The Daily - Day 3 - June 20, 2019 - 32

Ideas
B I G

T R E N D S

From top: Big Agnes' Salt
Creek SL, Therm-a-Rest's
Questar, and Tentsile's
Gen3 UNA Tree Tent.

Camp in Style

Whether you're sleeping in a camper or out
in the wild, comfort is king when it comes
to sleeping bags and tents for Spring 2020.
By Berne Broudy
"OVER THE PAST 15 YEARS,

consumer demand for lighter gear
aligned with developing lighter
technical fabrics," says Terry Breaux,
MSR tent category manager. "Tents
got lighter and smaller, with fewer
features. Now, campers are willing to trade a few extra ounces for
comfort and durability." MSR's
Habitude four- and six-person tents
are tall enough to stand inside with
a palatial vestibule, personal storage
pockets, hang loops for gear-and
they're built to last.
GATHERING PLACES, ALL
DECKED OUT
"Shorter excursions, shared campsites, and time spent with friends
around the campfire is trending
among millennials," says Mike
Welch, VP of sales at Nemo. "Social
camping is more important than
a specific destination or objective."
In response, Nemo's newest tent
is light and durable and designed
as a gathering spot. The two- and
three-person Dagger Porches
have a sweeping front alcove that
opens for expansive views, has
space for two chairs, and shields
campers from sun and rain. "It's
the first tent to dial in the hang-out
zone," says Welch.
Big Agnes' three-door, two-person Salt Creek allows for multiple
configurations, from traditional to
a more open, group-friendly setup
with room to chill out under an

awning or in a vestibule veranda,
all in a package that weighs less
than four pounds.
"Car-camping tents are reasserting themselves, even for the most
experienced outdoors person," says
Kyle Thackray, Therm-a-Rest insulation and pillows category manager. "We're making family camping
tents with features that address
the challenges and needs families
face on weekend adventures."
Tentsile's Gen3 UNA Tree Tent
is a four-season, 5-pound solo
shelter that's packed with features:
It has a precision-engineered
ratchet system, an air-mattress-securing double-layered floor, and
an underfloor storage net to stash
a pack out of the weather. Tentsile
says campers are looking for Instagram-worthy ways to access the
outdoors, and a tent that's pitched
above ground fits the bill, though
the Gen3 can also be converted for
ground usage.
ELIMINATING TOXINS
Mountain Hardwear has eliminated
cancer-causing fire-retardant in
its tents, and we hope more brands
will follow suit. In 2016, Mountain
Hardwear, MSR, REI, and Outdoor
Industry Association commissioned
a study and found campers are
exposed to toxins setting up and
sleeping in treated tents. "We studied the chemicals; we asked each
other if any of us wanted to sleep in

/ SUMMER MARKET 2019

tents coated in those chemicals," says
Joe Vernachio, Mountain Hardwear
president. "The answer was a unanimous 'no.'" Mountain Hardwear's
retardant-free two- and three-person Mineral King tents maximize
living space with a full mesh upper
and a fly that rolls back for comfy
stargazing.
LIGHT BUT LIVEABLE
"We see a larger emphasis placed
on fit and comfort, throughout
price and weight spectrums," says
Therm-a-Rest's Thackray.
Traditionally, sleeping bag options
were limited to a light but restrictive
slim-cut mummy or a comfy but
heavy rectangular bag. New designs
blend the two, like Therm-a-Rest's
packable Questar 32F. It has the
thermal efficiency of a mummy and
the roomy fit of a rectangular bag,
allowing the camper more sleeping
positions. Connectors attach bag
to mattress, and zoned insulation
maximizes warmth.
"Customers aren't one size fits
all," says Robert Fry, director of
product at Big Agnes. "Fast-mov-

ing, technical
users encounter
variable conditions
more than anyone else.
We're adding comfort and
adjustability in sleep systems
across the board." Big Agnes'
technical 850-fill Greystone
UL has expandable panels that
morph the bag from mummy to
semi-rectangular without changing the temperature range.
Mountain Hardwear's go-anywhere, do-anything Bozeman bags
follow suit. A full-length zipper
wraps around the foot so campers
can vent, turn the bag into a quilt,
or zip it to another bag.
Patagonia's synthetic, hardware-free Lightweight Sleeping
Bag is simple and multifunctional. The full-length bag is
part of a three-piece kit that
includes a pack, sleeping bag, and
wood-burning campstove to help
adventurers keep everything as
pared down as possible for efficient backcountry movement.

The Daily - Day 3 - June 20, 2019

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