The precision of this installation was no mistake. The architects went to great lengths to make sure their creations felt like a natural part of the forest, as if the tents were giant drops of water that landed there and remained frozen in place. The design process began with 3D scans of the natural environment, which mapped the position, size, and shape of each tree down to the tiniest details. Yuko Nagayama Associates then determined how their massive teardrops could fit in the available spaces without disturbing the natural setting.

The architects wanted their tents to enhance and reflect the surrounding trees while also maintaining their own dramatic presence. Standing more than 30 feet high, each of the three inflatable tents faces a different direction, its pointed tip visible from a distance. For those inside the tents, the not-quite-transparent material blurs the forest without blocking it out, lending the experience a surreal, dreamlike effect. The pointed shape encourages visitors to look straight up at the canopy and the sky.

Each of the three tents has a different function. One is for sleeping, one is for gathering, and one is for solitary study or contemplation. Visitors were invited to stay in them overnight, their sleeping bags providing their only cover in a place where privacy is hard to come by.

The event took place at Kiyoharu Art Colony, which was established on the former site of an elementary school in 1983. The village includes museums, studios, restaurants, and shops set among birch trees and Yoshino cherry trees, with arts exhibitions taking place indoors and out.

Architectural works on site include creations by famous architects, including the Museum of Light by Tadao Ando, where exhibited pieces interact with natural light; the Kiyoharu Shirabaka Art Museum by Yoshio Taniguchi; the studio of painter Ryuzaburo Umehara created by Isoya Yoshida; and even a portion of the original stairs from the Eiffel Tower. One of the most popular features on the grounds is the Tetsu “treehouse teahouse” created by architect Terunobu Fujimori, which stands on a central pillar of an 80-year-old Japanese cypress and hovers four meters above the ground.

On Instagram, Yuko Nagayama Associates revealed that they weren’t quite ready to move on from their unusual teardrop tents once Hokuto Art Program ed.1 was over. For lead architect Yuko Nagayama’s birthday, the firm commissioned a special cake from Katsutadai cake shop VIN ROSE that captured the scene in sugar, matcha powder, and little birch trees made of pasta.

The post Translucent Tents by Yuko Nagayama Look Like Giant Teardrops in the Forest first appeared on Dornob.

For starters, most tents are designed for outdoor adventures, but they could have many more uses with just a few tweaks. The “Crucoon,” a cocoon-style tent by Crua, adds one major feature to a standard tent: the ability to block out the world around you. Instead of thin nylon, it’s topped with an insulated cover that reduces the transmission of both light and sound while still keeping out the elements. On top of that, it’s inflatable, so you don’t even have to assemble tent poles.

The design sort of looks like somebody tossed their down sleeping bag over their tent to darken the interior — but the reality is much better than that. The air beam construction means you can set up the Crucoon in less than 60 seconds with a manual air pump. It has two doors for versatility and ventilation holes covered in insect mesh for fresh air. The insulation is covered in rip-stop nylon, treated with durable water repellent, and infused with graphene, a lightweight, durable, breathable, and antibacterial thermo-regulator.

Crua is best known for previously designing an insulated tent, which itself can be surprisingly hard to find. The company envisions Crucoon being used for all kinds of different purposes: as a nap pod, a play space for kids, a study room, or a tent for camping in super cold conditions (though they recommend covering it with a tarp or another tent in rainy weather, since it’s not completely waterproof). You could set it up on top of a bed in a shared hostel room for darkness and privacy, or use it as a warm and cozy emergency shelter inside your home if the power goes out in a winter storm. There’s also another potential use for the Crucoon that Crua doesn’t specifically call out: as a dark, quiet place for people with autism to self-soothe.

“When I designed the first Crua tent in 2014 it was simply out of necessity,” says Derek O’Sullivan, founder and CEO of Crua. “I couldn’t find a tent that offered me any reasonable level of insulation. I wanted a correctly insulated tent so that my family’s camping experience could be a memorable one. From that first tent, spawned several new insulated tents in all shapes and sizes. From a 5 to 6 person ‘Family’ tent to the ‘Solo’ individual insulated tent. Now, we are moving beyond just the tent. We would like to introduce you to the Crucoon… this is not just a tent, it’s so much more. It’s your private space when you are on the go. There is practically no end to where the Crucoon can go. We can’t wait to get these into your hands and see all the places you’ll go with the Crucoon!”

