I’m still investing in the Springbar as it satisfies my needs. I’m preparing for full time nomad life in my 2004 rebuilt Trailblazer and a strong canvas tent. I need shelter that I can erect without assistance as I am a single female senior. I figure I will have two options (my vehicle and tent) in which to have shelter in different weather conditions. I will be avoiding extremes as much as possible. That’s what is so appealing about living in a home on wheels. Thanks Bob. You provide so much to those of us seeking a lifestyle of freedom from the overreaching arms of “big brother” and “the man”.
Hello Sister! Older single lady here. I recently bought a 2001 23ft motorhome for my upcoming retirement from trucking. All the best to you. Wishing you safe and happy travels.🤗
@@allencrider I believe each of us has a particular need. If I was planning to camp in heavy winter snow, I might want the bell. Not sure. I have camped in winter weather. I’m avoiding that now. My bones like warm places😁
When camping in Colorado canyon land outside Grand Junction, we learned a lot camping next to a Lebanese family. Use long heavy-duty bungee cords instead of normal rope lines that will give and return to normal tension in the gusty wind. Setting up inside some trees if available also helps make it more secure if you use shorter bungee cords to attach your tent to them. No better stakes than the ones God made. Use some plywood sheets underneath the tent for a flat and more comfortable floor. Use a 5x7 rug (or whatever works for you tent size) for insulation from the Earth and overall comfort. Use a natural wisk broom to help keep it all clean. Free standing pop-up tents are nice and easy, but literally turn into kites in gusty wind if you leave no gear in them while you are away - which security suggests that you dont leave anything in them. We watched several fly off down the canyon making us grateful we opted for a cabin tent instead. Great test Bob.
I really appreciate your testing of these tents. It seems you have a choice, comfortable tents or durable. Which is good to know. Choice is good, you just have to figure out which option will work best for you.
Thank You Bob for sharing this excellent Demonstration of these canvas tents. Good information to have when shopping around. Keep posting and I'll keep watching 🙏👍
You would assume if you were actually in the bell tent with equipment it wouldn’t have moved because of the weight. Also it’s definitely negligence with the springbar because if you were there using it it wouldn’t have collapsed. First the stove would have heated it to keep snow melting off or you’d be knocking the snow off.
Thank you for taking the time to create this video. Having lived in canvas wall tents for months at summer camps and for family camping you cannot beat canvas tents comfort and durability. Canvas tents hold up to sun exposure way better than any other material that tents are constructed of. Canvas tents can be repaired many times too. There main drawback is weight and they will rot in tropical environments. Canvas breathes witch makes them more comfortable than waterproof tents. If properly cared for and stored when not in use, canvas tents can last decades. Case in point, I gave a 45 year old pup tent, I had used as a teen ager away to a collector, because I was not using it anymore and am downsizing. If I decide to sale my class b van and continue to do extend trips in, a minivan I will likely purchase a canvas tents that I can setup and take down on my own. I was already looking at the 10 foot Bell tent, but I am also looking at a pyramid tent as well. Thank you for showing the results of your experiment.
I have repaired a few wind damaged tents. The material it’s made of should be sun and water/mildew resistant. Age and condition of the material makes a difference how it will hold up in a storm. Water and mildew will rot any canvas eventually and I would not repair. Sun will help canvas deteriorate. But from what I’ve seen, a tent needs to be held down more than it is held up. Good tent stakes, ropes and poles make a difference. It’s funny you like the one pole tents. I’ve repaired the tops a few times. But they were tall and only held down by the tent hem. I use a wedge tent held with long stakes. Strong poles and storm ropes over the whole thing over the tent. I do not leave it set up unless I’m staying in it. If you have that kind of wind you need to tighten the ropes check stakes tie it down securely and so on or it will go down. The pop up tents don’t do well in wind - no way to hold some of those down on a good day.
Great video Bob. I had a thought regarding the tent lines. Try attaching small steel extension springs along the line or at the attachment point, instead of bungees that weather and break. The springs are about $5.00 each at Home Depot and come in various lengths and strengths.
It says a lot about Bob that he won't return those tents to Springbar for repair due to owner negligence. Decisions like this is one of the reasons why a lot of people put their trust in him.
For winter conditions, it is sometimes best to set up a smaller tent inside a larger tent. A wood stove can be placed inside the larger if it set up for one to keep warmer. Hunters will do this.
