
3. Bell Tent Materials
Traditionally bell tents were made from 100% cotton canvas. Some of the benefits being that with proper care, canvas tents can enjoy a long life and they are highly breathable too.
Some of the downsides however, are that 100% cotton canvas tents generally cost more, they are not waterproof on their first use and they require a fair bit of care to keep them in good condition. With this in mind bell tent manufacturers have been researching alternatives, and as I write this, the following options are currently available.
- 100% Cotton Canvas
- Polycotton
- Oxford Canvas
- Polyester
100% Cotton Canvas
Canvas tents are made from natural materials so have a lovely organic and natural feel to them. They are highly breathable, are great at regulating temperature and with care, they are hard-wearing.
One of the downsides of a cotton canvas bell tent is that you have to be very careful that you never put the tent away damp as mould and mildew will quickly take hold and damage and rot the tent.
Coloured cotton canvas tends to fade over time and as well as being a more expensive option, it’s also heavy.
Another disadvantage with cotton canvas is that it generally needs weathering-in. On first use, cotton canvas tents are not fully waterproof, so the first time it rains expect puddles inside your tent!
Once the fabric has got wet however, the fabric knits itself together more tightly, and so it will be waterproof on subsequent uses.
Polycotton
A polycotton tent is a blend of natural cotton and man-made polyester. These kinds of tents still retain the natural look and feel of the cotton canvas but they don’t require quite as much care and attention as a cotton canvas tent.
They are still pretty heavy, they definitely aren’t a cheap option and they do still require more care than a modern Polyester tent, but they are a bit more resistant to mould and mildew.
Colour holds better on a polycotton tent and they dry more quickly than cotton canvas tents.
Oxford Canvas
This is a newer type of canvas developed by Boutique Camping, it’s a lot easier to care for and is a little lighter than cotton canvas too. The price point is generally lower and it does retain, at least from a distance, the look of natural cotton canvas.
It’s fully waterproof from the first use and the colour won’t fade. This kind of tent offers very high levels of waterproofing and it’s much less prone to mould and mildew. The main downside with this is that you do lose the natural breathability of cotton canvas.
Polyester
Polyester is the fabric of choice for most modern tents as well as the new Boutique Camping Weekender range of bell tents and Luna tents. The main benefit of Polyester is that it’s so much cheaper than cotton canvas and polycotton.
Polyester tents are also much lighter and have a smaller pack size too, they are also quick to dry and don’t require as much care as cotton canvas or a polycotton tent.
The downside is that you don’t get the natural look and feel of cotton canvas and polyester isn’t breathable.
4. Using a Wood Burning Stove in Your Bell Tent
One of the big positives of having a bell tent from our point of view, is the ability to use a wood burning stove inside one. If you are intending to convert your bell tent for this purpose, you’ll need to fit a flashing kit to the tent, which means, if you don’t already have an opening in your bell tent, you’ll need to cut a hole in the side of your tent.
Take it from me, it’s a nerve-wracking but simple process – even I managed to fit ours without a problem.
Wood burners should be used with great care. Take a look at this safety advice from The Camping and Caravanning club.
Gizmo cat approves (this is his delighted face)
Tips on using a wood burning stove
- A wood burning stove can only be used in a cotton canvas bell tent with a properly installed ‘flashing’ kit or vent. This creates an opening for the chimney to go through and allows smoke to be vented.
- Your bell tent will still need to be well ventilated when a wood burning stove is in use, even with the flashing kit and chimney in place.
- Wood burning stoves are made from cast iron and are, as you might expect, heavy, so do consider their weight and size before buying.
- Check that your canvas has been specially treated to make it fire retardant. If it hasn’t, you can buy it and treat the fabric yourself but remember that this may impact the natural breathability of the cotton canvas.
- Make sure you use a carbon monoxide alarm, take a small fire extinguisher and we also recommend a fire blanket, poker and heatproof gloves.
- Thoroughly read the stove manufacturers advice and safety instructions before you use a wood burning stove.
- Use an appropriate heat-proof base for your wood burning stove to sit on, we also recommend placing a thick rug under that so you don’t risk damaging your groundsheet.
