Zelter Shelter Review

Zelter Shelter is a dream of every outdoor-fan and biohacker! In a nutshell, it’s a wearable tent!  Of course you can sleep INSIDE the tent, but you can also WEAR this tent as a poncho! In this article I will tell you why the Zelter Shelter is now part of my bug out bag, in my car and why everyone should have this fast, simple and reliable personal shelter!  You always fall down to your level of preparation. That’s why you should always go prepared! As I bonus you will find an interview with Lee (the mastermind behind the Zelter® Shelter) an me, chatting about his idea, philosophy and upcoming products of the Zelter® brand!

Zelter Shelter – Every Biohacker’s dream?

As you might not know, I not only work as a Strength and Conditioning Coach/Personal- Trainer but also as a “Heilpraktiker” (Complementary and Alternative Medicine Practitioner) as well as a Consulting-Biohacker. 

So, why am I writing about a special kind of tent/tarp? Well, because I think that biohacking is a skill, as much as survival. 

According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary biohacking is defined as:

“biological experimentation (as by gene editing or the use of drugs or implants) done to improve the qualities or capabilities of living organisms especially by individuals and groups working outside a traditional medical or scientific research environment”.

Let’s go a little deeper to get to know into this biohacking stuff and what it actually has to do with a wearable tent… 

The word Biohacking is a construction of the old Greek word bios = life (Becher et al., 1995), and the English suffix: to hack which could be used in different meaning, like “to gain access” to something (computer network, etc.). 

Let’s stick to those explanations. If you fuse both together you get a literal translation of: “to gain access to life”. 

Being a bio/hacker means that your effort/aim/goal is to decode life – and all its situations – to its deepest core.  Furthermore, you are not following a narrative you’re being told but have learned to question things. 

You might also be a “truth seeker” and probably you are a so-called “prepper”, too. That means that you are trying to be prepared for any situation whatsoever.

To keep this straight, this does not mean that you are necessarily a tinfoil-hat-wearing conspiracy theorist, although lots of former conspiracy “theories” in history turned out to be true!

You are probably someone who has more foresight than others, and that’s exactly why you should consider equipping yourself with a Zelter Shelter!

No matter when and how…you are most likely to encounter a “Shit Hits Your Fan” (SHTF) situation. Some might be worse than others but something inevitably will happen to you. 

So, let’s talk how at least to be safe from “wind and weather”, as we say in German.

Zelter Shelter – What it is and why I got one

When you’re reading this article you have probably searched the net for a review about the Zelter Shelter (ZS). That’s why we don’t have to start from scratch. 

You most likely know that it is a “unique new wearable personal shelter for the outdoors” (Zelter Shelter, 2020). So what is all the fuss about? 

Well, I will tell you. As already mentioned the ZS is not only a tent you can sleep INSIDE but which you can also WEAR, as a kind of poncho!

This is important because think of this:  you’re in the middle of nowhere and – for which reason whatsoever – you cannot find a proper shelter, nor do you have the time (or skills) to build one. That’s where the ZS comes into play. 

It is so small that it perfectly fits into almost any backpack. I even consider it being mandatory for every car driver!  I, for myself, never ever drive my car again without my SZ in my trunk! 

The above mentioned scenario could strike you not only in the middle of nowhere. It could happen anytime, anywhere. Even in an urban setting! You could be stuck in a traffic jam, overnight, without heating etc. 

Just pull out your SZ and you have a 10K waterproof poncho that is light weight and RET12 breathable! It comes in a signal color (“flame orange”), if you want to use it as an emergency device or you go for “mystery green” or, like me, “midnight black” (limited edition). 

That might depend on what you want to use it. I prefer black as you can use it in any situation whereas military cameo and or just green would look too much paramilitary.

If you don’t want to address people’s attention immediately or even want to avoid it, black is good to go (and hide, if you wish to in a the scenario that makes it necessary).

As you see, the ZS is not only for outdoor use in the woods, but also for urban scenarios. Just think of a blackout, rioting, tumults or even worse things. 

You might end up stuck in a foreign country, in a lockdown, without enough money for both accommodation AND food.

Sure that is a very harsh scenario but the year 2020 has shown that you have to expect the unexpected. Therefore: “always go prepared”!

But back to the features of the Zelter Shelter:

Let’s say you do not want to wear it but use it as a tent, respectively tarp. No problem. You don’t need anything except a strong breath. 

In less than one minute you can inflate the three stays of the ZS. No poles needed (although you can also use them if you want, as they’re included). 

The Zelter Shelter has a built- in valve with a little hose that are used to inflate the stays. The cap of the valve can’t be lost as everything is built together. To open or close the valve you simply turn it. 

