Canvas Bell Tent Guide – Which Tent is Right for You?

For over 30 years, the Canvas Tent Shop have built a passionate reputation for offering the highest quality Bell Tents, in a variety of sizes, to suit the needs of lone campers, group explorers, families and larger groups, including the Scouts.

This guide sets out to help you choose which Bell Tent is right for you. Having been producing camping solutions for 3 generations, we’re here to help you understand the ins and outs of the tent choices available.

Our range of canvas bell tents consists of 6 main styles:

• The Bushcraft
• The Kokoon Deluxe
• The Glade
• The Polycotton Bell Tent
• The Canopy
• The Bell Tent Lite

Our Bell Tents are:

• Traditional in style – the Bushcraft is our traditional flagship tent, alongside the Kokoon Deluxe which offers more modern features
• Made to the highest quality
• Fully waterproof, mould-proof and rot-proof
• Tough and hardwearing, due to the cotton canvas we use.

The Kookon Deluxe and The Glade tents are made of 350GSM canvas, while The Bushcraft boasts an impressive 450GSM (grams per square meter) canvas. This measurement indicates how heavy, thick and strong a fabric is, so the higher the GSM is, the stronger (and heavier) the canvas, so this is something to bear in mind when selecting which bell tent is right for you.

The Bushcraft and The Kokoon Deluxe are based around a main centre pole that supports the canvas and gives it its iconic look. The Glade is made in a slightly different style, which will be explored later in this guide.

Kokoon Deluxe Bell Tent

The premium Canvas Bell Tent, the Kokoon Deluxe, offers luxury at an affordable cost.

Already available in 3m, 4m and 5m sizes, we now also offer a 6m version – sleeping 8 to 10 people, its ideal for larger camping groups or families. 

Made from our 350GSM hardwearing white cotton canvas, it’s waterproof and rot-proof – and for its size, finer touches and style, we believe this is the ultimate Bell Tent!

The Kokoon Deluxe offers:

• The doorway is kept clear by the galvanised metal A-frame to give you easy access to the tent
• A rain-cap is included, that fits onto the top of the A-frame to keep out rainfall
• The door has a secondary mosquito layer – great for summer camping, fresh-air and keeping the bugs out
• The PVC zipped-in groundsheet is 500GSM – perfect for insulating the floor and keeping the heat, it also creates a seal to the outside environment – one of its key safety features!
• The 32mm-thick centre pole is galvanised, which stops the pole rusting
• 4 mesh windows – that increase airflow through the tent, while letting light in

The guy ropes are made from reflective material, so they are visible at night. Even with the added A-frame, this luxury tent has been designed to be easily put up and dismantled.

14-inch stainless steel tent pegs are also included – great for keeping your tent in place during varying weather conditions, including snow and rainfall.

The Kokoon Deluxe is the best choice Bell Tent for larger camping or glamping groups, family camping or weekends away, due to how simple it is to erect and dismantle & the practicality of the zipped door.

For those camping for the first time as a family, this tent is highly recommended.

Bushcraft Bell Tent

Our Bushcraft Bell Tent is available in both 4m and 5m diameter and takes us back to the traditional style of Bell Tents and is made of water-proof and rot-proof 450GSM canvas. The centre pole comes into two pieces and is made of strong hardwood, making it easy to transport.

In keeping with the traditional style, the groundsheet is made from 250GSM Polyethylene, which pegs into the hessian sod cloth that is sewn around the inside edge of the tent.

The sisal guy ropes and tent are held in place with 12” and 9” wooden pegs. The tent includes 3x mesh air vents that increase airflow.

Our Bushcraft Bell Tent provides a lace-up door, with Dutch lacing. This traditional style of door has always been a firm favourite with re-enactment groups, scout groups & in the film industry.

(As this tent does not have a zipped door or groundsheet, it is more suited to those who want a really traditional camping experience & may not be the best option as a first tent for families)

Canopy Bell Tent

For those needing larger bell tents that cater for groups or an extendable covering that can add additional shelter for storage, cooking or dining facilities, the Canopy Bell Tent is ideal.

The 210GSM 100% cotton 4M Canopy Bell Tent, with a canopy that detaches, offers everything our Kokoon Deluxe range provides, plus a whole lot more:

• It’s waterproof, rot-proof and mould-proof
• The tent stands at 4m high with the canopy being 1.7m high
• It weighs 25kg and is easy to transport
• The doorway is kept clear by the galvanised metal A-frame, to give you easy access to the tent

The Canopy Bell Tent is enjoyed throughout the camping and glamping communities – one particular Glamping site, “Dark Sky Glamping” in Northumberland, thinks the Canopy Tent is a great favourite among their customers. 

