Are Bell Tents Good In Wind?
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Bell tents are a large open circular style tent which are often used for festivals, boutique camping & holiday parks and for smaller outdoor events. They are perfect for a number of reasons but you might be wondering if they are good enough to withstand winds and adverse weather conditions.
The triangular shape of most bell tents is the perfect design to withstand wind. With this shape, the airflow is able to continue around a bell tent without encountering the vertical walls of a traditional tent. As long as they are properly erected and held down with guide ropes.
In this article, we are going to talk about what a bell tent is, if they can withstand windy conditions and what you can do to help protect the tent during such weather conditions.
What Is A Bell Tent?
Bell tents are becoming increasingly popular for camping due to their design and functionality. They are durable, aerodynamic, roomy, and can withstand both wind and dust storms quite favourably.
Just as the name suggests, bell tents are fashioned with a bell-shaped design that features a centre peak and sloping roof as well as a circular footprint. They are typically made with a durable and breathable material such as canvas, polyester or polycotton
Bell tents have many advantages over traditional tents. They are very easy to set up, can be put up fairly quickly, offer more interior space and headroom, and often allow for increased airflow. Bell tents are very popular for desert camping, festival camping, and glamping.
They are a great choice for longer camping trips due to their ability to make their residents feel right at home. Many campers like to accentuate their bell tents with furniture, lights, large rugs, blankets and other textiles. In fact, with proper safety precautions, it is even possible to cook or install a vented heat stove inside a bell tent.
Is A Bell Tent Good In Windy Weather?
Bell tents are a great choice camping in windy weather. Bell tents should be able to handle winds up to 50mph as long as they are properly installed and secured.
The triangular shape of most bell tents is the perfect design to withstand wind. With this shape, the airflow is able to continue around a bell tent without encountering the vertical walls of a traditional tent.
Since bell tents are typically made of high-quality materials like canvas that are thick and heavy, this offers another layer of protection from the elements. Lastly, the central pole of a bell tent offers better security and stability than a conventional tent which relies on corner poles alone.
In addition to being a solid choice in windy weather, bell tents are also built to endure and withstand dust storms, rain, snow, extreme temperatures and anything else that mother nature can throw at you.
What Can You Do To Make You Bell Tent More Sturdy & Safe In Windy Weather?
While the design of a bell tent is naturally pretty wind-resistant, there are several different things you can do to make your bell tent even sturdier in windy conditions.
With a little bit of forethought and planning, the following methods can help ensure a successful camping trip even if the forecast calls for high winds.
1. Use Guy Ropes
Most bell tents come with guy lines that follow the slope of the roof and are to be staked at equidistant intervals from the tent walls. Separate, heavy-duty guy ropes with wooden sliders can be purchased as an upgrade as well.
If you are anticipating some rough weather conditions, you’ll want to make extra sure your lines are tight enough to withstand any movement or flapping in the wind. Be sure to check on your guy lines a few times throughout the day and night to be sure none of them is coming undone.
2. Add Extra Weight To Your Tent
The use of heavy furniture and other camping gear and equipment inside your tent will help anchor your bell tent to the ground and decrease the likelihood of high winds carrying it away.
Many campers also like to place large stones around the edges or the pegs of the tent in order to prevent any flapping, shaking, or displacement of the groundsheet.
3. Reinforce Your Center Pole
A second pole (or even a broom handle in a pinch) can be zip-tied or otherwise secured to your centre pole in order to increase its strength in high winds. This will help alleviate the chance of your centre pole bending or even breaking under extreme conditions. With your centre pole reinforced, you will sleep much more soundly with greater peace of mind.
4. Double-Peg Your Stakes
Just as with the centre pole, you can also purchase extra tent pegs to use at each point and further secure your tent to the ground. Be sure to purchase a good set of high-quality, metal tent pegs. Weaker pegs may not be enough to do the trick, but heavy-duty pegs will help ensure your tent stays put.
Include a few of these extra measures and you’ll be sitting pretty in your fortified bell tent while other campers head home!
Final Thoughts
If you’re going to be camping in the elements like dust storms and high wind, you’d be hard-pressed to find a better choice than the sturdy and versatile bell tent. With the additional measures outlined above in addition to the naturally durable design of a bell tent, you should be good to go in nearly any weather. In contrast to most traditional tents, your bell tent should be able to withstand high winds and wind gusts upwards of 40-50mph with ease.
Though they can cost a pretty penny, a high-quality canvas or polycotton bell tent will be a great investment that should last you and your family for many years to come. Happy camping!