The Sustainable Festival Tents
TENT 1 THE TOBACCO TENT
This is the Tobacco Tent. This product adopts a classic Wedge Frame shape and can house up to three persons. The design takes on the aesthetic of cigarette tobacco packaging in an ironic, humorous way to create awareness about the damage dumping tents has on the environment. The product is manufactured some recyclable materials, yet the design produced has be created to campaign against tent waste and reduce the impact it has on the environment through the messages portrayed in the graphics to alter the consumer’s mindset.
TENT 2 THE HANGING RECYCLED TENT
This is the Hanging Recycled tent. This design uses the surrounding nature in order to form its shape and create a stable shelter for the user to home themselves. Marlow Dock Line is connected to the top of the tent and is then tied over a tree branch and cranked tight in order to raise the tent material and form the pyramid like shape. This tent is then able to house up to three users inside of the fully recycled structure. This tent is also pegged to the ground once raised; it is not swinging from the tree.
TENT 3 THE ROCKET SHIP TENT
This is the Rocket Ship tent. This design manufactures carboard into temporary tents that are fully recyclable. The design takes on a rocket ship style to match the theme of an event brand titled Elrow: Rows Wars. The inter galactic style product creates more excitement within the camp and still manages to hold up to two festival goers inside the structure. After use, the product may be sent away and recycled, but may also be used for upcycling and turned into new products.
Aim: My aim with this project is to design three tents that will reduce the amount of tent waste created at music festivals. There are three problem areas that I would like to aim my designs towards, these three will be:
- To design a tent that urges the customer to take their tent home and reuse it
- To design a tent that is recyclable
- To design a tent that is manufactured from recycled waste.
What requirements must the product fulfil?
Each tent that I design will have three main criteria that I am aiming for the product to achieve, however the following points are some overarching suggestions that I will continuously consider throughout the process of producing the tents.
Over Arching Criteria:
1) The material must be able to withstand all weather conditions
2) The tent must be able to ‘breathe’ and not create too much of a humid space for the user
3) The tent must create a private space for the user
4) The tent must ensure security for the user both for themselves and their belongings
5) The product price must be able to compete with other “festival tents” on the market
6) The repair cost of the tent must not out way the price of the tent
7) The hassle of repairing the tent must be viable to the user considering time and effort
8) The tent must be easy to open and access but not so basic that it compromises other fundamental qualities such as security, weather proofing and warmth
9) The tent must be easily packed away and disposed of or taken home again for several uses
10) Despite materials, the manufacturing process and transport must be sustainably viable
11) The product must be easily constructed by the number of people using it or fewer
12) The product must be repairable within the campsite
13) The product must be as compact as possible to reduce room and weight for travelling
14) The materials used must not tarnish any of the users possessions
15) The tent must be able to with stand basic impact
16) The product must be light weight enough so that if it concaves then the user isn’t hurt
17) The materials used must not create and irritation to the skin or part of the body
18) The product must not contain any small parts that may be lost during assembly
19) The materials used must not hold a bad odour or create smell during poor weather conditions
The Tobacco Tent
What will this product be like?
This product must aim to convince the user to take their tent home after use and not dump it on the festival site. This product will take on the form of a Wedge Frame tent, triangular in shape, housing up to three users. The tent will keep the dry and away from any poor weather conditions, offering them a safe sleep conditions. The design of the product will aim to convince the user to take their tent home after use, instead of it being left at the campsite to later be taken to landfill. When designing the product, I will aim to fulfil as many criteria as possible, yet the one’s I deem to be most important are:
- To be as light weight as possible to make transporting the tent less strenuous.
- To be easy to assemble and collapse so the user is more inclined to take the tent home.
- To be simplistic and cheap to repair so that if the product breaks, then the user is more likely to repair and reuse it.
I chose these three main criteria, as I believe that these points will be the most likely fulfilments that will lead to the consumer taking their tent home after use. I also conducted a short survey where I asked 20 people whether they agreed that these suggestions would lead to what I am striving to succeed, 95% of the candidates involved agreed. I then asked the one person who didn’t agree to describe to me what they believed would work best, the one suggestion they offered was:
“The product needs to contain as few parts as possible so that the user doesn’t lose pieces of their tent. If they don’t lose anything and the tent is still in full working condition by the end of the festival, then why would they not take home something that they have paid good money for.”
