FAQ

Assembling and taking down a Psyclone Tent is easy!

1. UNPACK AND UNROLL YOUR TENT
   Unpack the bell tent onto a flat surface and roll it out, spreading the floor evenly. Find the door and rotate the groundsheet so it’s facing the desired direction; we always recommend placing the door at the lowest point, facing downhill as to avoid drink spillage and flooding out your sleeping area.
2. PEG THE GROUNDSHEET
   Take out the tent pegs. Pull the groundsheet tight and zip shut the door. Using a hammer or mallet, hammer in the pegs around the base of the tent. Be sure to place each peg through their loop on the tent before hammering. We highly recommend pegging out either side of the entrance first, then the opposite pegs at the back of the tent. Then work your way around the tent pegging the opposite sides and adjusting for even tension – similar to changing a car tyre.
3. INSTALL THE CENTRE POLE
   Bring the ONE straight pole through the door, stepping into the centre of the tent. Be sure to place the top of the pole in the reinforced centre section of the roof of the tent. Find the centre of the cone and push the pole and tent up until it is standing straight and vertical. Be sure to place the rubber ends on both ends of the centre pole to avoid ripping the canvas.
4. INSTALL THE A-FRAME IN THE DOOR
   Next, slide the A-frame pole into the door frame, making sure that the spike at the tip of the A-frame is inserted into the eyelet hole in the top/centre of the door and the two legs go into the loops on the inside of the tent. On the inside of the tent there are two ties either side of the door that should be tied around the A-frame pole to secure it.
5. TIE AND PEG OUT THE GUY ROPES
   Move to the outside of the tent and zip the door shut. Take the guy ropes out of their bag (if setting up your tent for the first time). Making sure your knots are secure and do not utilise too much of the rope – tie on the first longer guy rope above the front door and peg it into the ground. Please note this rope is an integral part of keeping your tent safe as the canvas may be damaged by the A-frame in strong winds if not secured properly. Tie the rest of the guy ropes around the whole tent and peg them in, one at a time.
6. ADJUST THE GUY ROPES
   Once all the pegs are in, adjust the guy ropes to create the desired tension. We recommend tightening the front/centre guy ropes first. Then go around and peg and tighten each guy rope accordingly.

Job done! Don’t forget to deck it out with your personal touches and you’ll be camping with style! 🙂

For details instructions on how to set up your Psyclone Tent, download our step-by-step instructions here or visit our videos page for instructional videos.

Take the guy ropes out of their bag (if setting up your tent for the first time). Making sure your knots are secure and do not utilise too much of the rope – tie on the first longer guy rope above the front door and peg it into the ground. Please note this rope is an integral part of keeping your tent safe as the canvas may be damaged by the A-frame in strong winds if not secured properly. Tie the rest of the guy ropes around the whole tent and peg them in, one at a time.

Once all the pegs are in, adjust the guy ropes to create the desired tension. We recommend tightening the front/centre guy ropes first. Then go around and peg and tighten each guy rope accordingly.

All of the guy ropes need to follow the lines of the seams in the roof. Adjust the guy rope tensioners so you have approx 50cm of loop to the peg – this allows for adjustment in both directions.

It is important to make sure the bell tent stays symmetrical and that the tension is evenly spread. By doing it this way – and following the seam lines – your bell tent will look perfect and will not have any creases.

If the door seems too tight to close, adjust the two guy ropes on either side of the door to relieve some tension.

For details instructions on how to set up your Psyclone Tent, download our step-by-step instructions here or visit our videos page for instructional videos.

Here are some tips on packing up your bell tent after use. As stated on the Care Tips, it is VITAL that your bell tent is stored bone dry otherwise it will get attacked by mould. It’s fine to take it down slightly damp, however you MUST ensure you hang it up to dry within 24 hours. You don’t have to set the tent up again, just hang it on a washing line from the centre hanging loop. Basically, it just needs some air. Please also read the Cleaning and Care Tips.

