Quote: Originally posted by HappieAnnie on 25/3/2009
If I invest in a spare pole for emergencies it sounds like I would need to get it from belltent
Well, you could look for a cheaper, DIY spare pole... on our very first camping trip with our bell tent, I forgot the pole. Yep, only one pole, and I forgot it. A kind man in a teepee cut a springy hazel branch to the right size, we poked the top into the eyelet at the top of the tent, and away we went. It worked brilliantly, and sometimes I still use it in preference to the real tent pole (a wooden one in 2 sections) because it has a handy sawn-off branch poking out of it to hang things on. With a wooden pole you could also use a jubilee clip, as previously suggested, to attach a ring. One of the things I like about these tents is that they're so simple and low-tech, and you *can* bodge it yourself if necessary.
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Well I have been looking at these for a while now and have finally decided to get one from belltent. I am going for the 5m non SIG, I like the idea of rolling the sides up on those hot sunny days ! I'm sure there would be a way of attatching the grounsheet if neeeded, velcro maybe? Hopefully if funds allow then I will be getting the inner tent also.
Soulpad 5000 lite ordered. I thought long and hard about this one, as this will probably be my last tent purchase. From now on, any new tents will be bought by my wife, if I still have one when she finds out.
I think the 5000 ease would be slightly easier to pitch correctly, as the sewn in ground sheet holds the shape for initial pegging out, but I supose that once the guy lines are done, the side walls will hang about where they should be. In the end it came down to price, and having studied the ground sheet arrangements, I think the lite will be just about as draft proof. I can always add velcro if required. If I wanted to be really clever, I could probably lace the ground sheet to the mud flaps for ease of pitching. I don't want to end up with an ovoid. I may even consider having a couple of webbing straps fitted to the pegging down points as used with some ring and pin systems to hold the basic shape initially. I just remembered watching a utube video, where the lady had a line from the centre of the pitch and marked out the pegging positions before starting. I will just have to see when I get it pitched. This will probably only be used for solo camping, so acres of room and plenty of time to PLAY about with the best way to do things. Now I just have to get about seven of my new or almost new tents on ebay to get some space in the bedroom and lounge.
------------- Canvas tent, paraffin light, petrol stove. Heaven
I'd rather be kayaking.
Spent up, not pent up, just had my new tent up.
soulpad have the pegging instructions on their website here
they suggest pegging groundsheet down first and the putting the tent over the top (and re-pegging through those eyelets if wished) but I've seen that video too and I'm sure that would be just as easy (and the easiest way if you're not using a groundsheet at all).
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May 1st-3rd Bedfordshire
Summer 2009 - somewhere by the sea
July 2010 Keswick Convention - WhooHooo
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It's supposed to be here Friday, hope it arrives before swmbo gets in from work at about mid day, then I can stash it away some where. My friends got a five storey house that he shares with his daughter, perhaps it could go there. Just think how many tents he could have. I don't have a spare room or a garage or shed.
------------- Canvas tent, paraffin light, petrol stove. Heaven
I'd rather be kayaking.
Spent up, not pent up, just had my new tent up.
Just to add a couple of comments to the mix for anyone coming to this page in the future................ I have a SoulPad 5000 lite that 'features' the eyelets, but to be honest every time I've had the tent up, I've found that the eyelets are actually too close to the edge of the storm flap to be of much use, (when the storm flaps are tucked under the groundsheet, the provided eyelets end up being about 2-3" further towards the center of the tent / away from the 'walls' of the tent and the groundsheet eyelets, which are much closer to the bottom of the 'walls' of the tent). In the end I resorted to making my own holes in the storm flap, which are positioned much closer to the bottom of the 'walls', and have then just finished them off with Gelert eyelets.
I would though take issue with the advice given by Bell Tent about 'folding' the storm flaps around the ground sheet pegs.................... if the Bell Tent storm flaps are anything like the ones on the Soul Pad, they're fairly substantial, and therefore do not neatly fold around anything, but instead wrinkle up and leave nice little tunnels for little creepies to explore!
In short, if you're getting a Bell Tent and want to be able to neatly and securely fit your storm flaps under your non-SIG, buy your tent from which ever company you want to and then add your own eyelets! Simples!
I have the same version as you, and also echo your comments. As yet I have not fitted the extra eyelets, but I intend to fit a second set in the ground sheet not the mud flaps. I also spoke to them regading this, and they said to pull the tent sides out a bit to make them line up. Well you can't do this, as the circumference of the tent rules where the side walls end up. (unless you leave the doors open!)
I have also found a better way to use the A frame, as this slides away all the time on the slippery ground sheet, and I found the ties don't work, and just make the walls of the tent look a mess. On my last camping trip, I put the A frame outside the tent, and it works perfectly. I hooked a twin guy line from the top of the A frame pole pin in an upside down V, so the two lines hook over the pegs that the guy lines either side of the door go to. This means that there is nothing in front of the door when you go in and out. I also made up a single middle pole which I swopped to at night. But I could have left the A frame outside. The only reason I did this was that the single pole sits on top of the ground sheet and mud flaps holding them all down, saving pegging down, and stopping drafts during the night. I really love this tent, and the few mods I have made, make it feel more like mine, as I have had some input into the final design.
I'm sure the next few trips will see me adding more personal touches to what is a great original design. One word of warning. One of the side wall loops has torn where it stitches to the mud flap, so dont peg out the mud flap to tightly as I think this is what caused it to tear. (mentioned by The Bell Tent Co) The pegging down loop allows the mud flap to flex with the wind. I also have a heavier duty pole as I thought the original one was not up to the job. Or as I posted before, take a splint to give extra support to the pole in windy weather. The pole on my Argos tipi was twice the strength! Obviously this is only my opinion. I also have a one piece wooden pole that I will take when I have the roof rack fitted. It looks more tradtional, and brackets can be screwed to it for lights etc to hang on it.
------------- Canvas tent, paraffin light, petrol stove. Heaven
I'd rather be kayaking.
Spent up, not pent up, just had my new tent up.
Don't forget to leave a review of all tents you've used, for a chance to win fantastic prizes
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Topic: SoulPad vs BellTent.co.uk
