At least once a year, while hanging out at a show or festival, I see someone making use of an item that blows my mind. Something about this object makes it special. It is as if it is illuminated by a halo of light {queue the organ music}, pulsating in the throng and distinguishing itself from the millions of other objects floating around the festival grounds. I’m not merely talking about the freshest kicks designed by that hip new DJ or that really pretty sundress that what’s-her-face from that Swedish electro-folk band was wearing. Instead, I’m referring to products with real utilitarian value – things that could really make a difference in the experience I am having at the event.

Coachella has come and gone. To the lucky few who made it out to Indio, this might be a sad time of the year as you deal with your PCS (Post-Coachella Syndrome). For the rest of us, this is just the beginning of a wonderful festival and summer concert season.

As a new feature on Consequence of Sound, we are going to bring you some of the things that we find especially innovative and unique and believe that you all will particularly enjoy rocking at whatever festival(s) you attend. If you invest in some of the items that we’ll be bringing you, you will no doubt be one of the cool kids out there this summer.

Tents

The first subject that I’d like to discuss is something that I bookmarked over two years ago and still plan to purchase one of these days. It’s for all of you festival campers out there. While even the most experienced and hardcore woodspeople will appreciate this product, this will hit a special something for those of you who have never set up a tent before. The thing is, nobody wants to take the time to set up a tent as soon as they roll onto the festival grounds. After driving for, most likely, a few hours (if not flying), sitting in traffic (usually in the burning sun) for an extended period and then finally pulling into the lot, you’re going to be amped to get into the concert. Most tents are not extremely complicated to put together. However, trying to read the instructions after a long day in the sun in the dark and then finding the correct length poles to fit into the right slot….

Ok, I made my point. Wouldn’t it be nice to have a tent that was in one piece and easy to assemble? What about one that can set itself up? Even better, I’d love to get a tent that you could literally throw out of the car and {bam} done! Check these puppies out:

QUICK SET DOME TENT
What is it: Quick-Erecting & Self-Erecting Tents
Why: This high quality, lightweight tent is extremely easy to assemble, with complete setup and take down in less than one minute. It is durable and compact. Here is a description of the Quick Set Dome Tent from the company’s website:

The poles are built in to the rain fly (like an umbrella) to give you a quick and easy set up in less than sixty seconds. There are no poles to thread through sleeves and the tent is free standing. The fiberglass poles have locking hinges that snap into place for easy set up and take down. The tent is suspended under the rain fly and can be removed so the rain fly can be used as stand alone when you need a shelter without a full tent. The rain fly is made of polyester taffeta and offers high water repellency (2000 mm), taped seams, covers to the ground, and forms two vestibules, one over each door. The dome tent floor is a bathtub style made of strong polyester 150D material treated to 2000 mm water resistance. Comes complete with removable gear loft, 2 inside storage pockets, ceiling hook, stakes, carry bag, and instructions.

Where: Pinnacle Tents

2 SECONDS TENT
What: Fairly self-explanatory. Throw the tent and it pops open in two seconds (check out this ad).
Why: If you are not going to be able to spare the one minute to set up a tent, this is the one for you. It only takes a couple of seconds to pop open, but you still have to hammer in the pegs. Quechua claims that “once you have the ‘knack’ as shown in the instructions” you will be able to fold away the tent in 15 seconds. It has a nice design with a bedroom door set back behind the vestibule, so when you open it during rain, the inside remains sheltered. This tent won an award for industrial design in 2006:

2SECONDS is a self-erecting tent. Just throw it in the air and it opens on its own before reaching the ground. All that’s required are six pegs to secure it to the ground. The key to the design are the two spring hoops made of fiberglass, a material that reduces the diameter of the hoops and allows it to be easily folded for compact storage. Compared to standard tents, 2SECONDS has fewer parts to lose and break while still providing an attractive, lightweight, waterproof shelter. Disassembly is easy as well: in 15 seconds the tent folds back into its self-contained package complete with carrying handles. Its affordable price and simple operation has brought camping to a wider range of customers. Sales in the first year have skyrocketed.

Where: Decathlon discontinued its North American branch last year (something about a fire hazard and a product recall might have forced this issue), but you can probably find it online somewhere. For those of you living in Europe, check out Quechua’s website. These are very cool tents…just don’t sleep too close to the campfire.

NYAMUK
What: Ultra-cool hybrid sleeping bag/tent/hammock
Why: If you’re going to be camping at a festival this summer that will give you access to trees or structural objects, this might be the tent for you. Compact and light, the Nyamuk is more of a transforming sleeping bag than a large tent, so you will not be interested in this if you need something to hold a group. I don’t read Swiss, but from reading reviews on other sites, it appears that the Nyamuk is made out of a light, breathable polyester material. One rod supports the tent, making it easy to assemble and put away. Some festivals can get buggy, but that won’t be a problem with the Nyamuk, since it has a nice, built-in mosquito net.
Where: Leonie Bergmaier’s industrial design website (click on project)

ROOF-TOP-TENT
What: Set up a tent on the roof of your ride
Why: Do you love the idea of spending a weekend in nature, seeing some great bands, but hate the idea of sleeping on the ground? Do you have a phobia of snakes or other creepy-crawlies? Do you hate to admit it, but you just don’t like dirt and mud? Don’t you hate waking up in the morning after a storm and stepping out into a swamp? More and more festivals are popping up around the country, giving attendees the opportunity to camp. At some of these festivals, people set up their tents right next to their vehicles. Mombasa designed a tent that sits right on top of any car, truck or SUV and it is another quick setup:

The car, truck, SUV and trailer tent’s most desirable appeal is its remarkable ease of portability and setup. The Roof-Top-Tent virtually carries on the top of most car or trailer after-market mounted rack systems and sets up in less than 45 seconds. An adjustable ladder makes ease of entry through the mesh screen door secure and the rain fly with water resistant PVC coating keeps the tent dry. The unique tent weighs only 120 pounds and is just 47 in. wide x 55 in. long x 12 inches high when closed. When opened, the Roof-Top-Tent offers a roomy 94 in. x 55 in. cushioned interior sleeping up to two adults comfortably.

Where: Roof-Top-Tent

We have some great items that we will be highlighting over the next few weeks, so check back regularly. Have you seen something that you would like to share? Let us know and, if we like it too, we’ll post a feature about it (giving you credit for the idea, of course!)

Categories: Features, News
Tags: Festival Gear