Great Video: I hope you at least give the Springbar tent away. It looks bad, butt mold and mildew can be mitigated if kept dry. Heck, if not too widespread the parts that began to rot may be able to be replaced. (Not asking for warrantee on that) .I'm still a Springbar tent fan.
08:18 I wouldn't cover that hole with duct tape. Considering duct tape can actually be used as a fire starter, I wouldn't use it that close to your chimney.
It’s always better if your lines break under the wind stress. If the gromet/loop/ is intact the tent itself is still unharmed. I designed my chicken tractors to allow the tarps to fail in the winds after one “flight” attempt. It’s like a shear pin, a purposeful weak point to protect the tent from damage
Phil on down2mob left his non-bell tent out unattended during the winter and the snow load was huge. That just wouldn't happen if someone were living in it.
I set up my 13' White Duck bell tent on a flat deck platform with a 3-1/2" riser matched to the tent footprint in the spring of 23 and it just came down today 10/22/24. I did use a China made fly as White Duck does not make them for their bell tents. I also kept the snow swept off when it got to about 6" of accumulation. I reside in N. Michigan and we get substantial snow throughout the winters here yet experienced no damage to the tent. The tent was heated with a wood stove periodically but never cooked in. The major issue we experienced was mold and mildew, what I don't know is if the fly exacerbated the issue or not as it did restrict the peak vents and limited air flow between the two surfaces. Regardless combating the mold has been a struggle, the powdered type tent cleaners advertised took a lot of work/elbow grease and seemed to clean the outside but did absolutely nothing for the interior. I found an Australian company that markets a no scrub concentrated liquid called Canvas Magic and believe me it was magic, mix with water and spray it on and the mold disappears before your eyes, you do have to rinse and mop up the floor to remove the reside but what a game changer. I have spent the better part of the last two months trying to eliminate this issue before I packed the tent away, not leaving it up this winter. The insulated riser made a world of difference, the bottom of the tent was bone dry so she's all packed away and I am so thankful to have that task checked off the list. I apologize for the long winded reply but I thought maybe some of your viewers would appreciate the info.
Springbar Classic Jack tents are made overseas. If you want a high quality tent buy a Springbar tent made in the USA. I own a Vagabond model (8’ x 10’). It is very well made.
I think I would build a teepee if I had to or wanted to live in anything like a tent. There's is plenty of headroom and I would need it with my arthritic spine. I would use PVC pipe for the poles and modernize the top to keep heat in during the winter and let heat out in the summer.
There use to be a place that repaired canvas items like tents and boat sails in Clearfield Utah, Bryan’s Canvas. There was also one on State Street between Layton and Farmington.
I think the spring bars fell because of the snow load not the wind and when snow melts a bit and turns into ice the ice can be sharp and could tear into the canvas , my Teton sport canvas tent fell down to heavy snow load but has never fell from wind yet and I have had it for three years now and sometimes have it up for a month or two at a time
The Tipi type tents have been a proven design for many years, the native American nomads, as well as the Sumi people, in Lapland live in them, year around, so the durability and functionality are beyond question. Have wondered if "Dome style" tents might not have the same durability as do the tipi type tents?
I think this video is more of a "poster child" for how to neglect tents for 9 months. 😆 I winter camp in my 10×10 Springbar every year of close to a decade. Most years, it sees some snow or freezing rain. I dry it out completely and store it inside. No problem YET...
Hate to say I told you so Bob! Campers must park their vehicle on the windward side. These tents do not have a flat side for that purpose….poor design. These are not backpacking tents. They should be designed to take advantage of a vehicle as an anchor point and windbreak. When you said they were designed for 60mph wind, I questioned that. 60 is brutal.
I would say asylum seekers...but there is not tons of trash and excrement. And they probably would have lit the tents on fire like they do in San Jose and Oakland.
Testing four tents through the seasons was a great idea Bob. Your experiments and reviews are so very helpful 🤗🇨🇦🚐
I’m still investing in the Springbar as it satisfies my needs. I’m preparing for full time nomad life in my 2004 rebuilt Trailblazer and a strong canvas tent. I need shelter that I can erect without assistance as I am a single female senior. I figure I will have two options (my vehicle and tent) in which to have shelter in different weather conditions. I will be avoiding extremes as much as possible. That’s what is so appealing about living in a home on wheels. Thanks Bob. You provide so much to those of us seeking a lifestyle of freedom from the overreaching arms of “big brother” and “the man”.
