This is the ShiftPod III, it’s the third generation of the ShiftPod tent series that was developed by Christian Weber as a state-of-the-art shelter made with NASA-grade fabrics and an integrated carbon fiber frame.
The development of the ShiftPod was originally inspired back in 2014 when Weber visited a friend’s Hexa Yurt at Burning Man. He quickly realized he could design a much improved version that was far simpler to set up, and easier for people to take with them when camping.
The ShiftPod III is a tent that’ll stop people in their tracks. It looks like something NASA might deploy on the first manned Mars mission, but you can buy them off the shelf and use them wherever you like.
Once the first generation of ShiftPod tents were in production Weber organized a “Space Camp” at the next Burning Man, an area for ShiftPod tents that would just be called “SHIFT.” He sent a link to purchase the first generation prototype tents to some friends, planning to make an initial run of 30 tents.
The problems began when the link was leaked on social media, and the tent went viral resulting in 300 orders before he was able to shutdown the payment portal. The demand for the tent had been proven conclusively, and he never did find out who leaked the link.
Weber moved through a few iterations of the ShiftPod design relatively quickly, version 1, 1.5, 1.8, and version 2. Improvements were made to the fabric being used, the tent pole system, and in other areas. He also added the ShiftPod Mini and the ShiftPod-XL versions to cater to a wider market.
The ShiftPod III was released in 2021 with a new integrated carbon fiber frame and hub system, this allows for a quick set up and makes it the toughest ShiftPod design yet. The tent also has a patented, all-season fabric system that is heat reflective and insulated, with mildew protection and a hydrophobic coating.
The unusual material has an ultra-sonic welded hex pattern with black out technology, this means the inside of the tent is cooler and darker than the outside, as much of the sun’s heat and light is reflected back into the atmosphere. High-quality YKK zippers are used throughout, with a larger tooth-size for durability.
The ShiftPod III measures in at 6’4″ with a maximum width of 12’8″, a center height of 6’11”, and a shoulder height of 5’10” with 106 square feet of interior space. Once packed away the tent fits into a bag that is 77″ x 12″ x 12″ with a weight of 51 lbs.
The tent has six portal-style windows and two unusually shaped doors, all of which come with a fine bug mesh to keep the insects out. It also has A/C ports, convection vents, power cord ports, and a tub-style floor.
The doors and portal-style windows all have a fine bug mesh over them to keep the insects out as well as waterproof seams and YKK zippers.
Each ShiftPod III comes with a 30 day return window and a one year warranty. The tent is currently retailing for $1,599 USD, down from the usual $1,699 USD, and you can have any color you like so long as it’s reflective silver.
Images courtesy of ShiftPod
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Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
