Air tents (with inflatable support beams rather than metal/fiberglass rods) are a recent development in camping equipment and Hamburg-based Hemiplanet is a respected maker in the field. Their latest release is the extreme wind-enduring Nias 6-Person Tent ($1,100) as a possible solution to those who like to keep a lot of equipment (or a lot of family members) close inside.
The Heimplanet Nias tent uses their patented Inflatable Diamond Grid (IDG) geodesic design to create a firm support structure that raises over the main tent body. The outer layer of the support structure is extra stiff polyester with a flexible polyurethane inner tube. There are four individual sections so that loss of air in one does not let the tent collapse. The tent has a total weight of 6.8 kilos (15 lbs), can be pumped up in just a minute or two and, due to the geodesic design, it is said to be very stable even in high winds.
Attached under this structure, the tent has two separate chambers on the ends with a vestibule area between. The sleeping chambers are removable and taking one out allows larger items, such as bikes, to be kept inside the tent. The Heimplanet Nias tent comes with all necessary stakes and tie-downs and a repair kit for quick field repairs in case of accidents.
