Putting Up Your ‘Vintage Tent Company’ Canvas Bell Tent

Thanks for buying a bell tent from us and we hope you will love it.

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Putting up the tent is actually very easy and once you have done it a few times you will become a master.

There is a video on how to do this below.

Please remember the way the tent was rolled up when you unpack it, as this is the way to fold it back after use.

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1. Find a good spot for placing the tent: look for a flat piece of land without rocks or sharp objects. Try to avoid resinous trees and flowering trees, as they can cause damage to the canvas. If you do put up your tent there, try to protect your tent with a tarpaulin.

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2. Unpack the tent and layout the groundsheet on flat ground. Find the door and rotate the groundsheet so it’s facing the desired direction. For the zip floor tents, we recommend you keep them zipped together and only unzip when you need a breeze. ( in fact, it’s not possible to pack away and erect without the groundsheet). If the total weight is too much to carry across a festival consider separating the poles and pegs and then doing two trips to the car.

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3. Take the small pegs and, pulling the groundsheet tight, peg it out. The elastic straps on the bottom of the walls are only to be used when the tent is finally pitched and will go over the smaller pegs you have just put in the groundsheet. So maybe aim to leave a bit of the peg showing to allow for this before you bang these pegs in the ground say 3cm should be fine.

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4. If this is the first time you are erecting your tent, you will have to attach the guy ropes to the tent if not already attached. These go on the canvas loops just above the wall and a bowline is a great knot for this If you know it. If not a few granny knots should do it.

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5. Take the main straight pole through the door, find the centre of the cone and push the pole and tent up until it’s vertical. Making sure the rubber ends are on both ends of the pole or you will damage your tent.

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6. Put the A-frame pole together and place it inside the door (it’s easier to get it through the door if you complete putting it together once inside). Put the spike through the hole at the top of the door and fit the feet into their holding pockets of canvas loops on the floor.

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7. Zip the door shut and attach the first guy rope above the door using the large pegs. If you put

the larger pegs in with a 45-degree angle away from the tent it’s a stronger way of doing it.  Always use a rubber or

wooden mallet as a metal one with break the pegs. Then attach the rest of the guy ropes around the whole tent without putting any of them under too much tension. 
Please note:
• All the guy ropes need to follow the lines of the seams in the roof. (this is vital for a great looking tent.
• Adjust the guy ropes wooden toggle so you have approx. 50cm of the loop to the peg – this allows adjustment in both directions.
• It is important to make sure the tent stays symmetrical and that the tension is evenly spread.

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8. Once all the pegs are in, adjust the guy ropes to create the desired tension. By doing it this way, and following the seam lines.

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9. The next step would be to take the elastic loops on the bottom of the wall of the tent and then place over the smaller pegs on the groundsheet. Then you can finally bang these pegs into the ground.

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10. Stand back and admire your new tent have a brew or something a little stronger and watch the others struggle with their plastic tents.

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