NEMO Equipment, Inc. Pentalite 4P

[group shelter]

Buggy climes can send campers fleeing to their tents, but the Bugout lets you congregate for blissfully insect-free meals and card games within mesh walls that don’t obscure scenic views. “Through clouds of mosquitoes and persistent drizzle, it was a relief to retreat inside so we could look over maps, plan our day, and cook,” declares our tester, who used this 81-square-foot party room for a week in the mosquito-filled Boundary Waters.

Watermelon-sized when packed, the floorless, four-sided shelter pitches with NEMO’s optional accessory poles ($45 and 15 oz. each) or just lashed to trees, using the 15-foot guylines (included). The 75-denier polyester “roof” funnels rain into smartly designed gutters that send runoff to the corners (so it doesn’t sheet down the walls). The superfine, DWR-treated mesh repelled precipitation in all but the windiest conditions. Six people can mingle comfortably inside, the 72-inch peak height lets most campers stand up fully, and two-way zippers at two corners facilitate easy exits. Prefer a hammock to a camp chair? Open the zippers to accommodate hammock straps, and you can swing and doze in bug-free bliss. $250; 4 lbs. 1 oz.; nemoequipment.com

Five sides are better than four. That was our conclusion after brainstorming the possibilities for a single pole pyramid-style tent. Compared to conventional square pyramid designs, Pentalite 4P offers a full vestibule and significantly more usable space. Convert Pentalite into a full tent by adding the optional Wedge inner mesh tent and floor. With side guy out vents, a vent up high in the back and the ability to keep the vestibule doors rolled back, this isn’t your standard pyramid tent. Pentalite uses a waterproof/non-breathable 30D PU Nylon for the body.