REVIEW: 'Camping under the Stars' 5m Bell Tent

Camping Under The Stars

12 months ago, Tommy approached me and asked if I would like to review one of his bell tents. No problem..

However, due to a bit of a manic year the opportunity never came around to just whisk it off somewhere.  Several camps using the Lotus, Tipi, camper and awning, but with grandaughters popping out every five minutes, and a hectic year, it got later and later, and still no review.

I'm sure Tommy thought I had ate the tent, or donated it to Calais.

So first camp of the year, I finally got round to testing it.  Tommy who had lost the will to message anymore, actually did contact me the day before by pure coincidence. 'YES!!! I am finally taking it camping, honest!!!'
Tommy advised that a small upgrade to the guy rope sliders had been made, and he would send some of the new ones through. No worries, if they arrived late, it wasn't the end of the world.





And so, feeling brave I took an overloaded Tillie (the campervan) to Somerset, complete with enough camping gear to keep a small gypsy population going for a few years.

Arrived to the sun out, and a nice large pitch.  Groundsheet down, and humping the canvas onto it, I tweaked and shuffled, turned and primped, until the door faced an exact 287 degrees to the campfire.

I laid out the bags (one for the canvas and one for the poles), pegs, and poles.

All looked good - sturdy 32mm centre pole, and standard A frame with a plastic raincap....which flew across the campsite, and I had to find another in my spares box

Very impressive galvanised pegs supplied for the guy ropes..

which got me thinking...

where are the bloody guy ropes...?!!!

Flitting between considering a 4 hour drive home, robbing a washing line, or adopting foetal position...I looked closer at the canvas I had laid out.  The guy ropes were already attached.....JOY!  

Its the first tent I haven't had to tie the bloody things on at the start.

The guy ropes were hiding

The zipped on ground sheet was a standard 540gr/m2 in a sand colour.  Canvas is 285g.  The canvas is slightly darker, and more of a sand colour than some of the bells I have tested.  It also seemed a bit denser on the grain, with what I presume is a light coating or finish on it, to assist waterproofing.  No big difference, and may just be because some of the older tents have been bashed about in the elements now.

Despite Tarqs best efforts, I finished pitching the tent pretty smoothly.

All was up and ready for the final tweaks to get the walls neat and firm.

What you swearing at, Mum?

Now this was the moment, I thought 'I should have waited for the wooden sliders Tommy was sending'.....

The ropes on the guys are thicker than are usually supplied, but the original guys had fairly small plastic runners.  And they were an absolute b*&Stard to tighten up!  After red raw fingers, I started to adjust the guys by moving the whole bloody peg away from the tent.  Some slid after a bit of resistance, but some were a nightmare.  I'm sure they would have eased off after a couple of uses, as the rope would have worn in, but I was throwing my rattle out of the pram by now (in honesty I probably wasted about 5 minutes, but I'm not the most patient)

So here is the nice thick rope and nasty little black plastic runners...

And here are the lovely wooden sliders that greeted me when I got home, after they obviously arrived 5 minutes after I had left the house....

There are enough wire pegs to peg down the groundsheet, and galvanised ones to do the guy ropes.  However, as with 99% of bell tent suppliers, none are supplied if your preference is to peg the elastics seperately from the groundsheet.  Just a niggle of mine, as I always peg this way, to ensure the zip is protected from the elements, and the tent has a nice firm shape to the walls

The corners of the A Frame have the 'pockets' and clips as standard. An electric lead can be threaded through these when using hook up.
I am presuming the small eyelet is to take a peg,  to lock the front lip in place if  folded down when the wall is up (Not something I've ever seen/noticed before)

The main doorway, has an internal mesh door that can be zipped up independently.  This is a fairly standard feature now, and one I would always look out for.  Earlier bells didn't have this, but it gives you a 'window' in colder weather, without actually zipping everything up, and also restrains the dog (who thankfully hasn't realised he could actually get his 6 stone bulk through it pretty easily if he tried)

Chilling, with just the mesh door closed

So the only job left was to glamp and pimp it, with a few cushions throws, and a bloody great sofa.  We had our chill out area for the next 5 nights

Weather conditions were pretty good - it was pretty windy whilst pitching, and the tent had no issues with being pulled around a bit.  There was a small shower, but in honesty, it probably wasn't enough to totally test the waterproofing and seams.  I can't envisage any problems, as its a decent solid tent, and has obviously had the canvas treated.

