Long Term Bell Tent Review

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👉 CITIZEN CANVAS 6M Double Door Tent - citizencanvas.ca/shop/p/sible...
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Time stamps:
0:00 Tent setup
0:47 Sizing
2:16 Mold & Mildew
2:50 Rain Resistance
3:15 Bug Management
4:15 Sleep Comfort
7:12 Durability
8:13 Year-Round Considerations
We set up a Bell Tent at our lakefront retreat and left it up all spring and summer. We will take you through some of the questions we had prior to setting this up and how they've been answered after using the tent as our cottage for 5 months. We discuss the size, durability, sleep quality, mold and mildew, and bugs inside the tent.

[@annaryan4803]

My grandmother had a brother who lived in a former army tents for decades. In his case, the bottom half was made a boards, with a half-canvas tent on top. His floor was dirt. He had a Lincoln stove that also heated the small tent. He was a happy camper, no matter the weather.

[@lorishelstad5968]

Hi shack tents, is what they are called in Canada. Boarded part way. The national park up here in Saskatchewan had shack tents in the park. Quite a few years ago. I love camping in tents! ❤

[@jonathanquiles82]

Lots of Catnip plants around the tent and Cedar wood will help with pests.

[@dramaversy6569]

Yeah the little mice can get through where your solar cables are going through, they only need an opening to fit their skeletal frame, which is much smaller than what we see their size as with all their fur etc. and even their skeletal frame can somewhat contract when they go through openings. I'd duct tape all around the solar cable where it meets the zipper and then hit it with peppermint oil every time you're there, as well as the entire perimeter of the tent with peppermint oil. (There is also a rodent spray they sell at Lowes etc that is mostly peppermint oil by TomCat). Better to spray a lot as you are leaving for the weekend as opposed to when you first arrive because you won't love the smell either! Also one idea would be temporarily removing the connectors of the solar cable while you poked two holes in your tent just big enough for the cable itself to pass through, then hot glue around the holes.

[@JonathanKuhn]

This is very helpful thank you!

[@jackchn23]

For the mice, and other critters, I hear peppermint oil spray near openings and in the general area keeps animals away.

[@JonathanKuhn]

Thanks so much! I’ll look into that

[@urmomsahoe1]

@@JonathanKuhn You can also just plant peppermint around the perimeter. It grows like a weed and when you walk through it or run your hands through it you'll smell the peppermint. It is invasive though and will keep spreading, you can grow it in containers or put in small raised beds on the perimeter.

[@vanessamcclune7026]

Will plan to have this set up in a village in The Gambia, West Africa - where I can get away at the weekends and start my vegetable and fruit gardens. Thank you for your efforts.

[@JonathanKuhn]

This is the fly in the video. citizencanvas.ca/shop/p/tent-fly-2xc8r I was hoping to get the fly 1.0 which is more for rain than the one I have but they happened to be out of stock in my size so offered me the 2.0.

[@djglobetrotter7635]

I’m doing the same in ghana

[@vanessamcclune7026]

@djglobetrotter7635 Fantastic! Have now found a carpenter to work with on the platform. Wishing you all the best 👍🏽

[@djglobetrotter7635]

@@vanessamcclune7026 I’m looking for that in Ghana i wonder if i can bring the tent on the plane

[@vanessamcclune7026]

@@djglobetrotter7635 From my research: 1. Box 1 weighs 53kg 2. Box 2 weighs 16kg Sea container possibly the better option.

[@jackooo77]

Thanks for sharing

[@swisswildpicsswp3095]

Nice review man!

[@goobtorres7291]

Try putting steel wool between cords and opening.

[@JonathanKuhn]

That’s a good idea.

[@user-kr3xt5to7p]

Hi thank you for sharing! Wow 🙌🌲🌲🌲

[@kimandgreg4404]

We have a camper at a seasonal campground. It stays there all year,but we have to shut it down feom October to April. We put dryer sheets all over the place and last Fall my husband put down some sticky traps. We had ZERO signs of mice this Spring and nothing in the sticky traps. So, it appears the dryer sheets work.

