Tent size allowance

[Haj88]

Hey. Me and a bunch of pals are heading to glasto for the first time this year. We’re thinking that instead of individual tents we’ll just take one big one (4m wide bell tent). I’m just wondering if there’s a cap on tent size? I know it’s not the biggest tent in the world but I really don’t want to be made to take it down after we get there!

cheers!

[incident]

There's no formal limit, and something that size certainly wouldn't get that kind of attention. There'll be people going larger.

Just be aware that depending on when you arrive, you might have to search for a bit / stick to the outskirts in order to find sufficient contiguous space.

And that it'll be an absolute bastard to carry / pitch / etc and that'll get amplified if any of your group aren't pulling their weight.

[jimmillen]

As @incident already pointed out, you're going to limit your choice of pitching location quite a bit with a large tent. That's the only real limit AFAIK - from the festival's point of view, if you can carry it then you can pitch it. I suppose they might have a word if you took something that looked like bands were about to start playing in it... 😂

Off on a slight tangent, but maybe worth considering: how well do you know these mates? Have you been camping or to festivals with them before? 

If you're totally confident about your group then go for it - can be awesome sharing a big tent!

But if not... the festival can be an intense environment, you'll probably not get much sleep and might be in a significantly altered state of consciousness (depending on your preferences, of course). This can bring out the worst in even normally very chill people.

If one of the group snores, somebody comes home later than everyone else totally spannered & wakes you all up, somebody decides to have a strip wash in the tent porch and you're treated to a full frontal etc. etc... 😲 There's potential to get seriously on each others' nerves.

Worth a serious think about IMO. Camping in smaller tents close together can give you the same community feel whilst creating a bit more personal space and privacy = less chance of falling out.

Sorry to be negative - if your group is solid then hopefully nothing to worry about. 🙂

 

[Simpo]

This thread made me think of this tent

 

 

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

Pretty sure I saw someone pitch a shed up once.

We've actually got a huge tent, but the reason is so we can all have a bedroom each and a bit of our own space, rather than a huge tent like a bell tent that is just one room. 

[Haj88]

 Thanks so much everyone for your replies. We're all really good pals and all very familiar with the festival environment (just never managed to score Glasto tickets before) so there's nothing to worry about on that front! A shed is a GREAT idea. I see Amazon have even started selling tiny homes 🤔

Edited March 17, 2022 by Haj88

[Fred Zepplin]

13 hours ago, Simpo said:

This thread made me think of this tent

 

 

I remember seeing that, don't know how many people were staying in it.

 

Someone put a link to buy it on the tent thread on here. Walking around one day and what do I see at the top of the hill, a train

[Dontthrowstones]

On 3/17/2022 at 8:54 AM, Simpo said:

This thread made me think of this tent

 

 

I'm intrigued about the guys in the background that seem to be camped at 45 degrees! 😂

[bexj]

On 3/16/2022 at 6:01 PM, Haj88 said:

Hey. Me and a bunch of pals are heading to glasto for the first time this year. We’re thinking that instead of individual tents we’ll just take one big one (4m wide bell tent). I’m just wondering if there’s a cap on tent size? I know it’s not the biggest tent in the world but I really don’t want to be made to take it down after we get there!

cheers!

Have a practice, get some really warm clothes on then carry your tent across a muddy field for at least a mile.... If you can manage it, take it.  Personally would recommend smaller tents! Not sure what the advantages of 1 massive one is... 

[dogeggs]

FWIW, it’s worth noting that due to the site being a farm, the majority of paths & roads in from the car park are seriously lumpy tracks - and rather unforgiving on trolley/barrow wheels. You’ll be bound to see the random wheels or abandoned bent up trolleys at the side of the tracks on the way in where others have had a mare. So, if you’re planning on wheeling your bell tent in…I’d say invest in something that’ll cope with a few miles in an off-road environment.

I took a 9 man tent in many years ago using a trolley. The wheels stayed on amazingly, but after 2 Glastonbury’s - the tracks finally shook, bent & tore the frame to bits. Fortunately my mate found a blacksmith in the greenfields who fixed it up…but it didn’t come back for a 3rd trip.

Edited March 20, 2022 by dogeggs

[irnkrtn]

Totally doable - but just echoing the pals thing. Sounds like you're sorted on that front, but I remember a particularly entertaining year where 4 brand new Glastonbury goers in our group bought an ENORMOUS tent, were really rude to the rest of us the whole way there, and then were furious when all of our small tents were up in 10 minutes. They had also never pitched any tent themselves before. I enjoyed the beers watching them fight! Never again!

