pop-up 'SHIFTPODS' provide comfortable shelter in seconds

labelled ‘the best portable shelter on the planet’, SHIFTPOD was unveiled in 2015 and made its debut at that year’s burning man festival. inspired by the event’s ubiquitous hexayurt, the pop-up tent structure was born out of a need for a luxurious and insulative all-weather shelter that would reflect the heat of the sun, and protect from high wind and fine dust. the result became an almost overnight success for its designer christian weber, who has spent the last few years developing and fine-tuning its design.

all images and video courtesy of advanced shelter systems

now, weber — who founded the california-based firm advanced shelter systems inc. (ASSI) in 2015 — has announced a new line of portable homes that boast a wealth of upgrades on the previous design. among other improvements, SHIFTPOD 2.0 offers an extra two inches of headroom, new seam and fabric sealant to improve weather resistance, and increased strength at key structural points. however, perhaps most intriguingly, two SHIFTPODS can now be joined together with a ‘tunnel connector’, while six pods can be linked to form a 6-SHIFTPOD house.

SHIFTPOD 2.0 offers an extra two inches of headroom compared to the previous model

designed to suit a range of scenarios — from festival campsites to emergency relief zones — SHIFTPOD can be deployed globally, successfully providing shelter in some of the worst conditions imaginable. for every 20 units sold, ASSI donates one SHIFTPOD to a family in need, while the structures have also been used in the wake of disasters across the world, from haiti to nepal.

two units can now joined together with a tunnel ‘connector’

since february 2017, the firm has been teamed up with a canadian-based company to donate 200 units to groups that support homeless and displaced families. SHIFTPOD 2.0 is currently retailing at $1,299 USD. learn more about the project and its initiatives here.