WHEN MICHAEL C.B. Stevens first heard about the growing popularity of “pop-up” tents, the outdoorsy filmmaker and photographer was “a little skeptical.” Could these shelters—whose makers claim take mere seconds to erect—possibly be as functional as the set-it-up-yourself models he’d been using since he was a kid? And besides, aren’t punishing physical exploits part of the point of being outdoors?
The Carbondale, Colo., resident ended up trying out a two-person pop-up from French brand Decathlon for a recent three-week rafting trip in the Grand Canyon. “Immediately I was like, ‘this thing’s a winner,’” he said.
On a trip otherwise packed with adventuring, being able to set up camp in a minute or two left Mr. Stevens ready to help out around camp while everyone else was still fiddling with their tent poles. And though heavier than the models he was used to, it turned out to be resilient enough to cope with wind and rain.
“Some of the people we had on our trip have [done] guided expeditions in Antarctica or were accomplished ski mountaineers, and every single one of them was checking out the tent and was super jealous,” he said.
Here, five reasons to love these easy-peasy pitch-a-tents.