Does anyone still use the old style canvas bungalow tents?
I am thinking of doing a trip in our Cabanon Espace canvas steel pole tent, but I feel a bit embarrassed. It is quite old fashioned looking and I feel like we will stand out. It is a fantastic tent though
Hopefully, we will do a longer trip next year, but thinking of doing a few nights this year... What do we think?
use it! it will stand out no more than those using trailer tents or folding campers (from the front of the awnings) ok takes longer to put up/down and is heavier but if your happy with it then use it.
Agree. Use it! We still have our Cabanon Pyramide, an odd shaped tent, and it was great for striking up a conversation about it with interested & interesting people.
There are so many shapes & materials of tents out there, most people won’t give your tent a second glance.
Absolutely. No embarrassment required. I adore our Cabanon Estoril, able to pitch single handed, spacious, warmer, cooler in both senses 😎. No SIG granted, but one an improvise and the smell... so evocative. Why NOT stand out? They were, and are, joyous things. Who wants boring khaki greige or blwergh??? I only take the Outwell when on shorter trips as the curtains and roof linings are a tad time consuming to put up, but I love them, and homeliness they bring. Pitch with pride 😍. Be the envy of the camp site. 🏕
------------- Camping - emotional resilience in action, a triumph of hope over adversity and antidote to virtual reality.
We've actually decided to keep it in it's bag until next year. We are planning a big trip so will take it then, but have just bought a new, smaller tent to use now.
I do have a question about my new tent though but will make a new thread.
Go for it - for a slightly longer trip! We still have a cabanon estoril and have had many happy times in it. Although I have to admit that we bought a big air tent a few years ago which is quicker and easier. It certainly doesn't have the same cool factor on the campsite though!
I believe there is quite a following for 'retro' tents, so rather than being old fashioned, you could be envied!
I've got an original inflatable Pneumatic Tent Company 'Igloo' tent from the early 1960's. If it weren't for the fact that the pack size/weight (it's HD canvas, rubber bladders, and oilcloth SIG!) for a practical 2-3 person tent far exceeds a modern 5-6 berth steel poled tent, I'd be inclined to use it as an ordinary tent, not just for it's antique novelty.
Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 30/8/2024
I've got an original inflatable Pneumatic Tent Company 'Igloo' tent from the early 1960's.
How wonderful: one of my first memories of camping with my parents (in a blue Marechal frame tent that was bought at an end of season sale from a ferry company that also offered holidays at the time and which I later took to France with my ex-husband when in my late teens) was, if you're following, of being fascinated by an Igloo pitched next door to us. I was intrigued by the shape, the door and the inflation. It seemed something from outer space and so futuristic.
Yup, bring back originality, curtains, fringing and COLOUR.
------------- Camping - emotional resilience in action, a triumph of hope over adversity and antidote to virtual reality.
Quote: Originally posted by bridgeywidge on 30/8/2024
Quote: Originally posted by Monty15 on 30/8/2024
I've got an original inflatable Pneumatic Tent Company 'Igloo' tent from the early 1960's.
How wonderful: one of my first memories of camping with my parents (in a blue Marechal frame tent that was bought at an end of season sale from a ferry company that also offered holidays at the time and which I later took to France with my ex-husband when in my late teens) was, if you're following, of being fascinated by an Igloo pitched next door to us. I was intrigued by the shape, the door and the inflation. It seemed something from outer space and so futuristic.
Yup, bring back originality, curtains, fringing and COLOUR.
When you consider people were still widely using 'boy scout' type ridge tents, which were only marginally better than a bivvy (drafts and creepy crawlies having free and unrestrained access! ) and frame tents were the latest new trend (still with free roaming bugs and drafts IIRC! ... but at least you didn't have to crawl around with the bugs, you could stand on them ), the Igloo with it's 'instant' up in minutes, only 4 guy ropes IIRC and sealed SIG truly was something revolutionary! Fell out of favour and took near 40 odd years to be re-invented to a whole new camping crowd who thought THEY were cutting edge! Sorry folks, seen it, done it, lived in it, long before you were even born!
Sadly it did suffer the same shortcoming as modern airbeams - 'bladder blowout!'. It got repaired, and last time I looked a few years back was still serviceable.
Many seemed to be bright orange, mine is deep turquoisey blue. I always keep an eye out for the orange one in the '1969, Carry On Camping Film' - ? What else would I be looking out for in that film?
I always get people coming over to chat if I use the Vango F10 Mk3 or the Hypercamp Alaska Dutch pyramid. Other tents I've had don't draw people in. People seem to like the older canvas designs and so do I.
I was camping in 1976 when a friend came to ask if she could join us as her tent had exploded. I assumed there had been an accident with a stove, when I asked if anyone was injured she explained it was an inflatable tent and the heat had caused a tube to burst.
Quote: Originally posted by homebird2003 on 14/9/2024
I saw an Espace at Verwood C&CC site in July. Fabulous looking tent.
It really is. I'm glad people are still out there using them. I think we'll use it when we do longer trips.
We tried our new polycotton air tent last weekend and it was fantastic. It went up and down so quick. We want to go away for a couple of longer trips next year, so hopefully we will get to use it then. I suppose it depends what kids want to come with us!
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Topic: Old canvas bungalow tents.
via mobile 25/8/2024 at 11:56pm
) and frame tents were the latest new trend (still with free roaming bugs and drafts IIRC! ... but at least you didn't have to crawl around with the bugs, you could stand on them 