1. Take all the poles and pegs out of the tent whilst keeping the canvas upper off the grass – then without standing on the canvas, fold half of the tent over so you have a half moon or taco shape, canvas to canvas, with the groundsheet facing up.
2. Let that half of the groundsheet dry out and you might want to wipe off any mud. If it’s not a dry day you’ll need to dry the tent out when you get home. The idea is that you always have canvas touching canvas and floor touching floor so even if the tent is wet you avoid stains. Once the condensation has dried off, you need to flip the half moon over so the other half of the groundsheet can also dry out. We find it is a good idea to move the tent off its original spot to avoid putting the condensation back onto the first half.
3. Once the tent is dry, fold the half moon over on itself again, so that you end up with a strip the width of the tent bag. The best way to do this is to put the bag at the top of the tent and use it as a template to get the right width.
4. Now fold the strip in half and place the pole bag and peg bag at one end. Roll the whole thing into a tight bundle using the ties to secure the tent as a roll. Next, lift one end and slip the bag over the tent. Bingo – you’re done!

For details instructions on how to set up your Psyclone Tent, download our step-by-step instructions here or visit our videos page for instructional videos.

If it’s a hot day, there is nothing better than rolling the walls up and letting the breeze in. If you have a bell tent with a removable floor, you can roll up the whole tent or just a section. Simply unzip the section you want up, roll the wall up from the inside and tie using the strings provided. We usually use a slip knot (loop through loop) to save time and effort when it’s time to roll them back down again.

For details instructions on how to set up your Psyclone Tent, download our step-by-step instructions here or visit our videos page for instructional videos.

Modern good quality canvas is made from a blend of both cotton and polyester to get the benefits of both. The yarn or thread used to weave these canvas fabrics consists of naturally short cotton fibres which have been ‘blended’ together with short lengths of polyester then spun together as a continuous thread or yarn. (Polyester filament is produced in a continuous length, which is then chopped into short lengths before the blend process). The modern good quality external canvas provides good water repellent/proof properties, good wear and strength properties, is treated to resist both UV and mould, and has a long lasting colour dye that is not only a good surface colour but penetrates the material.

We have worked hard to ensure that our tents are manufactured with the highest quality materials to withstand outdoor use through all environmental conditions. If treated properly, these tents will last much longer than the standard camping tent.

The tent material is 340gsm polyester cotton canvas blend and is treated to be fire retardant and for mould resistance.

The floor is heavy duty 520gsm PVC.

All tents come with fly screen doors and windows, plus a loop at the top to hang and dry them before packing away for long periods of time.

Our tents also have extra-strengthened points around the door and roof.

Our bell tents comes in four different sizes, measured by diameter:
3 metres
4 metres
5 metres
6 metres

Centre Pole Height:
3 metre tent = 2 metres high
4 metre tent = 2.5 metres high
5 metre tent = 3 metres high
6 metre tent = 3.5 metres high

Weight:
3 metre tent = 20 kgs (approx)
4 metre tent = 28.5 kgs (approx)
5 metre tent = 36.5 kgs (approx)
6 metre tent = 60 kgs (approx)

Both our canopies are ‘one size fits all.’
They will fit your 3m, 4m, 5m and 6m bell tent.
Standard canopy dimensions = 3.6m x 2.4m (one non-adjustable pole)
Adjustable canopy dimensions = 1.6m x 4m (two adjustable poles)

Our bell tents come in four different sizes and three different styles. You can mix and match the 3m, 4m and 5m with the style of your choice. The 6m bell tent comes in one style only, which is a removable floor with two doors. All of our tents have fly screen doors, air vents and windows (with mosquito mesh).

Styles:

• Fixed Floor: This is our Standard option. This style has a fully attached floor and includes large windows that zip down around the base (with mosquito mesh).
• Fixed Floor with Extra Windows: This style has the fully attached floor and also includes extra zip-down windows (with mosquito mesh) for increased airflow.
• Removable Floor: This style has a zip-off floor, which is fantastic on those hot summer nights. The zipper runs around the entire floor and gives you the option of rolling up the side walls. This tent also has windows (with mosquito mesh).

Each tent comes complete with canvas carry bags, all pegs, poles and ropes.

Ropes
3 metre tents = 1 x 4m rope & 9 x 3m ropes
4 metre tents = 1 x 4m rope & 12 x 2m ropes
5 metre tents = 1 x 4m rope & 13 x 2m ropes
6 metre tents = 2 x 4m ropes & 14 x 2m ropes

Pegs
3 metre tents = 20 pegs
4 metre tents = 26 pegs
5 metre tents = 28 pegs
6 metre tents = 32 pegs

YES! 🙂 All of our tents have windows. There is the option to pay for ‘Extra Windows.’ That means there is a window on each panel around the tent.