Overall I couldn't fault it (as the little plastic runner demons have been demoted to the bin, and his nice chunky wooden cousins have taken their place)

I will put the wooden sliders on, and do a half arsed pitch on the back garden, next time torrential rain is forecast....If I do have any issues or leakage, I will update the review

At £475, and with free delivery, it is a competitive price option against the bigger named soulpad, and bell tent uk, which offer the same spec tent for a higher price

Link to the website is: https://campingunderthestars.com/product/5m-bell-tent/

The full spec and description is on the website:-

5M Tent Dimensions

Door Height – 1.6m

Centre height – 3m

Side Walls – 0.6m

Floor Diameter – 5 metre

Weight – 31kg approx

Bag size 1mx40cmx40cm approx

Customer Service

Some of the larger bell tent sellers seemed to have lost their personal touch a bit with regards to communications and service.  I have never seen a negative word about Tommy, or his tents from anyone who has purchased them, and hopefully he will remain as proactive and helpful in the future

PS: The only bit I would disagree on is:

'Even though the tent comes to you already proofed with mould and water resistance, we recommend that you treat your tent after the first years camping season to keep the canvas in optimum condition. Like anything in life, the more you look after it, the longer it should last.'

I wouldn't ever reproof unless the tent shows signs of leakage. Once you start applying fabsil, you are putting a layer of silicon on the tent, and it has to be done regularly.  Some of my bells are in their 6th/7th year and still have no leakage

REVIEW: Boutique Camping 4m Pro Bell Tent

Boutique Camping 4m Pro Tent

I was offered the option of testing a 285g standard bell, which Boutique have been selling for a while.
However, they had new stocks of the 'Fireproof Pro' -fire resistant heavier weight canvas in, so I opted to test one of these instead.

Initial reaction was that all seemed good.  Thicker guy ropes in purple with personalised sliders.

Pole thickness was fairly standard on both centre pole and a frame.  Nice top opening bag (easier to get the tent back in)

The canvas was thicker, however it does have a plastic finish feel coated onto it.  I prefer the softer treated canvas, but had no issues with condensation, so it wasn't a major problem.

There is a flue hole already incorporated in the roof, I didn't think was a particularly good placement.   Its quite far back into the tent, and renders using an inner useless, unless you could somehow angle the inner right into the door frame at the front.  If using a side stove, then you have no option other than to make another flue exit anyway.

I'm never a fan of pre-fitted flue holes in tents for these reasons 1.) It's invariable positioned badly.  2.) It will be rendered useless dependent on whether you get a roof or side exit stove

Groundsheet was the heavier weight 540g and was fine.  Pegs are fairly standard.  Stitching quality was good, with no obvious shortcuts on seams etc.  Zips good quality and glided well

Mesh doors are always a bonus, and it was nice to have these

So overall it appeared to be a nice little tent.  Until it rained.

No torrential downpour, but some showers, and it resulted in puddles pretty much everywhere.  It appeared to come from the lower zips, the a frame and even dripping from the seams and further into the tent as well.

The tent hadn't been weathered prior to this use, so I thought it would be only fair to retry the tent a second time.  So after drying off, I pitched again at home to test the waterproofing.

It has been outside for about 5 days, and there are no points where it could wick etc (fairly empty tent), but unfortunately the waterproofing was just as bad as before, if not worse.  Not just a few drips which is quite acceptable, but over an inch of water pooling around the main A frame, running in the back of the groundsheet, and just drips and puddles everywhere.

As a new product, perhaps revisions have been made, as the item wasn't for sale at the time of me testing it, or it may have just been a one off rogue tent in the batch

However, it is hard for me to recommend it with any confidence, as its let down purely on the waterproofing

Although Boutique do some really nice accessories, and are brave enough to develop a wide range of coloured tents (standard 285g, which generally seem to get better reviews)...


