Bedouin Tent v1.4 Thoughts on the Prototype
I had been playing around with making a bedouin tent, but even I am surprised at just how quickly the idea went from wishful thinking to completed prototype. If not for the sale on canvas painters tarps at a local hardware store, It would not have happened. In less than 4 days I went from ooohh cheap canvas, to seting it up at SYGC
This style of tent must be just about the easiest type of pavilion to make. It is esentialy a giant rectangle with strong bands sewn to corners to held spread the tension load. Walls are not even sewn on, and are just pinned in place.
My bedouin with the walls droped measures ~ 9′x16′. When I make my keeper Bedouin tent I want the depth to be a few feet deeper. more 12′x16′.
My roof beam is a straight piece of reclaimed skid runner that has the ends rounded. I will be making a steam bent beam next time so I can have a slight arch over the whole span of the roof. I am happy with the drilled holes on the beam. It allowed for perfect placement of two of my frosted lanterns.
At night I added a curtain wall inside to give a private sleeping space. The curtain was pinned to the side walls, and tied to the ceter poles.
If I am to to anything else to the tent, I might make a groundcloth so I can place carpets on the ground with out getting them dirty, and the curtain wall should be a nice pattern piece too.
I believe this style of tent is in anyone skill level.
I am building one of these and am so thankful for your site, I was wondering if the bands are sewn 3ft in on both sides of the original 20ft?
Hi Mesha,
If I understand the question correctly, The side bands that run across the depth of the tent are sewn 3ft from the each end of the roof canvas.
Is that what you were asking?
I know they hold up well to the wind in Arabia, have you tested yours in all kinds of weather?
And if so, any further ideas?
Lorraine
I have not tested that Bedouin in High Winds. I would be a little worried about it in those conditions due to the painters tarp being 9ft wide with no seams. Thats a whole lot of stress on a single expanse of cloth. The research I have done seems to point to a woven width on the originals of between 20 -30″ wide. Thats the width of a typical ground loom. That means even on a long & wide expanse of cloth there would be a seam taking some of the load every 2ft give or take. I recently made a Ouled Nail style Bedouin tent using 11-13oz canvas and I cut down the widths to around 34″ wide. I would not worry about the envelope of the new tent in high winds. I might be more worried about having not the right kind of stakes to keep it attached to the ground… but the tent would most likely be fine. There is no good source of information out there on how to build these kind of tents, so it all a bit of a learning curve for me. Hope that helps.
Thank you so much creating this webpage. I live in Missouri (Calontir); a French Bell Wedge that I had been using for 6 years was destroyed in a storm this summer at War of the Lilies. My sewing level is poor at best so the thought of sewing the yards of canvas was quite intimidating. I found your page earlier this week, after finding out that I have a camping event this weekend.
I checked out my local hardware store, found cheap canvas drop cloths that are water repellent and mildew resistant and with the help of a grommet tool I will be in something like this http://www.nwwoodsman.com/Articles/TarpSetUp.html for the weekend. But after this, I will be creating a Bedouin tent.
Thank you again!
i have thoroughly enjoyed reading through this web page about the bedouin tent youve made, i will be making myself and my harem one of these in the next year, but i beleive instead of the canvas i will be using waverly fabrics that are jsut as thick as canvas but will be available in a better selection of designs to lend itself to more of a persian flair about it. i do like the idea of having a nice 12 foot by 40 foot tent gives plenty of room for a walled off privacy room at either end of the tent and an open center for gathering. thankyou for the plans instructions and idea .