[@JonathanKuhn]

Incredible thanks! I’ll give that a try.

[@madeleinejohnston4790]

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL GIFT YOU HAVE BEEN BLESSED WITH FROM ALMIGHTY GOD, WELL DONE

[@Theroastingchicken]

That's awesome!

[@greenfootprint-vacationhou2927]

Interesting to hear about this CanvasCamp tent as we are considering to try the Sibley model on our paradise place in the Swedish wilderness and possibly add it as vacation accommodation as glamping . Good idea about double door - giving more height inside :-)

[@ballygarran]

Well I think I’ve found the tent I’ll be using to start my glamping/camping business

[@user-fj8ui5dp7l]

Do you move the furniture back and forth? Or do you keep it stored on site in some capacity?

[@Walker983]

Very nice Report, thank you . . . I have photos of mice chewing their way into my tent; I think if its up all winter you would want to leave a couple of small openings (with nothing inside). I would put a piece of Flashing or similar on the underside of the Platform edge, extending past the inner vert face of the 2x6, as an anti-critter deal. 😺😺😺

[@Necrotechian]

you can buy one of those ultrasound emitters that keep rodents away and having it plugged for the time its up but that solution needs constant power to the machine... also some of the models have function that causes some magnetic field to form around the wires you have in order to discourage them from gnawing on the wires...

[@chrrue4797]

Interesting setup with the poles for the guy lines - what made you make that change, and how is the setup exactly? Thanks!

[@JonathanKuhn]

Hi! I have another video that gets into it a bit more. The main reason is because the tent is off the ground the guy lines would extend very far to get the right angle so this eliminates the lines all over the ground around the tent.

[@kristinakohler4150]

Thanks so much! This was fantastic. Do you have a link to the diesel heater you used?

[@JonathanKuhn]

Yes! It’s liked in the description

[@CapCityDC]

Thanks for the update, sounds like it's working out really well. I was considering a diesel heater too if I go this route. As far as small critters getting in, do you think they can't get in if the zippers are closed up tight? Did you check all the openings/zippers each trip? BTW, what's the dimensions of your platform?

[@JonathanKuhn]

I think that’s the key is to shock the zippers. We really didn’t pay much attention to it all year because there were never any signs of it. It really only started happening when temperatures dipped so next year we will check the zippers.

[@CapCityDC]

@@JonathanKuhn Good idea, and platform dimensions?

[@JonathanKuhn]

It’s 4 10x10 platforms making it 20x20 feet. I have another video with the platform build if you are interested.

[@rcuintheshed6981]

Legend thank you for answering my questions regarding mould etc I'm considering 99% the exact setup you have there I'm in rural nsw Australia so snow is not an issue for me but i do plan to still use it in winter everything freezes overnight and defrosts the next day I'd need either the fireplace or we have a gas/battery version of the heater your running available here how effective is the tent at keeping heat in ... and excellent job on the furnishings it looked amazing inside it 👊

[@JonathanKuhn]

The tent heats up quickly with my setup. It’s quite big so lots of surface area and doesn’t hold heat as much as a small tent I find. The fly helps trap heat in and keep it cool in the summer.

[@odgreen9113]

Only thing missing from the tent regarding heat options is probably a hole for a stove pipe. I've seen them in other canvas tents

[@JonathanKuhn]

@odgreen9113 yeah I’ve seen that especially on some cheaper Amazon ones. They aren’t usually waterproof openings though. The place I got this tent sells a boot kit that you can install where is best for you which is a smart idea.

[@emilieabbott4985]

does it collect condensation on the inside esp after sleeping (like a tent does) ?

[@JonathanKuhn]

No condensation that I’ve noticed. The fabric seamed to breathe pretty well.

[@BrandonBuildsWebsites]

Have you experienced any issues with high winds? I'm wondering how it would hold up in a strong, windy thunderstorm?

