Storm Force Camping!
Discussion
Back tonight from 2 days in Bournemouth Hilton. We quit our Swanage coastal campsite on Monday evening as the predicted 65+mph force 9+ gales rolled in off the Channel. Previous 4 days of 40mph winds were okay in our 6 person tent, aside the hook up lights recreating disco inferno constantly swinging round.
The question is ... were we sensible to quit, or wimps for not seeing it through? Genuinely interested in people’s tent safety limits and experience.
The question is ... were we sensible to quit, or wimps for not seeing it through? Genuinely interested in people’s tent safety limits and experience.
It was pretty brutal, we’re staying in Selsey in our caravan and we were getting tossed about like severe airplane turbulence.
At least a dozen tenters near us gave up on night 2 and went home which was the wise thing to do.
I was amazed at the number of people that went out for the day yesterday instead of watching their tents/awnings.
We counted 11 pitches where people’s tents/awnings were destroyed, ripped or flapping about.
At least a dozen tenters near us gave up on night 2 and went home which was the wise thing to do.
I was amazed at the number of people that went out for the day yesterday instead of watching their tents/awnings.
We counted 11 pitches where people’s tents/awnings were destroyed, ripped or flapping about.
Any fool can be uncomfortable! depending what gear you've got you were probably quite sensible! we quit a site Sunday near Weymouth because of the forecast. The tent we were using was ok but I didn't trust how robust it would be in a storm. Not much fun if your tent comes down and you get soaked or worse in the middle of the night. Had my little one with me so we came home and had a nice day out on Monday.
Been seriously considering a better tent as my little one loves camping trips, but I still recon even a good canvas tent would still be miserable in s
tty weather.
Been seriously considering a better tent as my little one loves camping trips, but I still recon even a good canvas tent would still be miserable in s
tty weather.MonkeyMatt said:
...... Been seriously considering a better tent as my little one loves camping trips, but I still recon even a good canvas tent would still be miserable in stty weather.
Usual online bargains everywhere again for tents ATM, but all Eurohike’esque plastic. I was really impressed by my six sleeper, but think force 7/8 the maximum. Canvas will always be more durable and robust in strong winds, but the thought of drying it out and messing around with groundsheets all the time takes it off my shopping list. tty weather.Around this time last year we were a few hundred yards from the coast in St Ives when the weather came in. (The same wind that cancelled the Boardmasters festival in Newquay).
We were due to move up the coast to a second site so just packed up a night early and checked into a Premier Inn on the way.
Was actually really nice to have a good meal, a beer, a hot shower and a good nights sleep in a nice big bed, rather than laying awake in case the tent flew away.
If the tent had been damaged it would have cost us the 2nd week of our holiday.
We were due to move up the coast to a second site so just packed up a night early and checked into a Premier Inn on the way.
Was actually really nice to have a good meal, a beer, a hot shower and a good nights sleep in a nice big bed, rather than laying awake in case the tent flew away.
If the tent had been damaged it would have cost us the 2nd week of our holiday.
If you have the option of not sleeping under canvas in a storm it's probably a good idea to avoid it.
We've had at least two very strong wind experiences in our tents, both of which were fine.
The first was in a Hilleberg Keron 4 GT near the sea in Australia. The tent was fine but the bigger problem (or how it felt from inside) was that it was being hit by sand and bits of vegetation.
Second a few weeks ago was in a mountain storm in a Hilleberg Nallo.
Both tents are low tunnel tents and in both situations I could pitch the tent so the wind wasn't side-on. With the Nallo I foolishly pitched it with the opening facing the wind and had a minor issue with water getting in through the zips though it was not much (just a damp rucksack the next morning). Given Hilleberg are selling to those making much tougher expeditions than we do there are explanation videos on their site on how to use the tents in storms.
We have a family tent which is much taller and I wouldn't want to be in a storm in that. I also wouldn't feel so comfortable on a normal campsite where you are given a pitch and can't place the tent with such flexibility.
From my experience the biggest perceived risk is being hit by something like a branch. We had a tent (another Hilleberg) ripped a few years ago like this and whilst it was possible to get it repaired I wouldn't have wanted to be sheltering from a storm with a tear.
We've had at least two very strong wind experiences in our tents, both of which were fine.
The first was in a Hilleberg Keron 4 GT near the sea in Australia. The tent was fine but the bigger problem (or how it felt from inside) was that it was being hit by sand and bits of vegetation.
Second a few weeks ago was in a mountain storm in a Hilleberg Nallo.
Both tents are low tunnel tents and in both situations I could pitch the tent so the wind wasn't side-on. With the Nallo I foolishly pitched it with the opening facing the wind and had a minor issue with water getting in through the zips though it was not much (just a damp rucksack the next morning). Given Hilleberg are selling to those making much tougher expeditions than we do there are explanation videos on their site on how to use the tents in storms.
