Hello all.
Unfortunately after only a year of (admittedly pretty good) service my Foxhunter 'blowaway' polytunnel was destroyed in the recent storms and I am looking to replace it. While I would love to invest in a proper tunnel from a reputable company like Northern Polytunnels etc because of studying/short-term work and rental contracts etc I frequently need to move house and it is difficult to get the balance right between investing in decent materials/equipment and being in a position to move from town to town without having to try to cart a huge amount of things with me!
Fortunately it's likely I'll be in my current location for a couple more years now (I've just started a PhD) but I'm still not sure it's worth investing several hundred pounds in a permanent structure when I will probably have to move when I start working again- not to mention my budget being on the tighter side! However I'm also not keen on buying a new tunnel every year or two, not only because of the cost, but also because it's sad to see so much material converted into rubbish. I know this storm was particularly bad, but looking online it does seem rare for people to report these types of tunnel lasting more than a year or two. However, I do at least plan to recycle some of my broken polytunnel frame as a fruit cage so it won't go completely to waste!
So my thinking currently is to purchase a slightly more expensive 'blowaway' model that claims to be stronger than the usual (i.e.
https://www.crocodiletrading.co.uk/polytunnels/) and risk it falling apart anyway or try to construct something myself. The latter is preferable but my DIY skills are very limited and I think I would struggle to construct a door frame etc- but who knows until you try I suppose! I would also need to buy most of the material as my opportunities for salvaging off building sites etc are fairly limited so I am uncertain as to how much money this would save. I'm still tempted to use my savings for a proper tunnel, but I do put a lot of my spare money into improving my plot as it is and after a point it does get difficult to justify when you know it's not long-term!
I'm keen to hear if anyone has any opinions on this, particularly building your own tunnel from scratch or experience with companies like the one linked above which claim they offer a stronger option. I'm willing to pay a little more to get better quality, but it does seem like the choice is between very cheap and flimsy structures and quality permanent structures with little in between. More broadly, I'm also interested in hearing from anybody who has a passion for growing but has to balance it with a mobile lifestyle and limited budgets!
Thanks and sorry for the long post