- Remember that not all campsites allow fires, so check in advance to ensure you won’t be breaking campsite rules by using one.
- Oxford canvas and polyester bell tents are NOT suitable for use with wood burning stoves.
5. Pros and Cons of Owning A Bell Tent
What’s Good About Bell Tents?
- Very fast to put up and take down
- Anything up to a 5m can be easily erected by just one person
- They come in lots of different designs and colours and so they are ideal for people who like to stand out
- Cotton canvas tents are breathable and help to moderate temperature more effectively (no waking up on a summer morning feeling like an ill fated lobster)
- Interior space is more flexible than many modern tents as inner tents can be purchased and positioned to suit your needs
- With many styles of bell tent, the sides can be rolled up for maximum airflow, ideal for hot summers days
- There is a large amount of floor space, making bell tents ideal for sleeping lots of people, assuming you have no camp furniture inside the tent with you
- Most cotton canvas bell tents are compatible for use with wood burning stoves (you’ll need a proper chimney opening making for this however and always double check with the manufacturer first)
- With proper care they will last many years
- There are now lots of bell tent variations available, including the Touareg tent from Bell Tent Boutique and the Luna Bell Tent from Boutique Camping
What’s Not So Good About Bell Tents?
- Their purchase price can be quite high compared to a basic ‘modern’ tent. Bell tents start at around £350 and go up from there depending on the size and brand you choose
- Most bell tents don’t have windows, just half-moon vents low down, which means unless the front doors are open they aren’t great for people watching or admiring the view from inside
- You don’t get a separate kitchen, living or sleeping area, unless you invest in additional inner tents which has a big impact on usable space
- Usable space can actually be less than you’d think due to the sloping sides limiting where you can put, for example, a kitchen unit or a table – you tend to end up with lots of dead space behind camp furniture
- 5m or larger bell tents can be difficult (heavy) to put up alone
- There’s only one place you can hang up or attach things from, a little round metal loop positioned high up on the centre pole
- You’ll need to invest in looking after the canvas and treating it every couple of years is recommended
- Traditional cream/beige colour bell tents show up dirt and grass stains and can quickly look grubby whilst some coloured and patterned cotton canvas bell tents fade over time
- Some bell tent entrances are too low to walk in and out of without bending, which can be a pain for those with mobility issues
6. Bell Tent Buying Tips & Recommendations
- Unlike most modern tents, some bell tents come with separate ground sheets, we prefer and would recommend the kind with zipped or sewn in ground sheets
- Due to the nature of canvas, bell tents are rarely fully waterproof on their first use. To be fully waterproof, the fabric needs to be wet first, and once it dries the fabric knits together, making it fully waterproof
- Some bell tents don’t have zipped or fully closable front doors and instead are tied shut – great if you want a bell tent for re enactment or LARP, not so great in terms of practicality, particularly in wind and rain
- Depending on the modern style tent you have and the weight of poles, you may find bell tents are bigger and heavier to carry, so bear this in mind if you need to carry your tent any distance and this is especially true if the tent is wet during take down.
- Wet canvas bell tents weigh roughly the same as a small planet
- Expect to pay around £500 for a decent 5m bell tent
- Buy your bell tent out of season. Like all camping gear, if you buy at the end of the year or over winter you’ll get a much better deal.
- Ex-rental bell tents from glamping companies are often sold off cheaply on eBay, so do keep your eyes open if you’re on a tight budget or after a bargain.
- Many bell tents do not have fly sheets covering the air vents or doors, so our advice is to choose a bell tent that does
- If you have a 5m bell tent or over, some campsites will charge you extra for an oversize or even a double pitch
- Canvas can take a longer time to dry than a modern tent does
7. Bell Tent Buying Options
Here are some buying options you might want to consider. I mention Boutique Camping and Bell Tent Boutique most frequently because I’ve purchased and camped in tents from both manufacturers.
Many of my friends also have bell tents from Boutique Camping and Bell Tent Boutique, and are also extremely happy and as a result, they come particularly highly recommend by us so we’ve included several tents from them below, but have also included some picks from various other bell tent retailers too to provide you with choice.
