A Japanese startup has launched a range of all-black camping equipment, including tents, lanterns, and furniture – and it's proving surprisingly popular.
Camping gear typically goes in two directions: muted khaki and camo for blending in with your surroundings, or bright and zingy for standing out. Yuta Nagao, founder of BlackishGear, has taken a different tack, offering a full range of backcountry gear that comes in any color, so long as it's black.
As art and design website designboom explains, the set includes two shelters (a compact one-person tent and a two-person version), a camping chair, a camping table that can be assembled in different configurations like a wooden puzzle, and a camping stove.
"Each camp has its own style. Whether you’re told that you’re lame or that you prefer a famous brand, you should stick to your own style," says Nagao. "This is because camping should be done for your own enjoyment and healing, not for what other people think."
Pitch black
So are you sacrificing practicality for style? Well, to an extent, yes., though that doesn't seem to have hampered sales. BlackishGear's equipment is designed strictly for car camping in fair weather, with no lightweight designs or DWR coatings in sight.
The one-person black tipi tent (priced at ¥41,800, or around $320) has a single-pole design for fast pitching, with a maximum height of 2m at the center. The material is breathable and light-blocking, but only minimally water repellent. It's supplied with a compression stuff sack for transport.
The twin shelter (priced at ¥88,000 or $680, but currently sold out) has an expandable canopy to provide shade and privacy, though like the tipi tent, it's not designed for use in wet weather, The sides can be opened completely for ventilation.
Everything is made in small batches to avoid waste, though Nagao explains that campers need to be patient while waiting for their purchases to arrive: "We will do our best to deliver it as soon as possible, so we would appreciate your cooperation so that the camp can be enjoyed for a long time and for all generations."
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