Due to this abnormality and considering the answer they gave, I will also make this something that I strongly consider going forward with the production of my tent.
Manufacturing: Fly Sheet
Comparing Materials
I began my process by discussing what fabric would be most viable when considering the fly sheet for my tent. I looked at both natural materials (Canvas and Cotton) and synthetic fabrics (Nylon and Polyester)
Synthetic Produced Nylon and Polyester
Currently, most tents on the market are manufactured from man-made fabrics such as nylon or polyester. Typically, it is common for larger camping tents that house more persons to be produced from Polyester, whereas, if the consumer desired something lighter in weight then they may opt to find a tent that is manufactured from Nylon.
There are many benefits to using materials which are man-made, the first being the cost implication; man-made tents typically retail at a cheap price. Also, when purchasing tents that are manufactured from synthetic materials, less abnormalities occur which entail less maintenance and repair. In addition to this, they are light in weight and compact in size, much more so than man natural materials. On top of this, man-made synthetic materials are less absorbent of liquid, hold more weatherproofing properties and waste less time when waiting for them to dry out. Synthetic materials used to produce tents are also very weather/waterproof and hold a lot of UV resistant qualities due to coatings that the manufacturer washes the fabric in such as Nik Wax solution. When discussing how waterproof a material is, the manufacturer refers to this as its ‘Hydrostatic Head’.
Despite the benefits that Nylon and Polyester can offer us, there are still many downfalls to using them. Firstly, due to the lightweight nature of the product, in windy conditions, the material is unable to support its own weight and ends up flapping in the wind; hence this may cause irritation to the user. On top of this, synthetic materials do not offer much breathability. The tight nit fibres are so bound together that condensation forms easily within the structure which can cause humidity and condensation build up making the experience of the product unpleasant. Additionally, despite having many weather proofing properties, UV light can cause the material to fade as time passes, in turn, not only weakening the strength of the fabric but also altering the colour or design aesthetic that may have been imposed onto the tent. Finally, synthetic materials, in comparison to more natural alternatives, are not very ideal for insulating the tent. Due to the nature of the material, it often becomes the case within a tent that the structure is either too hot or too cold, making the experience for the user unbearable in some cases.
Using Canvas and Cotton Fabrics to Produce Tents
Previously in history, most if not all tents would have been manufactured and built using either Canvas or Cotton fabrics. Both are close to being the same thing, however, previously, Canvas was produced from hemp, yet despite it being such an abundant material, it was made illegal for production due to it being related to the Cannabis family, Cotton was then used to produce Canvas fabrics.
There are a variety of benefits when using Canvas and Cotton materials. One of the first things being that both are much more breathable than any type of synthetic material is. This means, that it is much harder for condensation to build up inside the structure making the experience for the user more bearable. Additionally, due to the dense, heavy weight of the material, it is much harder for the wind to pick it up and cause it to flap around, therefore, the tent shouldn’t make as much noise during the night if there are poor weather conditions outside creating a better sleeping experience for the user. On top of this, because the fabric hasn’t been produced using chemicals, it doesn’t give off any sort of toxic smell, something that users may prefer when comparing Canvas and Cotton to Polyester and Nylon. As well as this, Canvas and Cotton fabrics insulate heat much more efficiently, therefore, if it’s cold outside, then all the body heat inside the structure will escape less easily and create a more comfortable environment for the user. Lastly, Cotton and Canvas are much more UV proof than any synthetic material is, extending its product life further.