How many windows are there?

3m Fixed Floor = 4 windows
3m Removable Floor = 4 windows
3m Fixed Floor + Extra Windows = 6 windows

4m Fixed Floor = 4 windows
4m Removable Floor = 4 windows
4m Fixed Floor + Extra Windows = 9 windows

5m Fixed Floor = 4 windows
5m Removable Floor = 4 windows
5m Fixed Floor + Extra Windows = 10 windows

6m Removable Floor = 4 windows (two doors)

Tuareg Tent = 4 windows (two doors)

Emperor Tent = 6 windows (two doors)

Yes! We have tried and tested our Psyclone Tents in many different weather conditions. Even during heavy showers, the inside stays dry as a bone! Psyclone Tents are fully waterproof and have been treated for UV and mould resistance. We highly recommend using stimex waterproofing spray or liquid (see the Storage instructions below) yearly in order to maintain the high quality of your tent.

Our tents come with a 12-month guarantee on workmanship (excludes zips, pegs and poles).

The lifespan of your bell tent is very dependent upon the camping conditions and the way you look after it. Air pollution, ultraviolet radiation, natural and domestic dirt, all limit the lifespan of your cotton canvas bell tent. In short, if you look after your tent it will look after you for many years of happy camping. Refer to Cleaning tips below for more info on how to care for your tent.

• A new canvas tent needs to be ‘weathered’, meaning it must be wet down thoroughly and allowed to air dry a couple of times to both SHRINK the canvas and tighten the canvas around the stitch holes. The primary reason is to shrink it tight at the needle hole locations (This weathering in addition to a good quality poly/cotton thread being used should stop the leaking as the cotton in the thread itself should swell when wet). The canvas may shrink anywhere up to 2 – 6% in the warp direction depending on the type of canvas used. By letting the canvas expand and shrink, this is the final part to waterproofing your tent for many years to come.
• Best method is to put your tent up (take out the mattress) and let it get a thoroughly good soaking from the rain a few times. Other way is to thoroughly soak it through with a hose (from a soft spray, not a forced spray) a couple of times.
• Don’t wait until you are out camping and waiting for your first rain to get it weathered because, as there is a chance it could leak through the stitch holes when it gets wet for the first time. If you want to be extra sure you can apply a waterproofing spray to the seams after weathering your tent. These sprays are available from our website.
• Over a number of years the canvas material itself will lose its waterproofing. This will be evident by wet patches on the canvas remaining after rain, the underside of the canvas getting wet and a general dry/dusty feel of the canvas. UV protection will diminish over the years, however reproofing will not restore this.
• You can buy good quality canvas waterproofer from our website. We highly recommend Stimex waterproofing spray and liquid. This should be a very thin consistency such that when applied it will soak right into the material between the weave and into the material itself. Follow the dilution instructions on the liquid bottle. (What you don’t want is a thick liquid that applies like a surface paint).
• Before reproofing, remove dirt as much as possible. The reproofing treatment will ‘seal’ in any remaining dirt. Also treat and kill any mould before reproofing.

Storage of your Psyclone Tent is paramount! Never store it wet or damp.

The canvas has been treated with for mould resistance, but this will not be effective if your Psyclone Tent is not stored dry. Sometimes you will have no choice but to bring home a damp tent, so we at Psyclone have made drying your tent easy because Psyclone tents are the ONLY bell tent on the market with a hanging loop at the very top exterior – perfect for hanging it from a clothesline or even in your garage.

PLEASE PLEASE … NEVER store a wet tent away for longer than 24 HOURS otherwise mould may grow.

After using your Psyclone Tent for long periods of time, it is advisable to wash the tent with warm soapy water, then re-apply silicone spray as per the above ‘Weathering’ instructions.

Cleaning Tips:

1. It is in your best interest to keep the canvas as clean as possible and remove stains when they first appear.
2. When dealing with fungus, use a soft brush or sponge and a lot of fresh water and vinegar – and then a waterproofing agent such as Stimex is applied if necessary.
3. Dust and dried mud is better wiped away with a soft brush before a cleaning agent – and then waterproofing agent is applied if necessary.
4. Only use specialised tent cleaning products to remove difficult stains as other domestic chemical products can cause the cotton to degrade. We recommend Stimex Tent Cleaner
5. If using your bell tent frequently, for long periods of time or in humid conditions we recommend a waterproofing treatment such as Stimex to be applied once tent is weathered in.
6. If using your bell tent frequently, or for long periods of time, a cleaning and waterproofing treatment may be applied more frequently.

