Eliminates the problem of accidently slipping off your sleeping pad during the night. Add electric blanket and a few car batteries, and you're set!
After a little research, my uncle found that, unfortunately, the military holds a patent on inflatable tent surfaces: they use tents with inflatable sides (not floor) for insulation. My millions will have to wait.-- nilstycho, Dec 27 2003 Those foot pumps work just fine....I'll take one-- normzone, Dec 27 2003 I'm not sure they can patent using air to inflate things, this seems like a fine idea.(+)-- neilp, Dec 27 2003 Tent in comfort and survive rogue floods. (+)-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Dec 27 2003 I always have trouble sleeping in a tent, anything that adds more padding below is a good thing. Probably will also help in rainy situations, since the floor of the tent is now above the ground.-- krelnik, Dec 28 2003 So should I be sad or happy? It looks like Gromit's right.
When I first came up with the idea five-or-so years ago, I looked for it, but this tent wasn't out. Looks like it got baked in the meantime. I can only find the one 2003 model though, so I think it's the first. It is confirmably the The North Face's first. Clearly it must have been on the drawing board for one or two years at least... Well, at least I know it was a good idea. *sniff*
Sorry. [marked–for–deletion]?-- nilstycho, Dec 28 2003 Welcome to my tent... come in come in. POP! OR *raining* (many people have camped while it started raining) OH NO! my tent its floating away!(i doubt the hooks would be strong enough to hold that thing down.) Inflatable floors bad idea.-- VeryCoolCat, Dec 29 2003 I went camping in Oregon, and guess what? It rained. I was helping with a group of local scouts and they all had carried their tent, sleeping bags and pads. I carried only a (non-waterproof) sleeping bag. If you place the bag on a bed of Douglas Fir branches and sleep in the nude, you will awaken warm and dry in the morning. It seems that the rain follows the insulating fibers to the bottom of the bag and drain nicely away.
The scouts woke up to swimming pools in their tents.-- Klaatu, Dec 29 2003 How about an inflatable pad (in the shape of the tent floor) that zips in place under the tent when needed. This way, repairs are easy, and it can be sold as an optional accessory rather than an integral device.
You could then use the same pad to float around the lake, or as a spare mattress at home.
Hmmm…. On second thought. Why not just market air mattresses that fit the floor plan of the most popular tents?
There you go [nilstyco]…. Your market awaits you!-- TIB, Dec 29 2003 Inflatable sleeping bag, who needs a tent?-- FarmerJohn, Dec 29 2003 how about adding a blow up doll built in to the floor as part of the package so...um you wont be alone in your tent
><{{{"> <"}}}><-- foolishfish, Dec 29 2003 random, halfbakery