Difficulties with two tents on one site in the UK

[Neil Wheadon]

Hi

We have 2 backpacker tents, one for Sarah and I, the other for the children. Pitched a metre apart the footprint is small.
However an increasing number of UK campsites won't allow us on one site claiming that they have one tent per site or that one is a pup tent. In all cases it's more expensive.
Meanwhile next door, a family can pitch a marquee, with north and south wing and be OK.

Is there a solution to this please.
I'm going to try a tarpaulin in the middle. In desperation I might even buy an enormous second hand tent and pitch the fly over the 2 lovely Hillebergs, however that's just plain silly isn't it.

Please no comments about rough campsites are better, I take cycling families on holidays on nice sites with swimming pools etc. What I need here is a practicle solution and no I don't want a Kayan.

Thankyou
Neil

[HP Velo Fan]

Do you mean they won't allow two tents on one pitch or that you are only allowed one tent per family group?

[cycletourer]

I agree with you it is absolutely ridiculous that you couldn't be considered the same as a family with a marquee style tent.

This is only a though!
As you have two Hillebergs how about getting a bit of ripstop nylon from Pennine Outdoor they do a nice green which is very similar to the Hilleberg fabric and hem a rectangular piece that would make a tunnel between the two. If you put a piece of shock cord through the hem down the two long sides and two eyelet holes in each corner to peg it out. Pitch the two tents end on to each other. And it will join the two making it seem like one tent. See this rough sketch.


The only problem could be condensation as you might negate any vent in the rear of the two tents, although you could add one in the side!

Again only a thought!

[andrew_s]

Hilleberg already sell one of those - the Stalon Combi 2 modular tent

[eileithyia]

It will probably be due to H&S and fire regs, that tents have to be pitched a certain distance apart, I noticed it last year at an event, where we normally cram everyone on to a particular area of the campsite, later arrivals had to pitch away from the main rally ground due to too many tents being crammed in.
Previously I have pitched mine and my son's tent entrance to entrance with a groundsheet hoisted up on some extra poles/guy lines, above the gap between the entrance so it gave us a covered "join" area between tents.

I felt, once he hit 13, that we should each have own privacy rather than be sleeping in the same tent hence the 2 tents. However as all our camping is usually via car, have succumbed to the Khayam option in order to have a bit more space and height for wet wether/cooking eating after one particular wet weather week where we were constantly cooking and eating cramped up in a little tent. We now have the equivalent of two tents, with joined area in the middle and get our monies worth on one pitch.

[julk]

+1 for that Hillebrg Stalon Combi. It works well and gives a large covered area for general use.
It does however work out as long as a family 'bungalow' tent for pitching space needed.

[byegad]

Typical 'Job's worth' attitude. As you say on the next pitch will be a Trailer tent with Long Gallery, servant's quarters and swimming pool under canvas, but two one man tents? You gotta buy two tickets mate!

[kevinn123]

camped in the new forest at the weekend - I'm sure the rules said you had to leave 6m space between tents - due to fire safety

Makes it an expensive weekend if you need to pay for 2 pitches

[Neil Wheadon]

Thanks for the replies so far.
The shock cord sketch is a good one. Only hassle is the 2 tents are a different height and also I'm not sure how stable it would be in strong winds.
Certainly an option though, thanks for the good suggestion.

Is it due to fire regulations? I don't think so, as you can define one as a pup tent (no cooking allowed) The 6 foot gap on some sites is to do with fire control.

Other excuses offered by sites have been
a) The children are unsupervised in the other tent. (What's the difference in a Khyam? where there is a vestible in the middle)
b) We can't trust people when they say they have 2 small tents. This is human nature I'm afraid and there may be families trying to get 2 monster tents on the same site.
c) Fire regulations (see above)

I'd rather not buy another helliberg.
Interesting that one family has gone for the bigger tent.

What have other families done and if you are a local CTC group camping do you just avoid these sites. Interestingly it's no hassle in the EU.

Cheers
Neil