Multi-hammock tent keeps you lounging without the trees

A very different style of hammock tent, the iDome Shelter uses a stout aluminum, steel and carbon frame to hold up to 1,000 pounds off the ground. It can keep you and a friend lounging in suspended bliss while also holding your gear over top the curious critters below. All configurations provide shade from the sun, and the shelter can also be built up to provide full weather protection for overnight camping.

The key to the iDome Shelter's strength is a sturdy thick-poled frame that relies on tensile integrity to hold weight. While putting too much weight onto the average tent or awning frame would quickly collapse the entire structure, iDome's geodesic frame actually stabilizes when holding a load, according to its creators. Loops at the upper corners serve to attach one or two hammocks and gear like backpacks, clothes or even bicycles. With 1,000 pounds (454 kg) of hanging capacity, the iDome Shelter shouldn't have a problem holding all the gear and body weight a given group wants to get up off the ground.

While the 41-lb (18.5-kg) iDome frame is definitely beefy, it's designed to be straightforward to set up. The entire frame is connected together as a single piece, and individual poles and pole segments unfold and secure together into shape within minutes. The construction combines aluminum poles and sleeve connectors with a powder-coated steel joint, oversized 18-in (46-cm)-long steel stakes and a carbon fiber anchor system.

The erected iDome Shelter combines a very generous standing height of 8 feet (2.4 m) at its peak with a pentagonal floor area of 91 square feet (8.5 sq m) and total interior space of 527 cu ft (15 cu m). The most basic iDome model has a full poly-cotton ripstop roof for sun protection, while the iDome+ adds a rear ripstop wall for a mullet-like setup that delivers some directional wind protection. The full iDome Camp variant walls in the entire frame, zips in a PVC tub floor, and tops the shelter off with a combination of no-see-um mesh roof and water-resistant rain fly.

The iDome launched last year following a successful Kickstarter campaign. The California company showed its wares at Overland Expo Pacific NW earlier this month. It offers the base-level iDome with roof and frame for $799 and the iDome+ for $999. The latter includes two hammocks along with the back wall. The iDome Camp enclosed tent model costs $2,999. All models ship anywhere in the continental US for a flat rate of $95.

Source: iDome Shelters