Van Life Guide to Bell Tents vs. Wall Tents: Which is BEST for You?
Van Life Guide to Bell Tents vs. Wall Tents: Which is BEST for You?
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In this video, we dive deep into the world of canvas tents, comparing the classic Canvas Bell Tent against the Canvas Wall Tent. We’ll be covering: Durability, Weather Resistance, Setup, Space and Weight. This comparison will give you the knowledge you need to choose the perfect tent so you can make an informed decision.
🔴AMAZON LINKS
✅Springbar Classic Jack 100
https://amzn.to/4fD4XKk
✅Springbar Classic Jack 140
https://amzn.to/4dwcGI4
✅White Duck 10’ Bell Tent
https://amzn.to/46CIQiN
✅White Duck 16.5’ Regatta Bell Tent
https://amzn.to/4dCuIIT
🔴VIDEO LINKS:
*Springbar Classic Jack 100*
*Springbar Classic Jack 140*
*White Duck 10’ Bell Tent*
*White Duck 16.5’ Regatta Bell Tent*
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Thanks for watching!
Nice video I enjoyed your comparisons and being open-minded about it and appreciate that thank you
All citizens of American will probably need one of these soon the way this country is going.
Hello from Puerto Rico Bob and friends,
Where’s the inside?
Thanks Bob.
I’ve been living in a Kodiak Canvas Cabin Tent (wall tent) for an entire year (all 4 seasons). It’s the 12×12 w/ stove jack and the 8×8 enclosed awning. I highly recommend it and far less cost than the SpringBar.
Great video as always!!!!! Thank you!
Fantastic review as always Bob.
I think the dog was trying to decide which tent to pee on.
Bell for winter, wall for summer.
I’ve really been hoping to see a comparison between the two and so appreciate it! One question though, you started to talk about the Kodiak and then stopped. I’ve heard very compelling arguments on both sides of the Kodiak/Springbar debate, but what was YOUR take on the Kodiak? Thanks Bob!
An excellent and fair assessment of these tent styles. Thanks for sharing this with us!
i bought a 16′ canvas bell tent buy it has high walls. they’re about 3.5′ tall. the tent is actually an octagon shape and all 8 high sided walls can be unzipped and completely open the entire tent up. i really enjoy it. i think if it replaced the 16′ in the video, it would probably be the favorite. love love love y0ur videos and you bob!!
I have a spring-bar tent and I like it, but I am intrigued by the new inflatable tents that are now available. Some of them are huge. I hope you get a chance to review one of those tents one of these days.
so interesting. Great information. Thanks
Another great review Bob. What I like best about your reviews in your nonjudgemental way of providing the facts. I love the bell tent for 3 seasons, definitely loses in Summer because of items you described. When you need heat/warmth, bell tent clearly wins. Thank for the review in this 4 tent scenario. Love in Sarasota ❤
Hello Bob, I’ve been watching your videos for a long time I don’t even remember how long but I just love watching and learning from them. well do to changes in my life I have started vanlife. I have a Dodge grand caravan, and I built it out in a very simple way, I still need to do more but that will come later. me changing to vanlife was because of events that have happened in the last 2 years. but that’s a story for another day. Anyway, I’ll be coming out to Quartzite AZ at the end of September or around the first week of October I hope to meet you one day. Thank you for all the info you have given me over the past few years.
Thanks for this video
As a car camper and not a full time tent dweller the windows are not a big deal to me. I’m only in the tent to sleep. Where we camp here in Saskatchewan it’s cooler at night so generally more concerned about keeping the warmth in rather than ventilation. That makes me lean towards the bell tent. However the round shape plus all the guy lines extending out from the tent are a big turn off compared to the free standing Springbar/ Flex-bow design.
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Obviously the canvas tents are great for a more permanent setup and making a hot tent, but for myself just car camping they are a bit too heavy and bulky. I use a much lighter 3 season set up with a Basecamp 6 tent and a Aquaquest Defender 15 x 15 tarp set up over the tent using Gardenpro telescoping tarp poles. This combo is lightweight and definitely keeps the rain and sun at bay. Cheers and good luck.
I think if you anticipate living in a tent, moving every two weeks, as a permanent lifestyle, that will be more difficult than necessary. Those heavy lifting poles need to be reinvented.
Better to work diligently to tow a small trailer with hard side, or pop up, structure.