Manufacturers Website Spec:-

• Our first fireproof bell tent!
• British Safety Standards: BS EN ISO 5912 and BS 7837
• Heavy duty 385g per sqm 100% natural cotton canvas
• 100mm pre-cut flue hole for stoves 
• Includes integrated canvas flap with velcro, to cover the hole when it's not in use
• Available with single door only
• Luxury bell tent with heavy duty zipped in ground sheet (540g per sqm)
• New secondary mosquito door, with thicker guy ropes and extra strong pegs
• Thickness of pegs: 6mm and 8mm

Our exclusive Bell Tents by Boutique Camping aims to provide you with prominent luxury and comfort away from your home. There is a 4 and 5m tent, both with heavy duty zipped in ground sheet, which gives you the option to unzip and roll up the sides whilst you lounge and enjoy the surroundings around you. Available in an array of colours and patterns, our bell tent also come with 4 zipped windows and air vents at the top to allow more airflow.

The 4m tent is perfect for couples however can sleep 4 adults comfortably, luxuriating in an open-plan bedroom whilst the 5m tent is perfect for larger families and groups.

All our Bell tents are made from 100% natural breathable cotton canvas that drapes down from the centre pole and is held tight by ropes to create that distinctive vintage shape outside and to compliment the wonderful soft ambience within.

We are keen to give our customers the best and build upmost comfort combined with luxury; following feedback, we have introduced a secondary mosquito netting door, as well as a thicker 32mm centre pole, thicker guy ropes and durable pegs that will not bed and change shape once they are hammered into the ground.

With added branded zippers and metal guy ropes, to add that exclusive Boutique Camping touch And finally, all our Bell Tents Canvas’s are treated with mould, rot and water repellent. We recommend that you re-proof the canvas after approximately a year; this of course is dependant on how frequently it is used however we generally recommend reproofing after 52-60 weeks.

REVIEW: Lotus Belle

Following on from a comment on this blog, that I found the Lotus Belle Tents, 'a bit ugly', it started some correspondence with Hari from Lotus Belles.

http://lotusbelle.co.uk/

After a few emails back and forth, Hari offered to lend a Lotus Belle so I could try it 'in the flesh'.  So a quick dash to Bristol, I had visions of meeting Hari, with the exotic name, and an image of a Somalian Eastern exotic women sitting in zen gardens and meditating.

I rolled up to Hari's (which I later found out was short for Harriet), amidst total chaos, as 10 lotus belles had just been returned and dumped on her, after being hired out at Glastonbury. An hour of locating all the bits (and the dog, the phone charger, the phone, the handbag..) and we almost had a full set....

So a quick detour home via Hari's warehouse and I had a 5m Lotus Belle.  I think.  So the tape measure came out, and in my neuroticness, I measured every part, rather than pitch up with a jumble of maybe matches.  It was all fine, see I knew Hari knew what she was doing really... (Hari is lovely, I want to adopt her)

As this was a rental tent, the poles were already threaded into the wall panels, and the guys were already tied.  The wall section was stored in a separate banana bag, so it didn't have to be threaded together each time you used it.  In the other bag I had the groundsheet, 3m wooden pole, 30 marquee type heavy duty pegs, the cream canvas roof.  Plus an octopus. And a toadstool head.

Banana Bag for the wall

I had 10 days at Nantcol Waterfalls booked, so I packed the trailer, along with the lotus belle, a dragon, a tree, and some christmas goblins, and set off.

Arrived at the campsite with some pretty strong winds, so was fairly dubious having never pitched the lotus before. Thankfully, it's pretty sturdy even during pitching, so it holds itself in shape as you go along.  It's also remarkably easier than it appears, to both put up and take down.  An absolute must for me is that it can be done by a solo person as well.

Spacing the pegs

Firstly pegging out the groundsheet.  Once done, you them measure out the placement of the pegs for the roof and wall.  After watching a video, I put the furthest peg about 1m out - this wasn't enough, and I had to redo the outer ones (the video was based on a 4m pitch) as I went along.

