Yeah, those bell tents just don't have windows. In hot weather I think they must be miserable from lack of ventilation.
Just get the storm fly for the Springbar.
Hello Sister! Older single lady here. I recently bought a 2001 23ft motorhome for my upcoming retirement from trucking. All the best to you. Wishing you safe and happy travels.🤗
Edit to my comment: 2004 Trailblazer not 2020🤷🏼♀️
@@allencrider I believe each of us has a particular need. If I was planning to camp in heavy winter snow, I might want the bell. Not sure. I have camped in winter weather. I’m avoiding that now. My bones like warm places😁
When camping in Colorado canyon land outside Grand Junction, we learned a lot camping next to a Lebanese family. Use long heavy-duty bungee cords instead of normal rope lines that will give and return to normal tension in the gusty wind. Setting up inside some trees if available also helps make it more secure if you use shorter bungee cords to attach your tent to them. No better stakes than the ones God made. Use some plywood sheets underneath the tent for a flat and more comfortable floor. Use a 5x7 rug (or whatever works for you tent size) for insulation from the Earth and overall comfort. Use a natural wisk broom to help keep it all clean. Free standing pop-up tents are nice and easy, but literally turn into kites in gusty wind if you leave no gear in them while you are away - which security suggests that you dont leave anything in them. We watched several fly off down the canyon making us grateful we opted for a cabin tent instead. Great test Bob.
I really appreciate your testing of these tents. It seems you have a choice, comfortable tents or durable. Which is good to know. Choice is good, you just have to figure out which option will work best for you.
Thank You Bob for sharing this excellent Demonstration of these canvas tents. Good information to have when shopping around. Keep posting and I'll keep watching 🙏👍
It could have been a bigfoot wrecking those tents. 🤣
Can you imagine what a BigFoot party is like? No wonder they are ripped.
😂
@@thereseshine7506 Occam's razor is the principle I use to explain any mystery. 🤣
I'm sure it was!!beware
..
So That is where my Mother-in-law Went!!! 🤔🤭🤭
Snowtrekker Tents for the Win..!!!
Sheds the snow load efficiently and almost impervious to extreme wind.
Springbar might like to see those tents, because they were exposed to weather so severe as to cause failures. Have you contacted them?
Good idea. Though, Springbar has seen many tents like these... and worse. They know their stuff.
Thank you for this great review! I was looking for a good tent!❤
You would assume if you were actually in the bell tent with equipment it wouldn’t have moved because of the weight.
Also it’s definitely negligence with the springbar because if you were there using it it wouldn’t have collapsed. First the stove would have heated it to keep snow melting off or you’d be knocking the snow off.
I’ve watched this like 10 times as I narrow in on a winter camping tent. Thx for the awesome videos
What a fantastic longtime review of canvas tents left unattended WOW 🤯 for 7-9 months in the wind
Thank you for taking the time to create this video. Having lived in canvas wall tents for months at summer camps and for family camping you cannot beat canvas tents comfort and durability. Canvas tents hold up to sun exposure way better than any other material that tents are constructed of. Canvas tents can be repaired many times too. There main drawback is weight and they will rot in tropical environments. Canvas breathes witch makes them more comfortable than waterproof tents. If properly cared for and stored when not in use, canvas tents can last decades. Case in point, I gave a 45 year old pup tent, I had used as a teen ager away to a collector, because I was not using it anymore and am downsizing. If I decide to sale my class b van and continue to do extend trips in, a minivan I will likely purchase a canvas tents that I can setup and take down on my own. I was already looking at the 10 foot Bell tent, but I am also looking at a pyramid tent as well. Thank you for showing the results of your experiment.
Thank you Bob for such detailed review.
I have repaired a few wind damaged tents. The material it’s made of should be sun and water/mildew resistant. Age and condition of the material makes a difference how it will hold up in a storm. Water and mildew will rot any canvas eventually and I would not repair. Sun will help canvas deteriorate.
But from what I’ve seen, a tent needs to be held down more than it is held up. Good tent stakes, ropes and poles make a difference. It’s funny you like the one pole tents. I’ve repaired the tops a few times. But they were tall and only held down by the tent hem. I use a wedge tent held with long stakes. Strong poles and storm ropes over the whole thing over the tent. I do not leave it set up unless I’m staying in it. If you have that kind of wind you need to tighten the ropes check stakes tie it down securely and so on or it will go down.