I think a roof top tent would be best. IF you can remove/replace, set on the ground for two weeks. More costly, some ingenuity to one person remove/replace, probably survive more years, better weather resistant, although standing up may not be likely.
I will continue to camp using a 1957 "Camplete" 8×10 canvas modified to use exterior frame.
Needs water proof annually. Combined with a nice tarp rainfly, no problems. And i don’t think it weighs more than 35 pounds. Transports in a big rubber maid type bin on the roof rack.
Seems to me, if you must car camp with 2 week moves, the pop up gazebo is a great compromise. Sleep in the car. Livetch in the gazebo. Carry on the roof, or a hitch platform.
👍👍🏝
Bob I have a friend who is stranded in Lake Havasu City AZ and being Harrased and stalked by one of her so called friends she needs to get to a walmart and the Airport can you help please.
To me it would be the white duck bell 10 foot tent is the pick for me. Don’t underestimate those low windows when you sleep. Even on a stretcher you are still low down.
Thanks.
I find the bell type tents a bit depressing because they are so much darker, and I would think that the Springbar tents would be better in really hot weather, due to the enormous size of the mesh on those Classic Jack tents.
Springbar in warm weather, Bell in the cold weather …
I would love to see a review on the Shiftpod. They sell 3 sizes.
Bravo 👏
I bought a 8 person Kodiak my advice is not to buy it. The bar will rust and also these tents will mildew on the inside. Especially if you have an air conditioner or fan. They are very heavy to load and unload. We followed all the instructions they recommended in care of material of tent. I spent almost as much as I paid for the tent within the first six months of owning it. I now have a Cabela’s four season tent and I am very pleased with it , I have been living in it for two years now straight. I love it. Kodiak tent is in my storage unit and I haven’t been able to give it away. And by the way if you rub the material it will make a hole in it.
I never can imagine myself using a tent. Then I watch your reviews or comparisons. And you bring up such good points! At the very least, it would be nice to have something I can use if the van were out of commission for a bit. Thanks, CRVL
I live white mou tain,Arizon. My Van has been in repair, but looking forward to booking up w all of U!
Thank you so much for this video. I now know which tent is perfect for me. At 67 and only use a tent in mild winter weather, I’m going with the 10 foot bell tent. This video was just the information that I needed. Thank you!
@bob can you do reviews on tents suitable for extreme weather environments such as Alaska???
I prefer a heavy canvas tent that can ‘hide’ behind my van (low roof line, just enough for standing) in high winds, and has a flat side so I can strap it to the van. I don’t see the need for a wood burning box in a tent – there is enough ventilation for propane’s condensation to remain dry. You say 60mph wind for these tents Bob, really?
Im looking forward to winter. Ive done it before with zero tent. I knowbi can do it with a nice tent and a dug out.
BEST CHOICE: buy one of each!! 🙂
Great review and comparison Bob 😊 See you down the road …
Great video! Love your presentation style
Good talk
These tents are way too big and heavy, what are the prices. Great vid Bob, another homerun. Thanx.
Couple things Bob – if you could post a note to this video summarizing your comments with two columns, one for the Bell tents, one for the Wall tents,that would be helpful. The other thing is during the entire video I almost never heard you refer to the wall tent mentioned in the title, so I have to assume that these are the spring Bar tents… is that right right? Thanks…
I would love to have a piece of land one day that I live wild on it. I have exploring both of these tents for a couple of years now. My take away from this video is that I need one of each. I think I would sleep in the 10’ bell, and live and carry on day time life in the 10×14’ spring bar. Thanks again Bob for all of your great help and support. 👍👍👍
: )
I love the idea of a tent being passed by to the next person Who needs it
Thank you. I appreciate your continual reminder that it’s not about what you can live with, but what can the person watching live with.
This is great. We live in a shorty bus right now but I’ve always thought if I wanted to nomad in a EV like a Chevy Bolt we could use a wall tent with a double cot and tent stove. Awesome reviews!
nice
I spoiled myself and got a 16′ bell tent. The very first time we went camping, we got hit with a horrible thunderstorm two nights in. Holding eachother in bed, wife and I are wondering if this tent was money well spent. In the morning, we were the only tent still up. All the synthetics were destroyed. After that, I can truthfully say, the bell tents handle extreme wind and rain very well.