Love Glamping – Buy a Bell Tent!
If you love to glamp, or you’re thinking of setting up your own glampsite (perhaps as an additional offering to an existing campsite) then a bell tent is a must-have. Bell tents are the classic glamping accommodation, and they have this status for a good reason.
The classic bell tent has a central pole, rather than several elastic-linked poles like a traditional tent, and has enough head room for adults to stand up, making getting changed a lot easier than the typical camping experience of wrangling jeans on while you lie on an air bed! Bell tents have a larger door aperture so you can enter and exit without having to crawl, and they generally come in a maximum size that will sleep eight adults, but which are much more luxurious when set up for two, or a family, with chairs, tables and rugs inside for comfort. Most manufacturers have a range of size options.
There are some bell tents on the market now which are actually more like dome tents, and some which are inflatable (or use air beam technology), and these don’t have the central pole. This allows the space inside to be configured in many more ways, and also allows maximum mobility around the tent at the tallest part. If you’re a tall couple, family, or group, you’ll appreciate this feature!
If you’re looking at having bell tents as a semi-permanent fixture on a glampsite, or even in a back garden as a summer space for the family, look for one with a zipped in groundsheet. This keeps night-time visitors out, so you won’t be woken by a hedgehog snuffling at 3am, or find that a stray cat has got in while the tent was unoccupied. Bell tents with windows (for ventilation) are ideal if the spot gets sunny, while there are some which allow you to roll up the sides for extra airflow on really hot days.
Bell tent glamping needn’t be for just the summer, however, because you can get stoves to fit in bell tents. Some models come with the stove outlet pre-fitted, while most stoves you can buy to retrofit will have the outlet materials provided. If you want a structure in your garden for social time, a home business idea, or just as a reading/chill out space then a bell tent with wood burning stove can be a budget friendly and portable option. On a glampsite the ability to get some heat in the evenings can extend the season (and your income) by several weeks.
Structures which will be left in place for months at a time should be capable of withstanding any weather, from torrential rain to high winds and everything in between. Check the waterproof factor of the models you like, and see whether extra treatments are available for the fabric to protect it against mould, sun damage and rot. It is also worth raising the structure on a low deck to enable good airflow underneath the bell tent, thereby protecting the groundsheet against mould and stopping any carpeting inside getting damp. Being raised also helps insulate the structure from freezing ground conditions in the winter.
When buying a bell tent, measure any furniture or internal elements you already have so you can be sure they will fit inside, especially for models with a central pole, or low sides. The last thing you want is for your super-duper luxury camping bed (or even a standard bed) not to fit the bell tent you’ve bought, so measure twice and cut buyer remorse for good. Don’t forget the (solar powered) fairy lights, and enjoy the possibilities that bell tents bring for glampsite owners and keen glampers.