Although caring for your bell tent is extremely easy, general maintenance is necessary to keep your tent looking tip-top and to prolong the lifespan of the canvas.

HOW TO DEAL WITH MOULD ON YOUR BELL TENT

If your bell tent or canopy has gotten wet, you must dry it out as soon as possible! Otherwise there is a strong chance that mould will develop on the canvas, which can be damaging to the tent.

Mould can eventually rot your canvas and is also associated with respiratory infections, allergies and can worsen asthma. It is extremely important to remove any mould not only to avoid health problems, but to avoid the cost of replacing your bell tent.

We do not recommend commercially available mould removers, as they can be detrimental to the waterproofing, colouring and UV inhibitors, which are impregnated into your canvas. We also suggest you don’t use harsh detergents, bleach or pressure washers for the same reasons.

Here is our recommendation for dealing with mould:

• Set up your bell tent or hang it by the attached loop at the top, preferably in the sun. Open the window flaps and door for maximum ventilation. Leave the bell tent out to completely dry the canvas. This may take hours or days.

• When the tent is completely dry, brush the mould spores off the canvas with a stiff bristle brush.

• Vacuum the canvas to remove any remaining spores.

• Kill the mould with a mixture of one-part white vinegar to ten-parts water.

• Apply the above solution with a rag, soft broom or brush.

• Allow the canvas to dry completely before packing up.

PLEASE NOTE! DO NOT USE HARSH DETERGENTS, BLEACH OR PRESSURE WASHER TO CLEAN THE CANVAS.

Click to read more on our blog: Mould on your bell tent – How to prevent it or get rid of it.

Some more solutions that we have heard about over the years are..

• Put 1 kilogram of non-iodised cooking salt into a 9 litre bucket of water
• Stir with your hands until it dissolves
• Put the mouldy item of clothing into the solution and soak overnight
• Take the soaking wet item and hang it on the clothes line to slowly dry
• The slower it dries the better — as the salt crystals reform, they expand in the fibres, pulling the mould out
• When it’s dry, brush off the mould.

When dealing with a tent this option doesn’t always work so..

• Dip a broom into the salt solution above and slather over the surface
• Wait for it to dry then brush off.

Other options include..

• A solution of 3 parts vinegar and 2 parts water
• A solution of 70 per cent methylated spirits and 30 per cent water
• A solution of tea tree oil and water

• Be aware of trees. Often people want to set their tents up in the shade, but many trees drop sap and pollen over time. This can lead to stains on the tent and increased chances of mould occurring.
• If you intend on setting your tent up for long periods of time we recommend re-proofing the tent straight after weathering in the canvas. Although the tent is already treated to be waterproof this will add an extra layer, post-weathering, that will prolong the life of the tent and give it increased resistance to mould.

To protect and maintain your zips it is a good idea to also treat them with a silicone spray every so often. Silicone Sprays for zips are commonly available from most hardware stores.

Remember to always peg your tent out with the door and floor zips fastened.

If the zip seems to be strained when you erect your tent, adjust the tension on the guy ropes or adjust the positioning of the wall loops in the ground to find out which adjustment helps the zip to function better.

Accidents do happen and tents can get wounded in the process. The components used in your Psyclone Tent have been selected for their durability and easy maintenance. You may be surprised by the level of repair you can achieve on your own. However if you feel that the repair is beyond your capabilities then please do contact us at Psyclone Tents and we will be happy to help.

We work closely with canvas repair companies based in Australia. So if you live in Melbourne or Sydney, we highly recommend contacting one of the following trusted companies for repairs:

Four Seasons Canvas Products Melbourne
15 Sheldon Place
West Sunshine VIC 3020
0393633978
0415329325

EH Brett Melbourne
84 Parsons St
Kensington VIC 3031
03 9376 0409
melbourne@ehbrett.com.au
www.ehbrett.com.au

EH Brett Melbourne Sydney
2/4 Cunningham St
Moorebank NSW 2170
02 9601 1800
info@ehbrett.com.au
www.ehbrett.com.au

P.S – Tell them Psyclone Tents sent you and they will look after you.

