Camping. I am not a fan of camping. Look, I get it, you’re outdoors and communing with nature. You’re seeing the stars without the glow of city lights snuffing out their brilliance.
You’re touching grass, getting primal, feeling your inner survivor. You’re also slinging your food into the trees overnight so bears don’t show up and tear you to shreds, bathing yourself in every biting insect known to man and re-teaching yourself exactly why toilets are mankind’s greatest invention. It’s not a glamorous experience, but I do see how more adventurous folks than me could enjoy getting away from our high tech world and reconnecting with nature.
In my various reviews I have mentioned at times that I am a man of a slightly larger than average persuasion. I’m 6’2” and rather beefy, so a bedroll and a 6×6 tent doesn’t exactly accommodate me. I’m also a finicky suburban man who has developed a non-negotiable need for at least 7 pillows in very specific arrangement in order for me to get more than a total of half an hour of sleep. I usually demand comfort – and even luxury – and camping in the great outdoors doesn’t immediately appeal to me.
But, I have aligned myself with a number of friends and loved ones who are not as concerned with the allure of soft airconditioned spaces as I am. These people, for reasons that escape my understanding, have all decided that “sleeping under the stars” is the height of excitement and an experience that is somehow better with friends. Apparently the feeling of isopods crawling up your pajamas while the nearby bushes rustle with the movement of what can only be flesh-eating wolves is the only way to know we are alive, and as every other aspect of these friends of mine is delightful I am forced, from time to time, to join my friends for a camping adventure.
I am nothing, however, if not stubborn. If I’m not getting out of “roughing it” while camping, then I’m gonna treat myself to a few comforts.
If I Can’t Have Cotton, I Will Have Air
So, the first time I arrived at a camping outing with the intention of bringing my pillows with me, I was very quickly disappointed. Apart from the chuckles coming from my caveman buddies as I unloaded the entire contents of the “Bed” portion of “Bed Bath and Beyond,” into a tent that was woefully unequipped to contain it, I realized fairly quickly that no number of pillows are enough to dissuade the five hundred billion insects in the immediate area from accosting me. It seemed, in fact, that the plush fibers of not one, but 5 of my very favorite pillows and an entire queen sized comforter were an ideal nesting substrate for them. By the time I woke up the next morning I was the proud new owner of a whole new phobia involving skittering critters nestling in my crevices. How fun. Ok, that’s one camping trip and a full bed set down … time for some research!
It would seem that my initial solution to my problem was “dumb,” according to the lovely folks on Reddit. Also according to them, inflatable bedding and tents are a thing and they exist in a category of outdoor equipment called “glamping.” Glamping is short for “glamorous camping,” which immediately piqued my interest. To Amazon I went, starting with the aforementioned key word and boy oh boy did I ever find my solution.
The day of the next social knee-scraping adventure came and I pulled into the clearing and popped the trunk. Out came a few very heavy canvas bags, tent pegs and a comically large bicycle air pump. What followed was roughly 10 minutes of me pumping air into my new, top-of-the-line inflatable cabin! Ok it’s a tent but it has two rooms, mesh windows, skylights, awnings, a stove jack port, and ports for electrical cords. Then I inflated the mattress, a queen size, tossed on a little stack of pillows and a sleeping bag and I crawled in, and zipped the front door. Did I go overboard with an inflatable tent? Yes. Were the bros kind of annoyed that they were stuck in their little un-padded tents while more comfortable in my inflatable tent while watching movies on my iPad? Yes. But I was comfortable and bug free.
The VEVOR Inflatable Tent.
So, what is this little glamping wonder? Why it’s the VEVOR inflatable camping tent! It’s a handy invention that does a few very useful things. First, it let’s you pump your tent up instead of struggling with the usual tent ribbing and posts. It really is a much easier way to set up a tent. All you have to do once it’s inflated is secure the outer lines to the ground and you’ve got a tent! Secondly, it helps you feel extra cozy and secure, giving you plenty of air flow while remaining extremely well sealed from bugs and animals. The dense floor layer keeps the wet and cold away fairly well, and the multiple ports for cables and stovepipes give you lots of options for convenience and warmth without leaving you open to the elements. Finally, it lets you bask in your friends’ envy as they realize how comfortable you are.
Like all products, this isn’t without its drawbacks. First and most problematic is the size and weight of everything involved. If you’re not driving to your camp site, you’re not taking this thing with you. The 156”x106” model I bought is something like 48lbs which is no easy carry. All the pegs and ropes and flaps make for a pretty cumbersome bundle, and that’s not even including the air pump. It’s big, and it might even need its own spot on the back seat depending on how much other stuff you packed. All of this portends the other major drawback, the disassembly. Getting it fully deflated, rolled up and back in the bag can be a struggle for the inexperienced. But it does get easier with practice. Another problem for me was a very slight loss of air over a multi-day camping trip so just be ready to re-pump when necessary.
TL;DR Specs For You Skimmers
Here are the basic specs for those of you who don’t want to read too much!
- Dimensions: 156 in. L × 106 in. W × 79 in. H
- Sleeping Capacity: Typically marketed for 8–10 people, though realistically more comfortable for 4–6 adults with gear
- Tent Type: Inflatable air-beam cabin/glamping tent
- Material: 300D Oxford fabric with waterproof coating
- Weather Rating: 4-season marketing rating
- Setup Style: Air inflation system with included hand pump
- Setup Time: Roughly 10–20 minutes depending on experience
- Multiple mesh windows
- Dual doors
- PVC skylights on some models
- Comes with Hand pump, Stakes, Guy lines, Carry/storage bag, Awning poles on some versions
- Weight: Around 48 lbs depending on exact version
- Special features on some models include Stove jack/chimney port, Room divider curtain, Awning extension
Is It Worth It?
The Vevor Inflatable Camping Tent cost me about $379.99. If you love camping, comfort and convenience … this inflatable tent might be for you. It’s really cool and a lot of fun to pop up in a campground. It certainly draws a lot of attention and does a great job of helping you stay comfortable in the great outdoors. For me, it was worth it just to see the looks on my friends’ faces. So, I give this a big thumbs up. Just know going in that because it’s packed into a tight little canvas bag, it’s wrinkly and won’t look as pristine as the pictures make it out to look.
About the Author:
George Berger
Ever since a young George was disappointed with a toy that did match up to the advertising, he became a tireless advocate for consumers. He’ll review anything that folks have to spend their hard-earned dollars on. George is grateful that he gets to use his skills as a writer and an artist to help connect with consumers and help them make the best decisions possible.
This article is for informational purposes only and reflects the author’s independent opinion. Readers should verify details directly with the manufacturer or retailer before making a purchase decision.
