10 Awesome Tents

Why stick to having a boring green or brown tent when there are so many more interesting ones out there? OK, if you're Bear Grylls and wild camping somewhere you don't want to be spotted, a hot pink tent with tassels mightn't be the best bet, but otherwise go for it. There are loads of unique and novelty tents around – here's our top ten.

• VW Campervan : If you can't afford the real thing, go for the next best with this tent designed to look like a fully sized VW 1965 campervan. 'It’s so evocative you can almost hear the Mamas and the Papas singing California Dreamin’ every time you feast your eyes on its beautifully breadloaf-ish form,' say the folks at Firebox.

• Car tent : Along the same lines, but a lot more subtle if you have to pitch up in a city, the car tent will blend into the background nicely. 'When you get hungry you just shoot a business man and cook him over an open flame', say reviewers Geekologie, who may not have fully understood the concept of 'being discreet'.

• Indoor tent : For those of us who put a blanket over the table and pretended we were in a fort as kids. This indoor or bed tent means if you're feeling overwhelmed, all you have to do is slither in, zip yourself up and rock back and forth in blessed peace from the over-stimulating outside world.

• Hammock tent : A tent is great for shelter at night, but not normally so good at comfort during the day. This tent does both.  The shell of the tent transforms into a hammock, and the steel tubing of the tent frame can also fold into a backpack for easy carrying. All you need for solo camping trips.

• Jacket tent : Another tent you can wear. The jacket tent is billed as 'the world's first all-in-one waterproof jacket, tent and sleeping bag'. The sleeping bag pulls out of the jacket, and the tent pulls out of the sleeping bag. Sound complicated? There's a video on the site to show how it all works.

• Get a Room : Ideal for those who worry that thin canvas doesn't provide enough privacy from prying eyes, the Get a Room tent pre-empts this by projecting a romantic scene onto the tent fabric. It'll need a double take and a few seconds for people to realise the romantic scene is just a picture, by which time they'll be filled with shame at being so nosy. From FieldCandy.

• Bricks and Mortar : Also from FieldCandy, this tent in a bricks and mortar pattern will give the illusion of cosiness even when it's pouring down outside. Like all FieldCandy tents, it's 100% cotton and has four lockable storage pockets as well as a porch area and enough room to comfortably sleep two adults.

• Tree tent : Thought up by Dutch designer Dré Wapenaar for protesters to hide and sleep in off the ground in forests under threat from roadworks, the tree tent quickly took off for general campers as well. It sleeps up to two adults and two children, has a hardwood floor nine feet diameter, and a round mattress inside. You might not want to come down.

• Dog House : Giving new meaning to the phrase 'in the doghouse' is this nifty little tent, with waterproof taped seam for added protection from festival downpours. It also comes with its own special dog bowl for breakfast at the campfire.

• Irish pub tent : We were all set to make No 10 on the list the very cool and practical Bikamper cycling tent, but that was before we spotted the Irish inflatable pub tent. Although this one would be way too pricey to use on occasional camping trips, you could ensure you get your money's worth by putting it up in the back garden. All year round.

By Laura Canning