[@JonathanKuhn]

No issues yet! I keep the lines tight and it’s help up really well.

[@kathrynmannyng3885]

I would tell you to have a cat with claws, but you'd have to leave it there when you weren't present. It would get lonely and hungry. Mice can get into extremely small holes. Mint is supposed to repel them, but I doubt it. They also chew through fabric. Get a cat who likes to travel and bring it along.

[@jim-se5xc]

Would shock rubbers be better on the guy ropes?

[@JonathanKuhn]

I don’t personally think so. I can’t imagine those being strong enough to hold the tent tight enough. I’ve seen other tents with shock rubber loops that connect to guy lines that failed in higher winds and the whole tent ripped apart. Once a couple of the rubbers break there is nothing stoping the tent from flapping around and getting shredded.

[@jim-se5xc]

Like car shock absorbers.

[@riccardo50001]

It would be interesting to know where this is and if it could survive snow and winter.

[@JonathanKuhn]

We took it down for the winter because we aren’t around as much. I’ve seen people use these all winter but you just have to brush the snow off.

[@riccardo50001]

@@JonathanKuhn Where is this? Thanks for responding.

[@JonathanKuhn]

@riccardo50001 Ontario Canada

[@riccardo50001]

@@JonathanKuhn Thanks! my family vacationed in extreme northern Minnesota in the back country by a small lake. it was primitive, but idyllic. our hosts had a ranch style rustic home plus two smaller cabins, all of which they inherited from relatives. our cabin used propane and kerosene lanterns With wood burning stove As well as the propane stove and an outhouse. It also had a wind up record player. is all deepened my appreciation that I managed to survive in an expensive place like San Francisco which is surrounded by ocean forests and beautiful landscapes. Enjoy your property!

[@lizlemon9632]

Did I miss the part re: kitchen, bathroom, and shower set up?

[@musicjunk8266]

so legally you can live in it indefinitely?

[@James_Ford4815]

Depends on the state/county/city. Even if it's your own bought land most states/counties/cities only allow you to stay a certain amount of days in a row before you have to leave for 1 day/night then you can come back. To live indefinitely there's a whole bunch of city regulations ($$$$) you have to follow. Now depending on how remote you are most likely nobody is going to check on you so you can get away with staying for basically as long as you want. And if by chance some official does come by just tell them you arrived a few days ago.

[@savage.4.24]

Mice and bugs....might i suggest a CAT?!

[@blindnessisaspectrum6237]

Mice don't like eucalyptus oil or mint. Soak cotton balls with the oil and place them by openings. Replace a few times a month when the smell diminishes with fresh balls. Put these where kiddo doesn't get them.

[@JonathanKuhn]

This is very helpful thank you! We will certainly give this a try.

[@teleriferchnyfain]

Cats are great for mice control lol

[@adamdietenberger2508]

Your mold and mildew concern makes no sense. Is the entire property covered in mold?

[@JonathanKuhn]

Yeah the property is covered in different moulds and fungus and mushrooms so it’s certainly not a dry environment like some places. The concern stems from experiences others have with other canvas tents.

[@TheRealChwazi]

sprinkle cayenne pepper around tent

[@JJ_Magnificent]

What the wwoofers stay in at my friends farm here on the big island.. Awesome!

[@MrVillabolo]

Get a cat for the mice problem.

[@dharmadasa487]

Leave some food twenty feet away .The mice will just eat away from the tent .they go inside cause they are hungry no hunger means they are happy and leave your tent alone.I live in a e Bell 5 m tent and permanently and the mice just hang around where I leave them foodv and leave my tents pace alone

[@JonathanKuhn]

That’s very interesting! I’ll give that a try.

[@steinanderson9849]

silly millennial, 5 months isn't long term.

[@shabushaburo]

5 months on weekends, so really like a month and a half.

[@carlosgonzalez7199]

Get a cat

[@tonemeister2318]

Thanks for sharing