If you have a small tear or puncture in the canvas or PVC base that you would like to repair, we also sell Tear-Aid Repair Kits through our online shop.

Yes we do. We sell replacement pole sets, replacement guy rope sets and replacement rubber stoppers for the ends of the centre pole. View our spare parts here.

We understand that many event planners are looking to hire bell tents – and we agree that this is a fabulous way to create a unique experience! At this time, our main focus is on bell tent sales due to increased demand. However, we are open to reviewing proposals for tent hire. Feel free to send your request via our contact form.

Yes, Psyclone Tents are available for bulk or wholesale order. We have provided customised, branded tents (with personal logo) at wholesale rates to events and companies from around the world. Feel free to contact us to discuss your business ideas.

Yes, we do sell second hand tents at a discounted rate. Often times, these tents have only been used once or twice (at a festival or event) and are in great condition. Contact us asap to inquire about our ex-hire stock.

We accept payment via credit card, PayPal, bank transfer, Afterpay and Zip Pay on our website.

If you choose the pick up option, you can pay via any of the above methods or via cash or EFTPOS in person upon collection from our warehouse in Coburg North, VIC.

We also accept Bitcoin, email us for more info.

Yes we do! Just select Afterpay or Zip Pay as your payment method during checkout. Then login to your Afterpay or Zip Pay account to process the payment.

Afterpay offers interest free payment plans for your online purchases. You buy what you want today, receive your order just as normal and pay it off in four equal, interest free fortnightly instalments.

** Please note that Afterpay has a limit of $2,000 AUD per transaction.

Payment will be automatically taken from your debit or credit card in four equal payments each fortnight over eight weeks.

Afterpay – What do you need

1. To be over 18 years of age
2. An Australian residential address
3. An Australian credit or debit card to make the purchase

If you’d like to read more, visit the Afterpay website here for a comprehensive list of FAQs.

If you have any queries about your Afterpay account, please contact them directly at info@afterpay.com.au or call 1300 100 279.

Zip Pay offers interest free payment plans for your online purchases. You buy what you want today, receive your order just as normal and pay it off in four equal, interest free instalments. Schedule payments weekly, fortnightly or monthly. Minimum $40 per month.

Zip Pay – What do you need

1. To be over 18 years of age
2. An Australian residential address
3. A valid Facebook or PayPal account
4. An Australian debit card

Ready to start using Zip Pay? Visit our shop now to see what’s in store.

If you’d like to read more, visit the Zip Pay website here for a comprehensive list of FAQs.

If you have any queries about your Zip Pay account, please contact them directly at hello@care.zip.co or call (02) 8294 2345.

Most other providers hide their shipping costs in the cost of the products while advertising ‘Free Shipping’. We feel it is more transparent and fair to show the cost of the tent and the shipping separately.

Customers in Australia
For orders within Australia, we use various courier providers depending on your location. We always choose the lowest courier quote available. For all orders we will provide a tracking number.

International Orders
We also ship worldwide. For orders outside of Australia, please contact us directly for an international shipping quote.

Local Pickup
Our warehouse/showroom is located in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia in the suburb of Coburg North – approximately 15 kms north of the city. If you live locally, you can pick up your bell tent for no added cost. Our warehouse hours are by appointment only. Please contact us to make an appointment. We have EFTPOS facilities available at the warehouse.

YES! Our warehouse/showroom is based in Coburg North, in the northern suburbs of Melbourne, Victoria Australia. If you select ‘Melbourne pickup’ at the checkout page on our website, you can arrange to pick up your tent free of charge. We also have EFTPOS facilities at the warehouse.

We will be in touch to arrange a convenient time for one of our team members. Our warehouse is open by appointment only, so you do have to organise the time in advance.

We’re always open to discussing media and promotional partnerships.

Please contact us at with your ideas: media@psyclonetents.com or via the Contact form.

Our warehouse is located in the Melbourne northern suburb of Coburg North, Victoria, Australia. If you live locally, you can pick up your bell tent with no added cost. Our warehouse hours are by appointment only, but our times are flexible.

If you have any further questions, please feel free to contact us at:

info@psyclonetents.com or via the Contact form here.

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