Heimplanet ‘The Cave’ tent

 

The basics

How do you solve a problem like tent poles? In a bid to make its £435 ‘The Cave’ the fastest tent on the campsite, Heimplanet’s pioneering solution replaces those tricky tentacles for a skeletal frame made of interlocking inflatable tubes. Is it the future of tents, or just another festival folly? We braved the Great British Summer to find out.

The good

Splay The Cave’s spider-like frame out and you’ll have access to one of five pump-friendly inflation points. These are all linked, so you just have to find the nearest one and get to pumping. If you know what you’re doing and you have the right pump (we’d recommend Heimplanet’s own, which is sold separately), the whole thing will spring up like a bouncy castle with only a couple of minutes of frantic pumping. You’re supposed to do this and then hook the actual ‘tent’ part of The Cave to the skeletal frame, but on repeat use you can just leave everything attached, making getting pitched the next time even easier.

If you’re worried that air alone might not make things sturdy enough, don’t be. The Cave’s exoskeleton is rock solid when fully inflated, and there’s more than enough heft to make sure your belongings won’t blow away in a hurry. And don't worry if you get a puncture in the air frame - it consists of five separate chambers, meaning if you do get a puncture in one, the others still stay inflated to ensure your tent's stability isn't affected - handy.

Inside, The Cave’s hexagonal sleeping quarters are roomy enough for two adults to lie across the middle with a bit of space for gear either side, along with plenty of inner wall pockets. Heimplanet’s got temperature control nailed too, so you won’t find your slumber shooting from freezing cold to boiling hot throughout the course of the night.

The bad

The Cave’s easy setup does come with some drawbacks. For one, you will absolutely need a pump, and Heimplanet’s own is big. This is fine if you’re driving to the site or if you use one for your mattress anyway, but camping purists might be put off by the extra bulk. On that score, the tent itself folds down quite large - about the size of a big backpack - and getting it all into its admittedly well-designed bag can be a struggle if there’s still air clinging to the inside of the frame’s tubes.

The other thing to consider is that The Cave looks more like the moon lander that your standard tent, so you’ll need to be prepared for any attention that might bring from drunken festival goers.

Lastly, we can’t help but feel that there’s a missed opportunity to include an inbuilt inflatable bed.

The bottom line

In the end, The Cave’s supreme ease when it comes to getting pitched and ready for bed eclipses any of the design’s minor shortcomings. If you’re sick of battling with fiddly tent poles in torrid conditions and don’t mind a bit of bulk - and attention - look no further.