Despite the many qualities with producing tents from Canvas or Cotton, there are also a few downfalls. The first and main problem with manufacturing tents from these natural materials is that they are particularly heavy and much more rigid than synthetic fabrics. This means that transporting the tent is made much more strenuous, building the tent becomes more of a challenge and collapsing the tent and folding it down also deems to be more complicated than any sort of Nylon or Polyester tent. Another big issue for many users the cost of buy a tent produced from Canvas or Cotton. Tents manufactured from these materials tend to be particularly expensive and despite having long lasting properties, as there are cheaper alternatives on the market, customers may often tend to favour these. Although the thick, heavy qualities that natural tents have may be a big positive in some ways, it also means that the tent absorbs a large amount of water if it rains, which in-turn causes it to take a lot of time for it to dry off. If the tent is left wet and damp due to the user being impatient or they’re in a hurry, the product may start to smell and not be a pleasant place to sleep for the owner. Finally, because of the bonding of the fibres on the tent material, it needs to initially be treated by leaving it out in the rain or soaking it out in the garden using a hose, something that many users may not have the time or effort for.
Decision Matrix for Fly Sheet Materials
After researching and comparing the two materials, I decided to simplify my findings and produce a decision matrix to outline and define which of the two is best suited for the job. This decision matrix is based out of 5; 5 being the best choice and 0 being the worst.
| Weight | Strength | Weather Resistance | UV Resistance | Assembly& Collapse | Water Proofing | Breathability | Cost | Repair | Total Score | |
| Synthetic Fabrics (Nylon & Polyester) | 5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 30 |
| Natural Fabrics (Canvas & Cotton) | 1 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 27 |
Natural or Synthetic?
Despite being very closely matched, the synthetic materials, proved to be the better fabric to use for production in this instance. Despite not being as sustainable of a material as Canvas or Cotton, the purpose of this product is to change the mindset, ethos and ethics of the consumer by persuading them to take their tent home and reuse it as opposed to dumping it at the festival after a single use. Therefore, I would suggest that using these materials is fine, yet we need to take responsibility as a community and realise, if we do adopt these materials into our society, we’re going to have to treat them correctly.
After deciding upon using synthetic materials, I have now chosen to use Polyester over Nylon. Although they have very similar properties, Polyester takes dye better than nylon and is also faster drying. As I plan to print onto the product, how well the fabric takes dye is a fundamental element to my production and has to work as well as possible, hence my choice.
When discussing the thickness and strengths of fabrics, the term Denier is used which is abbreviated to “D”. The higher the “Denier”, the stronger the material. Camping tents usually have a Denier of 68D, 75D and 150D, but bearing in mind, at a festival, the user’s tent may take some impact, it’s best to use a Polyester fabric with a Denier of 150D. Having a higher Denier also increases the product’s level of waterproofing, as well as its resistance to UV exposure.
Waterproofing the Fabric
The fabric I am using will also have a Polyurethane (PU) coating. This is typically applied to Nylon and Polyester to create and affordable waterproof barrier. Using Polyurethane gives the fabric more breathability than a Silicon coating does. PU will also allow tape to be applied to the material in order to create seems at the corners of the structure and will allowing printing to be directly applied to the product. Applying this type of coating will increase the fabric’s Hydrostatic Head.
Printing Methods
In order to print graphics onto my tent material, I have decided to use a screen-printing process. Screen printing is often a favoured method, this is because, the process requires the use of a stencil to apply the design. This stencil can be used again and again to reproduce the same image and is therefore ideal for mass manufacturing. In addition to this, the ink forms in layers, leaving behind a particularly accurate, clean cut finish. On top of this, multiple colours can be applied throughout the screen-printing process, expanding the design potential of the finished design.
In order to complete the screen-printing process, the steps I would need to take to do this would be to:
- CREATING THE DESIGN – The design that has been chosen for my product will be printed out on to a transparent piece of acetate film, sized to the proportion of my tent and the area I want it to be printed onto. This piece of film creates the stencil that will be used to print my graphics.
- PREPARING THE SCREEN – I will decide upon a mesh screen that matches the complexity of the design I am choosing to print. On top of this, I will also choose the right texture that suits the fabric which I am printing onto (Polyester). I will then take the mesh screen and cover it in a layer of light-reactive emulsion.