The Crucoon can be purchased alone or with the Full Kit, which includes one customized self-inflating mattress and two graphene-infused sleeping bags. The mattress can either be zipped together into one extra-plush sleeping pad, laid out flat as a double mattress, or unzipped as two separate single mattresses. When it’s in double mode, it can be inserted into a zippered compartment in the Crucoon’s base. The sleeping bags can also be zipped together, and feature hoods and hidden pockets. In the near future, Crua plans to offer other add-ons like a rain fly, tarp, and inflatable pillow.

The Crucoon recently raised over $170,000 in crowdfunding on Kickstarter, with backers getting special early bird pricing and access, but it’ll also be available at a retail price of $499 later this year.

The post Crucoon: Insulated Tent Blocks Light and Sound to Provide a Safe Space Anywhere You Go first appeared on Dornob.

Made of waterproof and fire-resistant fabric in bright white, the tent is made to stand out. During the day, it looks like a small cabin vividly visible against a backdrop of dark woods. At night, when it’s illuminated from the inside, it glows like a lantern. So whether you’re heading off on a hike or just trying to pee at 3 a.m., you’ll always be able to find your way back to your cozy nest. Yibei describes it as a “cloud,” as if you pulled a wisp of a shelter down from the sky and set it down in your ideal camping spot.

The inflatable tent boasts a simple shape with a triangular roof and rectangular body. Made of 210D Oxford polyester with polyurethane coating on the fabric and seams, it’s durable enough to use in most weather conditions, including rain. Instead of unwieldy and annoying poles, the tent is held up by its airframe made of flexible, flat-pack TPU pipes that expand to 120 millimeters when inflated. The frame is designed to mimic the columns and beams of an actual stick-framed house. The tent also expands to an impressive 8 feet by 7 feet with a much higher ceiling than you’d normally get in a traditional tent, making it feel even more like a hut or cabin.

The best part of all might just be the tent’s many generously-sized windows. One giant window on each side can be opened to the fresh air, with insect screens to protect you from bugs, of course. The tent even has two huge skylights for stargazing after dark. The result is a space that feels fully connected to your outdoor setting while maintaining protection from the elements. The large size also means you can stand up to change in private, or set up a table and chairs to dine indoors in inclement weather.

Yibei explains that “when you enter the cozy white space, the ceiling is high and the room wrapped in white fabric is very bright. Opening windows on all sides connects the inside and outside, blurring the boundaries. In the forest, you can just hear the trees blowing in the wind, the chirping of birds, and the smell of wood and earth. The sound of the waves and the scent of the tide create a pleasant time on the beach. When it gets dark, close the windows and turn on the lights, and you’ll be able to relax in the comfort of your own warm home.”

The Air Architecture inflatable tent comes in a portable carry bag and can be inflated with any standard battery-powered air pump. The one downside may be that it takes a full eight minutes to fully inflate, which could drain the battery quickly. It’s also likely that the tent will slowly start to sag after a while if you set it up for a long trip, but if that happens, all it takes is a quick top-off of air through the tent’s valve.

Alas, if you’re chomping at the bit to hit “add to cart,” the tent is currently only available in Japan at Tsutaya Home Appliances+, so it might be a little hard to get your hands on in other countries.

The post Air Architecture’s House-Shaped Inflatable Tent is a Perfect Home Away from Home first appeared on Dornob.

As complex as it looks, the ARK isn’t too hard to set up. It comes with a lightweight military-grade telescopic carbon fiber frame, which is a pretty big upgrade from your standard tent poles and tarp. Of course, this inflatable frame is what gives it the extra stability it needs to be roomy and comfortable, whether you’re setting it up on the ground or between a few trees. Inspired by kitesurfing technology, the frame also holds the tent erect in stormy conditions. On top of that, a multi-anchor strap system gives you virtually infinite possibilities for suspension set-ups, including using a single hook point to hang it from something like a bridge or branch overhead.

