Tuesday 18 January 2011

A tent without poles

There is an interesting article on Gizmodo about a tent without poles - instead it uses inflatable air beams that support the entire structure.

Another firm, NEMO, do inflatable backpacking tents weighing as little as 0.9kg. The main advantage that I can see is that the pack size is tiny when compared to tents that use poles. Additionally, I am quite impressed with their smallest pump - it weighs only 3.8 ounces (107 grams).

The weight, pack size and price all seem competitive with more conventional tents. I can imagine it will be much less stable in high winds, though, and instead of broken poles you may suffer from punctures. To be fair, the inflatable bags they use can easily be replaced.

I wonder if this is a technology in search of a solution? Does anyone have any experience with these tents (*), and are they any good?

(*) Of course, it could be that these products are well-known amongst walkers. I do not read the magazines or go on group walks, so I could have totally missed it.

2 comments:

AlanR said...

I was a bit sceptical when these 1st came out and i havn’t changed my opinion. I would like to see a video of one in a Scottish Hooley.
Nemo have got an interesting wee tent here though.
http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/nemo_meta_1p_single_skin_tent.html

David Cotton said...

Goodness! I'd never heard of a Hooley before, yet alone a Scottish one. Wikipedia doesn't really clarify, unless you meant A Scottish-Antipodean explorer or a Scottish village in Surrey...