- Mountain Warehouse
- Decathlon
- Boutique Camping
- Bell Tent Boutique
- Life Under Canvas
- Canvas Tent Shop
- Go Outdoors
- Glawning
- SoulPad
8. Our Bell Tent Reviews
Over the years we’ve been lucky enough to spend time camping in a vast array of different tents, including several different bell tents. You can see all of our tent reviews here or click below for individual bell tent reviews. We started off as customers, and have gone on to work closely with Boutique Camping, hence why a lot of our reviews feature their tents!
- Bell Tent Boutique Touareg Bell Tent – Review
- Review of the 5m Weekender Polyester Bell Tent from Boutique Camping
- Review of the Outback Trapper Polycotton Hybrid Bell Tent from Robens
- Review of the 5m Star Canopy Polycotton Bell Tent from Boutique Camping
- Review of the 5m Oxford Canvas Bell Tent from Boutique Camping
- Review of the 6m Rainbow Canvas Bell Tent from Boutique Camping
- Review of the 5m Flower Pattern Canvas Bell Tent from Boutique Camping
A Selection of Bell Tents Available
⛺ Bell Tent Boutique Oxford Lightweight Bell Tent From £246
⛺ Robens Apache Tipi Tent Around £1,449.99
⛺ 5m Star Canopy Bell Tent from Boutique Camping £675
⛺ 4m Nova Air Dome Tent Canvas Lite 200gsm £957
⛺ 5m Rainbow Canvas Bell Tent with zipped in groundsheet from Boutique Camping at Mountain Warehouse £411 / Check Price On Amazon.co.uk
⛺ Robens Klondike Tipi Tent from Winfields Outdoors £899.99
⛺ Bell Tent 5 metre with zipped in groundsheet by Bell Tent Boutique – Check Price On Amazon.co.uk
⛺ 5m Canvas Bell Tent from Bell Tent Boutique £474.99
⛺ Luna Bell Tent from Boutique Camping £874
⛺ 4m Canvas Bell Tent With Porch – Check Price On Amazon.co.uk
⛺ Touareg Tent from Bell Tent Boutique £574.99
⛺ Emperor Bell Tent – Check Price On Amazon.co.uk
⛺ 7m Luna Bell Tent From Boutique Camping at Mountain Warehouse £1,750
⛺ Bell Tent 4 metre with zipped in groundsheet – Check Price On Amazon.co.uk
⛺ Robens Klondike Grande Tent £910 from Blacks
⛺ B4m Bell Tent Plus Canvas Lite 200gsm £438
If you have any bell tent-related questions, do feel free to ask me below in the comments section or over on Instagram or TikTok and happy camping!
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From open water swimming, snowboarding and kayaking to hill walks and meditation, Shell shares her travels and microadventures here on the blog and in various publications she's written for, Shell has a particular interest in promoting wellbeing and the many benefits of nature therapy.
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Suburban camping company has a full line of Bell tents. http://Www.suburbancampsite.com
We specialize in pre – pitched glamping, events, backyard campouts, weddings and more! We also have tents available for sale.
Do you ship to the UK Brian? Feel free to add a link to your shop on the Camping With Style Reddit page http://www.reddit.com/r/CampingWithStyle/
http://www.canvascamp.com The Original Bell tent company since 2005.
You mentioned that you use the bell tent for weekend camping. I am looking for a weekend tent but wondering if it’s too much hassle to have to dry the tent after camping just for a night or two. Of course a polyester tent would be much easier to dry out but lack the wonderful experience of camping in a pretty bell tent. I have 2 little children so ease of use is paramount. Can you share your thoughts on this?
Sorry I missed your question Sophie! We don’t find the bell tent any harder to dry out than our modern tent – it perhaps takes a little longer, but as long as it’s dry and breezy and there’s a bit of sunshine, it only takes a few hours, so if you have space to dry your modern tent, drying a bell shouldn’t really be any hassle. We use ours mainly for weekend/short trips and just find it so much quicker in general.
Thanks for getting back to me. I had gone ahead and purchased a 5m bell from Camping and Canvas. We camped out over the weekend and the sky just opened up and chugged down thunder, lightning and rain. Not a single drop in our tent! Nontheless, we were totally heart broken to see our beautiful beige tent splattered in mud and soil. We came home and set up the tent in our garden in despair. Lo and behold to our amazement that as the tent dries up, all the soil literally slide off the fabric as we dust it with a brush. We are very happy now and love our tent 🙂 Thanks for your inspiring blog that help us make this decision.
