Image Credit: The Get Out
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When I first saw The Get Out, I knew it would be a winner in the outdoors space. Its elevated, stylish options were colorful and funky enough to appeal to casual users—say, those who might shudder at the thought of backpacking but desire the atmosphere of a movie night in the backyard. But their offerings were technical enough to appeal to the granola folk with performance-focused details that functioned well enough for sustained use. In the post-COVID era, many more people found themselves dabbling in outdoor recreation without the pressure of rugged intensity —so a brand like this was both welcome and disruptive.
The Get Out was started by the team behind Shelter Co., a glamping company specializing in event production and hospitality. Ever look up a backyard bell tent vibe on Pinterest? Exactly. From outfitting breweries to hosting corporate retreats, Shelter Co. has done it all—aesthetically.
The brand’s foray into consumer goods wasn’t surprising. Sometimes the outdoor scene can be intimidating, like you need to move to Montana and dress exclusively in GORE-TEX in order to be taken seriously, but Shelter Co. made communing with nature a colorful, accessible activity that anyone could enjoy.
The Get Out offers a small but powerful line, consisting of A‑Frame Tents, Lite Bell Tents, Feather Weight Towel Set, Cooler Bags, Enamelware Set, Anywhere Rugs, Porter Utensil Set, and Uma Sound Lantern. Each item draws from a palette of retro, bright, and earthy colors—and patterns—that are striking enough alone but coincide beautifully together. When perusing the line, I immediately started party planning. A movie night! No—camping in the backyard. A mountain weekend. The possibilities were endless.
Read on for my review of the Lite Bell Tent, their most iconic offering.
The Lite Bell Tent Makes The Moment.
When I lived in Hawai’i, I kept a tent in the back of my car. There was a beach spot on the North Shore where people would throw parties on weekend nights during the summer. People would bring their tents, set up their campgrounds, and crawl into them to sleep at the end of the night. We also camped regularly too—even more so than surfing or hiking, camping on the shore was my favorite thing to do. Waking up to the sunrise and an ocean dip? Priceless.
I regret not having The Lite Bell Tent for those moments. It was made for events like that: multi-person gatherings, like music festivals or beach parties. It’s enough of a look to be incredibly memorable and atmospheric on the inside (although I’ll get to that in a moment.) It’s also ideal for long-form setups. Think a semi-permanent fort for kiddos, or to escape the sun during a lakeside or beachside vacation. The Lite Bell Tent is expensive at $750, but worthwhile if you’re going to use it regularly; it’s durable, spacious, versatile, and definitely makes a statement by itself.
FYI, Setup’s A Bit Tough.
Because the various elements are rather hefty (for me, a scrawny gal), the setup took longer than the 20 minutes promised. Still, despite some heavy breathing, it was otherwise all right. I just would opt for something lighter if you’re planning on backpacking into a site. This tent is 70 pounds, which makes sense considering its size and capacity. It packs down into an easy-carry bag in the same pattern, which is both pleasing and convenient.
The tent comes in Camo (not literal camouflage—a green and orange pattern that’s much prettier than it sounds), Moss, Mustard, Pink, Navy, and Fog. I opted for Mustard, which was gorgeous in person—but did have much more of a green tint than it did on the website. The photos show a much brighter yellow, but this shade was more muted than the photos suggested.
While I knew the tent was big, I didn’t realize exactly how big until it was assembled in my backyard. The tent is large enough to fit a full sized bed or two twin beds. The brand recommends up to four sleeping pads, and you could probably host about six to eight people hanging out in it, depending on size and comfort level. (I was a camp counselor, so I’m familiar with cramming.) It’s 13 feet in diameter, and 8 feet tall.
The hardest part for me was getting the center pole straight enough during assembly. I assembled it solo, and had that distinctive blind feeling as I fumbled around that reminded me exactly of entering my duvet and trying to tie the insert into the corners from the inside. With friends or family helping, it’d likely be a lot easier! It doesn’t have a home base in the center of the tent, unlike the other poles which “lock in” to various points, so you kind of have to do it by feel.
