4m Bell Tent & 4m Spinnaker Tarp
(Sleeping Capacity 4 persons)

The Tent

The review covers the 4m Bell Tent  ( Tent Canvas And Cast Tribal Canvas Bell Tent. 4m diameter) and a  4m Spinnaker Tarp as seen in the photos. We, that's me, my wife and 2 teenage daughters, packed everything including canoe, fishing rods and surfboards in our type 25 VW camper and headed for a lake in the south of Brittany. 7 days to try out our new canvas equipment. Pictured below you can see how the Bell Tent, Tarp and Campervan come together using the flexibility of the Tarp as a covered outdoor area between the campervan and the Bell Tent. The kit is from an online company called Canvas And Cast.. The bell tent came with instructions in the bag pocket, although we did not refer to them as it all seemed fairly obvious. Within 40 minutes and after a little tension balancing we had the tent looking good and taught. The tent came with thick guy lines and very heavy duty pegs which were great as the ground was very hard. The groundsheet attached to the base wall of the tent and a flap tucked in underneath. This meant that on the only day it did rain quite heavily, we were pleased to see no water running in. We used the spinnaker tarp in conjunction with both the tent and our camper van during the holiday and we found it a very versatile piece of kit. If we had gone further south I would have quite fancied sleeping out under just the tarp, Ray Mears style.

The Bell Tent is featured here http://www.canvasandcast.com/bell_tent.htm

and the Spinnaker Tarp is featured  here http://www.belltent.biz/products/2/36/spinnaker_tarp

Pitch Footprint /  Size and Weight

Tent 6m sq including guy lines. Tarp 4m sq. + guy lines and wether attached to tent.

Tent 35kg 200mm x 150mm x 1100mm. Tarp 12kg 150mm x 100mm x 800mm

Erection / Pitching
Tent 40 mins this included fitting pipsqueak woodstove and flue.
Tarp 20 mins.

Pros and Cons

The Cost
The Bell Tent £365 from Canvas And Cast

The Tarp £145 from Canvas And Cast

Verdict

Overall I can say that sleeping under canvas cannot be beaten and I am glad to see that canvas tents are increasing in popularity. A campsite is a more magical sight with traditional tents rather than pod like nylon ones.

Information and Links

For further information on Canvas Bell Tents and their other products visit Canvas And Cast

For more details on Tarps visit Canvas and Casts other website at Belltent.biz

Looking for a second-hand  Tent, try here  Free Ads Tents

Reviewed by Bell Tent Boy for 365 Camping Caravanning

Reviewed 2009

Note We recommend with all tents that you see them fully erected and satisfy yourself that the product is right for you prior to making a purchase.

Spinnaker Tarp used as a canopy

A covered way to the  Campervan

Or just an area to sit out in the sun