The CAFFIN tents come!

[Roger Caffin]

Hi all

Over the years many of you have asked whether (or when) my tents will become available. I tried making them myself for sale but it was too slow and the price was too high. Sigh.

Well, AFTER my Survey and Tutorial on Tunnel Tents was published I was contacted by a large manufacturer of outdoors gear. Based on the Tutorial, they expressed an interest in producing my tents under licence. So, we negotiated, and I have signed an agreement. I repeat, their interest was triggered by the publication of the Tutorial.

Two key items in the agreement are that I will be working with the actual company doing the sewing, and the designs to be produced are subject to my approval. Some readers worried that the design might be degraded if it went into production by someone else: that is not going to happen. My design approval is needed.

Yes, this means we are aiming at the high end of the light-weight market, NOT at the low end where all those pop-ups reign. So the price is not going to be low, but the company thinks it will be affordable.

The first version is expected to be the single-skin 2-man 3-pole summer tent. It will look very similar to the (6-year old) blue one you have seen in my photos, just slightly improved with the benefit of all those years of testing. Weight target: under 1.2 kg, depending on fabrics

If this sells well, we will then move on to the double-skin 2-man 4-pole winter tent, that you will also have seen in some of my photos. Weight target, around 1.5 kg, again depending on fabrics.

The company is Easton Mountain Products, and the tents will be using their carbon fibre poles. Expected (hoped?) delivery is spring/summer 2014. Their comment: "Also we're very excited at the prospect!" Yeah, I'm pretty chuffed too.

Cheers

[Barry Cuthbert]

That is super cool! I'll be in the queue for one.

[BlackHatGuy]

Roger,

Very, very cool. Congratulations and much success!

[drowning in spam]

2.6 pounds. I might have to get one.

Congrats Roger!

[Eugene Smith]

I have no foreseeable need for such a tent in the near future, especially living here in NM with our favorable weather, but a big congratulations goes out to you Mr. Caffin on your new endeavor.

[Jeremy Osburn]

For the winter one!!! Might take a few years of piggy bank filling but the excitement is high.

[Devin Montgomery]

This is so epicly awesome, Roger. All the drooling we have done over these tents in BPL articles will not have been in vain. Any chance we'll get a BPL article on licensing a design or the production process?

[David Ure]

OI! Oi! Oi!

Can't wait – I'll definitely buy one for the winter.

[John West]

Sweet! Count me in for the winter one.

[James holden]

it aint "cottage" … so it aint BPL coool ;)

good for you !

[Mike Klinefelter]

2014, as in 2 years from now?

[Stephan Doyle]

Easton is really stepping up their game lately. Good on them, and a fantastic opportunity for you Roger to share your expertise with the world!

[Nick Truax]

That is awesome, Roger! Congrats are in order – can't wait to see em.

[Ken Thompson]

I can hardly wait for a certain somebody's response to this news.

[NW Hiker]

While I found your "reviews" to be completely biased, and to me almost seemed to be selling your product, I do wish you success and look forward to the tent line.

[P. P.]

Looks good! I will want to try it myself rather than rely on reviews. ;-)

[Miguel Arboleda]

I have been keenly interested and ever hopeful of being able to one day get one of your tents since 2002, when I first read your website and all the information you put in there (and when I also had an exchange with you about making one myself). Ten years! Finally they'll be here! Definitely put me on the waiting list!

[Michael Duke]

Congratulations! It's good to see some excellent quality tents reaching into the mainstream market.

[Tad Englund]

Man, I leave the computer for a few minutes and look what happens.
Congratulations Roger- I have been trying to figure out how to get my hands on one for years. I didn't want to make the several versions you did to get where they are now.
I just hope the price isn't in the stratosphere.
Put me on the wait list.

[Bradley Danyluk]

Spectacular, Roger!

Thank you so much for persuing this. The community can only benefit. Could be a game-changer to all manufacturers interested in persuing lightweight designs, and I hope this brings you reward.

I'll probably end up buying both eventually, or maybe just the winter one, depending on pricing.

Couple questions:

1) Do you have any concerns over using carbon fiber instead of aluminum for the poles? I understand the stresses of your pole design will be far more suitable to carbon fibre than poles which undergo a bend – however, it seems to me that the apex sections are still not exactly delivering a linear load straight down the poles. Add in strong crosswinds and it gets even more complicated.

2) I'm curious how it's possible to only have a 300g difference between a single-skin 3-pole summer design and a double-skin 4-pole design. I would have expected far more.

PS: Please consider looking into the physics of condensation-reduction benefits of aluminized fabrics. Like I've mentioned… that's my dream tent :)

[Jeffs Eleven]

People: You can't wait for the winter tent, you gotta buy the summer weight one so we can get TO the winter tent! So everybody buy a summer weight tent- they'll all end up set up once in the back yard, 'not liked', and gear swapped like everything else anyway.

Sierra Designs is about to have a $1500 tent, so even $1000 for "The Caffin Coffin" [;)] doesn't seem so bad.

AND HE SAID AT THE BEGINNING OF THE ARTICLE IT CONTAINS A LOT OF OPINION!!!

Way to go Rog!!

[Miguel Arboleda]

Barry, the tents haven't even been made yet. Isn't it standard when starting up a new venture to give one design a first shot to see what customer response will be like, and then build up from there? Not sure what you're getting at. At least the tents will now be available! That's more than we've had a chance at ever since Roger first started talking about the tents. (I've always been rather frustrated with the reviews comparing tents in which one of Roger's tents was used, declared the best of the lot, and then the readers never having access to one). I say it's time to rejoice! The criticisms of the tents can come after they go into production and we all get to try them out, no?

[Jeffs Eleven]

Miguel

I AM excited about the tents!! very much so

"The Caffin Coffin" came from the thread after the article, somebody was calling him Roger Coffin

And the 'Buy the summer one first" was from my understanding, they are gonna make the summer weight one first and if it sells, move on the the more expensive winter weight model.

I bet these things will be amazing

[James Marco]

Congradulations, Roger! Well done.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Congratulations Roger.

It must give you a feeling of gratification to see your designs recognized by a high end manufacturer AND be asked to work with them.

Can't wait to see the summer tent.

[Author]

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