- EXPOSING THE EMULSION – The acetate sheet on which I printed my design upon will then be laid onto the emulsion coated screen and all of the components are exposed underneath bright light. The light being used will harden the emulsion, but the sections of the screen which are covered by the acetate sheet and my design should stay in a liquid state. As my design requires more than one colour to be used to produce the design, separate screens must be made up to apply each varying layer of ink. I must then create each varying layer by its colour and section it off like this and stack the stencils perfectly to form the finished design.
- CLEANING THE EMULSION AND PRODUCING THE STENCIL – After leaving the screen for exposure, the sections of the stencil which have not be covered by my design should be in a solid state and my design still in liquid form. This liquid can then be carefully washed away, leaving me behind a cut out of the section which I desire to be printed which the ink will be able to flow between. I will then leave the screen to dry properly and harden as much as it can. Once it is in a complete dried out state, I will then make any corrections necessary so that I achieve the highest finish possible.
- PREPARING THE POLYSTYRENE FOR PRINTING – I will next position my dried screen onto a printing press for the item to then be laid down as flat as possible onto a printing board underneath my screen. As I would like to apply as many separate colours and allow all of the separate screens to work at one time for efficiency, I will be using an automatic rotary carousel printer, a more modern piece of equipment designed for mass
- manufacture.
- PRINTING ONTO MY FABRIC – Once my fabric is ready and all of the equipment is in the correct position, the screen will be lowered onto my printing board. I will add a fair amount of ink to the top half of the screen to produce the most stand out image possible. I will then take a squeegee and pull it along the length of the screen to press the ink through all the cut-out areas of the stencil. This should then imprint my design onto the Polystyrene fabric. As I will be printing onto multiple pieces of Polystyrene throughout manufacture, all I will need to do repeat the process is to raise the screen and replace the previously used fabric with a new piece.
- FINISHING THE PRODUCT AND CURING THE FABRIC – Once the printing process has been completed, the polystyrene will be placed underneath and dryer which cures the ink and creates the smoothest finish possible. I will then clean the dried product to remove any unwanted ink for the fabric to then be applied to the tent itself.
Manufacturing: Frame
Comparing Materials
- Wood (Plywood)
One material that I considered using to manufacture the frame for my tent was wood. The wood most commonly used for producing outdoor structures, such as gazebos, is plywood. Plywood is ideal for outdoor construction given many of its properties, such as its being able to withstand rapid change in weather conditions. Even when exposed to high and low temperatures or dry or moist conditions, this material manages to maintain its structure and no bloat and expand or become brittle and break. It is readily available in high demand across the globe and can be sorted and recycled with ease. Plywood is also shaped and carved with simplicity to the desired dimensions and design, as well as holding a high-quality finish once treated with varnish or various waxes. The material also doesn’t emit horrid smells, something that many users would deem essential when considering what material to be housed in when considering a structure, they wish to sleep in over a sustained period of time. Plywood is also able to withstand high impact and hold large amounts of weight when challenged with force. However, despite the many positives to working with plywood, there are still other negatives to using this material. The main downfall to adopting this material within my design would be that it’s too heavy for this type of product. Bearing in mind that I would like the tent to be as easily transported as possible, integrating plywood would have an adverse effect on this criteria which is essential to fulfil; for example, on average a 4 inch by 8 inch, three quarter inch thick sheet of plywood weights 61 pounds, that’s 4.35 stone or 27.7 Kilograms, this is far too much weight for the user to carry, especially considering the other items the user may be bringing with them while on their festival weekend. In addition to this, plywood wood tends to splinter if not treated correctly, heightened by the fact that tents may go under heavy impact across a festival weekend which is something that could increase this inevitability. On top of this, in dark conditions at night, the user may not see the splintering which has occurred and subsequently hurt themselves because of this factor, something I can’t risk happening. Therefore, although this material is ideal or outdoor construction, it will be unlikely that I use it during this instance.
