Summer Festivals/Summer camping holidays - How to insure a tent

Tents and anything left in them are prime targets for opportunistic thieves during the summer festival season. So how do you know if you are covered by your insurer?

Check your home contents insurance policy or if you still live at home, check your parents’ policy to see whether the insurer would pay out if you are a theft victim. If you are camping at a festival or on holiday, your possessions need to be insured for loss, theft and accidental damage specifically while they are out of the home. For this you should check that you have ‘all risk’ or ‘personal possession cover’. This is not usually included in a standard home contents policy. You may need to pay an additional premium.

And don’t assume that all policies are the same. Insurers only cover the risks they want to cover and each one varies slightly depending on the kind of customer they are targeting. Always check that the terms and conditions and the level of cover for your requirements is adequate. Pay special attention to the single item limits. Insurers will only pay out so much.

If you are camping, keep valuables such as mobile phone, money, credit cards, i-pods and cameras with you at all times. Better still, don’t take valuable personal possessions with you.

If you do have something stolen that you wish to claim for on your insurance you must report the theft to the police - and remember many insurance policies set strict time limits on when this must be done.

If you are an intrepid festival goer and are travelling abroad with your tent don’t forget to sort your travel insurance before you leave.

Finally, make sure you leave your home secure when you’re away. Your home insurance will not cover theft if the house is not properly secure when you’re away. Know your policy, and let it guide you.

Check out Tiscali'smusic section for details of festivals coming up.