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SALT LAKE CITY — Within one week, internet users raised more than $39,000 for an expandable, lightweight tent system.
C.J. Whittaker, co-founder and vice president of product for Cotopaxi, said there are regular tents, modular tents, backpacking tents and car camping tents currently on the market. So if someone wants to go backpacking, they need a lightweight backpacking tent, and if they want to go car camping, they will carry a larger tent.
“The problem that I faced as a college student and as an outdoorsman is that I have to have a lot of different gear, a lot of different tents. So well what if I want to go backpacking with like four people, do I really have to carry two tents and can I get a really lightweight four-person tent? Not likely,” he said.
The Inti 2 is a two-person backpacking tent with an alcove that attaches to it, making it a four-person tent, according to Whittaker.
“So you get extra capacity for a lighter weight, and then the system makes it so you can have either a standalone two-person tent, a standalone two-person shelter, which is the alcove, and if you combine them together then you have a four-person tent for backpacking or car camping,” Whittaker said.
He said modular tents also try to solve the problem Whittaker faced by adding a lot of extra zippers, buckles and flaps that add weight to the tent and make the individual unit not as effective as a backpacking tent due to all the extra gear.
“You pay extra for that gear, you pay extra for all of those trims and zippers and they add weight to your tent,” Whittaker said. “So what I wanted was a backpacking tent that was just a pure backpacking tent, and then when I have four people with me on a climbing trip, then they can carry the alcove and they can either be used separately or individually without all the extra attachment points that the modular tent usually has. So you essentially get … you could get three different products that work very well together and individually.”
Cotopaxi, the company that created the tent system, launched an Indiegogo campaign* for the tent system June 7, Whittaker said.
According to a Cotopaxi representative, retail for the tent with the fly will be $350 and it will be $530 for the tent with the fly and the alcove, but it is discounted heavily on Indiegogo. To purchase the product, visit the campaign.
“I think one thing that’s not to be overlooked is that although the backpack is intended for backpackers, we have had wonderful response from dog owners and people with kids,” Whittaker said. “Because a father or a mother can go out, buy this tent and they can have their family camping tent and their backpacking tent in the same system, so they don’t have to buy two tents anymore, it’s just one system.”
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited to the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisors and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
