Sleeping in a transparent bubble, a system of fabric tunnels, a hanging tipi or a tent that clings dangerously to the side of a mountain is infinitely more exciting than spending the night in your bed. These 15 smart, amazing, fun and bizarre temporary shelter options might just inspire you to start planning your next camping trip.
Vertigo-Inducing Rock Climbing Tents
(images via: fun and mania)
These tents are definitely not for those afraid of heights. If you’re brave enough to scale the side of a mountain, perhaps you’re brave enough to sleep with nothing more than a thin sheet of nylon and a few ropes keeping you from plummeting to an early death.
Tent that Pitches Itself
(images via: quechua)
The most annoying thing about camping (other than getting caught in a storm) is having to set up an overly complex tent. Wouldn’t it be nice if you could just throw it into the air and watch as it expands and pitches itself? Actually, you can. The 2SECONDS tent by Quechua features fiberglass spring hoops that pop open when you throw it, so the tent lands fully assembled. You just stake it into the ground, and you’re done.
Kayak Tent
(images via: yanko design)
For campers who like to kayak to their destination, what could be more perfect than a tent that uses the kayak as a base? The Kahuna is an open-top outrigger kayak that converts into a tent, keeping the bottom of the tent off the ground for even more comfort.
Cork Treehouse Tent
(images via: yanko design)
Made of sustainable cork, the Tree House tent is 100% free of chemicals, lightweight, and much more portable than it looks. The whole thing collapses down to the size of a rolled yoga mat. Since cork is naturally insulating, it also helps provide a stable, comfortable temperature inside.
Raindrop-Shaped Treetent
(images via: dre wapenaar)
Originally designed for protesters who were trying to prevent trees from being cut down, the raindrop-shaped Treetent hangs from a sturdy branch to provide a surprisingly spacious camping refuge measuring thirteen feet tall and nine feet in diameter. It’s outfitted with a hardwood sleeping platform and a round mattress large enough to sleep two adults and two children.
Transparent Bubble Tents
(images via: my modern met)
Living in a bubble sounds a lot more appealing when it looks like this. The Bubbletree tent provides accommodations that are a lot more luxurious than you’d normally find in the forest or in a field, protected from the elements with a layer of transparent plastic. They also come in semi-transparent models with the clear part facing the sky, if you want privacy but still would like to see the stars.
Optical Illusion Tent
(images via: fieldcandy)
Disguise your camping setup against a brick house, a wood cabin or a field with FieldCandy’s fun optical illusion tents. Some of these tents are made to blend in, like sheep in a field, while others are more fun and graphic.
Orange Solar Tent
(images via: orange)
Now this is a serious tent. Not only is it cool and futuristic-looking, it’s covered in overlapping solar panels that will gather sunlight during the day to charge all your gadgets. It also features ‘glo-cation’ technology, helping campers track the location of their tent using their mobile phones. When you send a text, your tent will start glowing so you can spot it in the dark.
Gigwam Cave Tent
(images via: design buzz)
The fun Gigwam Cave tent features teepee-style tents connected with tunnels so you can create your very own, private tent village protected from the elements. Each one is designed to fit two people. A nice bonus is that the poles stay inside the internal frame of the tent, collapsing down with one quick motion, so setup is easier than average.
TemperFly Solar-Powered Tent
(images via: dvice)
Appropriately enough, this massive solar panel-covered tent is being tested by the US Army. The TEMPER Fly tent’s thin, flexible photovoltaic cells generate 800 watts of electricity on a roughly 16-by-20-foot surface. This could enable the charging of gadgets, night vision goggles and more without the need for a generator. It could also come in handy in the case of natural disaster response.
Fully Booked Tent
(images via: trend hunter)
The Fully Booked tent by designer Jack Maxwell is an ideal choice for lit lovers who also like sleeping in the great outdoors. Fitting two people comfortably, this tent was made in a limited edition run of just 195.
Urban Camouflage Car Tent
(images via: make sine)
Camping in parking spots is not exactly condoned in most cities, but with this tent, you might just get away with it. Disguised as a car, it would fit right into parking garages and other urban spots where only vehicles are allowed.
Treepee Hanging Tent
(images via: campist)
The Treepee Camping Tent hangs from a branch and is secured to the ground with four stakes for a comfy sleeping spot that sways gently in the wind. A pulley system makes it easy to hoist the tent up and down – no tree climbing necessary.
Piilo Indoor Tent
(images via: luxist)
This thing is barely recognizable as a tent at all, and with its overlapping roof sections that spread like flower petals, it’s not going to protect you from rain or creepy-crawlies. It would, however, make one incredibly awesome indoor fort.