A description on the ARK’s Kickstarter page explains that “a classic camping stretcher weight is usually around five to 10 kg, and it’s bulky. Thanks to our carbon tubes we have reached the weight of 2.9 kg. In addition, our telescopic system allows unparalleled compactness for easy transport. This type of profile has a highly specific mechanical resistance (related to its weight), lightness, rigidity, great resistance to fatigue and vibrations, resistance to oxidation and corrosion, a low coefficient of thermal expansion, and durability.”

Designed for either a comfortable single occupant or a tight fit for two, the ARK measures about 38.5 inches tall and 122 inches wide once assembled, and when it’s in hammock mode, the floor creates three storage areas for all your gear, so it stays dry no matter what’s happening outside. It packs down reasonably small, too, at about 8 by 20 inches for the compression sack and 27.5 inches for the poles (both of which can be strapped to your hiking pack like a normal tent).

Another cool feature is the transparent roof, made of high-quality medical polyurethane to resist extreme temperatures and rain while giving you a view of the stars. Fabric shutters let you close it if you’d rather shut out the morning sun, and stiff Dacron fabric and kevlar reinforcement keep the whole thing from being damaged or punctured by falling sticks and rocks.

As you might expect, the ARK hammock tent costs a little more than something you might pick up at REI. The complete kit, which includes the tent, carbon frame and cam straps, was recently offered as a reward on a recent Kickstarter campaign for €1,895+ ($2,240). Shipping is set to start from France to the United States in April 2021, and it will likely be available on the retail market around that time as well.

The post Ark Adaptable Outdoor Shelter: Part Inflatable Tent, Part Hammock first appeared on Dornob.

The built-in discs suspend around the outfits’ bold-hued and simple silhouettes. A pair of bright red trousers has a stack of halos circling the legs. A single giant hoop angles over the shoulder of a sky-blue shirt. A violet and lilac dress incorporates a corkscrew band that extends to the floor. There’s even a smoky hat that shields the body instead of the head.

The collection’s surreal looks appeal to the Seoul-born designer because of her life-long struggle with social connection. She explains that “When I was in London, I saw homeless people sleeping in their pop-up tents and carrying them as portable homes. I thought that was the lifestyle I had dreamed of, as I somehow felt that I never really belonged to a certain group since childhood. Based on these ideas, I started to create garments as portable homes, like ‘refuge-wear’ from my reality.”

Mimicking tent construction, the clothing rings are made by stretching cloth over poles. The unique shapes are held in place with steel wire encased by PVC tubes. Those tubes are then pushed through stitched fabric tunnels.

All throughout the journey, Chang uses a combination of careful placement and fluid movement, as opposed to rigid, pre-fabricated patterns. The garments come with specialized stowing bags that preserve the shapes.

“I normally just drape onto the body and build up the shape with pattern paper or cardboard. This makes it much more interesting and can create unexpected outcomes, especially once the wire is inserted,” she says in an interview with Dezeen. “I would say it’s more like an engineering method, putting the pieces together, rather than just pattern cutting.”

There are a few looks in the collection that embrace the billowy image of a canvas tent rather than the pop-up variety. In these designs, the material is draped and gathered around the body with zippers and elastic pulls.

Chang first articulated her “portable home” concept in 2018 with a collection produced as part of her BA graduate project at Central Saint Martins in London. Labeled “Portable Refuge Wear,” it featured similar lines and collapsible loops, but in muted tans and blue plaids. The revamped anthology, along with all its vibrant, solid colors, is available for purchase through online retailer APOC, a company that specializes in drawing attention to a “new generation of creatives.” According to the company website, APOC is “devoted to curating and sourcing progressive and consciously-created pieces from artists and fashion designers across the globe.” The firm allows artists to get a foot into the retail industry while remaining authentic and avoiding the commercial hurdles required in more conventional enterprises.

