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

