Camping in Norfolk a few weeks ago our tent suddenly collapsed - the central pole had bent in half!! The conditions all weekend had been bright but windy which presumably contributed to the collapse, but other tents on the campsite, and more specifically, other bell tents on the site, all remained intact and upright.
Given that we were still under warranty (just) the company has very kindly replaced the pole and the new one does look thicker and more sturdy, but it has left us concerned about potential mishaps in the future, i.e. whilst in France in the middle of our three week summer break and holiday therefore ruined.
So I thought it worth asking other bell tent owners for some advice, do you take spare poles with you? has anyone else had this problem? and in particular is there any advice about how to pitch a bell tent for windy conditions - i.e. should the guy ropes be taut or slackened off a little?
Any advice very gratefully received!
Claire
------------- Claire
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I have never heard of a bell tent failing before, I guess it may have been a faulty pole somehow, or the wrong one for the tent if they replaced it with a thicker one.
I have a smaller 3M dia bell tent from canvas and cast. The canvas is very heavy gauge compared to most and the pole is quite substantial. I have had it up in Glencoe in a stormy night in February and it hardly rustled! The pole you had must have had a flaw in it to fail. I would be inclined to think that this is a one off failure.
------------- Jim
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It does happen, and I have posted about it a few times before. Tentipi, a very expensive manufacturer had problems a year or so ago, and my 5mtr bell tent collapsed during its first pitch, not even fully erected. The company supplied a, in their words a 'sturdier pole'. As already posted, brace it with a spare pole which can just be tied on. As long as the middle half is supported, it will be ok you don't need a full length pole. I use a couple of king poles as I have them any way.
When I looked at my original pole, I expected it to fold in half. Under just its own weight it formed a curve not a straight verticle line. If you compress a thin stick, it will normally bend in the middle like a bow, and then snap. Which is exactly what yours mine and many others did. I assume you will now have the same pole as me, and I doubt you will have any further problems. As already mentioned, just brace it in really bad weather, and don't worry
------------- Canvas tent, paraffin light, petrol stove. Heaven
I'd rather be kayaking.
Spent up, not pent up, just had my new tent up.
My Cabanon Guadeloupe's centre pole collapsed on its maiden trip (Brean wind say no more!)so I try to keep my front door closed now in windy conditions and obviously try to pitch with wind blowing into the rear end.
The beauty of bell tents is that you can improvise - they don't have to be high-tech. On my bell tent's first outing, I unpacked at the site and realised I'd forgotten the central pole. A fellow camper cut me a length of Hazel stick from a copse on the site, about 1 1/2" at the bottom, tapering to 1/2" at the top. He cut it to approx. height and I think we just shaved bits off until it fitted, then padded out the top with some cloth to stop it rubbing through. It worked brilliantly - the natural spring in the hazel gave just the right tension. I still use it sometimes in preference to the original, as it has a nice little spur coming off it for hanging things from!
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Topic: bell tent disaster
