Bought in July 2012 by former Dragons’ Den investor, Theo Paphitis, at Robert Dyas we have a long and fascinating history stemming back over 150 years.
In 1872, Robert Dyas emigrated from County Meath, Ireland, with just a £5 inheritance to his name and opened up his first ironmongery store. He was a man of notable character and remarkable determination with a vision to provide customers with the best products, service and advice possible a tradition that continues to be the focus of Robert Dyas stores to this day.
In the following century, our stores expanded, stretching throughout London and the South East. During this time we were faced with many setbacks including World War One, the Wall Street Crash, and then losing 18 stores, our head office and warehouse in The Blitz. Then in 1997, disaster struck again as a fire obliterated our distribution centre and head offices just before Christmas. But none of this slowed us down, each time coming together as a team and returning stronger than ever.
From the innovative to the everyday, you’ll find everything you need for your home and garden, from cleaning solutions and kitchen essentials to the latest DIY gadgets and gardening must-haves – all at great prices.
Our extensive selection of products range from some of the world’s most famous brands through to exciting new start-ups. The common factor between them all is that their products share our ethos for being innovative, practical and designed to last.
There are many potential uses for a tent, such as providing shelter during inclement weather or overnight accommodation while camping. Tents come in a variety of sizes and can be made from a variety of materials, depending on their intended use. For example, lightweight tents are often used for backpacking, as they are easy to carry.
Heavier-duty tents may be used for extended camping trips or for use in more extreme conditions, such as high winds or heavy rain. Some tents even have features that make them suitable for specific activities, such as fishing or mountaineering. No matter what the intended use, a tent can provide a welcome respite from the elements.
Robert Dyas Different Types of Tents
Interesting Facts About Tents
A tent is a makeshift shelter made from a framework of poles or ropes over which sheets of cloth or other material have been hung.
Recreation, exploration, military encampment, and public gatherings (circuses, religious services, theatrical performances, and exhibitions of plant or cattle) are just few of the many uses for tents.
Most nomadic peoples, from ancient civilizations like the Assyrians to the Bedouins of North Africa and the Middle East in the 20th century, have made their homes in tents.
Within these three frameworks, you’ll find nearly all tents manufactured today. The tent’s wedge form makes it resemble the letter “A.” The base of the tent is somewhat broad, while the peak tapers to a point. The front of the baker’s tent is open, and there may or may not be a flap that can be used to close it. Countless other aesthetic approaches have developed from these three. There are tents designed for cooking over an open fire, for privacy, for mining, and for adventuring.
There are two main kinds of tents used for recreational camping:
• The smallest and lightest are backpacking tents, designed to be carried by the campers themselves. When packed down, a small tent may be so light that it can be easily transported over great distances by touring bicycle, boat, or backpack.
• The second kind consists of larger, heavier tents that are typically transported via automobile. Such tents can normally be erected (pitched) in between 5 and 25 minutes, depending on the size of the tent and the experience of the individual or people participating; dismantling (striking) also takes about the same amount of time. Although they may take longer to construct, some specialised tents feature spring-loaded poles that allow them to be set up in a matter of seconds (take down and pack).
Glamping, or “glamorous camping,” is a fun way to enjoy the outdoors with loved ones without compromising comfort.
Tents are a development and continuation of primitive shelters fashioned from animal hide, animal bones, and tree branches. During the ice age, both Neanderthals and early humans utilised the gigantic skeletons of Woolly Mammoths as structural components for their dwellings. This form of dwelling was first discovered in Moldova about the year 40,000 B.C.
Tents far closer to the contemporary concept of a tent have been used at least as far back as the early Iron Age, and likely much older than that.
The Bible makes reference to them, with Jabal being called “the first to live in tents and raise sheep and goats” in Genesis 4:20.
Re-enactors today successfully use replicas of the leather tents used by the Roman army.
Over time, many different looks emerged, some of which took inspiration from classic nomad tents like the yurt.
Since about 600 AD, people have used a structure called a bell tent as a home, a place to camp, or a place to relax.
The American Indians invented two distinct types of tents: the spherical tepee and the arching wickiup. The latter was made of thin branches or poles covered with bark or animal hides.
Pup tents, a type of covered shelter used by the United States military as far back as the Civil War, continue to play an important role in the shelter options available to current forces across the world. When first invented, pup tents were relatively small shelters, typically no more than three and a half feet in height (although some accounts state that they may be as long as 7 feet in length and 5 feet in width) and covered with a cloth, tarp, or canvas of some kind to protect their occupants from the elements. However, traditional pup tents have a poor reputation for keeping water out and are commonly referred to as “shelter half” due to their flimsy build.
While exploring the American West, explorer Henry Hopkins Sibley observed the Native American tipi, which inspired him to create a new type of tent he called a “sibley tent,” a variation on the traditional bell tent. In 1858, he received a patent for his tent.
During World War I, larger designs were used as cover for supply-dropping and other support operations from the rear.
The Ringling Brothers and Barnum Bailey Circus (USA) had a tent that was 8,492 square metres in size, making it the largest tent ever used by a travelling circus (2.10 acres). It was utilised for tours of the United States between 1921 and 1924 and had a circular top that measured 61 metres (200 feet) in diameter and five parts that were each 18 metres (60 feet) broad. Just over half of this area is greater than the largest floor space of the largest circus tents currently in use.
At a show in Concordia, Kansas, United States, on September 13, 1924, Ringling Bros. and Barnum Bailey drew a crowd of 16,702 (15,686 paid) to their tent.
Wugong Mountain (China) near Pingxiang, Jiangxi, China, on October 21, 2018 set the record for the longest line of tents at 1,482.44 metres (4,863 ft 7.78 in). To make the attempt, 721 tents were set up along the mountain’s wooden walkway. It took the organiser over 10 hours to set up all the tents in a row, then another 2 hours to take measurements because of the bad weather.
CHINA Feihe (China) set the record for the most tents at 528 on May 28, 2021 in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China.