Chang fits the bill for an APOC fashion engineer, producing “artwear” that’s practical but also “experienced and consumed as a work of art.” The APOC platform has helped other emerging makers go viral this year, including Harikrishnan with his inflatable trousers and Ying Ching’s paper furniture assemblage.

The post South Korean Designer Creates “Home on the Go” With Collapsible Fashion first appeared on Dornob.

Zeltini describes it as a “house-boat-trike” or “tiny amphibious home/camper,” and it’s all of those things. Far more compact than any conventional camper, it’s capable of doing a lot more than just cruising down country roads on the weekends. It also contains far more than meets the eye. But best of all, it can seamlessly transition from land to water and back again, giving its users the kind of adaptability we can usually only dream of.

Designed for two people, the Z-Triton is equipped with two electric motor hubs, an electric outboard engine, and 250 watts worth of solar panels. It has three wheels: one in the front and two in the sides, all of which can fold up when the craft hits the water. When that happens, the “back end” of the bicycle camper becomes the front of the boat. When it’s time to head back home, the bike can easily carry the lightweight body of the camper/boat along the road, with a little electrical assistance, to boot. It’s capable of traveling up to 25 miles on land or 19 miles on water.

One of the not-so-great aspects of camping is the need to lug around a ton of separate gear, unpack it when you reach your destination, and then pack it back up again. If you’re camping in more than one spot, you’re repeating that process multiple times on a single trip, which gets old fast. The Z-Triton offers a sleeping pod for two people, eliminating the need for a tent, as well as an entire fold-up kitchen. Almost everything inside is modular, too, so you can remove things like the benches and tuck them away when you don’t need them.

Its blocky proportions aren’t exactly aerodynamic looking, and the overall aesthetic is reminiscent of retro Soviet design, but in a fun way. There’s even a live plant sticking out of the roof, which… sure, why not?

Is it kind of goofy? Absolutely. It sort of looks like it belongs in Wes Anderson’s The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou. It’s easy to imagine Bill Murray piloting it while wearing that little orange beanie. But unlike a lot of other oddball creations, this is a real product with a working prototype, and its creators hope to make it available for rent to the public in 2021.

Latvia-based Zeltini is known for its unusual designs. Previously, they unveiled their “Temple of Poop,” a modern outhouse made of wood that’s elevated above the landscape with a giant pane of glass offering beautiful views to enjoy while doing your business. Built on the designer’s property, it composts human waste into fertilizer for its own rooftop garden.

The post Zeltini’s Z-Triton is an Amphibious Boat, Tricycle, and Camper in One first appeared on Dornob.

Created by ad agency Instinct as part of the brand’s 20th anniversary in Russia, the campaign features six designs for homemade forts and tents: Cåstle, Wigwåm, Cåve, Cåmpingtent, Förtress, and Höuse. Of course, the brand’s own products are featured as the components of each one, but you can always get creative and replace them with whatever you have on hand.

“Cåstle” uses four chairs, a vertical clothing stand, two sheets, clothespins, a battery-powered string light, a blanket, and three pillows to create a spacious illuminated fort that’s probably big enough for adults to use as well as children, if you’re so inclined.

“Förtress” consists of a couch and its various cushions, a sheet, clothespins, a blanket, and pillows. The cushions are lifted up and used to create a barrier, while the seat provides cover overhead.

“Wigwåm” mimics the shape of an indigenous tipi with a clothing stand, sheet, books, rope, another string light, pillows, and clips. You could probably use tent poles, crutches, or even branches if you don’t have the “TJUSIG” element handy.

“Höuse” is probably the simplest and most familiar shape, made by simply draping a couple sheets over a table and securing them with clothespins and books. Add a light and a stuffed animal if you like.

“Cåmpingtent” replaces the table with a clothes rack and adds an extra fun element: the octopus-shaped “Pressa” hanging clothes dryer in the center for the string lights.

“Cåve” uses an armchair, a sheet, books, a battery-powered string light, and three pillows for a small and simple fort that will take no time at all to clean back up when the kids are done with it.

