Yeah, "instant relief" does sound a lot like an ad for anti-diarrheal medication. Conversely, it also works for laxatives. In the case of the all-new Gazelle G4 Deluxe Gazebo, though, we're (hopefully) not talking about any lower bowel issues – though Gazelle has you literally covered there, too.
Instead, the G4 camping screen room pops up 30 seconds more quickly than Gazelle's well-known fast tents, delivering immediate protection from the harsh, pounding sun, unrelenting wind, and whatever swarms of mosquitoes, no-see-ums or other fluttering blood-hungry creatures converge upon you the second you crack open the car door.
Gazelle continues to expand its product line in every direction, from fully fortified 4-season shelters, to instant bathrooms and now onward to gazebos. The G4 debuted a few days ago as the company's newest screen room, the only one to feature four simple walls and a roof, all pitched via the brand's signature pull-and-pop hubs. If you need to secure it down, the 12 included all-terrain stakes have you covered.
Okay, we oversold it a touch: Only three of the G4's four walls use the X-shaped center pull hubs to pitch. The fourth wall is an open entryway covered by a two-part screen door that zips closed in the middle. For those using the G4 as a breezy gazebo and not a lockdown insect-proof shelter, the doors roll straight up and tie off against the roof edge.
Similarly, each side of the tent has a roll-up wind panel that unfurls when you need more protection from accelerating gusts. The front door wind panel is also designed to serve as a porch awning, rising into position on a pair of legs.
Beyond wind, the protective wall panels are also good if you need extra shade from a given angle or want some privacy from other campers. Triangular windows built into the upper wind panels unzip to let in some ventilation while still you still enjoy robust interior weather protection.
Gazelle promises the G4 lives up to the company's reputation for heavy-duty construction. The gazebo has a 210D Oxford roof fabric rated to 2,000-mm waterproof performance and UV50+ sun protection. The screen walls are made from a TriTech single-filament mesh with tiny perforations designed to keep out even the smallest no-see-ums while allowing free airflow and clear views outward.
Gazelle suggests using the G4 Gazebo as an outdoor office or backyard canopy as well as a camping shelter for lounging away from sun, rain, wind and pests. The floor-less screen tent creates 46.5 square feet (4.3 sq m) of sheltered ground space, enough to fit up to four people and maybe a table and chair set for dining in shaded, protected comfort. Peak height stands over 7 feet (2.1 m), leaving plenty of space overhead to stand up.
The best part of any Gazelle design, though, is its fast, straightforward setup. The tent's fiberglass frame is fully integrated within the fabric, so all one has to do is spread it out from packed form, pull each wall into pitched form using the central hub straps, and push the ceiling hub into place from inside. Gazelle says G4 pitching will take a mere 60 seconds, half a minute less than the 90-second estimates to which we've become accustomed from its tents.
So if you arrive to camp only to find a black, relentless swarm of biting midges waiting for you, you'll be watching them comfortably from behind the fine mesh in a minute flat – equally valuable if you're putting up the G4 during the hottest part of the afternoon on a crispy patch of treeless desert.
I've arrived at camp in both those conditions and wish I had an instant screen room like this with me – a 270-degree truck awning deploys quickly and is helpful for the sun but requires parking at the right angle. It doesn't do a damn thing for pests gnawing at your flesh, however, and as it turns out, deer flies are NOT deterred by the same sprays and repellers that fight off mosquitoes. Also, their bites hurt more.
If those pests are still buzzing in the morning, you'll be equally glad that the G4 breaks down as easily as it sets up. Push/pull the roof and wall hubs closed, roll the collapsed frame into packed form and slide it in the included carry bag, which is made oversized so there's no need to waste time jiggling frame members around, stuffing in fabric or leaving half the tent hanging out the zipper. The packed tent measures in at 59 x 10 x 10 in (150 x 25 x 25 cm).
The G4 joins larger G5 and G6 models in the Gazebo section of Gazelle's ever-expanding lineup. It's currently specially priced at $430, a $150 discount off the advertised MSRP.
Source: Gazelle Tents
