Enjoy ample sleeping and storage space in REI’s newest Quarter Dome tent

By Kelly Hodgkins March 25, 2017

1153255 autosave v1 rei quarter dome stock — Image used with permission by copyright holder

REI debuted the Quarter Dome tent in 2005, using its experience with 4-season mountaineering tents and applying it to a 3-season backpacking tent. Twelve years later, the popular flagship tent is on version number four, which adds more living space to the tent without increasing its weight. It’s a feature REI calls “lightweight livability.”

Dubbed REI’s best tent yet, the new Quarter Dome offers additional space where you need it most. The living area is more spacious thanks to a new pole architecture that provides 28 percent more head and shoulder room and 23 percent more space in the foot box. REI added new dual-stake vestibules, which provide 60 percent more storage space for your gear when compared to previous Quarter Dome models. The trade-off for this extra space? Not as much as you would expect — just a small bump in the overall weight of the tent.

REI didn’t stop with space — the team of designers also added other outstanding features such a new full-sky bug screen that gives you a dazzling look at the stars on a cloudless night. The company even streamlined the setup by adding color-coded poles and buckle attachment points for the rainfly. The design was wind-tunnel tested, and field tested to ensure it can withstand the rigors of 3-season camping.

This transformation didn’t come easily and required the design team at REI to think differently about the iconic tent.

“We literally started with a blank piece of paper.” said ‎divisional vice president of product design Nasahn Sheppard in a blog post about the history of the tent. And the team believes it was successful. “This is a revolution, not evolution, for the Quarter Dome. It is quite simply the best backpacking tent we’ve ever made,” added Sheppard.

Topics

Contributor

Kelly's been writing online for ten years, working at Gizmodo, TUAW, and BGR among others. Living near the White Mountains of…

Outdoors

I was wrong. E-bikes are so practical, they’re a transit cheat code

An Aventon Level 2 ebike sits outside a grocery store.

Confession: Despite loving both bikes and gadgets, e-bikes never excited me. Compared to my bicycle, e-bikes seemed unfair. Compared to my motorcycle, they seemed slow. Compared to my car, they seemed impractical.

But with $1,500 federal e-bike rebates potentially on the horizon at part of E-Bike Act, I decided it was past time to reconsider. Not just because 30% off would make them way more accessible, but because the entire idea that e-bikes could be worthy of a rebate changed the way I looked at them: less as toys, more as transit. Had I written off an entire way of getting around because I was looking at it the wrong way?

Outdoors

Upway launches one of the best marketplaces for certified e-bikes, new or not

Man holding ebike from Upway in a field, lifestyle image.

This content was produced in partnership with Upway.
It wasn't too long ago that e-bikes were a rare sight, but all of that has changed, and rightfully so. Electric bikes are all over the road these days, and there are many brands either venturing into the technology, to launch their own versions of the sustainable transportation option or reiterating existing and traditional designs. From Aventon to Schwinn, or RadPower to Momentum, with so many opportunities, the prevailing question is, where do you go to find the best deals and the best information about these brands and their e-bike models? The answer is Upway, the number one certified electric bike provider and an official partner to many of the aforementioned brands.

What is Upway, exactly? It's a marketplace, specializing in e-bikes, featuring an inventory that's sourced from some of the best brands in the world. There are American brands -- like Specialized, Cannondale, and RadPower -- and European brands -- like Riese, Muller, and VanMoof. The best part is the discounts, offering up to 60% off retail, for a plethora of brands. Upway is on a mission to make sustainable mobility affordable for everyone. It's also one of the best places to go for a new or pre-owned e-bike, and here's why:

Outdoors

EcoFlow launches Delta 2 Max solar generator for home emergencies and outdoor adventures

ecoflow's delta max portable power station on a table

EcoFlow, a manufacturer of portable energy solutions, has announced the launch of the Delta 2 Max -- an eco-friendly solar generator that could replace your current gas generator. The device clocks in at 2,048 watts and should deliver enough power to keep your home running for two days as an emergency backup (or many more if you’re using it as an off-grid power source).

The original Delta Max was a popular item for outdoor adventures, as it could connect to the existing lineup of portable EcoFlow solar panels to juice up gadgets while out in the backcountry. That legacy continues with the Delta 2 Max, which features an upgraded lithium iron phosphate (LFP) battery for a longer life cycle and faster charging.