- Aluminium (Poles)
Aluminium is one of the most common materials used to make tent frames in the 21st century. Manufactures often shape the material into pole like shapes that are modular so that they can be taken apart to make the tent more compact so that it can fit into a small space, or so that they can be pieced together in order to make new shapes and longer pieces of material. Aluminium can also be ideal to use as it is both light in weight but also particularly strong as well as being able to flex under pressure and bend, but to not break and snap. Many tent poles manufactured from aluminium are able to withstand wind speeds of up to 80 MPH, this may cause the material to bend, yet can easily be flexed back into shape by the user without causing it to crack or break altogether. Many aluminium poles manufactured today are produced from 7000 series aluminium which is a composite metal, meaning that aluminium may be the main metal used, yet other metals such as zinc are added to make it an alloy and give the material improved properties. Some of the improved properties that turning aluminium into an alloy are that the strength of the pole is improved vastly and that the material becomes more corrosion resistant. Despite aluminium’s many benefits, there are also other downfalls that are present when manufacturing with this metal. The main negative to using aluminium is the cost, this metal can be expensive to use, yet it can be argued that paying the price can be worthwhile especially if the tent is going to be used again at a later date and have a longer product life than using other resources. Additionally, if the metal is not turned into an alloy by integrating zinc, aluminium can corrode if exposed to wet conditions, therefore needs to be treated correctly and stored in a dry location.
- Fiberglass (Poles)
Fiberglass is another material that is very commonly used to manufacture tent poles. Fiberglass has been adopted to replace aluminium as a less expensive material, particularly for more summer type, festival tents that most users picture as a ‘one use’ situation. As said previously, one of the main benefits to adopting this material during manufacture is that it is cheap in price and also very simplistic to produce products with, also lowering manufacture costs. On top of this, fiberglass is particularly non-corrosive, therefore, as long as they are treated correctly and not put under mass amounts of stress, they can last a long time. However, despite these positives, there are also various negatives that make me consider whether using this material to manufacture my frame is a good idea. Firstly, fiberglass can be very brittle, therefore if the tent is put under a lot of pressure or faces serious impact, then they are likely to shatter, meaning the user won’t receive more than one use from the product. On top of this, because fiberglass is aiming to compete with aluminium, the poles have to be manufactured a lot thicker, which makes the product heavier and more strenuous to travel with. In addition to this, it is common for fiberglass to develop splinters, therefore when attempting to pass the poles through tent sleeve, the poles can either become stuck, or the tent sleeves can tear and rip, causing damage to other parts of the tent meaning it can’t be used again. Lastly, fiberglass is inorganic as it contains no materials or properties that make it able to be decomposed by bacteria, therefore it would not be classed as a particularly sustainable product and cause more harm to the environment.
Decision Matrix for Tent Frame Materials
After researching and comparing the three materials, I decided to simplify my findings and produce a decision matrix to outline and define which of the three is best suited for the job. This decision matrix is based out of 5; 5 being the best choice and 0 being the worst.
| Cost | Ease of Manufacture | Strength | Av Product Life (If Used) | Weight | Corrosion Resistance | Compactness | Total | |
| Plywood | 3 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 26 |
| 7000 Series Aluminium | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| Fiberglass | 2 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 19 |
Components
Zip (Tent Door & Side Seem)
“No 3 Continuous Zipping in Fawn Colour way” | Purchased by the roll – £58.51 per 200 metre roll (includes VAT)
- Manufactured from nylon
- Is easily stitched to product and then cut to size
- Zip Jigs can be ordered alongside Zip roll to make manufacture easier (average cost of £6.99, yet will vastly aid manufacture and can be used repeated times)
Guy Ropes
“50m Reflective Guy line Outdoor Camping Tent Rope Runners Guy Line Cord Wire” | Purchased by the roll – £10 per 50 metres
•Highly reflective, high recognition at night.
•Non-toxic and odourless;
•Strong elasticity
•Wear-resistant and corrosion-resistant.
•High strength polyester thread outer layer, inner core nylon material and reflective material
•Polyester yarn, polypropylene (PP), reflective yarn
•Size: (Length x Diameter):50m x 4mm/164ft x 0.157in
Stakes/Pegs
“Heavy Duty GALVANISED 9″ Steel Tent PEGS Metal Camping HIGH Quality New” | Purchase 50 at a time for £6.95
•Steel is 100% Recyclable
•Corrosion resistant
•Heavy duty
Tent Bag
Keeping to the aim of my criteria in reducing tent waste, in order have to carrier bags for holding the materials for constructing my design, I would aim to set up a system at festivals where we have a team that would collect dumped tent bags in order to reuse them for my design. This would firstly reduce waste, but also reduce cost for manufacture.
