[CR]Vintage cotton tents for cyclecamping

(Example: Component Manufacturers:Ideale)

From: "Neil Foddering" <neilfoddering@hotmail.com>
To: Rendezvous Classic <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
Date: Fri, 28 Nov 2008 22:36:06 +0000
Subject: [CR]Vintage cotton tents for cyclecamping

I've been invited by a couple of my pals to join them next June on a "coast to coast" ride from Lowestoft on the east coast of England to the western Welsh coast. The ride will be about 350 miles, and the intention is to d o it on 1930's tourers over 7 days, camping at night. Each of us has a 3 0's Evans (or will have - mine is away being enamelled), and the plan is to use natural fibre clothing, in line with the period, period bike lug gage and accessories, rain gear, camping equipment and tents. The last item is something of a problem, since Egyptian cotton tents no longer ap pear to be made over here in period patterns. The favoured type is the one -man, single-pole tent, which was known as the "Itisa". It was very li ght, weighing (I believe) around 2 pounds.

The loony who came up with this idea (as opposed to the two loonies who are following like sheep, one of which is me) has obtained quotes to have su itable tents made, and the price quoted was eye-watering. Does anyone kn ow of a source of one-man vintage pattern cotton tents at a price which won 't require a mortgage?

Pictures of my bike pre-restoration, and of a similar one, restored by a friend, can be seen on http://smg.photobucket.com/albums/v396/hadendowa /

It's a sobering thought that the combined ages of the three of us and the b ikes is nearly 400 years. I always wanted to be a boy when I grew up.

Neil Foddering
Weymouth, Dorset, England