You can also check this website Lian Heng Canvas Trading, they provide different tents, gazebo, canopy and other canvas materials.
I have just brought a 5 meter bell tent and put it up in the garden for the first time to see how it to do and also try it out. I found about 8 or so holes/ladders or just general defects in some of the panels. I have contacted the company to ask about this. I was told that as canvas is a natural product defects are common and should be expected. Is this a bell tent expected feature or are they taking the pi..mickey?? I love the tent but feel let down by the fact every time I look up in the tent I can see these damned things!
Hi Rob, that doesn’t sound right to be honest. I’d expect some variation and for it not to look perfect perhaps in places, but holes just doesn’t sound right at all. Where did you get it from, and did you send them a picture of the defects?
I got it from soul pad. Got a full refund. Very disappointed as we had to wait 3 weeks due to stock delivery put it up straight away and found the holes. Looking at other tent companies.
I’ve heard similar from a couple of other people recently, namely that after sales service was poor for them. Glad to hear you managed to get a full refund. My own Boutique camping tent has been a great purchase, we are well into our2nd year of using it now.
Just word of advice, we bought a 5m Bell Tent last year from ‘Camping Under the Stars’.
This tent looked great and arrived promptly. We checked if the tent needed weathering before we went camping, we were assured by the company, (verbally and in writing,) that this tent arrived weathered and that it was ready to use.
Unfortunately, however, the first time we used it rained and the tent leaked heavily. This was only the start of our problems, the company had no sympathy and the ‘test’ they ran was to pour a few watering cans over the tent, this of course did not reproduce prolonged rain storm and did not provoke leaks. Leaving us with a tent that we know leaks and the circa £150 cost of waterproofing it before we go camping again.
However they were happy with this and that was that as far as they were concerned. In the emails, the person I dealt with, was very frustrating, avoided answering even simple direct questions.
I’m sure not all of their tents leak and if you get one that doesn’t I’m sure you will be very happy with it, however at the best part of £500 I would advise you don’t take the risk given the lack of aftercare/recourse the company offers and the potential for the cost to rise to effectively £650 if you want a tent that you can use in the UK’s climate.
If anyone should be interested I will happily forward the full 5/6 month conversation so you can make your own mind up and not take my ‘opinion’ at face value.
Thanks for posting about this. I always think the mark of a good company is in how well they treat customers after they make a purchase; it sounds like the customer service wasn’t great in your case. I’ve not come across this brand before to be honest, but thanks for the heads up. Hopefully you’re able to use and enjoy your tent now, but it must have been very disappointing for that to happen!
Hi, great post! I am thinking of buying a bell tent for me and my partner for weekends away, but not sure what size to buy – 4 or 5 metres. Which would you recommend, for two people? Thank you
I work as a warden at a glamping site and lived in a 5m bell tent for six months of last year. Guests at our site had four metre bell tents (though this year we should have a choice). For a couple – for weekends away – I think a 4m bell tent is sufficient. Our 4m bell tents at Wild Boar Wood Campsite have a double futon-style bed plus two fold out single mattresses for kids (or extra adults) and a coffee table. Love the space of a five-metre tent – but for weekend camping trips (depending on how much stuff you have) – you may feel a little swamped. We use BCT Bell Tents – super all season and cannot recommend them highly enough. They have a plasticized/vinyl feel to the outside – not the classic white canvas – but this makes them easy to clean and hardwearing. We are into our third year of using the tents and they have never leaked. We have needed some minor repairs (expected as they are in near constant use for long periods of time) and BCT have always been brilliant. If you want to road test a bell tent before buying you could always book a stay with http://www.ecocampuk.co.uk – or take a look at the photos in our gallery to get an idea of what our BCT bell tents are like. Have realised that there aren’t any photos in our gallery that really show the space inside – will have to rectify that when camping season starts! 🙂
Great advice, agreed, 4m will be more than sufficient.
