The United Kingdom mobile company Orange recently unveiled their concept for the “tent of the future”, called Glastonbury. This tent will allow avid campers to keep in touch and power their essential gadgets such as GPS or mobile phones.
The Orange Solar Concept Tent was designed with help from the American product design firm Kaleidoscope and it harnesses solar energy to charge the gadgetry through a wireless charging pouch (no plug in!).
The solar-powered futuristic tent captures the rays of the sun via “photovoltaic fabric” – specially coated solar threads woven into conventional fabric. The Solar Concept Tent uses this revolutionary new technology to full effect with three adjustable glides, which can be rotated throughout the day to follow the sun and capture the most sunlight. Not only that, the tent has a wireless control hub to provide WiFi, wireless charging, and a touchscreen LCD display that keeps track of the energy generated and consumed.
Another advancement is a cool feature called “glo-cation technology”. This enables campers to find their tent using an SMS message or automatic active RFID tech. So if you’re having trouble finding your tent, sent a text, and the Glastonbury will glow gently for you, guiding you back to your sleeping bag.
There is also a feature known as groundsheet heat. This is an internal heating element controlled by the central hub and it is embedded within the tent’s groundsheet. The underfloor heater will automatically come once the interior temperature drops below a certain level.
As for the price of the Orange Solar Tent, unfortunately, it is still not on sale.
Source: Orange Unveils Solar Powered Tent for Staying Connected While Camping in Luxury
Really amazing green tent
Sounds like half mountain man and half geek. I would really like to see one of these.
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Sounds like it needs batteries, especially for the heated floor. Weight.
I want this NOW! I am a green geek 🙂
Please bring it to everyone's attention if you find out it's available! Thank you!
when will it be available to the US and for how much?
because i want one or 3
Status of this?
Would love to purchase one! Any word on release date and pricing?
This is fantastic! Where do you sign up to be notified when they become available?
🙂
if i saw one i would knock it down… u go to the outdoors to g et away from the world not bring it with you.
Looks amazing, but I'm guessing no one involved has actually been to Glastonbury. It wouldn't last a day – it'd be robbed or someone would trash it 🙂
Nothing like an RFID on your tent so they can easily track your every move, even when camping in the woods. Where are these people camping anyways that they have cell service to send an SMS? Otherwise an awesome concept, just sans the Orwell bit.
Really great idea, would love to have this tent, and put it to good use!
A lot of good wifi is going to do you when the bears get hungry and go on a rampage. I guess you could give your mum a play-by-play with on FaceBook as your entrails are spilling out all over advanced photo voltaic fabric.
Not that I got that image out of my head and off my chest, I actually think it's a cool concept. One suggestion would be to find ways to make it lighter, more compact.
How much would something like this cost? How much would it weigh and how small could it be folded? How would it stand up to extreme or even moderate climate?
I must have this!
I would like to know more about the internal dimensions. My husband is 6 and a half feet tall. That makes tent shopping really difficult!
Great ideas. Bring it on!
In the words of Veruca Salt from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory "I want it now! What's the matter with those twerps down there?"
Please note that this is NOT a green tent, it is a solar-powered tent. It may well be that the 'carbon footprint', or what have you, for making these tents is 5x greater than for a normal tent. They are designed to bridge the gap between the great outdoors and technological functionality, not necessarily to be eco-friendly. For that, your best bet is a hand-woven hemp canvas tent, very expensive but they'll last a lifetime!
When will this be available for purchase?
The Occupy movement need better tents…:)
This would be more useful for people doing field work than for campers, as camping for pleasure involves intentionally removing oneself from the grid to reconnect with nature.
I totally want one.
Let's get down to brass tax here: How much?
Really very nice article .It's a very useful information.Keep up the good work.
uirserv 1I want one that!!
Love it, although not sure about the name as glastonbury tends to be a bit over cast to say the least
AWSOME!!!
looks heavy.
This is absolutely amazing! I want one. I wouldn't take it to festivals though, it'd probably get stolen, but I would take it camping holidays and the likes.
Ben.
Was all excited till I saw the wireless charging and other things that aren't good for you. Remove these and we have a winner!
I want one. Keep us updated when it's out! How much do you think would it cost?
Sunita
Regular tents are heavy, try backpacking with that nerd. Lol. Isn't camping meant to get away from city life i.e. technology.
What is the life expectancy of this tent at any festival let alone Glastonbury.
Don't take anything you don't mind being lost or stolen to a festival.
Fantastic idea… only one concern.
How does the floor go when it rains?
And what are the chances of damage due to the water from the rain?
Thanks
If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it. Too bad, though…
Looks cool, but it will weigh a ton, and with heaters, lights and WiFi, give you all of 2hours of service. Unless, of course, it also comes with a handheld nanofusion reactor for supplemental juice! But keep thinking big 😉
I really want one of these does anybody know how much they are lol:)
I want one
I would like to field test one and see how it holds up in some pretty harsh environments.
What about a friggin price?? ALL these articles and NO price on this thing. Not even their website.
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