Outdoors

Hybrid shelter lets you sleep high or low

Hybrid shelter lets you sleep high or low
One shelter, two ways to camp
One shelter, two ways to camp
View 19 Images
With its aluminum frame and guy lines, the Crua hybrid serves as a ground shelter
1/19
With its aluminum frame and guy lines, the Crua hybrid serves as a ground shelter
The Hybrid can zip together with other Hybrids to create a multi-person shelter
2/19
The Hybrid can zip together with other Hybrids to create a multi-person shelter
A versatile, all-in-one camping solution
3/19
A versatile, all-in-one camping solution
Crua experimented with inflatable poles but decided to go with the aluminum to lower weight and cost
4/19
Crua experimented with inflatable poles but decided to go with the aluminum to lower weight and cost
Two peas in a pod
5/19
Two peas in a pod
From this picture, it looks like Crua also fancies the Hybrid a makeshift lounge chair
6/19
From this picture, it looks like Crua also fancies the Hybrid a makeshift lounge chair
For a small shelter, the Hybrid has plenty of entries - one at the top and two on the sides
7/19
For a small shelter, the Hybrid has plenty of entries - one at the top and two on the sides
Hybrid design process
8/19
Hybrid design process
Features and dimensions
9/19
Features and dimensions
A different style of hammock setup
10/19
A different style of hammock setup
Strap the Hybrid to a tree and it's a hammock shelter
11/19
Strap the Hybrid to a tree and it's a hammock shelter
Hybrid hanging out
12/19
Hybrid hanging out
Camping on the ground
13/19
Camping on the ground
Though Crua doesn't show it, the rain fly can secure to the Hybrid when it's hanging in the trees, as well as on the ground
14/19
Though Crua doesn't show it, the rain fly can secure to the Hybrid when it's hanging in the trees, as well as on the ground
One shelter, two ways to camp
15/19
One shelter, two ways to camp
Crua Hybrid
16/19
Crua Hybrid
The rain fly adds full weather protection whenever you need
17/19
The rain fly adds full weather protection whenever you need
The Hybrid is available at Kickstarter pledges of $249+
18/19
The Hybrid is available at Kickstarter pledges of $249+
Crua Hybrid
19/19
Crua Hybrid 
View gallery - 19 images

Crua Outdoors, the force behind the insulated Thermo Tent, is bringing its camping innovation to the trees. The all-new Hybrid is a single-person shelter that's part hammock, part bivvy and part tent. And it even brings its own sleeping bag and inflatable mattress. It's basically everything you need for a warm, comfortable night in the wild.

While we've been familiar with the "Thermo Tent" since last year, we weren't so familiar with "Crua Outdoors." That's because when we covered the Thermo Tent, the Crua Outdoors name hadn't been born yet, a move announced earlier this year. Not that we're complaining, since we know a little about rebranding.

Not looking to be just another tent company in a market flush with them, Crua has focused on bringing new ideas to the campground. The Hybrid isn't completely novel, following a recent surge of high-flying shelters, including Tentsile's ever-expanding lineup and the Flying Tent, themselves having followed other hammock shelters like the Hennessy Hammock and Lawson Blue Ridge Camping Hammock. But it does belong to a subset that can be pitched both on the ground and in the trees, and it brings a complete sleep system right along with it.

The rain fly adds full weather protection whenever you need
The rain fly adds full weather protection whenever you need

Unlike many of the dedicated hammock tents out there, the Hybrid includes an aluminum frame to give the ripstop and mesh body the proper structure it needs for standing up on the ground. Guy lines secure it to that ground, and a rain fly adds full weather protection.

Since not every campsite is amenable to pitching a bivvy/tent – think rough, solid rock or deep mud – Crua designed the Hybrid to double as a hammock shelter, suspending the camper above ground via suspender bars and cables. It'll hold up to 285 lb (129 kg) and can hang with the rain fly or without.

The ability to camp in the trees or on the ground puts the Hybrid in the same category as a few other shelters, like the aforementioned Lawson Blue Ridge and Flying Tent, and makes it a pretty cool piece of camping kit. But Crua hasn't stopped there. Inside that meshy shell, it's put an inflatable mattress, adding sleeping comfort and insulation from the cold ground/air below. A removable, custom-shaped sleeping bag rated to 23° F (-5° C) finishes the snug interior off.

Two peas in a pod
Two peas in a pod

Camping tends to be a social activity, and some campers like to bring the fun from the firepit to the tent itself, sleeping below a single piece of tent fabric with their campmates. For them, the Hybrid can easily zip together with other Hybrids, creating a larger roof over two or more campers' heads, a capability we've seen on other recent designs like Pod Tents. The Hybrid's dual side doors mean such a community tent can be built out indefinitely.

Crua is hosting a Kickstarter campaign for the Hybrid now and offering the 7-lb (3.1-kg) kit (tent/hammock, sleeping pad, sleeping bag) for pledge levels of US$249 (an estimated 38 percent off retail) and up. If all goes to plan, deliveries will begin in December.

Some of the Hybrid's features are demonstrated in the video below.

Source: Crua Outdoors

Crua Hybrid USA - Tent/Hammock

View gallery - 19 images
8 comments
8 comments
JanetPowell
how much is one of these then?
chase
7lbs is real heavy for a solo tent. My NF 6 man 4 season expedition tent is 8 lbs by comparison. So you're not going to be using this for backpacking. At least not too far.
The concept is nice. I like some features, zipping the two together, hammock/ground set up.
That said, I'm left curious as to how well two zipped together would fair fowl weather. A single ground sheet for two would flood the underside.
The hammock style lacks comfort for sleep. If anyone has slept in a "U" shape hammock they'll know what I mean. Fowl weather again poses a threat due to guy lines and a lack of protection from what is shown in the video and images while in hammock mode.
It needs more thought put into it by way of first hand use in less than ideal conditions before I'd take it seriously.
There are changes I'd make just by looking at the images that would improve it. Actually using it or going out in the wild to see what is actually needed, key to design imo.
You don't have to go Neanderthal to enjoy the outdoors. You just have to use common sense. And a little imagination and you can camp with the similar comforts of home. It doesn't take much. I know first hand.
JoeMorrissey
Please give packed dimensions. I am bicycle tourer.
Eric Blenheim
Looks interesting, especially as most mosquitoes usually don't fly far above the ground at night, one thing they don't mention is mesh density to keep out small insects.
Don McKinnon
As already asked, what are the packed dimensions? Nothing on their site about packed either.
Bill Bennett
@Janet $249.00 in mentioned in the photo section
Joe Blough
Met a doctor with a hammock tent. He made an interesting modification. Because he sometimes needed to pee in the middle of the night and didn't want to disembark from the hammock, he added a zipper in the bottom out of which he could, well, pee. He cautioned that you didn't want to store gear underneath if you used this feature.
Sissiboo Smith
You don't show anyone entering the hammock. I'm assuming you get in from the side, because only an acrobat could get in from the end. You don't offer much in the way of tech specs, like size of the packup, size of the mosquito mesh and like that. More info would be nice.