Once pegged, you simply go round each section of the wall and clip the 10 poles to the groundsheet - the guys then hold each section as you go along.

At this stage the tent is remarkably sturdy, and held up well despite the winds.  Next you locate the 'Lotus Belle' Logo on the roof  'tenatacles', guy out the first two by the door, then just move around the tent and guy the rest of his 'legs'.  There is a velcro strip that then joins the roof panels to the top of the wall.  A layer of mesh either side of the velcro gives the tent flexibility in the wind

Ready to add the centre pole

Once the roof is sitting happily, it was a good time to go in and lay the carpet down (the carpet was mine, but hopefully Hari will get something on the market in the future).  Final part is to just slide in the 3m pole, placing it in the centre on the wooden cup.  This part is actually a lot easier than a standard bell, as you don't have the huge canvas resistance pushing it up.

Carpet laid

Centre pole in

Total pitching was about 45-60 mins as this was the first time I had ever attempted it - It also involved me moving the pegs out as I had misjudged them, and re-tying quite a few of the guy ropes.  I'm pretty confident I could cut this down to 30 minutes solo, in future.

With solo camping the hardest bit is lugging the bags around - but everything can be split down, even the wall (but i would prefer to keep this intact with the poles).  Total weight on the 5m is around 66kg, the 4m is about 55kg

Pitched!

The only remaining job was to 'pimp' up the inside.  So armed with my dragon, a tree, and a few flowers, I got to work creating my temporary home for 10 days.

Ready to move in

By day 3 there was heavy rain forecast, so it seemed an ideal time to try out the 'octopus'.  This was a poly hat that sits on top of the canvas roof.  Exactly the same shape, you simply drop the centre pole, throw his suckery legs over the top and peg it on the existing pegs.  The bonus of the poly top is that there is no leakage at all, and it also keeps the canvas dry - invaluable on a wet take down.  The green octopus also gives a nice pattern to the ceiling

Pack size of the poly hat is small.  Shown here alongside Sid the Squid

The Octopus

The Pattern is diffused through the canvas roof

The tent had no issues at all with waterfastness (the upright walls prevent any leakage through the sides).  And although the groundsheet is a PIG (peg in) it is bath tub shaped at the bottom, so there is a 2 inch curve upwards, so no water puddled in.  Hari did mention that the tents had been professionally cleaned, but wasn't 100% happy about whether the waterproofing had been affected, so it made sense to try the poly cover (obviously a new tent will have no issues, regardless of whether you use an additional poly cover).

Day 7, the octopus was set free, and the red toadstool roof had a play

The red hat gives off more of a warm orange tint

It is a crowd stopper - After having bell tents for over 5 years now, I no longer have queues of people waiting for a guided tour, as they are on every campsite you visit.  So it was quite nice to have something a bit more unique, that had the visitors peering around the doors again.

It seems to have converted a lot of 'on the fence' people, who initially weren't sure about the tent (including me).  It also impressed the campsite owner, who is contemplating getting a couple to set up permanently onsite.

In summary

Overall there isn't much I can say about any faults.  The weather threw everything at us, torrential rain, 40mph gusts, and blazing sun - the belle flicked it all off as nonentities.  It was rock solid, with no billowing of the canvas in winds, and secure and watertight throughout.

I was planning to say the groundsheet is a PIG so would put some people off, but now there is a velcro version....and mesh doors would be useful.....but there is this option...so just to find something picky, and not give it 11/10 I will say its heavy....(but no more so than my 6m canvas and cast bell....)

Also there is now a porch available for the entrance, which would enhance the space even more

Obviously the costs are a lot higher than a standard bell, but the quality and extras do justify it.  It is a one off purchase, and will last for years.  My Canvas and Cast 6m bell cost just short of £1k - this is from the same manufacturer, so quality is excellent, on both fittings and canvas.  It is very much you get what you pay for.

