Alite Designs: The Great Outdoors Meets Brash and Bold

Evocative, nostalgic pieces have really made their comeback in the last couple years or so. My dad’s old Coca-Cola t-shirt from the seventies has popped up online to celebrate a new generation of hipsters. Alite must have had an itch to reminisce about the days of pet rocks and peaceful demonstrations, and where better to be based and to test out the products than the home of Haight Ashbury, our homebase, the San Francisco Bay area.

The Alite In-Law Outlaw tent conjures up images of this era with retro-inspired details that lead us to believe we should be driving a Volkswagen bus to a Janis Joplin concert. We opted to take the whimsical In-Law Outlaw to a preferred camping destination at Mount Diablo State Park in California. Ideal for three seasons, we were not really clear on what the website’s two point five sleeping capacity referred to, but we assume that accounts for a stray animal you picked up in the great outdoors. Either way, two fit comfortably, and a kid or pet can certainly join in without much strain.

The setup was relatively easy, except that it lacks much in the way of instructions. We appreciate Alite thinking we are intelligent and laid-back enough to fly by the seat of our pants but it caused a mild panic at the beginning, even though the in-laws were not actually present. The tent frame comes in four pole parts; two support the frame at the ends of the tent and two straight poles complete the sides. We found out rather quickly that the poles share a resemblance to bendy straws and really can flex to fit.

Attention to detail on the In-Law Outlaw is what makes it a perfect getaway tent, or extra housing for the folks who can’t quite fit in your house. A convenient built-in clothesline is perfect for hanging up wet swimsuits or in case you have to rough it and hand wash your delicates. The waterproof rain fly snapped easily into the base of the tent and kept us warm during a drizzly night, though the windows were a bit opaque. Double doors and a dual vestibule are quintessential for providing weary travelers with their own space and exit. The gear loft was an equally nice touch and we were able to store our jackets and some travel essentials above us.

Our favorite part about the Alite website? The fact that they rate their items as sex compatible (seriously, check the specs)- they gave this tent a thumbs-up. And, er, so do we.

Again, style oozes from the Alite Sexy Hotness sleeping bag. Though we looked like a cross between a purple Teletubby and a Snuggie-wearing grandma when jacketed up, don’t think we didn’t notice the envious stares. Ultimately designed for comfort and ah, quickies on the go, this allows you to have an, um, orgy of sleeping bags connected due to placement of side zippers. The more the merrier. We connected two- all we needed for our more traditional camping requirements- and though we’ve tried other two-person zip-connectable sleeping bags before, these were cuter, funkier, and more fun.

A middle zipper is conveniently located for leg movement and the interior was cozy as the polyfiber/poly taffeta sleeping bag is recommended for as low as 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Our favorite part were the padded footies that reminded us of our childhood footed pajamas. We were able to easily trek to the bathroom in the middle of the night without baring all and kept toasty warm in our too hot to handle sleeping bag. Of course, if you zip into another person, you can’t as easily go off on your own at night- the downsides of togetherness.

Though we can not attest (or will not attest) to the ease of lovemaking in the Sexy Hotness, one thing is clear. Alite knows how to tickle our fancy and pleasure us with their innovative designs. We were able to purchase the In-Law Outlaw tent for $239 and the Sexy Hotness sleeping bag for $149 (add $10 if you need a larger size).