You can find real-world examples of what these forts look like on Instagram under the hashtag #явдомикеИКЕА. The results are pretty cute!

IKEA has had its own unique ways of responding to the coronavirus pandemic in its various locations around the world while many of its stores remain closed. For instance, the furniture giant shared its recipe for its famous sweet and savory Swedish meatballs so you can make them at home, including the “iconic Swedish cream sauce” made with flour, butter, cream, soy sauce, and Dijon mustard.

In Germany, the company allowed the massive parking lot of a closed store near Frankfurt to be used by observants of Islam to pray together during Ramadan while observing social distancing laws. Over 800 Muslims were able to safely gather while remaining at least six feet apart for an important closing prayer on Eid al-Fitr, the end of the month-long fast.

The post Bored Kids? Try IKEA Russia’s 6 DIY Fort Designs first appeared on Dornob.

New from Tentsile, the company known for its robust and colorful tree tents, the “Universe” is “the world’s first three-element tent” designed to float, hang, or set up on the ground. That means it can serve as a generously sized party tent, a portable treehouse, and a paddleboard shelter with just a few adjustments in between. One of the primary features that makes this possible is an inflatable base that acts as both a mattress and a floatation device.

When used on the ground, the Universe looks like a fairly normal tent, albeit an extra-spacious one with room for up to five adults or a large family. A full 5.9 feet of headroom allows many people to stand upright inside it, and the internal living area is accented by three large porches for a total of 237 square feet of floor space. It takes about 15 minutes to complete the “ground mode” setup, and everything you need packs up into a bag on wheels.

In the air, the Universe is like a larger version of Tentsile’s most popular tree tent products. Whereas camping hammocks generally only fit one person at a time (and only in a lying or sitting position at that), the Tentsile Universe is a full-sized elevated tent. In this mode, it comfortably fits three adults (or two adults and two children) along with gear, and its inflatable base is more than rigid enough to walk on.

But the coolest way to use the Universe is definitely on the water. Here’s what the company has to say about that:

“Whether you’re looking to lounge lakeside, float out to your favourite fishing spot, or simply have a fun-packed swimming accessory for the kids, the Tentsile Universe is your oyster! Designed in conjunction with Glide paddleboards, its three-inch drop stitch inflatable floor combines with the 3000HH high-quality rainfly to create a floating structure you can take for a relaxing day out on the water.”

“The Universe converts from a family-sized tree or ground tent to water mode in less than five minutes! Simply remove the insect mesh and roll back the rainfly doors to create an incredibly stable three-person SUP-style raft with unbeatable views. Thanks to its rigid structure and sunshade, kids can use this as a swimming pontoon to play on all day long!”

“The fun doesn’t stop on the water! This multifunctional all-terrain product has been specifically designed with family camping adventures in mind. The Tentsile Universe can be used as a spacious ground tent, or it can be set up as one of our more traditional tree tents and elevate your camping experience.”

Check out all of the Tentsile Universe’s bells and whistles on the brand’s website, where it retails for $1,999.

The post Universe 5-Person Tree Tent Floats in the Air or on Water first appeared on Dornob.

Modular tents aren’t entirely new, but they’re typically designed for large-scale use, essentially creating connected mini-cities of generously-sized models. What if you just want the ability to easily control the size of your own tent by adding or removing small sections? Ideally, you could go from a solo backpacker-sized shelter for one to a virtually unlimited party tent within a matter of minutes.

That dream just became a reality with the RhinoWolf 2.0, an “all-in-one attachable super-tent” that fits all your basic outdoor sleeping essentials into one compact package. Not only is it modular, allowing you to connect as many individual units as you like into one big “tentipede,” but it also features a built-in air mattress and down sleeping bag.

As you might guess from the name, the RhinoWolf 2.0 is an improvement upon an earlier design. The original RhinoWolf debuted in 2017 and offers most of the same components, but the new version adds a “roll and lock” feature that makes the seam between individual modules more resistant to rain, wind, and sun. Two additional air vents improve air flow, and the new and improved ergonomic one-pole design makes it faster and easier to set up, which is a definite plus.

