We had a tent pole bent by a flying gazebo. My wife and daughter were sleeping in the tent at the time. It bounce off our wee Coleman and hit a car so I am not a fan of any gazebo type canopies.
Attach your tarp with carabiners. It makes it easier to take down in high wind.
Rigid poled gazebos are indeed a danger on camp sites in the wind. Thanks for carabiner tip but as I’ve already said, we’ve purchased a dedicated canvas bell tent awning now so no more wind problems. 😎👌
------------- Nature contains that spirit and power which we can witness but not weigh, inwardly conceive but not comprehend, love but not limit, imagine, but neither define nor describe.” – T. E. Lawrence
Quote: Originally posted by Ewen c on 09/9/2018
Still advisable to take it down in high wind as any tarp or awning will act like a sail unless it an extension with sides to the ground.
As I’ve already said, we did indeed take the crazy kite canopy down. ☝️😉😎
------------- Nature contains that spirit and power which we can witness but not weigh, inwardly conceive but not comprehend, love but not limit, imagine, but neither define nor describe.” – T. E. Lawrence
I think Ewen is referring to the bell tent tarp; any open-fronted canopy can be problematic in high winds.
Love your pics and bell tent setup. I reckon bell tents are the most personalised of tents; a woven chandelier wouldn't look right in an Outwell but is just lovely in a bell.
Quote: Originally posted by glampqueen on 09/9/2018
Quote: Originally posted by Ewen c on 09/9/2018
Still advisable to take it down in high wind as any tarp or awning will act like a sail unless it an extension with sides to the ground.
As I’ve already said, we did indeed take the crazy kite canopy down. ☝️😉😎
Sorry, I was referring to the Bell tent canopy.That picture I posted earlier was off our tent and tarp the day before a storm blew up. The wind was even getting under the groundsheet and that is a storm tent. We were forewarned and had removed the tarp and moved the car in front of the tent. If we hadn't have the tarp would have been like a sail. Always best to remove open canopies if there is a risk of wind and that includes dedicated Bell tent tarps.
Quote: Originally posted by lidds0 on 10/9/2018
Love your pics and bell tent setup.
Thanks lidds0 - just spent a fab 3 days in it, absolutely love it! I should have posted pics directly in the thread before sorry, was limiting time online as camping. Here’s the interior:
and another shot - they both link straight to my glamp_queen insta page:
I like solar lights because they give out a gentle glow and don’t actually illuminate an area or interfere with star-gazing, plus, they mark out guy pegs which several people thanked us for. Some of the caravans near us were using security type lights which stayed on till the early hours and lit huge swathes of the camp site with intrusive bright white light - ghastly.
Quote: I reckon bell tents are the most personalised of tents.
Yeah - there’s still trends within bell tenters (what’s the collective name for people who use bell tents? I daren’t guess! ) to use bunting (which personally is not for me) a wicker basket at the foot of the bed and some kind of bedside table either side of the double bed, but the very nature of a blank cream canvas interior lends itself to creative customisation which is great for arty types like me!
------------- Nature contains that spirit and power which we can witness but not weigh, inwardly conceive but not comprehend, love but not limit, imagine, but neither define nor describe.” – T. E. Lawrence
Quote: Originally posted by Ewen c on 10/9/2018
Sorry, I was referring to the Bell tent canopy.That picture I posted earlier was off our tent and tarp the day before a storm blew up. The wind was even getting under the groundsheet and that is a storm tent. We were forewarned and had removed the tarp and moved the car in front of the tent. If we hadn't have the tarp would have been like a sail. Always best to remove open canopies if there is a risk of wind and that includes dedicated Bell tent tarps.
Post last edited on 10/09/2018 08:14:53
Oh I see! Thanks for that info Ewen - where we stay on top of a sea cliff is very exposed and windy so I’ll bear that in mind! Planning to return end of October - that’ll be fun!
------------- Nature contains that spirit and power which we can witness but not weigh, inwardly conceive but not comprehend, love but not limit, imagine, but neither define nor describe.” – T. E. Lawrence
Wow, that's some lighting you have in your bell. How long did it take to set that little lot up?
Liking the lighting around the inside of your tent, is that reflected through from the outside?
Quote: Originally posted by Ewen c on 10/9/2018
I'm considering having a 1 nighter this weekend with the force ten....if I'm allowed. There is a site I want to try out
I also want to try out the cotton fly I got for the vango, try out a new stove and chill out.
Love the look of Raven's Rest Ewen! Hope you get a chance to go! Will look forward to reading about it
------------- Nature contains that spirit and power which we can witness but not weigh, inwardly conceive but not comprehend, love but not limit, imagine, but neither define nor describe.” – T. E. Lawrence
Quote: Originally posted by john,mel,3kids! on 10/9/2018
Wow, that's some lighting you have in your bell. How long did it take to set that little lot up?
Liking the lighting around the inside of your tent, is that reflected through from the outside?
Setting up the lighting took about 40 minutes because I'm very clumsy with new fairy lights and got them all tangled up before handing over them over to my husband to sort out (who lost the will to live very quickly - I've promised to do this job in future!) However packing away only took 20 minutes as I've now got a little log to wind each set onto so they don't get tangled next time.
Outside I've used a set of solar-powered 200 LED warm fairy lights, which wind three times round the circumference of the tent and around the porch and are clipped on with mini bulldog clips bought from eBay in packs of 50.
The guys are marked with colour-changing solar glass ball spikes, in the sale at B&M so it cost less than a tenner to do the lot.
Inside the tent I've used two sets of USB rice grain copper wire fairies which run twice around each half of the interior base of the tent and are charged by a 20,000mAh Aukey double socket power bank. This lighting isn't very bright from the outside of the tent, neither are the exterior fairies very bright from the inside. You can barely see the solar spikes once inside the tent.
The chandelier is lit with a 200 set of battery-powered rice grain copper wire fairies, which requires 6 AA batteries. They didn't run out during the trip and we had them on approximately 9 hours all in all.
It might seem like a bit of a faff but tbh the hardest work was in the research and sourcing materials. Once you've assembled everything it's a doddle to set up and, we both felt, really worth it to have such a lovely ambience in the evening.
------------- Nature contains that spirit and power which we can witness but not weigh, inwardly conceive but not comprehend, love but not limit, imagine, but neither define nor describe.” – T. E. Lawrence
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: Pitch Size and Canopies
) to use bunting (which personally is not for me) a wicker basket at the foot of the bed and some kind of bedside table either side of the double bed, but the very nature of a blank cream canvas interior lends itself to creative customisation which is great for arty types like me! 
