Sometimes you want your tent as low to the ground and battened down as possible, and sometimes you want a tall ceiling that lets you stand up and get changed. Why not have both? Crua Outdoors' latest multifunctional camping solution, the Xtent, features an adjustable, dual-height body that easily grows and collapses however you need. Pitch it up high for extra space and ventilation in the summer; drop it down low for better weather resistance in the winter and inclement stretches of the shoulder seasons.
Crua has a history of making camping gear that micro-adjusts around different trips and activities. Its modular Clan system builds up from tent to multi-tent commune; its hammocks hang in the trees, sit up like hovering chairs, spend the night as hanging tents, and flip over to pitch on the ground; and its inflatable swags pack their own air mattresses and picnic blankets.
Crua builds the Xtent from that very same adjustable, multipurpose mentality, creating a tent that easily adjusts between 5-foot-high (1.5-m) dome-style cabin form and 6.6-foot-tall (2-m) cabin tent. To increase height, campers lengthen the adjustable poles, unclip the upper mesh and push the roof up to full-height position. They now have more mesh for better ventilation and an interior high enough to stand in.
Why not just build a taller tent? Many a tall tent has a cabin-style frame and broad sides that don't fare as well in windy weather. By ducking down in height, the Xtent takes a more aerodynamic form that's more completely covered by the removable rain fly to better stand up to whipping winds and sheeting rain. The extra bunched-up tent mesh doubles as a wraparound gear-storage pocket, when the tent's in low height. The fly does not extend in size, so it's simply hiked up higher when used in 6.6-foot-high configuration.
The Xtent also works seamlessly with Crua's Cocoon V2, an inner tent liner that insulates, blocks light and dampens sound. With this add-on, Crua classifies the Xtent an all-season tent, saying it can keep campers warm in winter as well as chillier parts of spring and fall.
Another interesting feature on the XTent is rainwater collection pockets at the corners of the fly, which accumulate rainwater and pour it through a small hole to let campers collect it for use around camp. Crua advises to make sure that rainwater collection is legal where you're camping before putting this feature to use.
The Xtent isn't as modular as some of Crua's other tent systems, but the extendable rain fly door/awning is designed to be connected with a second Xtent awning to create a shared covered porch. Other features include interior storage pockets, a lantern hanger and an available gear storage hammock that gets wet, dirty gear up off the tent floor.
The Xtent comes in two- and three-person sizes. The two-person weighs 6.3 lb (2.9 kg) and measures 22 x 7 in (55 x 17 cm) when packed, while the three-person weighs 6.9 lb (3.2 kg) and packs to 23 x 7-in (58 x 17-cm) dimensions.
Crua is raising Kickstarter funding to launch the Xtent and has shattered its US$15,000 goal, bringing in close to $150,000 as of publishing. The two-person Xtent starts at a pledge level of $249 (est. MSRP: $429), while the three-person starts at a $299 pledge level (est. MSRP: $469). Also on offer are packages that include the Cocoon V2, the gear storage hammock and a clippable tent light. Deliveries will begin in January, if things move forward as Crua plans.
Speaking of new Crua camping kit, the company also recently launched a collapsible fire pit. A little different than other portable pits we've seen, this one includes a half-width grille/cooking platform for campfire cooking that doesn't completely cover over the coals below. The entire 39-lb (18-kg) fire pit packs down into a stack of steel panels and connectors, building quickly into a self-contained, V-shaped fire bowl. Crua claims that it's built to an heirloom-level of durability.
The Firepit is available for a $169 preorder price now, and deliveries are scheduled to begin in October.
Source: Crua Outdoors
