| Kendrick Observatory Tent |
| Make your astronomy more comfortable and more enjoyable |
This is the observatory tent with the rain fly rolled back and tied out of the way against the center pole. The tent has two rooms. One room can be used as a chart or computer room or can be used to sleep in when camping or attending a star party. The other room is the observatory which houses your scope. There is a zip out roof and a rain fly. It goes right down to the ground and, in the above photo, has been rolled back over the observatory side and tied back.
The tent has a full floor so that it may be used for any camping trips where astronomy is not part of the itinerary. Because it has a full floor, any tripods that have pointed feet will need some kind of weight-bearing pad beneath them to protect the floor.
The observing slot unzips from south to north. This will allow the slot to be partially opened so that wind or light may be blocked. There is also bug netting in the roof of the observatory that can be unzipped. This will allow you and your friends to sit in the tent and keep the bugs away while you keep an eye out for breaks in the clouds. There is also a door in the end wall to make it easy to get equipment into and out of the observatory. It also allows you to leave the tent without awakening anyone who may be sleeping in the other room.
The tent is 15' long by 9' wide and 6'6" high. All the poles are shockcorded, simplifying set up, which takes 10 to 15 minutes. The tent is constructed of polyester which is known for its resistance to breakdown under Ultra Violet Radiation. It will last 5 times longer than nylon will under UV exposure. The tent weighs 30lbs (14 Kgs) and breaks down into an easy to handle package that is about 39" long by 12" by 8".
When field testing this tent the guys at Kendrick just loved it! It was great to have the scope set up inside a tent, safe from anyone walking into it, out of the wind, everything nicely contained and being able to sleep right next door. Annoying street lights, watery eyes when the wind blows, shortened observing sessions due to wind chill in the winter, or your scope shaking in the wind can now be a thing of the past.
  
Pictures below were taken at the Equinox Star Party, Thetford 2002Click on the thumbnails for a larger image.
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