On The Get Out’s site, I’d remembered wishing that they’d had an interior view of the tent in its product photos—so you could “peek inside” and roughly imagine your setup. It’s difficult to get an exact idea of sizing when the product photo is on a plain colored background rather than oriented in a space. I’d also looked through their Instagram feed and tagged photos, but didn’t have enough visual information to fully understand it until it was in front of me. (So we’ve helped ya out on that front—go follow @pleinairsocial on TikTok for the scoop on sizing!) While their branding is undoubtedly *aesthetic*, sometimes ya gotta opt for functionality.
Now, for some specs: the tent upper is made of 210D polyester oxford. The floor is 540 gsm ripstop PVC. Each tent is constructed to meet or exceed NFPA 101 and CPAI 84 standards for flame resistance and have been treated to be mold and water resistant. Oh, and the brand recommends applying UV protectant annually if you use the tent for long term setups. You’ve got taped seams for water protection, and YKK zippers on the screened doors and windows. There’s a hook in the top where you can hang a lantern (ideally their Bluetooth speaker version). The exterior flap across the door rolls upwards, so you can pin it to have some easy in-and-out action—definitely ideal for party hosting.
Next time, I’ll likely use my own stakes. These didn’t feel as high quality as the ones I’m used to, but everything else did—a small matter in the grand scheme.
Oh, and by the way, you could totally upsize and go for the Classic Bell Tent if you’re looking to have a crowd. It would set you back $1,225, but c’est la vie.
No Matter How Tough You Are, You’ll Definitely Want to Go *Glamping* In This Tent.
While I planned on using this tent for camping ventures with friends, I got immediately tempted to do a full-on glamping setup when it was all assembled. It was so roomy! I dragged in my vintage daybed, a side table, string lights, a speaker, a cooler, and more, and lounged for the next several hours. Eventually, my mom came out to join me with a bottle of rosé, and we had the most incredible happy hour laughing on the tent floor as the light striped yellow on the ceiling. Core memory: unlocked.
I itched to see the tent in a fall landscape—boozy cider, stacks of blankets, flannels, my closest friends. It’s the type of space that makes you feel bonded just by being inside it together, which mirrors The Get Out’s philosophy to a tee. I would love to figure out a projector situation as well. What works best for a backyard movie night?
To test the waterproofing, I left this tent out in the rain for several days during the thick of Florida storms—and I’d left my glamping setup, complete with furniture, inside. Nothing got in. It did kill my grass though, so keep in mind your landscaping if you’re going to leave it out for a long time!
The Lite Bell Tent Dramatically Elevated My Camping Experience.
Overall, the Lite Bell Tent was a definitive winner for me. As an experienced camper, I adored it, and as a design-oriented personality, I relished it. My main struggles were with clarity before receiving, and a few minor tweaks during actual setup. Once standing, I had zero complaints and just appreciated the level of detail.
Was it worth the price? I think so—especially considering that it’s meant for hosting and for semi- to long-term setups. If you drag it out every season, or even take a group of friends into the woods once a year, it would quickly pay for itself in the way that it dramatically elevated the quality and aesthetics of the vibe. It channels all these movie-like qualities of camping rather than the messy bits, making it a more polished—but still natural-feeling—experience. It would be especially helpful if some of your friends are reluctant campers; I’ve been there, and it can be tough to encourage others when certain outdoor activities feel all-or-nothing.
The Get Out has effectively accomplished their goal of both 1) creating meaningful gatherings and 2) making the outdoors that much friendlier to people considering getting their feet wet (metaphorically, of course.) I can’t wait to use it on some bigger stages and in some other areas, and see it thriving during backyard nights, vacations as a sun tent, legitimate camping setups, music festivals, and other scenarios focused on getting into nature and savoring good company. I can’t wait to get out next.
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