The Mollusc Nano was one of our favorite camping innovations of 2015, but for years it plodded along as an interesting design that wasn’t quite ready for market success. That’s about to change, though, as the redesigned and rebranded Campo Escape M4 hits the scene as the “world’s first retractable tent,” letting outdoor revelers lift up the tent fabric and greet the world.
The Escape M4’s tub floor supplies nearly 70 sq ft (6.5 sq m) of sleeping space, which Campo says fits a queen-size inflatable mattress or four adults in sleeping bags. Its PU-coated ripstop terylene body is held up by a hybrid fiberglass/aluminum exoskeleton that takes roughly 10 minutes to set up. The gear loft, storage pockets and gadget clips helps campers keep organized.
At 22 lb (10 kg), the Escape M4 is definitely not a backpacking tent, but Campo makes it a backpackable tent by packaging it with a backpack carry case for easier transport from car to pitch site. That 22-lb weight certainly broadens the appeal of the tent when compared to the original Nano’s 55-lb (25-kg) weight.
The Escape M4 seems to have arrived at an ideal time, as camping has become a wildly popular pastime throughout the pandemic. A retractable tent strikes a nice balance between basic tent camping and glamping and should appeal to everyone from lifelong car campers, to festival goers, to social media-addicted camping newcomers and more.
Campo’s Kickstarter campaign surpassed its US$20K goal the very first day and is running for another three weeks. Escape M4 tents are still available at early-bird prices starting at $299 plus shipping, less if you buy a multi-pack. That’s a 40-percent-plus discount off the estimated $500 retail price. If things continue along as planned, Campo will begin deliveries in March 2022.
Retractable Campo tent flips between camp and cabana modes [New Atlas]