The pop up tents don’t do well in wind - no way to hold some of those down on a good day.
Mongolian Yurts are the ultimate for winter / 4 season canvas dwellings
Great video Bob. I had a thought regarding the tent lines. Try attaching small steel extension springs along the line or at the attachment point, instead of bungees that weather and break. The springs are about $5.00 each at Home Depot and come in various lengths and strengths.
Hi Bob. Great review you are awesome! Gorilla tape worked better for me on my tent and canopy than duct tape. ❤
It says a lot about Bob that he won't return those tents to Springbar for repair due to owner negligence. Decisions like this is one of the reasons why a lot of people put their trust in him.
Appreciate this, I have used Kodiak Canvas tents in extreme weather, would love to see you review them.
I absolutely love my Kodiak Canvas tent. Have camped in it all 4 seasons. Highly recommended it!
Thanks Bob
For winter conditions, it is sometimes best to set up a smaller tent inside a larger tent. A wood stove can be placed inside the larger if it set up for one to keep warmer. Hunters will do this.
Not needed it you have a canvas bell tent.
Great Video: I hope you at least give the Springbar tent away. It looks bad, butt mold and mildew can be mitigated if kept dry. Heck, if not too widespread the parts that began to rot may be able to be replaced. (Not asking for warrantee on that) .I'm still a Springbar tent fan.
08:18 I wouldn't cover that hole with duct tape. Considering duct tape can actually be used as a fire starter, I wouldn't use it that close to your chimney.
Snowtrekker makes fantastic winter tents!
Thank you for this information, sorry about the damage
Excellent review, Thankyou Bob, from Mount Mellum Queensland Australia...
Good review video! Great info. Thanks.
Bob love your videos , very informative....
Great test. It all depends on ones mission.
It’s always better if your lines break under the wind stress. If the gromet/loop/ is intact the tent itself is still unharmed. I designed my chicken tractors to allow the tarps to fail in the winds after one “flight” attempt. It’s like a shear pin, a purposeful weak point to protect the tent from damage
Phil on down2mob left his non-bell tent out unattended during the winter and the snow load was huge. That just wouldn't happen if someone were living in it.
SHOWS the importance of tying the tent down,keeping the lines taunt and not flapping the wind
I set up my 13' White Duck bell tent on a flat deck platform with a 3-1/2" riser matched to the tent footprint in the spring of 23 and it just came down today 10/22/24. I did use a China made fly as White Duck does not make them for their bell tents. I also kept the snow swept off when it got to about 6" of accumulation. I reside in N. Michigan and we get substantial snow throughout the winters here yet experienced no damage to the tent. The tent was heated with a wood stove periodically but never cooked in. The major issue we experienced was mold and mildew, what I don't know is if the fly exacerbated the issue or not as it did restrict the peak vents and limited air flow between the two surfaces. Regardless combating the mold has been a struggle, the powdered type tent cleaners advertised took a lot of work/elbow grease and seemed to clean the outside but did absolutely nothing for the interior. I found an Australian company that markets a no scrub concentrated liquid called Canvas Magic and believe me it was magic, mix with water and spray it on and the mold disappears before your eyes, you do have to rinse and mop up the floor to remove the reside but what a game changer. I have spent the better part of the last two months trying to eliminate this issue before I packed the tent away, not leaving it up this winter. The insulated riser made a world of difference, the bottom of the tent was bone dry so she's all packed away and I am so thankful to have that task checked off the list. I apologize for the long winded reply but I thought maybe some of your viewers would appreciate the info.
Well that hurts. May the good Lord watch over you and your family and friends. Peace and Love 😊.
Springbar Classic Jack tents are made overseas. If you want a high quality tent buy a Springbar tent made in the USA. I own a Vagabond model (8’ x 10’). It is very well made.
I'd like to see the inside of the 10 x 10 Bell. I wish Bell would put windows in their tents!
Some brands do. Canvascamp tents being one that does.
Good morning Bob ! I love your channel . 😊
Great video and useful information. Thanks.
Great videos bob..you inspired me to get my first RV. Hi from cork Ireland.