Glade Bell Tent

Made of 350GSM hard-wearing, water-proof and rot-proof white cotton canvas, our Glade Bell Tent is certainly a bit different in how it works and looks. The Bushcraft and Kokoon Bell Tents are both supported by a main centre pole which gives them their iconic look – however, our Glade Bell Tent, offered in both 3m and 4m sizes, has no centre pole but still maintains its Bell Tent look, instead supported by a galvanised internal tripod structure.

The benefits of this structure include:

• An increase in internal space – ideal for those needing extra storage
• Space for a double bed – due to the removal of a central pole – with room to spare, this is ideal for couples

The Glade offers all the great features of our Kokoon Deluxe:

• Galvanised metal A-frame including the rain cap
• Secondary mosquito door
• 500GSM zipped-in groundsheet
• Mesh windows

Poly-Cotton Bell Tents – Brand New Range

Perfect for small families with young children or friends, our new range of poly-cotton Bell Tents provide spacious and secure luxury camping with anti-mosquito protection.

Made from sturdy 200GSM poly-cotton canvas, the Poly-cotton Bell Tent includes a 540GSM PVC zipped-in groundsheet and is waterproof and rot-proof.

These tents include:

• A-Frame door support
• Four mesh windows
• Mosquito net doors with Zip-up mesh backing

Everything you need to camp in style on short weekends away or week-long breaks is included. Ideal for warm summer days, the sides of this canvas tent roll up, allowing fresh air to circulate.  

Our Polycotton Bell Tents can be assembled by a single person, sleeps 4 to 6 people and includes ultra-thick pegs and a carry holdall. For added privacy, a Bell Tent inner can be purchased.

Bell Tent Lite

The Bell Tent Lite is the lightest tent in our range, with a 150D zipped-in Oxford groundsheet. At only 14.2kg in weight, the standard 4M version its modern design makes it easy to transport and can be set-up within just 15 minutes. The 5M larger version offers additional living quarters and storage area.

Made from Oxford canvas, a synthetic man-made fabric, the Bell Tent Lite is fully waterproof, mould-proof, rot-proof and easy to keep clean. This tent also includes an electrical cable access point, ideal for use with music players, phone chargers, electrical stoves and other equipment.

Created with price, weight and durability in mind, this tent is perfect for family getaways, festivals and short breaks away, glamping or as a safe-play enclosure and play area for children in the garden.

Provided with a carry holdall, it can be packed away with ease and will fit into all car boot spaces.

Roll-Up Sides on Canvas Bell Tents

A feature that is available with all of our Canvas Bell Tents is the ability for their sides to be rolled up.

Depending on the style of Bell Tent, this can be done by either un-pegging or un-zipping the groundsheet, then rolling up the canvas around the tent and holding the surplus in place with the fabric ties. Once done, this really opens the tent up, creates additional shelter and lets fresh air and the smells of nature in. It’s a feature that original Bell Tents were known for and at Canvas Tent Shop, we’re passionate about our customers experiencing camping at its best!

Winnerwell Stoves and Accessories

For those wishing to eat while camping in a Bell Tent, the ability to cook with a stove – inside or outside the tent – is a necessity, especially when adventuring in nature as a family.

Our Kokoon Deluxe & Bushcraft Bell Tents include the option for a chimney fitting.

Stoves are a great addition to a Bell Tent, in addition to cooking they can be used as a heat generator that will help keep your tent warm on chilly days, or when you go on out-of-season camping trips. Check out our Winnerwell range of stoves and accessories – we are the exclusive UK distributor.

When an inside stove is used, safety is very important. The canvas Bell Tent is not fireproof, so if you plan on cooking inside your tent, using one of our sewn-in chimney fittings is a must. You can either add a chimney-fitting to your order when purchasing a Bell Tent or you can order one separately, to sew-in yourself.

To keep your stove flue from coming into contact with your chimney fitting or tent, we suggest ordering the following camping equipment:

• Triple Wall Chimneys – These are designed to fit through a Winnerwell Flashing kit to reduce the amount of heat coming into contact with your tent – our range includes the 2.1”, 2.5” and the 3.5” sizes
• Flashing Kit – this silicone collar simply slides over the flue pipe and is designed to withstand temperatures of up to 300 degrees – available in standard & large sizes.

We hope this guide gives you the knowledge you need to purchase the right Bell Tent for your camping trip. If you have any further questions regarding what you’ll need on your camping trip or further insight into the tents or accessories we sell, please get in touch – we would love to hear from you!