Just bought a SHIFTPOD.

[Joe Mayernik]

I’ve had my Shiftpod 2 since they came out. It’s awesome but like every piece of gear has compromises. First is that it’s big and heavy when packed up.

There are 2 sealable vent pipe holes on the sid and 2 smaller sealable cord holes for power runs.

I think that due to the door size it would be a pain to bring a full sized wood door frame in and out all the time, you might want to look as oz tent.

I would assemble and disassemble the bed frame in the tent. I actually have the process down using a battery operated drill it takes about 10 minutes to put the frame together. I'm not concerned about size when packed up my thought is its smaller then pulling a trailer and a third the cost of a RTT

 

[Mogwai]

Been looking at these and Oztent recently, leaning towards Shiftpod due to the perceived thermal qualities.

I too like to set up camp and then leave to take the truck and explore these work out better than rtt for me. Size and weight on all these is relative as long as you plan to put it up top on your roof, and can lift it up there.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using OB Talk mobile app

 

[BCJohn]

Just pulled the trigger on the Shiftpod 2 It’s been a year of so since the last post on this thread. Do you all feel like it was a good choice a year on?

 

[Cort]

I have over 30 nights in my shiftpod 2.0 last year from 90 degrees to minus 15. I love the thing. I am considering a second for my kids and dogs along with the tunnel system. While it’s not magic the insulation certainly helps regulate temp, light, and sound.

 

[Viking1204]

So these don't heat up in hot weather?

 

[BCJohn]

I just got mine - so not sure yet. All the info I found on the web from users says they are better than a regular tent - but not perfect. They included a ‘blast shield’. Folks say it helped. For me the expectation isn’t that it’ll be as cool as an underground cave - but better. The heat retention in the winter is supposed to be much better with a Buddy. What sold me was the quality, the reviews and the easy set up. It is very heavy and large. It was my alternative to a RTT as I don’t line to have my rig tied down when I set up a basecamp.

 

[Mogwai]

I just got mine - so not sure yet. All the info I found on the web from users says they are better than a regular tent - but not perfect. They included a ‘blast shield’. Folks say it helped. For me the expectation isn’t that it’ll be as cool as an underground cave - but better. The heat retention in the winter is supposed to be much better with a Buddy. What sold me was the quality, the reviews and the easy set up. It is very heavy and large. It was my alternative to a RTT as I don’t line to have my rig tied down when I set up a basecamp.

Same reasons I went for a similar setup. Not as nice as the Shiftpod but a third the cost, same profile and setup. Gazelle Tent T4. Has been good to us so far and as expected in how we use it and it gets deployed. Serves as a good quick Basecamp to explore lore from but if we have to packup and change spots each night it's on par with an RTT.

 

[BCJohn]

So these don't heat up in hot weather?

Certainly not as much as a regular tent. They aren't magic - meaning if they are in the direct sunlight they will heat up. They are better insulated and retain heat and cool better. I found that they stay significantly warmer at night (when you want it and especially with a little buddy) and retain a cooler temperature for longer into the day. But, like anything, they will regulate to the ambient temperature without artificial cooling. My house does the same thing. I have a 5-gallon homemade swamp cooler that helps. But - how many of us are hanging out in our tents in the middle of the day? With two large doors and 8 windows, it cools down with moving air quickly.

We just spent 10 days in the Shiftpod in Salt Lake City and Southern Utah. We experienced thunderstorms in SLC, 95-degree heat near Zion, 38-degrees cool near Bryce, howling wind. Just about everything you could throw at me. I was generally impressed. One thing that it absolutely did well was brave 50mph wind gusts in Southern Utah. When fellow campers had a rough night in the incessant winds, we were unbothered. Other tents were collapsing - the 'pod stood strong. Lastly, it felt like we had a lot more privacy. With the windows and doors closed it was like a pleasant cave. It also goes up quickly (about 15 minutes with a tarp underneath and fully staked). Some videos show it going up in 2 minutes. I suppose it can if you just throw it up and don't install the fly (blast-shield) nor secure it with tent stakes.

In the end, was it worth the money? Maybe (honestly), especially when compared to a RTT. The Gazelle is a great product and a worthy alternative for 1/4 the price. The major downsides, other than the cost, is that it's heavy (about 70lbs) and long (just fits into my 6'bed). It not perfect for everybody, but it works for us, so far. If it lasts 10 years, it'll be the best purchase ever.

The primary reason I went with the Shiftpod over the Gazelle is for disaster preparedness. I'm not a full-on prepper, I'm a realist. I live in earthquake country. If (when) the 'big one' happens I want to be able to survive until help arrives. Winters can be cold and rainy in the Santa Cruz Mountains. In the worst case, I felt the Shiftpod is a great back up shelter (Cal-fire and other first responders use them). Anywho - there's my .02.