Vehicle-mounted awnings have become de rigueur for overlanding and other motor vehicle adventures, offering a fast, sure way of getting some shade, even in the middle of treeless tundra or desert. Such awnings can be difficult to mount and definitely aren't optimized for quick dismounting, leaving drivers lugging around extra weight up high during stretches when they don't even need an awning. Oregon startup Humbra presents a lighter, more versatile vehicle awning solution with its new Firefly, an awning that travels inside the vehicle and sets up in 90 seconds on the vehicle itself or on the ground. It's there when you need it, not when you don't.
Humbra pairs a proprietary pivoting hitch mount with a unique umbrella that includes a telescoping pole and extended shade-throwing canopy. It's not a small package at 61 x 16 x 10 in (155 x 41 x 25 cm) and just over 50 lb (22.6 kg) packed up, but it is designed to be carried in a pickup bed, atop the folded seats of an SUV or crossover, or on a roof rack. Humbra says that it's sized the Firefly specifically with short-bed pickups in mind, and while that extra inch of length might require a little adjusting in the 60-in (152-cm) bed of a midsize truck like the Toyota Tacoma or Jeep Gladiator, it'll lay naturally within the 5.5-foot (168-cm) bed of a short-bed full-size pickup.
At the destination, the included hitch mount quickly secures to the vehicle's 2-in hitch receiver, drops 90 degrees as shown and serves as the pole holder. The pole itself adjusts in height and rotates 360 degrees, locking in at any 90-degree interval, so the user can get the best amount of shade for the given time/sun position. The color-stable-acrylic canopy then sets up like any umbrella, supported by aluminum ribs and stainless steel hardware.
Humbra says the system delivers up to 115 sq ft (10.7 sq m) of sun and rain protection. Using the two included suction cup vehicle mounts, it's designed and tested to hold up to 25-mph (40-km/h) winds.
Beyond the more difficult, time-consuming mounting/dismounting, another disadvantage of traditional vehicle-based awning systems is that the shade is basically tethered to the earth directly adjacent to the vehicle. If you want to get shade out on a (vehicles prohibited) beach, a different part of camp from where you're parked, a sports field, etc, you'll need a separate awning or shade room entirely. Humbra works around this with an available ground anchor and dual telescoping pole kit, allowing the Firefly to easily double as a portable umbrella for use away from the vehicle.
While it has its advantages, the Firefly doesn't save much money compared to a regular vehicle-mounted awning. Its planned US$1,495 MSRP is comparable to what you might pay for a brand-name freestanding 270-degree awning and well more than a basic rectangular side awning. Humbra is getting some love on Kickstarter, though, where it's offering the Firefly kit at pledge levels of $1,195+. Along with the ground kit, available add-ons include canopy-to-pickup sidewalls and fabric extension panels.
Humbra's campaign has surpassed its goal six times over with about a week and a half left to go. If all continues to move smoothly, it plans to begin deliveries in April 2024, just in time for the spring/summer adventure season.
Source: Humbra