Off the Grid: Solar Powered Tents for Camping

If you're anything like me, you would happily swap the city lights for the northern lights. Don't get me wrong, I love a good sunset draped against a beautiful city skyline every now and then, but sometimes we just need to shut it down. There are many ways to do this, but for us outdoor lovers, we hit the road with our friends to get way off the map.

Some call this being "off the grid" and for good reason too! However, the grid stretched even farther than before and the term "off the grid" may soon be out of date with solar powered tents being developed. Imagine this, in our near future, campers, backpackers, and outdoor enthusiasts will no longer desperately worry about running out of power for their vital "survival" instruments.

Ok, I am mostly talking about your phone's gps so you don't get lost, but you get it, right? The development of solar powered tents will enable ordinary and veteran campers to stay connected while they are miles from a traditional power source. For most us of this is a good thing.

There are several different manufactures currently offering solar powered tents. Many others are working on different concepts that continue to find new and innovative ways to incorporate our daily use technology on the go. Some companies have even started building solar power roads,, so it only seems natural for us to add solar panels in our tent, right. Afterall the sun is an endless and free resource.

But whether you are a veteran outdoorsman who may be gone for weeks in solitude writing instagram poems, or you are just getting away from your daily struggles, there is an awesome new way to do so. Having all the latest capabilities and controls makes exploring even easier.

We all know solar panels are becoming more common in our daily lives. A lot of companies, designers and innovators continually think of new ways to implement solar energy to make the struggle a little less real, they hope.

By using known technology, developers build off of exisitng platforms to insert adjustable solar panels into a tent’s fabric. While you soak in the lake nearby your tent is harvesting renewable energy. The incorporation of adjustable panels means you can shift them to adjust to the sun’s position allowing you to capture as much energy as possible throughout the day.

Next time you pack for your next adventure consider how many electronic devices you are bringing with you.

While a camping trip is about disconnecting, no matter how much you enjoy getting away from it all and enjoying the great outdoors, most likely you are still plugged in to at least one device.

There are just some things we cannot be without such as our phones. Like it or not a phone is a vital tool for any wayfarer. While most solar powered tents currently available only offer the bare minimum of their its potential, here are a few concepts currently being developed.

You can plug any device directly into the power sockets. They are sewn directly in to the interior. Imagine never having to start a fire in the morning to make your coffee or standing next to that suspicious park ranger while your phone charges.

An interesting development will include a command center. This will allow you to see exactly how much energy your tent has generated and how much energy remains. The command center will also provide wireless internet that will be available to use as well.

BUILT IN HEATER

By utilizing similar sustainable architecture practices, some concepts including central heating from geothermal mass.₍₁₎ This will work in two ways. First, there is a direct heater that will run off power created throughout the day collected from the solar panels.

The second concept will work to sustain a constant temperature throughout the day. Learn more about Sustainable Architecture Practices here.

TRACKING DEVICES

This concept will be helpful on many different levels. It was designed with festival goers in mind who spend more time trying to remember where they set their tent in the flood of people. This way, when it is late and you are walking back to your tent you won't have to worry where it is.

In short, it works like this, once you have established your location your campsite will appear on your phone as a destination. Just take the lonely walk home if your friends deserted you. If you are still lost, some designs incorporate the glow feature. So when you get separated from your campsite and all you want to do is listen to sad songs, your tent will glow to help you find your way back to solitude.

This means you can use the tent for calling your mom, but sadly, the I don't think the tent will improve reception, at least not yet. I mean, I had a pager when I was a kid, but only my mom paged me with the 303-911 (Pager Code). But you aren't making calls and that doesn't interest you anyway since you are way outback working on your poems.

Me personally, I have walked into the wrong campsite many times, at time making friends, at others not so much, so I can’t wait for Christmas (it will be on my wishlist) if you needed a gift idea. I do have some apprehensions about the first genertation or two so I am not getting rid of my old tent just yet.

It's hard to imagine just what we will think of next. Although a solar powered tent may not be for everyone but the days of roughing it seem to be numbered.