Multiple Choice: Pitching a Few Trends in Tent Design
By Martin Vilaboy

Like our day-to-day dwellings, tents come in all sizes, shapes and categories--from freestanding, two-person summer shelters to bombproof, base camp luxury editions--making it possible for consumers to find a model that matches any recreational goals.

After surveying the past 12 to 18 months of tent introductions, two categories, each directed toward different markets, emerged as the most significant. Just as comfort and convenience summarize the latest trends in camping, the term that best describes the hottest trends in tents is "multiple choice," as multi-room tents and a new breed of convertible tents that offer multiple set-up options seem to be gaining the most momentum.

Families Matter

During the past few camping seasons, the family market has taken center stage . Evidence of this can be seen in the growing number of companies with roots in backpacking that have introduced larger family-style tents. A few examples include Quest, Ferrino, Eureka, Sierra Designs and Edgeworks, the parent company of Walrus and Moss Tents, which recently unveiled its Armadillo line of family tents.

"We recognized a need in the marketplace," says Scott Weir, sales and marketing manager for Edgeworks. "The specialty trade [stores] in particular needs to have another part to its business that can take the consumers it has developed during the past 10 years in the backpacking arena and offer a new product line that those same customers can grow into as their needs change and their families grow. They are going to require a different type of product, and that is why we developed the new Armadillo brand."

Of the eight family-style tents in the Armadillo collection, half the models offer multi-room options. You'll also find new multi-room models from four of the five suppliers mentioned above. What are the primary advantages of multiple rooms? Added privacy for one, but ultimately, parents appreciate the bit of freedom they enjoy by having their little loved ones in a separate room, even if it is divided by a thin nylon wall.

"A buyer might have a labor of love in their store, but not have a family or kids," Weir continues. "So they can't really understand the need for having two rooms where you can put the kids to sleep in the inner tent and stay protected in the outer portion. It is just like in your home--you have a bedroom and a living room. That is exactly how these tents are set up."

Beyond bedtime, a separate sleeping area means little feet can have access to shelter and gear without tracking dirt into the bedroom, and multi-room tents are ideal when two couples or small families share one car's trunk space. As far as the tents' reception, both Armadillo and Eureka report positive reactions.

"There is a real demand out there," says Caroline Fleischer, spokesperson for Eureka, referring to the company's new behemoth, multi-room Condo tent, "and we have been getting really good responses from dealers."

According to Fleischer, the new Condo luxury tent is so large it was cited at a recent trade show for not having a smoke alarm.

"I am not saying that [retailers] are stocking 20 Condos," she continues. "They are stocking one, two or three for that person who comes in looking for luxury."

Conversion Chart

Just as multi-room tents are the latest for families and casual campers, backcountry campers are checking out the next step in conversion tents--the multiple set-up designs.

Traditionally, conversion tents are defined as tents hearty enough for four-season use, but lighter than typical expedition models with enough ventilation for warmer conditions. These latest conversion-plus shelters go one step further, allowing the user to take only the pieces that are needed for a certain outing. For example, if a camper just wants a quick sun shelter or prefers to sleep in the open air, the tent's poles, rainfly and groundsheet can be quickly connected, while the entire tent body is left at home.

Known as system tents, modular tents, or by specific brand names, this design is not entirely new. Marmot, for one, has offered a Bare Bones setup on several tent models for many years. Bare Bones allows the fly to be used by itself or with an optional groundsheet for a quick, lightweight shelter. During the past few years, however, a multitude of these highly versatile systems has been introduced in various forms from several manufacturers, including Alps Mountaineering, Eureka, Kelty, Moss, Walrus and Sierra Designs, which unveiled its Fastpack Footprint system for Spring 1999.

The obvious benefits of a modular system are versatility and value. For the price of one tent, or with an optional groundsheet, you get two distinct shelters. But beyond the sales pitch, Scott Whipps, national sales manager for Sierra Designs, believes these systems answer a true user demand.

"An activity we used to take a week or so to do," says Whipps, "is being crammed into a weekend. Part of that means you have to be able to do it light and you have to be able to do it fast."

Armed with a modular tent and a weekend forecast, any backpacker, climber or paddler has the option of instantly lightening the overnight load. For those enthusiasts who prefer less-crowded campgrounds or camp only because it provides access to other backcountry pursuits, the ability to cut ounces is particularly convenient, which brings us back to the "comfort and convenience" theme.

Just as multi-room tent designs offer families and casual campers the ultimate in comfort, the versatility of modular tents provides backcountry travelers with much-needed convenience. Maybe it's no coincidence these are two hot tent categories.

Martin Vilaboy is the Editor-In-Chief of Outfitter magazine, an trade publication aimed at outdoor retailers. Check out Outfitter at www.outfittermag.com