So, you do not need to carry extra equipment like a pump or compressor. You are independent wherever you need to set up your shelter!

To be honest, I was really surprised how much space there is in this one-man tent/tarp. There is plenty of space to turn around. If you are a regular- built human you will perfectly fit into the tent, except maybe you’re extremely tall, and/or super fat 😉 

To store the ZS, it comes in a nice water proof carrying bag with an instruction printed on how to use it.

Even in case of repeating myself, I must tell you again and again: please don’t wait for a

scenario in which you need shelter to save your life, by all means: practice, practice, practice!

First thing I did when my ZS arrived was to read the instruction and then I spent the next

couple of nights sleeping in it! Yes, IN my flat. Why? Because when SHTF I want to be able to

set up the Zelter Shelter “blindly”. 

Really really bad, if you don’t know how to use/operate equipment in a serious situation! Use your ZS right away. Inflate/deflate it, wear it and learn to store it in your bag!

Technical details:

Quality: ISO 9001:2008 standard
Packing size: 35 x 15cm
Weight: 1.2 – 1.3 Kg (in total)
Material: 75D Nylon
Set up time: < 1 minute (after having practiced)
Bivouac–Size: 2.3m L x 1.1 B x 1.0 H

Zelter Shelter – Best equipment for your EDC and Bug Out Bag

I have already mentioned that I never leave my house by car without my Zelter Shelter anymore. Therefore you could consider it part of my Every Day Carry (EDC). 

Another great way how to use the SZ is in your Bug Out Bag (BOB). I highly recommend you to have one for every family member. Meaning, if you have kids, you create a BOB that fits the size and strength of every individual family member. 

In this article I won’t go further into detail of what you should store in your BOB except for one thing: shelter! Most tents are simply too big and/or too heavy to carry. 

The Zelter Shelter is really light-weight and could even be stored in a child’s backpack!  So, if you (and your family) haven’t set a BOB, I highly recommend you to do so! 

Even if you’re a business man and on the road a lot, please store one of these in your car. It is super affordable and you get it starting from £169.95 (flame orange), which is about 186€ (October 2020).  The Wearable version in Mystery Green is available with International shipping from Amazon DE/UK (affiliate link).

Zelter Shelter – what can it do?

Okay, now you have heard some ideas of how to use the ZS. Of course that’s not all, I bet you can come up with other great useful implementation. Please feel free to share your ideas in the comment section below this article. 

Besides the fact that you can wear the SZ and use it as a kind of regular tent there are further options. 

You can use it as a two person tarp with use of a trekking pole! An in depth video explanation of how this is done can be found in this video. 

Moreover, there’s another option. You might use the Zelter Shelter as a “regular” tarp, i.e. to cover a hammock or something else you’d like to protect from the weather.  A simple, short and cool demonstration can be found in this video. 

As it is waterproof, you might also use it in a real emergency situation/survival situation to collect and transport water or other stuff you need for your camp etc. 

Even the SZ’s bag can be repurposed to carry water and other materials. Just be creative! The possibilities are endless!

Zelter Shelter – The man behind the idea

I had the chance to do an interview with the mastermind behind this great product.  In our interview we talk about how the Zelter Shelter was folded into existence and what’s Lee’s philosophy behind the ZS. 

Enjoy my chat with Lee here:

Zelter Shelter Review Conclusion

To draw a conclusion, I’d like to answer the question whether the Zelter Shelter is THE best tent/tarp out there. Well, as you probably know, there is no such thing as THE best, as everything is always a matter of perspective.

Nevertheless, I’d say that the Zelter Shelter, from my point of view, is probably one of the best when you’re looking for the most bang for your buck.

Following the Pareto-Principle (20:80 rule) the ZS is probably one of the best outdoor/biohacking/survival essentials out there. 

Please remember its almost unbelievable versatility!  You can sleep IN it, UNDER it and even WEAR it!! Plus all the aforementioned other potential features.

For me the Zelter Shelter has more than just a “price” – it has a value!  Invest under 200 € for a device that is waaaaay more than just a “cool tool”! 

The version that is for sale now has had some design improvements added with upgraded comfort and weatherproofing features that will benefit any user.  

Available now from Amazon DE/UK (Affiliate Link) and Mountainmen.ch in Switzerland.

Conclusion:

Go get one immediately and (at least) put it in your car!

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Literature

Biohacking, Source: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/biohacker, access:

20.10.20. 

Lateinisch-griechischer Wortschatz in der Medizin, S. 47.

Zelter Shelter, source: https://www.zeltershelter.com/, access: 20.10.20.