Thanks Bob
I told my psychiatrist that one day I feel like a teepee the next day i feel like a wigwam, he diagnosed my problem and told me I was 2 tents 🏕️⛺
Someone needs to make a underground cave tent. 😱😂
Good job Bob.
In Vegas can't find any tarp or tent that can take the sun and wind. Buying new every year.
Nice review
A native tipi is the best, but the poles are very difficult to transport....
Have you ever tested a Kodiak canvas tent? IT'S Comparable to the Springbar tent.
I like your videos Bob. Thanks. So interesting.
Great test. Extreme test but a great test. Btw, if you’re through with them and looking for one to go to a good home I’ll be glad to adopt one 😀
The wind is no joke in that area. We had the roof on our shed blow off. Ripped the nails on the plywood sheeting right out.
I think I would build a teepee if I had to or wanted to live in anything like a tent. There's is plenty of headroom and I would need it with my arthritic spine. I would use PVC pipe for the poles and modernize the top to keep heat in during the winter and let heat out in the summer.
5/8 concrete form stakes from any diy store would be an improvement. Buy the plastic caps too for vizibility so to dont impale yourself!
I had the canvas bell tent 16' ... 10' tall... it rotted after 6 months in Hawaii.
Man, that spray on preserverer and care for canvas must be different on the islands.
Somethings wrong if your tent rotted Like that. Canvas sails hardly ever rot. Where did you pitch this tent?
Thanks
Would you try a Kodiak cabin tent? Best of both worlds imo.
There use to be a place that repaired canvas items like tents and boat sails in Clearfield Utah, Bryan’s Canvas. There was also one on State Street between Layton and Farmington.
I think the spring bars fell because of the snow load not the wind and when snow melts a bit and turns into ice the ice can be sharp and could tear into the canvas , my Teton sport canvas tent fell down to heavy snow load but has never fell from wind yet and I have had it for three years now and sometimes have it up for a month or two at a time
Springbar suggests their storm fly if you’re leaving it up for long periods. It’s guyed out in several places up high.
Howdy, I live in Clay Springs!
Have you thought about using Earthbags for a permanent structure? Tents are meh especially in AZ.
Hello from Puerto Rico Bob and friends
look at a Tomount 16 ft yourt style tent . 8 sides and windows . holds up well
with it being canvas you could patch that one with an iron on jeans patch
Just curious Bob I just found your videos and helpful for learning things but curious what do you live in how do you live?
The Tipi type tents have been a proven design for many years, the native American nomads, as well as the Sumi people, in Lapland live in them, year around, so the durability and functionality are beyond question. Have wondered if "Dome style" tents might not have the same durability as do the tipi type tents?
Well, didn't blow away 😊
What part of N. Arizona is this or is it ALL of northern Arizona?? From what month to what month is it so windy?
Im curious about the Crua tent, or, Crua Combo.
More neglect by not being there rather than negligence.
You called it.
Is the tents that are used for a circus different?
Maybe that is why the military used bell tents during the Civil War (that’s the War of Northerly Aggression to my brothers from the South).
just get some 2x4 and build a shack
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
their are bell tents that have windows in the lower sidewalls
reminds me of the storey of "Three Little Pigs"
Are there tents with fireplace?
Which type of tents are used for circys
You would want a military tent but they are very heavy and you would need help to set it up but very durable and will last a long time
I have the Kodiak tent but I don't live in the darn thing.
This Is Sept.
I think this video is more of a "poster child" for how to neglect tents for 9 months. 😆 I winter camp in my 10×10 Springbar every year of close to a decade. Most years, it sees some snow or freezing rain. I dry it out completely and store it inside. No problem YET...
Hate to say I told you so Bob! Campers must park their vehicle on the windward side. These tents do not have a flat side for that purpose….poor design. These are not backpacking tents. They should be designed to take advantage of a vehicle as an anchor point and windbreak. When you said they were designed for 60mph wind, I questioned that. 60 is brutal.
Have look at yurts
Can I have the wood stove
Couldn’t I put up one of those plastic backyard sheds up on blm land and take down when I leave? Easy up and down set up??????????
Who leaves 4 empty tents set up over the Winter without being there to check on them? Did you want to destroy them?
I would say asylum seekers...but there is not tons of trash and excrement. And they probably would have lit the tents on fire like they do in San Jose and Oakland.