Cycling UK Forum

Anyone know where to get camping spares - namely a new tent bag as my previous one is a bit worn out and leaks. Plus I need some of those little stretchy loop things that you use to peg the flysheet down. I guess I could use cable ties in an emergency but they don't stretch so would probably just snap in the wind.

It's a small Vango tent. I did try campingspares and got an indentical bag off Ebay. But it's rubbish - instead of being a tube or cylinder the drawstring is on the side (it is a genuine vango part btw).

Or anything else that will make do? Some sort of drysack that will take a small Vango tent.

a) find a shop that does Vango spares. They exist, honest.
b) try a big outlet that does their own brand stuff and spares. They are all much the same. Vangos are not unique.
c) Knock up a bag from another or an anorak sleeve
d buy bungy cord off the reel or even cut up Pound shop bungees.

The drawstring on the side is Vango's way of doing things now. It makes quite a lot of sense. The bag mouth is now easily wide enough to stuff the tent in but everything can then be cinched down.

Pegging points - buy some bungee cord from a DIY store, then cut it to length leaving enough spare that you can knot it. Ta-dah!

We use drybags for the tent anyway - if packing it away wet put the fly in a drybag on it's own and nothing else in the pannier gets wet. And it is much easier to pack if the poles/pegs are separate.

Aliexpress can be a handy place for these kinds of things - so long as you're not in a hurry.

Always look at the quantities ordered to make sure you're getting a decent supplier.

I'm not sure I quite understand. This Vango bag looks like a standard tent bag, but I guess it's what you bought? I've bought Terra Nova ones previously for Scout three-person tents, but ours are not the smallest. Bags and Covers Direct offer to make to order (never tried them). EBay ones are mostly a bit big I think.

For the rubbers, most camping shops have them.

drossall wrote:I'm not sure I quite understand. This Vango bag looks like a standard tent bag, but I guess it's what you bought? I've bought Terra Nova ones previously for Scout three-person tents, but ours are not the smallest. Bags and Covers Direct offer to make to order (never tried them). EBay ones are mostly a bit big I think.

For the rubbers, most camping shops have them.

Yes that's the one. The drawstring as you can see is on the side rather than the end so it opens up sideways.
Don't like it.

robing wrote:Yes that's the one. The drawstring as you can see is on the side rather than the end so it opens up sideways.
Don't like it.

The tent is squeezed neatly and tightly into the old style bag at the factory. All neat and nice - until you come to pack it away yourself and you cannot get the sausage back into its skin. The side opening tent bag isn't as neat but it's much more practical IMV. I wish they did the same for sleeping bags!

robing wrote:Anyone know where to get camping spares - namely a new tent bag as my previous one is a bit worn out and leaks. Plus I need some of those little stretchy loop things that you use to peg the flysheet down..

If you want a good UK supplier of lengths of bungee cord in various widths and colours, and various bungee fittings, from which you can fashion all sorts of fixes, I can recommend these folks.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/massiveattac ... 1543.l2754

If 3mm thickness will do and you are prepared to wait four weeks or so, there is this stuff:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/3mm-Strong-E ... 2749.l2649

horizon wrote:

robing wrote:Yes that's the one. The drawstring as you can see is on the side rather than the end so it opens up sideways.
Don't like it.

The tent is squeezed neatly and tightly into the old style bag at the factory. All neat and nice - until you come to pack it away yourself and you cannot get the sausage back into its skin. The side opening tent bag isn't as neat but it's much more practical IMV. I wish they did the same for sleeping bags!

Afraid I have to disagree with you horizon - I have a few vango product that come in those "easy access bags" - I think they are a cop out - easier and cheaper to make I suspect - fine for car campers but for lashing to the top of a bike rack I want something that I can be confident will remain totally enclosing the tent - I don't want bungees rubbing against any part of the tent.

OP, I would I think invest in an ortlieb dry bag in the midweight 350 material. If you have more than one tent (but will of course only be using one at a time) one ortlieb dry bag will do for several. If you keep the outer and inner separate, two 13L ones might sort you. Folk have been rolling up tents and getting them into bags for a long time - it's good for the soul

You could trawl through these folk for something:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/m.html?_odkw ... acat=16034

though wouldn't be as tough as an ortlieb 350.


Of course if car camping you can do what I've done a few times of a morn in a wet welsh campsite - just throw the whole unpacked tent in the back of a hatchback and drive off

+1 for what Sweep says, though I'd also recommend taking a look at the Alpkit Airlok Xtra range of stuff bags here:
https://www.alpkit.com
Perhaps not as robust as those really heavy duty Ortlieb stuff but I've found them to be a serviceable and much cheaper option with the added advantage of those welded-on attachment points which make for very secure & neat strap mounting to the top of a rear rack.

robing wrote:Anyone know where to get camping spares - namely a new tent bag as my previous one is a bit worn out and leaks. Plus I need some of those little stretchy loop things that you use to peg the flysheet down. I guess I could use cable ties in an emergency but they don't stretch so would probably just snap in the wind.

It's a small Vango tent. I did try campingspares and got an indentical bag off Ebay. But it's rubbish - instead of being a tube or cylinder the drawstring is on the side (it is a genuine vango part btw).

Or anything else that will make do? Some sort of drysack that will take a small Vango tent.

Drysacks are very easy to make with a sewing machine and some 4oz PU-coated ripstop nylon. Or you can get them from any half-decent camping shop, I'm sure there's a Cotswolds nearby?

The peg loops can be made with bungee cord (can be bought anywhere), I'd say 4-5mm size; or get some very strong elastic bands and replace when needed.

Gattonero wrote:
Drysacks are very easy to make with a sewing machine and some 4oz PU-coated ripstop nylon.

For someone with your talents and background gatto no doubt but I fear not the rest of us

all the best

Sweep wrote:

Gattonero wrote:
Drysacks are very easy to make with a sewing machine and some 4oz PU-coated ripstop nylon.

For someone with your talents and background gatto no doubt but I fear not the rest of us

all the best

I don't have real sewing skills, it's litterally about making for lines of stitching

Gattonero wrote:Drysacks are very easy to make with a sewing machine and some 4oz PU-coated ripstop nylon

What do you do about sealing the seams?
After all, a drysack that leaks is no better than a stuff sack.