Hi everyone,
So me, my 50+ year old mum and my 30 year old sister are heading to badminton horse trials to camp in my Icarus 500 and canopy. All well and good. Everything sorted, checked and tested/charged. We're very excited. Only thing is, been checking the weather and Wednesday is set for 20+mph wind with gusts of over 40mph. Should we even bother going on Wednesday? Would love to be there from the start but don't want to trash my tent!
If we do go, what advice/tips/courage can you guys offer? Def won't be putting the canopy up till it calms down (late thursday). Dithering like mad on what to do!
------------- 24th - 28th August Barn House Farm
2/3rd - 9th may 2016 - badminton horse trials
6th - 11th July 2016 silver stone woodlands
There's always a lot of emphasis on putting your car between the direction of the wind and the tent for a better night's sleep, but where possible try to do it when putting it up too, it will at least keep the wind from blowing the flysheet about whike laying it out.
My tent is very similiar to the icarus if that's what you're taking...
Peg all 4 corners and the full back (presuming you are back to the wind) down while you thread the poles. When you are ready to raise the tent, un-peg all but that back edge. once the first back pole is up and in position, peg the top guyline. The wind blowing into the back of the tent will keep that first arch in place and then shelter the rest as you work forwards.
Thanks all, after considering the weather, we have decided to wait to go down till Thursday morning. Wind gusts are just going to be too strong and I don't want to trash my tent!
------------- 24th - 28th August Barn House Farm
2/3rd - 9th may 2016 - badminton horse trials
6th - 11th July 2016 silver stone woodlands
Afraid to say we bottled it as well. Should have been in our Bell tent this week, but a duff 10 day weather forecast which said the winds this week would be between 0-10mph were so far wrong I am so angry about it. We are at a campsite now in Cheddar, not under canvas but in the sites apartment, as we just wanted to get away after booking a week off work. The winds today in places down here hit 50mph so I think we made the correct decision not to chance the tent. But as for 10 day weather forecasts, well they can shuv them right up where the sun dont shine Still having a good time, but it aint the same. Geoff
Sorry to hear that, Geoff, but it seems you did right.
Did you take the tent, then change the plan when you got there, (so still a chance to put it up later, if things improve?) or did you book the apartment before you set off, as the close range forecast became a little more accurate? They do say never trust a weather forecast more than 3 days ahead! It's showing mid to high 20's, sunny and calm for where we're going on Saturday... but unfortunately, I can't afford to take the tent by plane, so we too will have to make do with concrete walls for two weeks!
... and it wouldn't surprise me if they have it completely wrong, and it struggles to reach 24degrees!
Have a wonderful time, you pair. Remember, it's the company you keep, not the accommodation you stay in!!
No tent with us Mucker. The main idea for this trip was to try the new canopy and side wing out. When we saw the 10 day weather forecast of no wind but dull we thought that will do us for practicing with, so booked a week off work straight away, so you can imagine how disappointed we were on Sat when the forecast changed. But there are many people out there who cant even afford to get away once a year so I aint complaining. We are enjoying ourselves anyway and the accomadation is top notch, and we will get back under canvas very soon. Have a great holiday abroad (traitor) Geoff
Hiya, quick update! We ended up heading down Wednesday lunchtime. Was very windy and my heart sank as we found our pitch which was very exposed! We waited till about 7 then decided to have a go after working out we had enough money to buy a new tent just in case. Took 5 of us almost an hour to get her up, with the car blocking the wind at the back, then two wind breaks up. Luckily the organisers of the horse trials were fab and kinda let people do what they needed to do to keep the tents up! We went over our pitch by a few feet as we pitched bum to the wind. Wind then died down loads overnight and Thursday. Only to really pick up sat night. Have never seen poles bend so much without snapping. Did consider bailing at 2am. Few tents got trashed sadly but they seemed to be ones who weren't pitched well. Am pleased the Icarus stood firm, but have decided to upgrade (aka hoard) a new steel poled tent as those tents didn't budge the entire time!
BTW used deltas on my guy lines and even though the ground was abit soft STILL struggled to get them out this morning!!
------------- 24th - 28th August Barn House Farm
2/3rd - 9th may 2016 - badminton horse trials
6th - 11th July 2016 silver stone woodlands
Amazing family weekend with old steam engines, classic car displays, market stalls, and full catering and bar. And camping on site - Save £25 by booking in advance.
Topic: Pitching in wind
Still having a good time, but it aint the same. Geoff
It's showing mid to high 20's, sunny and calm for where we're going on Saturday... but unfortunately, I can't afford to take the tent by plane, so we too will have to make do with concrete walls for two weeks! 