We have a family tent which is much taller and I wouldn't want to be in a storm in that. I also wouldn't feel so comfortable on a normal campsite where you are given a pitch and can't place the tent with such flexibility.
From my experience the biggest perceived risk is being hit by something like a branch. We had a tent (another Hilleberg) ripped a few years ago like this and whilst it was possible to get it repaired I wouldn't have wanted to be sheltering from a storm with a tear.
We have weathered a gale in a tent when we were staying in a site near Lymington. However we had a fairly heavy Outwell tent and zip attaching the canopy broke, but the instructions did say don’t have it up in bad weather!
When we looked out in the morning everyone who had a cheap tent was busy packing up and throwing them in the bin. The expensive well known brands had broadly survived.
Whether you stay or whether you go is a personal decision which will depend on the advice from site management, how protected the site is, how long you have left of your holiday and your trust in the tent to stay up.
The fibreglass poles are remarkably strong but you don’t want to be in a tent which has become a parrelogram with the roof about 2ft off the floor as it’s blowing hard and poles have flexed that much.
When we looked out in the morning everyone who had a cheap tent was busy packing up and throwing them in the bin. The expensive well known brands had broadly survived.
Whether you stay or whether you go is a personal decision which will depend on the advice from site management, how protected the site is, how long you have left of your holiday and your trust in the tent to stay up.
The fibreglass poles are remarkably strong but you don’t want to be in a tent which has become a parrelogram with the roof about 2ft off the floor as it’s blowing hard and poles have flexed that much.
We're having our last night of 6 tonight near Lyme Regis in a tent. Not sure how strong the wind was earlier this week but it wasn't much fun coupled with heavy rain. Our kids, (youngest 2 and oldest 9) all slept through it!! Was quite scary but was impressed with the performance of our relatively inexpensive 6 man coleman. A lot of people left early today as they couldn't face packing up in the rain tomorrow. We shall see what it's like!
We were down near Penzance in a fairly large 5 berth Vango last week. 50mph winds at the time. Our tent was doing ok, then someone's gazebo made a bid for freedom through our roof at about 4am. Put a tarp over it, then some temporary fabric repair.
It seemed to be holding up in the afternoon, but with forecasts gusting 60mph+ overnight I thought I'd rather get it all down in a controlled manner, with the tent still repairable, than in a panic with the tent wrecked.
In answer to the OP - I think you did the right thing. Better to be warm and safe wondering if you were over cautious, then in a field in a storm realising you weren't...
It seemed to be holding up in the afternoon, but with forecasts gusting 60mph+ overnight I thought I'd rather get it all down in a controlled manner, with the tent still repairable, than in a panic with the tent wrecked.
In answer to the OP - I think you did the right thing. Better to be warm and safe wondering if you were over cautious, then in a field in a storm realising you weren't...
Mave said:
We were down near Penzance in a fairly large 5 berth Vango last week. 50mph winds at the time. Our tent was doing ok, then someone's gazebo made a bid for freedom through our roof at about 4am. Put a tarp over it, then some temporary fabric repair.
It seemed to be holding up in the afternoon, but with forecasts gusting 60mph+ overnight I thought I'd rather get it all down in a controlled manner, with the tent still repairable, than in a panic with the tent wrecked.
In answer to the OP - I think you did the right thing. Better to be warm and safe wondering if you were over cautious, then in a field in a storm realising you weren't...
My thoughts entirely Mave ... I’m a little bit camping-wiser tonight! Glad it worked out for you and others It seemed to be holding up in the afternoon, but with forecasts gusting 60mph+ overnight I thought I'd rather get it all down in a controlled manner, with the tent still repairable, than in a panic with the tent wrecked.
In answer to the OP - I think you did the right thing. Better to be warm and safe wondering if you were over cautious, then in a field in a storm realising you weren't...
I have memories of being aged 8, in 1975, on a campsite near Losimouth, Scotland, and my dad parking his avenger very close to the frame tent, and attaching extra ropes around the tent ready for stormy night.
In the morning 2 of the steel tent frame had to be hammered back to the right shape.
These poles wouldn't look out of place on the chassis of a space framed racing car.
In the morning 2 of the steel tent frame had to be hammered back to the right shape.
These poles wouldn't look out of place on the chassis of a space framed racing car.
After many happy times with the family camping years ago our last tent camping was right on the coast at Port Eynon which was superb until the storm that hit Boscastle decided to pay us a visit after. The worst scary night ever holding poles down, trying to protect the tent with the car and wind breaks. We were one of only about 2 or 3 tents still up in the morning. After that the missus let me buy my VW camper which at least gave us peace of mind when the weather got nasty. OP you made the right choice, a bad experience could have put you off camping for ever but when the weathers good, it's great fun !
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