[phillyfaddle]

Just one word of caution. You’ll be walking bloody MILES with your stuff from the car parks. The bigger and heavier the tent, the more difficult it’ll be, especially if it’s a boiling hot day (or the opposite - NFR NFC). It feels like “SAS Are You Tough Enough” at the best of times! If you decide to take it in a trolley, make sure it’s a big, robust one, with suitable wheels for rough ground.

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

We’ve got a big tent but we’re going to chuck it in a wheelbarrow along with some other stuff, much easier than trying to pull a trolley. 

[jimmillen]

5 minutes ago, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

We’ve got a big tent but we’re going to chuck it in a wheelbarrow along with some other stuff, much easier than trying to pull a trolley. 

Based on my experience in 2016: don’t overload the thing. 

I had a little too much in my wheelbarrow and it made it super top heavy and unstable - cos you’ve only got the one front wheel it was forever tipping over. Absolutely nightmare, especially given the mud that year. 😭

[clarkete]

Aye even when there were 2 of us, I'd bring a 5/6 birth with a porch - was great to have space to stand and change or leave muddy gear. 

Bought a folding trolley with hard wheels - fine on the tracked roads, but off road the wheels would get stuck or fold and bigger pals very kindly helped. 

Pneumatic wheels are the way

Edited March 27, 2022 by clarkete

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

3 minutes ago, jimmillen said:

Based on my experience in 2016: don’t overload the thing. 

I had a little too much in my wheelbarrow and it made it super top heavy and unstable - cos you’ve only got the one front wheel it was forever tipping over. Absolutely nightmare, especially given the mud that year. 😭

Yeah I agree, in a 2016 scenario all bets are off and there is no right solution really. Getting across the car parks to the gate on 2016 genuinely made me question my life choices at the time. If it’s half decent weather and ground conditions I reckon a wheelbarrow will be much easier though, but we will just have to pray we don’t end up with a 2016 scenario (we won’t).

[yehbutnobut]

Choice of weapon on a few occasions. Filled the barrow with items, then ratcheted pallet with added sides to the barrow, and filled once more. Not the easiest to manoeuvre, but being a landscaper, I’m used to moving barrows and meant only one trip.

*note: use with caution on a wet year 👀

[Deaf Nobby Burton]

3 minutes ago, yehbutnobut said:

Choice of weapon on a few occasions. Filled the barrow with items, then ratcheted pallet with added sides to the barrow, and filled once more. Not the easiest to manoeuvre, but being a landscaper, I’m used to moving barrows and meant only one trip.

*note: use with caution on a wet year 👀

Blimey, that’s a king sized bed strapped to a wheel barrow?

[yehbutnobut]

15 minutes ago, Deaf Nobby Burton said:

Blimey, that’s a king sized bed strapped to a wheel barrow?

Great if you fancy a quick lie down on route to your pitch.

[jimmillen]

33 minutes ago, yehbutnobut said:

Choice of weapon on a few occasions. Filled the barrow with items, then ratcheted pallet with added sides to the barrow, and filled once more. Not the easiest to manoeuvre, but being a landscaper, I’m used to moving barrows and meant only one trip.

*note: use with caution on a wet year 👀

Blimey, I thought I’d tried to get a lot in my barrow! 😂 Good effort. 

This was mine: 

 

Obviously this was the “before” photo - shortly afterwards was a lot muddier. 😬

Edited March 27, 2022 by jimmillen

[siblin]

On 3/18/2022 at 6:02 AM, bexj said:

Have a practice, get some really warm clothes on then carry your tent across a muddy field for at least a mile.... If you can manage it, take it.  Personally would recommend smaller tents! Not sure what the advantages of 1 massive one is... 

One advantage of a multiroom tent is having a communal area to sit in if its peeing with rain, which also gives a bit of a private environment to get ready in etc. 
Most big groups get by with a gazebo of course.

[dogeggs]

We used to take a 9 man tent with a big domey central communal section. If it’s chucking it down it’s a useful place to take shelter, but such a massive pain to wheel in as it weighed a tonne. 

Since our group numbers dwindled quickly, me and the wife just downsized to a small 2-man job. Love it…wouldn’t change a thing…and you don’t feel the guilt of hogging up a shedload of unnecessary camping space.

[gooner1990]

On 3/18/2022 at 5:23 AM, Dontthrowstones said:

I'm intrigued about the guys in the background that seem to be camped at 45 degrees! 😂

I camped there in 2013.

Awful.