Tents have come a long way since the classic A-frame tent. They’re stronger, lighter, roomier and have more features. Camping tent designs can be silly sometimes but most of the time they’re very good ideas. Tents like these, I think, are a preview of what’s to come in the future, at least some of them. I predict a few of them will be successful and some will evolve into different variations.

Here are some of the most unique tent designs today (one of them is not really a tent):

MyHab

Tent Dresses

Abrio Socio

Kahuna

See more amazing tent designs.

Camping gear is expensive, especially tents and it’s probably the main reason why many are reluctant to go camping. It’s a big investment, more so in these tough economic times and a tough one to make until you’re sure you’re going to camp regularly. One way to know if you’re going to like camping is by cabin camping.

It’s cheaper in the short term but much more luxurious than normal camping. It’s not like sleeping in a cabin tent on a camping mattress. It’s more than that. The walls are solid and you’re going to be sleeping on a bed. Sometimes there’s a dining table or a small table. There’s even a couch in some cabins. It’s a great way to camp during winter.

These cabins are available in many state parks in the U.S.. They don’t completely eliminate the necessity of camping gear. You still need a camp stove and cookware for cooking, towel, flip-flops and toiletries. If electricity is available, you can bring some appliances.

http://www.koa.com/facilities/kabin/

What started as an April Fools joke by Thinkgeek.com could actually become a reality. The site put up for sale a cute and rather appealing Tauntaun sleeping bag.

In case you’re not familiar with Star Wars, a Tauntaun is a furry warm blooded reptomammal (half reptile and half mammal) used as pack animals by the good guys.

The idea for the sleeping bag probably came from the scene when Han Solo slices open a warm Tauntaun carcasss and inserts the young Luke Skywalker to keep him from freezing to death.

The description says, “This high-quality sleeping bag looks just like a Tauntaun, complete with saddle, internal intestines and LED Luke Skywalker Lightsaber zipper pull. Use the lightsaber zipper pull on the Tauntaun sleeping bag to illustrate to your wee ones how Han Solo saved Luke Skywalker from certain death in the freezing climate of Hoth by slitting open the Tauntaun belly!”

Mind you, this sleeping bag is probably not the kind of sleeping bag suitable for camping but with a price tag of $39.95 it attracted a lot of buyers. But it wasn’t real and it created quite a big buzz on the internet. ThinkGeek.com soon realized that it wasn’t just a good idea for a prank.

Check out the message on their product page:

“ATTN Tauntaun Fanatics! Due to an overwhelming tsunami of requests from YOU THE PEOPLE, we have decided to TRY and bring this to life. We have no clue if the suits at Lucasfilms will grant little ThinkGeek a license, nor do we know how much it would ultimately retail for. But if you are interested in ever owning one of these, click the link below and we’ll try!”

But why stop there? My suggestion is to create more star wars related camping gear like crampons, tents, trekking poles, hiking backpacks and even boots. It could work especially for kids anyway.

Alternatively check out these kids sleeping bags.

Related post:

• Making of the Tauntaun sleeping bag – So it turns out that the maker of ThinkGeek’s most talked-about April Fool’s prank, the tauntaun sleeping bag, is actually a friend of CJ’s own Rach. She didn’t come up with the concept, but she did assemble it, and you can check out …

Since the recession, a lot of people claim that camping is becoming more popular than ever. It turns out that even CNN is saying the same thing.

One 22-year old Susan Lanier says, “I’m in school and usually I’ll do some sort of trip, but usually I’ll go to a beach or something or I’ll fly to New York, but [finances have] just been tight, and this is a cheap way to get out of the city and do something fun.”

You may need to spend some cash on camping gear but most you would only have to buy once for at least a few years (like a tent, for example.)

I’ve seen reports coming from the United Kingdom saying that they have been seeing a rising trend in camping as well. This trend is true for hiking too. According to reports from the Sporting Goods Manufacturer’s Association, outdoor camping’s popularity rose by 7.4% from 2007 to 2008. Overnight backpacking rose by 18.5%! These are significant stats and it continues to increase in 2009.

It is also reported that sales of tents and sleeping bags are up 14% over 2008 and up 28% for sales in March compared to 2008 respectively.

State parks are also seeing an increase in the number of visitors even when the parks are having a hard time managing their park systems due to the recession.

Classes that teach basic camping skills are also seeing increased interest. Other parts of the industry are seeing increasing numbers as well.

Sleeping outside in a tent is no longer an activity favored by mostly “nerdy families, nature geeks and Boy Scouts.” With the economy now and the need for people to reconnect with nature it’s no wonder camping has become more popular. It’s good to get away from the city sometimes and get back to basics.