To get started, you just unpack and unroll the modular tent, thread the single pole through the loops, secure the pegs, and inflate the lightweight, supportive polyester air mattress, which comes with its own innovative fabric “pump sack” that folds up into practically nothing when it’s not in use.

The built-in sleeping bags zip right into the bottom of the tent to create a snug pocket, and they’re available in either standard 150g weight made of synthetic fibers with a cold temperature limit of 59° Fahrenheit or duck down 375g weight with a cold temperature limit of 40° Fahrenheit. To top it all off, two exterior storm flaps create a shaded alcove for your gear.

The makers of RhinoWolf explain: “We didn’t just create a tent. We created an outdoor sleeping system that combines the best and most durable elements of our camping gear into one high-quality, heavy-duty, lightweight (6.2 lbs / 2.8 kg) superpack.”

“Thanks to RhinoWolf’s modular design, you can connect your RhinoWolf to your friend’s RhinoWolf, to her spouse’s Rhinowolf, to that guy’s friend’s RhinoWolf to…you get the picture. RhinoWolf 2.0 was created with the toughest and most durable of climate protective materials. And with even more integrative and customizable features, this SuperTent is totally full-spectrum.”

The RhinoWolf 2.0 recently raised over $1.1 million on crowdfunding sites Kickstarter and Indiegogo, offering pre-sales for as little as $199. That’s especially good considering the fact that the tent is expected to retail for $349 and up, depending on the options you choose, later this year. It’s available in pink, light green, or dark green, and when it’s all packed up, it weighs just 6.2 pounds.

If you’re intrigued by this idea but prefer to camp up off the ground, you’ll want to check out the triple-decker Vista tree hammock tent by Tentsile, which lets you design your own pop-up Ewok village in the woods in the form of a tiered temporary treehouse.

The post RhinoWolf 2.0: The Connectable Modular All-in-One Camping System first appeared on Dornob.

If you’ve never tried camping in a hammock before, you should get on it ASAP. Particularly for those who find sleeping on the ground uncomfortable, spending the night suspended in a hammock can feel like being cradled by a cloud. Hammock tents equipped with bug nets and rain tarps have even become mainstays in every major retailer’s outdoors section, but alas, their use is still limited to places with plenty of trees.

If you want to make a trek out to a desert, beach, alpine plateau, or simply a place where hammock camping isn’t allowed, you’ll have to pull out your conventional tent and sleep on the ground — unless you get yourself a Tammock, of course.

Fresh off a round of crowdfunding on Kickstarter and Indiegogo, the Tammock is exactly what its name suggests: a combination tent and hammock. But unlike the kind that uses straps to hang from trees, this one is freestanding, making it versatile enough to go with you just about anywhere. A group called LIT Outdoors came up with the idea for this hybrid while camping in the Southern Utah desert, where trees can be hard to come by.

The company explains: “Our goal was to design a portable solution that would allow outdoor adventurists to use their hammocks anywhere in the world, whether it be a desert, beach, music festival, hotel balcony, bedroom, or your very own backyard. As development began, we discovered many hammock-lovers shared the same problems we faced, such as unpredictable weather, storage needs, bugs, and animals. This gave us the idea of putting a protective tent around a relaxing hammock. And so, the Tammock was born. You can now take your hammock adventure anywhere.”

The Tammock comfortably accommodates one person using a sturdy metal frame for support. Large openings on either side allow you to sit sideways and longways, allowing you to enjoy the views around you in whatever position you find most comfortable. Minus the rain fly, the section of tent directly above the hammock is almost entirely mesh, so you get plenty of air flow throughout the night and can gaze up at the stars while you drift off to sleep. Plus, setup is simpler and takes less time than the average tent, since there’s only one pole to handle and the frame unfolds into place with zero assembly required.