Do you use the zipped in ground sheet? whats the advantage/disadvantage? Thanks
Sorry for the slow reply! Yes we use zipped in groundsheets. It means the tents are really weatherproof. Having not used a bell tent without a zipped-in groundsheet – I’m not sure I can advise on the alternative! I have not found any disadvantages….
I have a seasonal pitch (April to September) on the Island of Herm in the Channel Islands and was wondering how many seasons I would get out of a Bell Tent from BCT (supper all seasons). hope you can help thanks.
Hey Pago! Our bell tents are into their fourth season – used for six months of the year… so my experience is that they would last at least three years. Through wear-and-tear there are a few things that need fixing or repairs after this time – for examples zips failing and canvas tags ripping where the ropes attach – but all fairly minor and we have found BCT to offer a useful and good-value repair service which we have used int he off-season to replace zips etc.
Thank you! I’d say it depends on how much gear you have, and if you will be buying
an inner tent. We have a 5m for the two of us, and if we didn’t do the
hobby we do, which requires us to camp with a lot of extra costume and
kit, then a 4m would be fine.
I’d probably say that a 4m will give you more than enough space for 2.
I have exactly the same criteria and have just bought a 4 metre Blacks (of G) Solace 1 plus extension porch. Got a lovely deal after speaking with their sales director….
The groundsheet is separate, but clips, not zips in …in a unique way……..
Thank you for this post! Helped me decide to buy a bell tent – and to convince my husband we needed one…
That’s great to hear, glad to help! Make sure you Tweet or Instagram us some pictures when you’ve got it!! 🙂
Have already got it – sitting tantalisingly in its bag – cannot wait to try it out! Just need to hold back on going too crazy with the accessories….
lol yep, accessories…I can’t get enough of them! I’ve just updated this post with a pic of our new wood burning stove!
I’m interested in buying a 4/5m bell tent and would like to know if i could potentially use the top bit only as a canopy only ? Or is the base fixed to the top of the tent ?
It depends on the brand you go for. You’d need one with either a separate groundsheet, or better, a zipped in ground sheet. That allows you to pitch the top part without the bottom, you can then roll the sides up and use it more as a canopy than a tent. Boutique Camping tents can definitely be used that way, as can any of the others featured above that have a zipped in ground sheet.
Hello. May I ask a couple of questions?
i) Are you able to recommend a stove which you can cook on?
ii) Would a 5m bell tent, with stove and chimney fit in the boot of a VW Golf with roofbox (or failing that in a VW Transporter van which we might be getting access to soon)?
iii) How is the chimney transported? Does it compress like a telescope? Do they generally come with the stove?
Many thanks.
the frontier stove (for example) has a chimney that comes apart into sections and then fits inside the stove itself. But the flue isn’t very wide and has a tendancy to get sooted up and you have to clean it every 2 days or so.. so swings and roundabouts!
Anyone know and good sellers in Australia? Cheapest I can find is $600 but it looks heaps smaller than this one.
You got to think about all the costs involved, not just the price of the bell tent, but all the fittings, I purchased a Robens Fairbanks Outback Tipi Tent
this year, but I also had to buy, an outdoor BAR BQ (that was cheap B&Q) coir mats for the flooring, (AMH imports. Ltd) and a car trailer (that was not cheap from Brian James) because I drive a Micra!!! Think on, thats my advice, you have to consider these additional costs if you are Glamping this summer. Have a good time 🙂
Great points! Coir matting for a bell tent, whilst by no means essential, does take up a lot of extra space, and they are bigger to transport too. I hope you’re still enjoying your Robens tipi tent!
Would love to hear more about the Fairbanks, really look fabulous………some piccies too would be nice!
A lot about bell tents…but not about canvas tents en general, ridge, tarps, bivis, lavvu/poncho, frame tents, vintage….and so forth?.
One may think that big bell tents are the only canvas camping around……
The article is called “Should I buy a canvas bell tent” and that’s why the article is about canvas bell tents. Ichose to write it because I have a lot of personal experience with canvas bell tents. I can’t advise on other styles of canvas tent as I don’t have the expertise to warrant doing so.
Indeed you are right and I stand chastised.
It wasn’t meant as criticism, just an observation to perhaps widen things out?
