So you’re planning to have Bell Tents for your event? Brilliant. Let’s look at some facilities to consider to go alongside them.
You won’t need all of these facilities and some are definitely on the desirable rather than the essential list! Some of these facilities you may have already on the site you are using for your event.
We are taking for granted here that you have the space needed for the Bell Tents themselves. This might be for a handful of tents or for a whole Bell Tent Village. To help you work out if you have sufficient space then check out our article regarding calculating the space you need for a Bell Tent Weekend.
Let’s get into it.
Essential Facilities
Toilets
When guests are staying overnight or multiple days they will definitely need some kind of toilet facilities. If no toilets exist on site then you’ll need to bring in some temporary toilets.
Here you have 2 options:
- Portaloos – These are found everywhere from building sites to festivals to mass sporting events. They come in every colour imaginable. The great thing about these units is that they can be placed virtually anywhere. They don’t need a power supply and so can be dropped in a field near to where your guests need them. While they are not the most glamorous of facilities they do a job and are great for late night toilet visits. They are cost effective as well. Disabled access versions are widely available too.
N.B Things to consider with Portaloos: While they can be placed anywhere flat the company that delivers them will need to get close to where you want them to go. When they collect them they’ll first pump out the waste before loading them. The company will usually want to park a maximum 5m from your toilet’s location to pump them out.
- Trailer Toilets – They come in a range of sizes and are referred to as Trailer Toilets, Luxury Toilet Hire, Luxury Portable toilets, Portable toilet trailers, etc. Companies like Bisley hire or Kington Events have different size trailer units depending on the number of guests you have. For example an Event with up to 150 people you may use what the industry refers to as a ‘2+1 Unit’. 2+1 means the trailer has 2 female cubicles, 1 male cubicle plus urinals. This is a very popular size unit for weddings and which can then be used for campers as well overnight. Trailer are more expensive than portaloos.
N.B Things to consider: These are trailer based so think about where the company can put them. Fields are easy if access is good. The units are high so factor that in with low branches or building arches.
Trailer units come self contained. What does that mean? Well it means they generally come with a tank of water, cleaning supplies, toilet paper etc for the duration of its usage. Normally a weekend. All the waste is contained including grey water waste from hand basins.
Do the Luxury toilet trailers need power? The answer is yes they do in almost all cases. They can take this power supply from a generator or a nearby house supply. The power supply is to run the lights, the pumps and sometimes a small water heater.
Geoff’s Toilet Tip! Double check the space you are using. Are there any toilets you can use? Are you renting some cottages with the glamping space for Bell Tents? Could a toilet from one of the buildings be used? Does the venue have a toilet that can be left unlocked at night for campers use. Always ask as it can save you money.
Hand washing
Linked with toilet use, you’ll need to make sure there is a sufficient hand washing solution. With portaloos this could be that hand gel comes supplied with them. A Luxury trailer unit will come with sinks, tanked water and soap.
Drinking Water
For extended glamping stays think about some kind of water supply. The land may have a water supply. When was it last tested? There may be an outside tap attached to a house on site direct from the mains. Always avoid hose pipes and drinking water.
If none is available there is always the option of bottled water. Large 5 or 6L bottles are available from most large supermarkets. Reduce the amount you have to provide by giving clear instructions to your guests. Your 50 guests bringing 5L each saves a lot of shopping for you!
For bigger events, large tanks of drinking water are available from water hire companies like Water Direct, Liquiline and Water Mills. 250L, 500L, 1000L and right up to a full tanker are possible. They will also help with the distribution, hardware and safety. Have a chat to us if you have questions on this as we have years of experience of running our own events.
Desirable Facilities
Showers
Just like toilets these can come in a range of sizes and luxury. They are normally referred to as 2 bay, 3 bay, 4 bay, 8 bay etc. Simply the number of shower stalls the unit has. The largest we have seen are 32 bay converted shipping containers.
A classic 4 bay shower like the one pictured will have 4 shower stalls with 4 connecting changing areas. Event showers like these are generally powered by LPG gas and have a boiler on board.
The showers units will need a water supply, a power supply and somewhere to put the shower (grey water) waste. This can be run off into a field, a drainage ditch etc. You can see the hose pipe connection in the back ground as well as our Bell Tents.
You’ll need to consider all these elements if your planning on having them in a field or near a house.
Chillout Tent
We provide chillout tents as an extra space for camping guests. We provide an additional Bell Tent kitted out with rugs and low level cushions for relaxing. These are a great option for giving guests an extra space. Just let us know if you’d like one.
Getting Ready Tent
These are Bell Tents supplied with mirrors, tables, chairs, rugs, lighting, coat rails. All ready and waiting for guests to get changed and made up. Usually for a wedding but can be added to any booking.
Power Supply
If you are having a Luxury toilet trailer or shower unit on site you’ll need a power supply. This can be taken from a house supply or a generator. Generators come in a range of sizes. They are normally referred to by KVA rating. KVA is simply the amount of power the generator can actually supply. The higher the number the more power. For a small event the KVA generator that is supplied will probably be 25KVA – 75KVA.
The generator company who supply to events will normally supply a distribution board, cabling and sockets. Companies like Bisley Hire in the Cotswolds area for example specialise in Event power.
Geoff’s Tip: Going full DIY and organising your own generator from a local hire company like Speedy Hire or Ermin Plant Hire make sure you ask if they supply cables, sockets and distribution boards. Many don’t as standard which is why we recommend a specialist event generator company.
Charging Point
If you have power on site them consider setting up a simple charging station. This could be a 4 gang or 8 gang socket left free for your camping guests to boost up their phones and power banks.
Games Area
Whether this is a dedicated area for people to play some games you have provided or just a free space it can be a useful area.
Giant games such as jenga, connect 4, cornhole can all be hired in for your guests.
Fire Pit
A central fire pit can be a real focal point for your event. Real memorable experiences come from being around a fire in nature. Easy ways of providing them include using a metal fire pit rather than directly on the grass.
These are easily purchased from most garden centres.
When using fire pits and Bell Tents keep the 2 apart! We suggest 20m away from all tents. This reduces the risk of sparks carrying. Check the wind directions before lighting too.
First Aid
This will vary from event to event. A small Bell tent gathering of friends and family is different from a large corporate Bell tent summer festival with 150 people. Accidents happen so be prepared.