So, having had the trial, will I purchase a Lotus Belle?.....I think I need to have some serious talks with Hari.... :)

Features:-

Thick guy ropes and wooden sliders
















Marquee heavy duty pegs

Thick breathable canvas (the suppliers are the same manufacturers as Canvas and Cast tents)

There are two large windows which puts the tent ahead of a standard bell.  These windows also have the option of the clear plastic, or unzip to allow the breeze to go through
























Half moon window, with access to a pre-fitted flue hole.  Nicely positioned, and suitable for a side wall entry wood stove

Lotus Belle Specification/Blurb

The larger Lotus Belle tent. This 5 metre version is 56% larger than the 4 metre version and can be used in a wide range of scenarios.

Original model tents are perfect for the UK climate, with 2 easy-clean, fully openable PVC windows, they offer the perfect balance of being able to look outside and keep dry on wet summer days, and open up to create a through draft when it gets a little warmer.

• 360gsm Cream canvas
• 5 metre diameter at the base
• 5.5 metres diameter at waist height
• 3.2 metre centre pole
• 8m pitching area
• 5'8" high at the edge of the tent, meaning the whole floor space is usable standing height for most people.
• 2 x fully openable clear PVC windows
• 540gsm Bath-tub groundsheet keeps out all water
• If you require mesh over the door and windows take a look at the 5 metre Outback version.

Deluxe version: 

There is now one available with a velcro groundsheet, and an additional rear door (handy to access a kitchen tent) and mesh doors & windows

Lotus Belle Pitching Video:-

REVIEW - Camping & Canvas 5m Bell Tent

*******Camping and canvas are now in liquidation, but I will leave the review here, as second hand tents still circulate, and I was more than happy with the actual tent*****

Elliot at Camping and Canvas very kindly sent me a 5m ZIG (Zip in groundsheet) bell to trial, so here it is...

I took it to Brook Meadow in Northants for a few days over the bank holiday, bagged the best pitch I could by the lake, and had a nice leisurely pitch in the sun.

Laid out the groundsheet (standard 540gsm) so nice and thick (same spec as the belltentuk, soulpad etc)

The usual pole & peg bags, and 285g canvas

(groundsheet in the pic is one I use as a footprint, not part of the C & C package.  Just stops the bell groundsheet getting filthy, especially as there are copious amounts of goose shite at this campsite)

The first nice extra, that a lot of the other tent suppliers don't do, is the wooden sliders and rope guys

Standard pegs, plastic rain caps etc

There has been some feedback about the rope sliders slipping after rain, but I never had any problems with them at all.  If it was an issue, I would probably replace the rope with a thicker polyhemp rope from Timko, as there is a bit of play in the size of the holes of the sliders in relation to the rope

Mr Duck was particularly impressed and brought the whole family over for a viewing

So after tying all the guy ropes on (i have done this job so many times....) the bell was up and pitched within 15 minutes

Another nice touch is the mesh mosi door - this zips on all sides, and works as a nice restraint for labradors and small children as well.  Especially when duck a l'orange walks past

There are the standard positioned pegging points for an inner (most suppliers are interchangeable), half moon windows, and option to unzip to raise the walls

There is no pre-cut flue hole on this version, but its not something I would particularly want in a tent anyway, as I find these limit where you want to install your stove, and also whether you want to purchase a wall or roof entry wood stove.

The stitching and quality of the canvas was excellent throughout, no pin holes, random unstitched seams, or loose zips.

Zip quality was good, and seemed robust enough in all places



The centre pole is very thick -a nice touch, and a necessity.

The centre pole and a-frame are always the weakest parts of the bell, so supplying a nice heavy duty one as standard is a definite benefit

The a-frame is a fairly standard angled one, that fits into pockets on the groundsheet, and does up with a couple of canvas ties (I rarely tie them tbh)

There wasn't any particularly heavy rainfall, but we did get a couple of showers, so the tent got some waterproof testing.  No sign of leakage anywhere.

I will give it a more thorough testing in the peak of summer (when the rain never stops), but so far I have no complaints at all.