However, I have just ordered a Blacks Solace 1. Canvas AND Bell………with the support of your piece in my researching, so thank you !
You’re more than welcome; I try not to write about things I don’t have first hand experience of, but it would be great to do a future feature that looks at the pros and cons of other kinds of tent too 🙂 Glad to hear about your recent purchase, you’ll have to share a pic of it all set up when you next go camping!
Will do…may have to wait a bit? It would be great to hear more about “Core’s” Robens Fairbanks…a tent long on my radar!
Same here, actually, I love the look of them and might be testing one at some point next year fingers crossed!
I have been in correspondence with B of G about the Solace ( and I’m thrilled with it!) and a possible couple of mods. They are looking at this for next year and may send me a prototype to try out…….. woohoo!
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the Solace when you get to try it?
Am also finding myself seriously tempted by a Fairbanks from Robens…….but really struggling to justify the cost of one despite some heavy discounting.
Proper reviews/photos are almost non existent on this tent.
…it arrives end of Jan………
Decided on buying a bell tent, but really need advice on bedding/mattresses. I’d really like to avoid airbeds, self-inflating mats, campbeds and the like and make the jump to a proper cotton or futon-like mattress. However, I see mixed reviews with many saying they’re uncomfortable and not padded enough, whilst others say they’re great. Any views?
Decided on buying a bell tent, but really need advice on bedding/mattresses. I’d really like to avoid airbeds, self-inflating mats, campbeds and the like and make the jump to a proper cotton or futon-like mattress. However, I see mixed reviews with many saying they’re uncomfortable and not padded enough, whilst others say they’re great. Any views or recommendations?
Sorry about the delayed response we had an issue with not receiving notifications for ages. My own recommendation is to go for fishing beds. After years of faffing around with airbeds and camp beds, I’ve recently purchased one and they are SO comfortable I can’t imagine ever bothering to use anything else now. It really depends on how much space you have though. I’ve seen people take Ikea futon beds camping, but they take a while to set up and take up lots of storage space! As ever, if you can try something out in a real shop before you buy, it really is worth it, but a good quality fishing bed definitely gets my vote.
I like the idea of those although they seem massively expensive. However there were available until recently from Military Mart, Czech Army sleeping pads which were heavy duty roll up with straps, futons, with waterproof bottoms They weren’t expensive, nor suitable for back packers!!.
Alas I can’t find them now and have asked MM to keep me advised if they get them back in.
PS the reviews I have found of tem for comfort have been very favourable…..
I’ve just bought a camping and canvas 5m ZIG bell tent and now it has arrived the colour is almost beige. Darker and browner than I thought. I expected it to be cream. Not sure I like this colour. I am just imagining that bell tents are usually cream? Does anyone have experience of the colour of camping and canvas tents?
Thanks a lot
Clare
Bell tents vary massively in colour. It’s true to say that most are in a natural creamy/beige colour there is a lot of variations and some bell tent companies specialise in bright colours, like our bright flower print bell tent and our rainbow bell tent.
It may fade under UV light in use. (I have an old 80s Vango Force 10 which used to be bright orange, and still is reasonably bright on the inside. The outside is now very pale indeed.)
Agreed, yes, bell tents with funky patterns and colours do fade over time, though the newer hybrid fabrics (polycotton and Oxford canvas) do hold colour better and don’t fade as much over time.
Thought you may be interested in our range of bell tent stoves
http://www.vestastoves.co.uk/shop/Bushmaster-camping-stove
Hi Dee. How old is your tent? Honestly I’d be very surprised if the colour ran into the cream panels. We have a bell tent with different coloured panels and in heavy rain the colours don’t run, and they are now a little faded too so I’d be very surprised if that happened, but I guess it does depend who you bought the tent from – I know that tents from Boutique Camping and Bell Tent Boutique for example don’t suffer from colour running, but I’ve never dealt with GlampTex.
I’ve had very mixed reports of bell tent cleaning services, including a friend who’s bell tent was completely destroyed. I’ve had mixed reports on http://www.washandwaterproof.com/textile-tent.html and heard lots of bad things about Pristine Awnings however, I’ve heard good things about North West based http://www.tentvaletingservices.co.uk/
I am most likely to clean my bell tent myself (though haven’t yet), and there are different schools on thought on what’s best, but I’ve got friends who use a pressure washer on theirs then just re-waterproof with Fabsil!