Modelling
When modelling for my tobacco style tent, it fixated my attention towards the aesthetic of the design, as I knew that, because this product was aiming to reduce tent waste through a strategy similar to ‘marketing’ or even ‘propaganda’, the main area I needed to research was the user’s reaction on how the tobacco style imaging made them feel.
Using Adobe Illustrator, I replicated a 30-gram tobacco net, with the addition of two triangular end pieces to form, when folded correctly, a wedge style tent frame. I altered the graphics of the tent, as well as the text in order to make the product humorous in hopes that the irony would appeal to more people and actually get them to listen.
After producing the simplistic tent models, I presented them to my fellow pupils, friends and family to ask their opinions of the design and any other alterations they would make. Every person of the 30 I asked approved of the design, enjoyed the humour and believed that if implemented into a festival, that the product would make people think twice about dumping their tent. However, something that was spoken about vigorously was the orientation of the graphic being portrait. This is something I then later adapted in my design to make reading the text and understanding the image much easier.
This is a wire frame drawing of the tobacco tent model, outlining the overall proportion of the product as well as giving an indication of how the tent should look once constructed.
In this image, I have shown how I will use a ‘press fit’ in order to construct my aluminium tent frame. A press fit is when, during manufacture, one of the poles (POLE A) is tapered withinside its modular pole (POLE B), so that once pulled tight, it creates a snug fit that is harder to collapse. This also reduces the number of components needed to construct the tent, reducing the risk of losing small parts or over complicating the process.
In the diagram above are the dimensions and angles for either end of the tent. Each side uses two joining poles using the ‘press fit’ technique which are then joined together using a three-arm joint which will then be connected to the main body of the tent.
In the diagram above, I have shown a side orientation of how the tent frame will slot together using the ‘press fit’ method, as well as the dimensions for the design’s body poles. Separating the poles into two pieces for both top and bottom will compact the design and create more space within the tent bag to make travel easier for the user.
The Hanging Tree Tent
What will this product be like?
This product will be manufactured from recycled tent materials in the aim to reduce tent waste. Despite manufacturing the body/frame of the tent myself and using components to aid the design and construction of the product, the fly sheet will be produced by taking previously used tents from festivals and constructing new fly sheets that will cover the outer of the structure. In order to collect these materials, a system similar to eco bod will be created in which, as a team, we will enter a festival once it has finished to collect raw materials which will then be heated and pressed together to make the new flysheet. When designing the product, I will aim to fulfil as many criteria as possible, yet the one’s I deem to be most important are:
- The tent must be able to with stand basic impact
- The product price must be able to compete with other “festival tents” on the market
- The repair cost of the tent must not out way the price of the tent
I chose these three main criteria, as I believe that these points will be the most likely points that will lead to the consumer being happy and reassured to want to camp with my tent. As the product is recycled, I believe that most users would be cautious that the tent may not be strong enough to withstand the festival weekend, or that if the tent did beak somehow, then it would be hard to fix. By fulfilling these criteria, the popularity of the design should increase.
Modelling
In this first model I experimented with using plastic baggies to make my fly sheet, supported by cardboard walls to create structure for the tent. The model wasn’t produced to depict specific dimensions, but instead to carry out some testing.
The first test was to examine how well the plastic material used to make the bags would react once joined together and then flexed/arched over parts of the frame. I utilised the square and rectangular shapes of the bags, almost visualising them as pieces of a puzzle, and joined them together to make one larger sheet. Due to the loose behaviour of the bags, the sheet was able to move freely, indicating to me that either this plastic, or a material similar to the one used, would be able to be used to manufacture my product.
The method used to join the plastic together was by sticking them with hot glue. Despite being generous with the amount of glue I was using, it later began to rain outside, which did not only mean that the cardboard became wet, but also, the glue joining the bags together weakened and the plastic became unstuck. This highlighted to me that, when deciding upon which material to use for the fly sheet and the specific joining method to adopt, it needs to be fully weatherproof and withstand rain, wind, UV light, etc.
