In between operations 1 and 2, in 2011, we bought our dream tent, a BL6. Price match with G.O., £630. Bargain. We took it out of the bag for a cursory look over, and it seemed fine.
At that point we were renting our home. We'd decided that in view of the curved balls life could throw, we didn't want the worry of owning any more. Great, but no garden. So the tent lived on happily in its bag.
Last year we booked it for the Vendee, but I was post-op, so switched the booking to a static. FF two more operations later, and I'm finally back to normal, more or less. Renting wasn't quite the trouble free experience we wanted, so we've now bought a little house on a new development. It has a back garden but we've now got a shed and there isn't the room to pitch the tent too.
So, off to a friends garden tomorrow, with tent, carpets (so we can measure one to cut down to make two bedroom carpets), plus aerobed (so we can figure out the best orientation). Flat on the floor will probably be best
Unpack, put up, take down, pack up, back home. Phew
We've just run out of time to get a w/e away before France, so at least can give it a good once over, in the one good evening before the rains are back. I'll be a lot more settled knowing we can put it up and everything's OK.
Wish us luck. Will take pics if I can (that's to say, assuming it doesn't have a 6' tear along the side). I can dole out the mickey-taking, and normally take it, but we've been waiting for this since 2011, so I'm a bit hyper
Dearie me though, heavy b*ggers these polycotton tents, aren't they!
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
Prague May/Jun 2017
Lake Annecy Aug 2017
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Mike good luck hope it all goes well but you need to calm down a bit at your age it not a good idea to get too excited. I would put the aerobed up first then you can have a little lie down after youve carried the whole lot into the garden
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
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Discovered first problem. One of the pole shock cords has snapped, right on a fold point looks like. We've re-threaded it and temporarily joined it and will use that pole for the porch end while I look at the Gary Cross video and any others and search for a cord kit. I suspect that being folded for two years and carried from house to house the cords have rubbed on the pole ends, so I might need some spares.
I'm guessing though that the weight of the poles, tent, and pull of the guys effectively holds each pole section in place, in reasonable weather, anyway.
That's my theory
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
I just did the same with our Wolf Lake 7 yesterday. It got a little hot! Bought it in January this year at a great price and only visually checked contents to make sure it had the right ingredients to make a tent (but didn't check any quantities etc).
Its a great tent but sure weighs a bit. I used the walk it out method of pitching and it was fine. Had a Bear Lake 6 a couple of years ago (more people in household now) and didn't use the walk it out method (it was alot harder) so would recommend the outwell video method. I would put the pins in the legs before standing it up.
Good luck, mom ami... and take it easy. This is no time for a relapse!!
Remember, nice and slack with the four corners, doors/windows open, middle pole first, stood up, to take some of that weight, then work your way outwards, standing each pole as you put it in. Tighten up and straighten it out once all the poles are up, then close the doors/windows before guying.
That's the basics for Gary's method, and it works perfectly for these big heavy tents. Even to the point of being able to do it alone (although it's obviously more comfortable with two, particularly with that first pole!).
No idea how the BL comes packed, but separate as much as you can for packing/carrying. Even taking bed pod(s) out of the main tent back will help.
As for the poles, I'm tempted to agree with you... once they are in and up, all seems to be held in place with the ring & pins, so it's just the buggeration factor of them coming apart when it's all loose. Just make sure all joints are fully in before tightening up the R&P adjuster.
Don't forget the pics.... and have a lovely, satisfying, and successful evening.
Cheers alex. Got the "official" video. Agree that setting up and packing away in one day sure is a way to put you off camping, but then so is arriving on site in France and discovering some crucial fault/missing element
We'll still try for a full shakedown w/e away but at least if we can get this under our belt the pressure is off.
At Mucker
Cheers mate. I've seen Gary's video and will watch it again as it's at odds with the Outwell version. I wonder whether it's aimed at SIG tents and designed (with door open) to get air in to separate fly and groundsheets. The BL *can* be pitched with ZIG in place but we'll do it off so it won't be a sealed envelope.
Agree on separating the various elements. That's how we discovered the snapped shock cord. Getting the ZIG out saves a huge amount of weight. We might do the same with the bed pods. Bizarrely, it comes in 2 bags and even packed that way, the bags are actually loose round their contents and unwieldy to carry. So we might look at sourcing 4 tighter, stiffer, but smaller bags.
Off now to empty the camping cupboard to find me mallet which doubtless Mrs G will have safely placed in the furthest corner
Thanks all for your good wishes.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
Mucker, peace of mind indeed. I lie awake at night thinking about this stuff.
I wish I could do a pre-soak, on the basis that it can't do any harm, should swell up the fibres before our main hol, and show up any abnormal problems UK side. But I don't think I can for a quick pitch/decamp. It won't be guaranteed to dry, and if we pack it wet we'll need to drape it over half the house.
That may well be required later - in fact, is virtually guaranteed - but domestically we just can't cater for that right now. So I'm going to have to leave the garden tap off tonight, unless we get some weird weather condition involving late evening sun and a breeze straight from the Sahara
My mate's son is a wizz with video and may do a FB/YT jobbie in quick-mo, with a Benny Hill soundtrack. Should be a laugh. Not
Anyhoo, found me mallet, and a gazillion other bits I'd forgotten we had. This will be our first tent pitch since Wales in 2010. Getting excited now.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
if you decide you need a side extension to go with your tent, I've got one that was test pitched for two nights. It doesn't quite fit the 2013 BL6 which GO finally replaced my defective 2012 model with.
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Well, no Benny Hill videos, but back home, mission accomplished. Pitched (roughly), all checked over, second BL carpet cut to make bedroom carpets, bed tested - as per pic.
I'm so pleased. Now if we can't manage a w/e, at least we know we can put the sod up, and it's OK.
After an hour:
Zipping in the GS took as long again:
After I threaten Mrs G with me mallet...
...this is the result:
Jerry, thanks for the heads up. I think we're OK ta. There's just the two of us so plenty of room.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
Mike that looks like a nice pitch right next to the pool as well how much a night was it?????
------------- Experience enables you to recognize a mistake when you make it again.
Everything has been said before, but since nobody ever listens we have to keep going back and saying it all over again and again and again
It's our friends who started us camping. When their lads were small they got a Vango tunnel, vis-a-vis style, beds either end, no SIG/ZIG in the middle, back to nature stuff. We took a barby over, the sun shone, it was fabulous. We went straight out and bought a frame tent. It had "georgian" style windows. They called it the Barratt House tent.
We were subsequently married on that same site, well, the house anyway. Had it p*ssed it down, it could have been so different.
They've moved along a bit since that Vango, and camp in this now:
I told Lynne she had the best site we'd been to and that I'd given her address a good review on Trip Advisor
Alex, it's the OEM BL6 footprint. As well as the extra protection for the ZIG on flinty/muddy ground, I like it because it gives you a template for pitching. Also it's something to put the tent on to sort it out if you pitch ZIG off, as we did/will.
------------- Mike
My advice is worth no more than the price paid for it
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Topic: Finally pitching our BL tomorrow....
