Choosing A Bell Tent – 8 Important Considerations
They’re All The Same!
When choosing a bell tent on-line, you’d be forgiven for thinking they’re all the same. They’re really not all the same though. Not all bell tents are created equal.
This can be hard to judge from on-line images alone so it’s a good idea to make the trip and visit your bell tent supplier to view the quality first hand. If the supplier doesn’t have a showroom, you can always ask them to put you in touch with someone local to you who is using their bell tents for business use. The latter option is often the most subjective approach as it provides a great opportunity for you to swap notes with the other user.
There are plenty of badly made bell tents out there, and so there are certain things to look out for when choosing a bell tent: –
1. Stitching
Check the stitching along the seams.
Is the stitching tight (small loops) or is it loose (long loops)?
The ideal is 7+ stitches per inch. The more stitches per inch, the stronger the stitched seams will be, reducing the likelihood of stress-tears if the area in question is ever under too much tension.
Is the stitching re-enforced at key stress points?
For example; where the guy ropes and pegging-out points are attached to the tent and where the poles meet the canvas.
Re-enforced stitching should be clearly visible, and will be in addition to the regular single line of stitching. It’s often a rectangle of stitching with extra stitching from corner to corner, within the rectangle.
Is there evidence of re-working?
Factories will often re-work areas of poor stitching if faults are found in the quality check. This is forgivable to a degree, so long as the re-worked area isn’t unsightly and it still functions as it should. Certain re-worked areas of the tent are more forgivable than others. Most would feel inclined to forgive re-worked areas at the back of the tent, whereas re-worked areas at the front of the tent (particularly in the line of sight) are less forgivable, depending on the severity.
2. Canvas
Check the weight of the canvas (most bell tents are around 300g/sm) but also enquire about its other properties.
There is a common misconception that the heavier the canvas, the stronger it is. This misconception really can get in the way when choosing a bell tent. This notion neglects to account for the treatments in the canvas, its tear strength, its tensile strength, its resistance to UV and so on. Weight alone is not a good measure of the canvas’ durability. If you’d prefer not to get bogged down in the science behind the material, feedback from other customers will be key here instead.
That said, if the canvas is too lightweight (less than 300g/sm) it will feel flimsy. Your glampers will want to feel protected by the structure, not vulnerable.
Along with your tent purchase, ask your supplier to supply you with an A4 sized piece of the canvas incase you run into any issues later. The best thing about canvas is that it can easily be repaired, so it’s a good idea to have some on hand just incase.
3. Groundsheet
We’ve seen all kinds of materials used for groundsheets from cloth through to PVC.
Whilst PVC is the least desirable in terms of its environmental impact, it certainly is one of the most durable solutions. Meshed PVC is stronger than regular PVC and you can spot if it is meshed by looking for a tight grid-like pattern in the material – this is the cotton mesh that gives the PVC it’s extra strength.
PVC tends to be thicker than most groundsheets (weighing in at around 500g/sm). It’s easy to repair with patches of the same material and a strong contact adhesive. Your bell tent supplier should be able to provide you with some spare material for patching.
With any groundsheet check that the seams are sealed to avoid any let-in of water.
If you select a ZIG when choosing a bell tent (zipped-in-groundsheet) check that the canvas to groundsheet zip actually functions. Commonly the zip can be obstructed if the excess materials either side of the zips runner has not been trimmed correctly during production. It’s a top priority to check this zip when you pitch the tent for the first time. If it does not function as it should this is a genuine cause for return. In this instance the supplier should be given the opportunity to repair or replace.
4. Poles
Most bell tents are supplied with sectioned metal poles.
The poles work well for their intended use as they can be collapsed down to a transportable size. Many glamping sites will switch them out though for something more aesthetically pleasing. Bamboo is popular as it provides great strength, it’s relatively affordable and looks great.
If you do plan to switch out any of the supplied poles be sure to add a canvas and groundsheet friendly material to either end to protect them. The last thing you want to do is damage either the groundsheet beneath or the canvas at the top. It’s a good idea to run this idea by your supplier first, as you need them on board with any specification changes you make because if it fails they may not accept responsibility if you didn’t seek their advice first.
5. Pegs
These vary wildly between suppliers and some are better than others. This may not concern you if you’re pitching on decks (and so not using the supplied pegs) but if you’re pitching directly onto the ground it’s important you use robust pegs. Depending on what is supplied you may want to consider switching out weaker pegs for stronger ones like rebar stakes, or traditional wooden pegs. Wooden pegs achieve a much higher purchase in the ground, particularly when the ground is wet.
6. Guy Ropes
Most bell tents are supplied with nylon guy ropes around 5mm diameter. Nylon is durable but for long term use you may choose to switch these out for a higher diameter. That said we’ve never witnessed 5mm guy ropes snapping, more commonly they will fray at the ends over time. Nylon guy ropes are cheap to replace and readily available in most camping shops. They come in a variety of colours (even glow in the dark options) and can also be purchased on a roll to be cut to length.
Ask your supplier to provide you with a few spares, to keep in the wings just incase.
7. Slides
These are the tensioners found along the length of the guy ropes.
Again, there is a lot of variety out there and most are effective in what they do. However, nylon slides are known to perish eventually with UV degradation, whilst wooden slides can become speckled with mildew if not treated frequently. Metal slides can rust if not galvanised or painted, and even painted metal slides will chip and rust in part eventually.
Some suppliers will encourage you to use a locking slide (born out of the sailing market):
There is no doubt that locking slides stay put on the guy rope. Their grip on the guy rope increases with pressure (such as windy conditions) and so do not move. This is an attractive prospect when you have several tents pitched, each with 15+ guy ropes that need constant adjustment with each change of weather, however locking slides are not without their problems as they don’t slide.
If the sliding function is removed, during windy conditions, the power of the wind is transferred to the canvas itself which can tear – the slide prevents this. During windy conditions, the slide moves a little whilst remaining in position enough to keep the tent erect.
8. Mosquito Mesh
Most bell tents have secondary mosquito mesh fitted to the windows, the entrance and the vents at the top of the roof.
The effectiveness of the mesh will depend on its density and where you are in the world. The density is measured in terms of holes per inch. The higher the count of holes per inch, the smaller the holes.
The bell tents we supplied have fallen short in some areas of the UK. An example is Scotland where during the hatching period in the summer months, the midges are really quite small, small enough to penetrate the mosquito mesh. As a rule of thumb, the hole count needs to be around 400 sq/inch for midge protection. Some bell tents are supplied with a hole count as low as 150 sq/inch.
Of course, the higher the count of holes the less breathable the material is. Given that the mesh is fixed in place (can’t be removed from the vents and windows) manufacturers will often select a mesh that is more breathable with a lower count of holes, preferring breathability over midge protection. Afterall, it is attached to areas that serve to provide ventilation and for most of the UK the lower hole count works just fine.
If you are in an area where midges are a problem, consider adding mosquito nets to the sleeping area to avoid the extra cost of re-working the tent to suit. Your supplier will be able to advise on how best to hang them and as it’s a modification of sorts, it’s always best to check your supplier is comfortable with the change.
