Best Air Shelter for Family Camping – Zempire, Aerobase 3 Pro
Freedom to fully enjoy the outdoors, whatever the weather throws at us, all thanks to @zempirecamping with their Aerobase 3 Pro
We’ve tried and tested a range of different gazebos, both before and since having kids, some being pole-constructed ones and some being air-inflating ones. Disappointingly, all but one have become damaged and have really struggled in some pretty average weather conditions. You’ll be pleased to know we’re here to share with you the one which we have been super impressed with, the Zempire Aerobase 3 Pro, which has seen us safely through our camping in France trips and will be accompanying us on all future camping trips, without a doubt!
What is the Zempire Aerobase 3 Pro?
The Aerobase 3 Pro is an air shelter, a structure which when erected, forms an undercover area, made from a similar material to a tent, which is designed to give shelter from the elements and make spending time outdoors both practical and comfortable.
How does a shelter differ from a tent?
A tent is a temporary living quarter, designed to provide protection all around, from the roof, sides and ground. A shelter is more of a short-term utility area, a place to cook, eat, relax and escape the elements, in particular the heat.
Why did we choose the Aerobase 3 Pro?
1. Air beams over poles
Firstly we were adamant we wanted an air shelter, as opposed to a traditional pole-structured gazebo or shelter. Why? Do you ask? Well, in high winds, poles have a much higher chance of snapping, due to them being rigid and when the wind moves the shelter, they have a habit of breaking. The air beams inside the Aerobase 3 Pro, on the other hand, are robust tubes filled with air, which move slightly with the wind. This offers flexibility and durability, resulting in them being far less likely to break. On top of this, the set-up time of air shelters is significantly quicker than those with poles.
2. Stabilising brow poles
Although we were adamant about wanting an air shelter, the Aerobase 3 Pro offers an additional set of brow poles on top of having air beams, which means the corners of the structure are given extra support. This prevents the tent from twisting and gives even more stability in the wind, plus even more headroom (which J definitely needs!)
3. Fast set-up time
With our first time setting up the Aerobase 3 Pro, we were so pleased we managed it in under 15 minutes, from unpacking the box to getting it fully erect and finished. That was also with only J setting it up, whilst I entertained the kids. It was so quick and easy, inflating the beams with the pump included, in comparison to messing around connecting poles together, as we have done in the past. We are excited to see the setup time reduce, the more we practice using it in the future.
4. Side panel options
This design has the option of using 4 zippable side panels, with very sturdy zips. All 4 can double as either solid fabric walls, or unzip to mesh, allowing air to pass through whilst keeping out the bugs. We really liked the ease of being able to adapt our shelter to different weather conditions. One minute we had the sides completely open in the sunshine, then next we were able to completely zip up the sides, when it began to rain, followed by having only the mesh zipped up in the evenings, to keep the shelter insect-free.
5. Fabric
The Aerobase 3 Pro fabric is incredibly waterproof, strong and UV resistant, making is suitable to use in the rain, and also in the sun. This means, that not only have we been able to use it for camping trips, but we’ve also been able to use it at home in the garden, for garden parties, to dine under and also as a cover to protect the kids whilst they are in the paddling pool.
6. Additional camping space
Although there are many benefits of camping with family, sometimes the tent can feel quite a hectic place to be, especially if the weather is bad and everyone has to pile inside to keep dry. We loved having an additional space to relax in, under the Aerobase 3 pro. This was also the case in hot weather, as come 9 am our tent got rather hot and stuffy and we always needed an outside option to escape to, in order to keep cool but also stay in the shade. We can also store all of our cooking and dining equipment in the shelter, keeping our tent space less cluttered.
7. Optional ground sheet
Another way a shelter differs from a tent is that they don’t normally come with ground sheets, meaning there is nothing covering the floor and waterproofing the shelter from the ground. The beauty of the Aerobase 3 Pro is that there is the option to get a ground sheet, meaning it can be used as a small tent as well, with one main living and sleeping compartment combined. We plan to invest in this to allow us to take short weekend camping trips, without the need to use our larger 10-man tent.
Click here to find out more about the Aerobase 3 Pro