A mesh storage pocket directly overhead offers a place for sensitive items like phones and keys as well as tent lights, but you can also keep your valuables in another pocket on the side. The waterproof rainfly is easy to throw on if it starts to sprinkle. You can also use the hammock by itself, if you like, making the Tammock a double-duty piece of gear that would be pretty nice to have at pretty much every outdoor event.

If there’s one major downside to the Tammock, it’s the size and weight once it’s packed up in its carry bag. The packed size is 44 inches by eight inches, and it weighs in at a cringe-inducing 20 pounds, so it’s definitely not for backpackers or anyone else keen on traveling light. Still, if you don’t have far to hike or don’t mind toting the extra weight around, it’s a worthwhile investment.

LIT Outdoors raised $175,466 to get the Tammock into production, with backers of the crowdfunding campaign expected to receive their rewards in September 2019. That means the rest of us can probably snag some up for ourselves this fall.

The post Freestanding Hammock Tent Lets You Lounge in Treeless Places first appeared on Dornob.

The self-described “car tent” mounts to the top of your car via a set of built-in suction cups. It takes about 30 seconds to set up, first by positioning it over your vehicle and then by lowering the lever that applies the suction.

Once you’re done, your car will totally be totally safe from the sap, pine needles, and leaves that would otherwise fall onto it whenever you parked near or under a tree. On scorching hot days, the umbrella’s reflective material will also keep the interior of your car cooler. Its canvas and high-strength fiberglass structure is so strong, in fact, the company claims that a brick dropped from a roof would bounce right off, offering protection from whatever might fall from the sky. Acid rain, bird droppings, and dirt easily rinse off its exterior coating, too.

Set up the Lanmodo right before a big snowstorm hits, and you can be the first one out of the neighborhood the next morning. Not only does it keep the snow from collecting on your car, but it also has an add-on vibrating feature that physically shakes snow off the umbrella to keep it from accumulating. You’ll find that this feature also works great with hail, sleet, and even the icicles of freezing rain. Special straps slide down over your side mirrors to keep it perfectly in place during strong winds (up to 30 mph), with another set looping directly into your car doors to prevent theft. Adjustable heights allow you to customize the car tent to meet your specific needs, opening and closing it from a safe distance with the help of a handy remote control.

The Lanmodo is battery-powered, but it can run on a single charge for up to 45 days, so you’ll never have to worry about it draining out frequently. The umbrella even boasts a few charging ports of its own for you to use as power sources during your road trips and camping adventures.

In addition to protecting the surface of your car, the Lanmodo offers an add-on pop out canopy on one side that can be used as a roof for personal protection from bad weather. If you want to use the umbrella even further away from your car, you’ll be happy to hear that it can also be transformed into a freestanding shelter using yet a set of flaps built into its sides.

The all-weather car umbrella is available in several different colors and patterns, but if you really feel like it, you can get your company logo or favorite sports team printed on the canvas. Unfortunately, the Lanmodo’s design does not currently cover the complete length of every vehicle (such as long trucks), so you’ll find it best to research the options available to you before committing to any one model. You should also keep in mind that the car tent won’t stick to soft car tops.

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Proud to be presenting a world first, GentleTent, an Austrian inflatable tent specialist, has created an innovative pop-up camper that attaches directly onto your bike. Allowing enough space to comfortably sleep two people, this compact sleeping pod will soon allow anyone to pitch on the go! Whether it’s on the beach, on the side of a mountain, beneath the stars, or in the middle of a field, the B-Turtle gives you the freedom to roam and sleep wherever the wind takes you.

The combined transport and caravan trailer means that cyclists can power on through their journeys during the day without having to give up the luxury of sleeping comfortably in the evening. The lightweight aluminium wheel trailer weighs just 65 pounds and can easily pulled along behind your bike or e-bike, having already been successfully tested on standard bike trails.

Given the recent boom in electronic bike use, GentleTent inventor and founder Gernot Rammer believes that he has created a new market for both cyclists and camping fanatics, both of whom will now be able to invest in this micro-caravan for a lifetime of modern camping. Keeping accommodation costs at a minimum, this nifty gadget will help travelers all over the world shelter themselves from the elements at any given moment.

