It’s no secret. I love to camp. The highlight of my summer is heading outdoors with my family for a weekend of swimming, hiking, roasting marshmallows and sleeping under the stars. When it comes to camping, we’re “old school.” We don’t rent a cabin or sleep in a pop-up trailer, we prefer a simple, good-old-fashioned tent. Let me clarify. Our kids prefer the tent. My wife and I are getting older, so we would gladly ditch the standard tent for something a bit more comfortable.

Back in January, I was walking through the Outdoor Retailer (OR) show in Salt Lake City. OR is a huge gathering of outdoor gear and apparel manufacturers. If you make or sell outdoor goods, it’s the show to be at. I’ve been attending the show for years, so I feel I’ve seen just about everything you can see – until this year!

I stumbled across a brand called barebones. They make a tent unlike anything I’ve seen before in the consumer market. It’s called the Safari and it stopped me dead in my tracks while walking the show floor.

The Safari is a 10’ x 12’ tent that’s nicer than most apartments I’ve lived in over the years. It’s huge and extremely heavy-duty, plus it’s packed with a lot of features that I find attractive. First and foremost, it offers 120 square-feet of floor space, which gives you plenty of room to roam. Second, you can stand up in the tent (no crouching), which is perfect for those of us with bad backs. Third, the tent features a weatherproof Cordura shell and floor, which means the elements stay outside the tent, keeping occupants comfortable no matter the season. And finally, the tent is easy to assemble, which really surprised me due to the sheer size of the dwelling. The heavy-duty aluminum and nylon frame goes up quick and easy, which is a huge benefit to a family camper like me. Plus, the tent is modular with an expandable floor plan so you can increase the size of the tent if needed.

In addition to making a really cool tent, I was super-impressed with the people behind the barebones brand. You could sense their deep passion for the brand and the products they represent. They also have a really unique story. The company was started after a series of humanitarium trips to developing countries where they realized the tremendous need for sustainable living shelters. It was through these trips that barebones was born.

So as winter slowly turns to spring, and your thoughts turn to camping and the outdoors, I encourage you to check out barebones and the Safari tent. It’s time to elevate your “camping” experience to a “glamping” experience. You’re worth it!!

-Brian