The Buffalo Tent has a built-in AC vent, 100% blackout options, and sleeps 14 people. It’s designed to keep big groups comfortable while hot-weather camping.
Designed as the world’s best “survival structure” for Burning Man, the Buffalo Tent was born to stave off desert heat.
The Buffalo Tent, created in early December by company Alien Buffalo, is a free-standing shelter meant for desert environments. It measures 17-feet wide, 9 feet 3-inches high, and according to its website, can sleep “14 people playing sardines or four very comfortable couples.” You read that right, 17-feet wide!
Rarely do we see a tent intended specifically for desert climates, and one as gargantuan as this. It could be one to consider for desert-goers or large groups looking for a more cushy car camping experience.
Buffalo Tent Specifications
Obsessed to improve the Burning Man experience, Alien Buffalo sought to create a structure that reflects the “creative spirit” of festival-goers and keep them comfortable throughout the day.
As mentioned, the tent is huge so it requires a lot of space to setup, plus it weighs in at 44 pounds. Despite its size, the company claims set up is a breeze as the fabric is attached to the frame. Reported strike time is only one minute with two people, and two minutes with one person.
Each of the tents stands freely without a center pole and uses five carbon fiber poles leaning inward to support the structure. The carbon fiber poles are unidirectional telescoping tubes and connect to a central hub made of aluminum.
For fabrics, the floor is 400 denier pack cloth and the body is a nylon ripstop. The fabrics are coated for water resistance.
It packs down small considering the gargantuan dimensions. It compresses roughly to the size of a golf bag and fits into the trunk of a sedan.
Different Tent Options
The original travel shelter is available with Space Gray or White Blackout fabrics. The Space Gray allows 30% of exterior light in and White Blackout paired with its rain fly is a 100% blackout within the tent.
For a smaller option, The Buffalo Tent Mini has the same design but sleeps eight.
The standard sized Buffalo Tent retails for $1,499 and the Mini at $875.
Burning Man Inspired: Desert Ready Tent
In the Black Rock Desert of Nevada every summer, thousands of people flock to the Burning Man Arts festival. Temperatures can soar above 100 degrees and heat-related ailments are frequent.
To combat this, the tent has a built-in vent for personal AC units. This would obviously require some kind of electrical connection or generator to work. The brand sell an additional reflective cover, called the jacket, to fend off the heat from the sun’s rays.
For airflow, there are four vents and a large screen door.
These features help provide a more comfortable Burning Man experience. Beyond the festival, these design components could be useful in hot locations.
This is obviously a fairly niche tent. But if you camp with a large group in hot climates, the Buffalo Tent is a new option on the market and worth further investigation.