The best I can advise is that If you are planning to use a mould/mildew product yourself, water the solution down (they can bleach colours a little) then I’d suggest you try it out on a very small area first to see what happens, and make sure you are using a mould/mildew product designed for canvas like this http://amzn.to/2jPagKL rather than a household one.
I hope that helps a bit!
Please let me know what you decide to do as I’d like to write a feature on bell tent cleaning tips 🙂
We only brought it in July last year but we put it away slightly damp and it has some mildew on it from that. The zip broke after the 3rd (and final) time we used it. So upset as I loved having a bell tent!
I’ve attached a photo of the one we have. Most of the companies wash the tents by submerging in water which I think would allow the colour to run. ? https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/5f615244302f425020d7b19b720bacd68a1207b0256221d14a058ccbb5aa608c.jpg
What a cool tent! I think it would probably be best to contact a local tent cleaning company, (though most do courier collection) and ask them about the technique they use to clean and I’m sure they will be able to advise you.
It might still be worth submerging and cleaning a small area yourself to check it’s coloursafe as really the only guarantee on that would need to come from the manufacturer, who isn’t responding to you, so without testing it’s just guess work.
I’ve never heard of a coloured bell tent running when being cleaned, though that doesn’t meant it can’t happen, especially if corners have been cut in it’s manufacturing (as the broken zip could indicate).
Good luck, I hope you can get it cleaned and will get more use from it this year 🙂
Wow such a detailed update, thanks so much. It sounds wonderful. Big ventilated windows sound fab and the groundsheet sounds very interesting. Thanks so much for giving us all that information! Happy camping 🙂
I’m not sure you could easily replace the side walls, I think if one were to get damaged there are companies that could repair/replace the panel for you, but whilst the side walls can be unzipped from the groundsheet and rolled up, but they can’t be totally unattached. There is a brand of tent I came across recently, Nordisk and they do bell tents that have walls that can be removed and zipped together to give them extra height.
Would a bell tent be a good option for an outdoor art studio space. Something semi permanent? Also can it handle rain season in Oregon? Thanks
I’m not sure what the climate is like in Oregon, but glamping site owners keep canvas tents out year round so you should be ok. I’d spend a bit more and go for the best quality (thickest) fabric you can find, and if it’s out all year, you’ll need to make sure you are regularly treating it so it maintains it’s waterproofing as it will get much more use than one used for occasional camping.
Can you stand up in this and put a queen bed in there?
Hi Lynn. It depends on what size bell tent you want. A 3m bell tent for example you can stand in, but it would be much too small for a queen bed.
An average 5m bell tent however is 3 metres tall. All the photographs shown on my blog show our bell tent(s) 5m and 6m models, with a kingsize bed set up, so yes, they are plenty big enough to stand up in even for someone very tall they offer much more head space than any modern style tent as they are much taller.
To fit a queen bed, just ensure your bell tent is a 5m model as you’ll struggle with a 4m as it only leaves 2m either side of the centre pole, and you must factor in the sloping walls, also a 4m bell tent is still big enough to stand up in, but the height is reduced to around 2.5m tall. Specifications do change depending in bell tent size and manufacture though.
Here’s a handy Suze guide https://www.boutiquecamping.com/downloads/1515748377Bell_Tent_Kickstarter_Size.jpg
Pegged in ground sheet or zipped in? Does pegged in still prevent draughts and dampness?
Zipped or sewn in is better in my opinion. Separate ground sheets mean there is a gap between the canvas and the groundsheet which makes it much more likely that cold/wind and water can get in. If you are camping in a hot country where rain is rare, then a pegged in separate ground sheet would be find, but certainly for most conditions I’d recommend either zipped or sewn in.
I would recommend going for the highest quality you can afford and ensuring that the canvas is cleaned and treated every year to keep it in great condition and to extend the life-span of the Canvas. I can’t advise on Alibaba suppliers unfortunately as my expertise lies in the consumer camping industry rather than commercial. I hope that helps and best of luck with your venture!