How B-Turtle Works

Fully inflating in a matter of minutes, the camper can also be taken down and packed away in less than 10! Comprised of an inflatable tent situated on top of a metallic frame, the B-Turtle also has an integrated tray in its trailer section capable of storing up to 120 liters — something that will surely help lug all your camping essentials around. In “turtle” mode, the B-Turtle acts as an ordinary cargo trailer with a width of 79 centimeters, allowing for easy traveling on most paths. In “camping” mode, it offers enough sleeping space for two and a spacious vestibule at the front, which itself can be used as an awning area or entrance. The camper has also been equipped with a fully retractable door.

Once the tent has been pitched, the B-Turtle measures 83 X 51 inches, with a two-person air-filled sleeping platform that stands 28 inches above your chosen terrain. The trailer and tent can then be fixed using the guy-lines, supporting legs, and tent pegs. The tent is also equipped with a rear wall window, two side window openings, and mosquito nets. The support platform that unfolds and rests on top of the trailer measures 130 x 210 centimeters in size and promises a sturdy foundation.

Once deflated and packed away, the tent attaches to the bike using a drawbar with Weber coupling. The trailer has two 12-inch spoked wheels with slight inclination in order to run and grip the roads better.

How Can I Get One?

The B-Turtle is available for purchase from GentleTent for €2,990 (approx. $3,500 USD). This includes the trailer, the inflatable tent, the guy-lines, the stakes, a repair kit, and a hand pump. In the near future, the company hopes to give customers the chance to rent a B-Turtle for weekend trips and short holidays.

The post B-Turtle: The Inflatable Tent You Can Take Anywhere first appeared on Dornob.

ShelterBox tailors its response to every kind of emergency, providing aid that helps families rebuild both their homes and their lives. While the immediate need for shelter, food, and clean water is obviously foremost in any response, the organization stresses that “[it knows] that a home is much more than bricks and mortar or tarpaulin and tent pegs: [its] kits and boxes contain the items that help transform shelter into a home.” This level of investment in the future is empowering, and it gives people hope that they’ll be able to rebuild and recover after a disaster.

“Our sturdy green ShelterBoxes are designed to help people who have lost everything,” the team says. “They are filled with practical tools and utensils that help to create the framework for everyday life. Each contains a family-sized tent that protects people from the elements and provides a safe space in which people can start to recover from physical and emotional trauma.”

Beyond that, the contents differ depending on the type of disaster involved. The local climate is also a factor. In regions that have lost power, you might expect to find solar flashlights in the ShelterBox. Elsewhere, you might find things like water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets to prevent exposure to cold weather, and cooking utensils so families can start setting up their homes again.

The ShelterBox solar lights can last up to 16 hours on a single charge. They’re also lightweight and capable of floating in water, making them useful in a number of emergency situations. When the immediate danger has passed, it’s important for families to settle back into a daily routine, and they can use these solar lights when they’re cooking meals or when their children want to read and catch up on schoolwork.

The company even offers another option to ensure that education is restored as quickly as possible: the SchoolBox. ShelterBox stuffs these crates with all the supplies a teacher could need to deliver effective lessons. There’s also a wind-up radio in the SchoolBox, so teachers can tune in to educational programs even when there’s no electricity. Use the kit’s chalk and paint to transform flat surfaces into impromptu blackboards.

“Individual activity packs mean that children have something of their own and the resources to express their feelings — at a time when their whole world has been turned upside down,” the ShelterBox designers explain.

The organization also ships out ShelterKits. These packages include tool kits, ropes, fixings, and heavy-duty tarpaulins for constructing emergency shelters, repairing damaged buildings, and laying the foundations for new homes.

“We customize these kits to suit the location and the needs of each community,” says the ShelterBox team. “Sometimes they include corrugated iron to help make resilient roofing, or even room dividers and mattresses to make warehouses habitable — whatever it takes to help people recover from disaster.”

ShelterBox says its kits and boxes are constantly being evaluated based on feedback from the families who use them. “This fuels us to be innovative and to continue evolving.”

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