The rain beads up on the canvas as expected


















In summary, for a standard 285g canvas 5m bell, with a 540 ZIG I have no complaints at all.  I will further test the guys and water fast qualities of the tent in a more torrential downpour, but I can't fault it at the moment.

In addition, you get small extras such as the mesh door , a thicker centre pole and wooden sliders, that aren't supplied as standard with some of the other more expensive suppliers

I would give it 9/10 (I cant give it 10), which it could redeem with a slightly thicker rope on the guys, and also supplying enough tent pegs to enable you to peg the ZIG and then the elastics at the base of the tent separately.

I never understand why the suppliers only supply one set of pegs to cover both of these pegging points?  It just means the second peg can pull the canvas away from the zip, so its totally covered

I have been more than happy to recommend, and I know quite a lot of people have purchased these tents over the last few months, and I haven't seen any bad reports from any of them, with regards to quality or customer service

Camping & Canvas: http://www.campingandcanvas.co.uk/

The Camping & Canvas website spec is here:-

Our 5m ZIG Canvas Bell Tent gives you the best of both worlds by combining the detachable and sewn in groundsheet. How do we do this? It’s simple, all of our tents are made with our ZIG design (Zipped In Groundsheet). It really is the best of both, on scorching hot summer days you can simply unzip and roll-up the sides to create a refreshing breeze throughout the tent. For those "not so nice" days, the ZIG groundsheet provides you with a waterproof shield against the weather and creepy crawlies!

The heavyweight 540gsm² groundsheet is not only fully waterproof but also helps iron out any lumps and bumps on your chosen pitch. To put it in perspective, our groundsheets are 3 - 4x thicker than standard tent groundsheets.

At 285gsm², the 100% cotton fabric is protected & sealed by a water proof coating to ensure the inside of the tent is waterproof during wet weather & storms. No treatment is needed prior to first use.

It’s the small things that count –

Over the years, we have continually developed our bell tents until we have found, what we think, is the perfect bell tent experience. Below are a few of the features we’ve added –

 - Heavy Duty Zips (a must for our ZIG (Zipped In Groundsheet) design bell tents!)

 - Heavy Duty Pegs (these are no obstacle to hard ground and allow you to virtually pitch your tent anywhere!)

 - Heavy Duty Spring Loaded Poles (this holds the weight of the entire canvas & speeds up pitching with spring loaded poles)

 - Mosquito Netting Door Entrance & Windows (enjoy the view without being eaten alive!)

 - Groundsheet Entrance Flap (our groundsheets are bucket shaped to prevent the wet from entering the tent, on hot days however, the main entrance groundsheet can be flattened to make tripping less of an issue)

 - Chunky Wooden Guy Rope Sliders (these not only look great but they maintain the tension when your bell tent is pitched)

 - Inner Tent Fittings (our bell tents come with Inner Tent fittings as standard, loops and hoops provide quick and easy installation)

 - Power Cord Access (a nifty feature which allows those of you who require a power cord to be used with an external power hookup)

 - 540gsm² Groundsheet (heavy duty zipped groundsheet, 3-4x thicker than standard tent groundsheets!)

 - 285gsm² Canvas (100% natural unbleached cotton canvas)

 - Double Stitching (all seams are double stitched and key stress points are reinforced)

 - 2 Year Manufacturer’s Warranty (all our products come with a 2 year warranty as standard)

Weight & Dimensions

Diameter - 500cm (16'4")

Internal Height at Centre - 280cm (9'2")

A-Frame Entrance Height - 170cm (5'7")

Side Wall Height - 60cm (2')

Total Weight - 30kg

Central Pole Diameter - 32mm

What’s included?

Here’s what’s included with each bell tent order –

 - Canvas Bell tent with Waterproof Groundsheet Connected by a Heavy Duty Zips.

 - Integrated Secondary Mesh Entrance Door.

 - Attachments to Install an Inner Tent.

 - Spring Loaded Metal Tent Poles.

 - Guy Ropes & Wooden Sliders.

 - All the pegs - Steel Angle Pegs & Pin Pegs.

 - Matching Canvas Storage Bag.

 - Pitching Guide & Instructions.