Many campers protect their outdoor seating area from the rain by covering it with a tarpaulin, suspended between nearby trees. The Shelter takes what looks like an easier, more versatile approach, as it's a stand-alone tarp that can be put up anywhere.
Currently the subject of an Indiegogo campaign, the Shelter was created by US outdoor gear company Cinch, which previously brought us a line of pop-up tents.
At the heart of the Shelter setup is the tarp itself, which is made of 3,000HH ripstop polyester. HH stands for "hydrostatic head," with the 3,000 meaning that the material can hold back a column of water that is 3,000 mm (118 in) tall. As far as tent-type materials go, a waterproofness rating of 3,000HH is pretty good. The tarp also features heat-sealed seams, and is SPF 50+ UV-resistant.
Also included is a flexible fiberglass shock-cord pole that forms the arched main entrance, two carbon steel poles that hold the roof up, plus storm straps and pegs that keep the tarp secured to the ground. Once assembled, the whole thing measures 200 cm high by 380 cm wide by 285 cm long (78.7 by 149.6 by 112.2 in).
According to the designers, the Shelter can be set up by one person in just a few minutes. Once it's torn down, it can be packed into an included cylindrical nylon bag measuring 60 cm long by 20 cm wide (23.6 by 7.9 in).
Assuming the Shelter by Cinch (as it's officially called) reaches production, a pledge of US$299 will get you one. The planned retail price is $399. It can be seen in use, in the video below.