We already have tents that can suspend from trees, tents that can pitch on the roof of the car, and even tents that can pitch on your bed to give you privacy in the dorm. The Shoal Tent takes the tent to a new place this time around, combining it with an inflatable raft to give you a floating shelter in the water.
No, this isn’t a tent that you can pitch to any raft. Instead, it’s a fully-assembled setup that combines the two elements as one item. As such, you can keep the whole thing in one bag the entire time it sits in your garage or the boot of your car, ensuring you can easily grab it when you decide to visit the local lake for a nap. Or something.
The SmithFly Shoal Tent doesn’t require you to pitch a tent like conventional versions of the shelter. Instead, the tent structure is actually connected to the raft, so it inflates and automatically pitches the tent the exact same time you fill the raft the air. That means, anyone can easily set it up as long as you know how to use an air pump (please, tell me you do). When fully inflated, the raft measures 8 x 8 feet, so you’ll get a good amount of floor space inside to sleep up to two people. Maybe even three if you don’t mind sleeping on your side and being in danger of sinking.
According to SmithFly, the tent can stand up to high winds without any problems, so your shelter will stay up even on windy days. The raft, on the other hand, will likely go wherever the wind blows, so make sure to keep track of how it’s moving unless you want to end up spending an hour paddling back to camp. Or just tie it down to something that can keep it near the shore. Inside, by the way, you get full standing room in the center up to 6’3”.
The SmithFly Shoal Tent comes with a six-inch thick drop-stitched high-pressure floor, so it doubles as a functional air mattress that doesn’t require any extra padding to sleep you comfortably. Of course, if you don’t like air mattresses, you can lay something else on top for a better sleeping experience. The tent, by the way, is made from a heavy-duty fabric that’s fully waterproof and can be closed with similarly waterproof zippers to give you complete privacy. The sides of the tent, by the way, can be detached quickly when needed, as it’s only held up by hook-and-loop closures that you can easily undo from inside.
When deflated, the whole thing can pack down into a carrying case that measures 60 x 24 x 18 inches, which should allow you to throw it in the boot of most cars. It comes with a patch kit and a manual foot pump. Do note, the whole thing weighs 75 pounds, so it’s not exactly lightweight.
Available now, the SmithFly Shoal Tent is priced at $1,499.