The social campers over at M2C Innovation are back doing what they do: building modular tents that link up into full-blown campsite communities. The last time we checked in, they were focused on domes, but now they've moved on to Qubes. The new Qube tents are quick-setup blocks that offer enough height to stand up inside. Like Pods, these modular tents connect together with tunnels and create larger tent communities. They're also more affordable than M2C's original tents and are proving quite popular on crowdfunding.
M2C explains on its website that the main driver behind creating an all-new tent was feedback from consumers. A lot of people liked the idea of modular, interconnectable tents but didn't like the Pod tent pricing, which starts at US$625 for the four-person model, as listed today. The Pod was created purely as a larger, more premium offering, so in attempting to bring price down, M2C created a whole new design, aiming the lower pricing and quick, simple set-up at a broader customer base.
M2C advertises a set-up time of under two minutes, and its video shows an integrated fiberglass-pole structure basically unfolding and erecting into place. The clip we watched is sped up, though, so it's hard to tell exactly how quick and easy set-up would be for a neophyte – we'd have to actually try it to know for sure. The company also says the design packs down easily, unlike a lot of other tents, which can require some technique to roll, pack and stuff back into the carry bag.
While the tall, straight sides of the Qube look anything but ideal for a windstorm, they do offer one very clear advantage, rising between around 7 to over 8 feet (2.1 to over 2.4 m) to offer standing levels of headroom in every size of Qube tent, from two- to four-person. In many compact dome tents, you won't be able to stand at all, and if you can, it may only be toward the very center at the highest point.
Standing up is nice, but we're not sure it's not so nice that we want to give up the advantages of a dome tent for a broadsided cube. Perhaps we're just not that modest – if we want to stand up while throwing pants on, we can always do so outside the tent.
But if you can think back on days spent camping and realize that all or most of them were in clear, still weather, perhaps storm-ready performance doesn't have to be your first worry. M2C appears to be aiming the Qubes at recreational car campers and festival campers, so we'd imagine it'll have an audience of folks who aren't worried about having an expedition-level tent built up to survive high-alpine colds and winds.
For that type of customer, the Qube has a primary selling point that the average dome in your local camping store doesn't: its modular, interconnectable design. Qubes can connect via tunnel attachments zipped to one or more of four triangular doors, allowing each tent to connect at all four corners. This opens up all kinds of different configurations. Each two-, three- and four-person Qubes can connect both with like- and with unlike-sized Qubes, adding more flexibility.
Each Qube tent is made from PU-coated waterproof 300D cotton oxford fabric that doesn't require a separate rainfly. M2C says it keeps things breezy inside with a full ventilation system. A black lining keeps the sun's rays from blasting you in the face at the break of dawn. Weights fall between 32.7 and 34.8 lb (14.8 and 15.8 kg).
M2C has raised over $350,000 on a modest $25,000 Indiegogo goal and is still holding the campaign for another five days. It has a variety of rewards, with two-person Qube tents starting at $250, three-person models at $275 and four-persons at $299. Those lowest pledge levels have sold out, but the second-lowest aren't too much more expensive: $275, $299 and $320, respectively. Packages with multiple tents, tunnel connectors and solar panel/LED rope lights are also on offer.
Learn more in the 3.5-minute clip below.
Sources: Qube Tents, Indiegogo