PYRAMID MODEL OUTDOORS
SEAMS TO KEEP THE TENT CLOSED
TENT BLOWN AWAY BY WIND
Another model I produced was to examine how the shape of the tent may affect the product. In this instance, I decided to use a pyramid type shape, wrapped with a black bin liner to represent the recycled material covering the product. The image above shows the front, door face of the tent and roughly where the opening would be. I left the tent by itself for thirty minutes both with the seam I had glued to the fly sheet shut and another thirty minutes with it open. On both occasions, the seam I had used had become undone, wind had swept the tent from off of the floor and transported it over a metre away from its original location. This indicated to me that I would need some sort of stake or peg to keep the product in position and refrain it from moving.
Final Design Dimensions
HANGING TENT ORIENTATION 2
The Rocket Ship Tent
What will this product be like?
The purpose of this tent was to manufacture a tent from 100% recyclable cardboard. In doing this, I would be able to make a pre pitched campsite, similar to ‘glamping’, where the user doesn’t have to bring their tent with them and can leave it behind at the end of the festival. By doing this, the user doesn’t have to bring as much with them, to and from the festival, while at the same time, not have to worry about the disposal of their tent and the guilt they may face if they leave the product behind at the festival. On top of this, the product has been styled to look similar to a rocket ship to create more theme within the festival and produce less segregation between the stages and campsite.
When designing the product, I will aim to fulfil as many criteria as possible, yet the one’s I deem to be most important are:
- The tent must be able to with stand basic impact
- To be 100% recyclable
- The product must be able to withstand all weather conditions
I chose these three main criteria, as I believe that these points will be the most likely outlining factors that will lead to the consumer being happy and reassured to want to camp with my tent. As the product is produced from cardboard, I believe that most users would be cautious that the tent may not be strong enough to withstand the festival weekend. By fulfilling these criteria, the popularity of the design should increase.
ROCKET SHIP MODEL 1 OUTSIDE
In the image above is one of the first models I made, attempting to manufacture a rocket ship style tent from cardboard. Despite not being able to see the vehicles wings, I believe that it can easily be depicted as a rocket ship. However, although it can visually be translated to is desired aesthetic, the shape and proportions of the structure make it impossible for it to be manufactured into a camping tent. The product does not have a low centre of gravity and is too tall and will therefore be knocked over with ease, while at the same time-wasting materials that could be saved to make the tent more sustainably viable. In addition to this, the net that I used to make the structure was very awkward and did not slot together as once easily imagined and will therefore need to be rethought.
SPRAYING THE CARDBOARD WITH NIKWAX SOLUTION
LEAVING THE CARDBOARD IN THE RAIN
TESTING HOW WELL THE CARDBOARD DRIES
FLATTENED TENT
TENT SPRUNG UPRIGHT
One of the final tests I ran for the cardboard design was so investigate if there was a method that I could use that would allow the tent to be pop up, much like many of the products on the market today. I done this by taking two sides of a dodecahedron net, layering them on top of each other and rotating them an extra ten degree or so. I then took an elastic band and wound it in between the top parts of the pentagon. I then taped down the parts of the rubber band that were on the outer edges of the net. Once letting go of the model, the two sides of cardboard popped up and formed a dodecahedron 3D shape. Although this model was interesting to make and I believe does have some potential, I decided to rear away from the design s I believed that there are other designs that could be thought of, but much more simply. In addition to this, using cardboard and disposing of it is a simplistic task, yet adding new elements to the then will increase work load once the festival is over. 
FINAL TENT DESIGN | WIRE FRAME DRAWING
ALL FINAL DESIGNS
TOBACCO TENT RENDER 1
TOBACCO TENT RENDER 2
TOBACCO TENT RENDER 3
HANGING TENT RENDER 1
HANGING TENT RENDER 2
HANGING TENT RENDER 3
CARDBOARD TENT RENDER 1
CARDBOARD TENT RENDER 2
CARDBOARD TENT RENDER 3
