Sleep on the water – with the Bajao SUP tent
18/7/2023
Translation: Veronica Bielawski
I haven’t seen any real innovations in tents for a long time. Until now. The Bajao Cabin allows you to sleep on the water, or, to be more precise, on your stand-up paddle board (SUP). Of course, I had to give it a whirl!
Admittedly, sleeping on the water in a tent does sound a bit whacky. But also very tempting. To me, a water sports and camping enthusiast, it’s irresistible.
So, I head to the lake with a friend of mine, Bajao tents in tow. With the tent poles and pegs (more on that later), each one weighs 4.8 kg.
Add to that, sleeping bags, pillows, dry clothes, towels, toiletries and food. I also took a camera and tripod with me – with everything packed in waterproof bags.
Our two-day SUP tour
Off we go! I take the inflatable Airboard Shark for this adventure. With its length of 12'6 (381 centimetres) and width of 30 inches (76 centimetres), it’s perfect for the tent. The Bajao Cabin can also be set up on shorter boards of at least 11'2 (340 centimetres), and wider boards up to 34 inches (86 centimetres).
With a light tailwind, we paddle about ten kilometres on the lake. Evening has come and we’re looking for a place to sleep.
Source: Sigrid Baumgartner
Behind a spit of land, we discover a small bay with a pebble beach. Perfect. We could jump for joy – we’ve found our adventurous sleeping spot!
Source: Siri Schubert
The bay isn’t accessible from land by any paths or roads, but it’s well maintained with benches and a fire pit. (A little note for my adventure-loving readers: technically, sleeping on the SUP is considered anchoring, not camping. But do make sure to research in advance if and where it is, in fact, allowed. Pay attention to nature conservation areas as well as the BSV regulations on water traffic and be sure to clean up after yourself.)
Pump it – the Bajao is an inflatable tent
Before pitching the tent for the first time, you’ll have to thread through the straps that connect the board to the tent. This takes time, but only needs to be done once. Setting up the tent is quite simple in principle, though it does take some practice. Like with most things, practice makes you faster. But I still haven’t managed to get down to the two-minute set-up time the manufacturer advertises.
Source: Siri Schubert
Contrary to the standard recommendation, I switched out my SUP pump for a pump bag and pump paddle to save weight:
What surprised me the most was how spacious the Bajao tent is. My board is 30 inches (76 centimetres) wide. Stretched out, the tent is just under 10 feet long, leaving ample room for my luggage. With a height of one metre, I can sit upright and get changed without having to contort my body in strange ways.
The two side pipes – that is, the voluminous floats on the sides – are the core of the Bajao SUP tent. They provide buoyancy and stability on the water.
Sink or swim – first impressions
The SUP tent feels stable, even when turning from side to side. The floor of the tent remains dry, giving me the confidence to put my sleeping bag inside. In addition, I take a towel with me. I have to wade through the water to get to my bed, so my feet will inevitably get wet.
Source: Siri Schubert
The sky is starry and the moon is just coming out from behind the mountains. It’d be a shame to miss the magnificent view. So, I remove the outer cover made of double silicone-coated nylon with taped seams on the inside, made to protect you from the rain.
Admittedly, I’d also prefer to see what’s going on around me during my first night on the water. And there’s quite a bit going on indeed, though I hear more than I see. There’s the piercing squeal of an animal I can’t identify. And something rustling in the forest – probably deer. Reportedly, there are also foxes in the area. Next to my tent, some fish practise their belly flops. And then a pair of ducks take a nice long bath with lots of spritzing and splashing. I’m happy to see them enjoy themselves, but it’s getting late and it’s high time for a good night’s sleep.
Starry skies and wind waves
I lie on my back and look up at the starry sky. Beautiful! I’m usually a side sleeper, but the board feels a bit hard without a mat. Sure, I could let out some more air, but I’m too cosied up to bother with getting up.
Instead, I concentrate on the gentle rocking of the wind waves as they lull me to sleep.
(For English subtitles, click the gear icon, «Subtitles/CC» and «Auto-translate».)
Despite the nighttime disturbances, I wake up the next morning with the great feeling of being surrounded by nature.
Very aware that we’ve just experienced something special, my friend and I step out of our water tents and get ready for our return trip on the SUP. But before we set off, we’re met with a pleasant surprise: the people who take such good care of the spot stop by on their boat. They want to hear more about our tents and experience and are even kind enough to offer us freshly brewed coffee. It doesn’t get better than this!
Source: Siri Schubert
Of course, spending the night on the water is only an option when there’s barely any wind and no current. If you’re looking for a suitable stand-up paddle board for a tent adventure on the water, the super-lightweight Airboard Strider coupled with an extra small pump and pump bag might be the one for you.
The Bajao tent can also be used on land – coupled with an SUP or on its own. The poles and pegs needed are included. If you set it up without an SUP, you can leave out the side pipes, which saves weight. The Bajao is also supposed to be suitable as a car roof tent if you clamp it onto your SUP on the roof rack, but I haven’t tried that out.
The lowdown: a multifunctional tent that has a lot to offer, but with a steep price tag
Already during assembly, I noticed many well thought-out details. There are the Velcro connections between the elements of the air pipes and side pipes. Velcro and a tensioning system are also used to hold the outer tent securely on the SUP. For use on land, you have pegs and aluminium poles for the awning. Then there’s the integrated mosquito net in the inner tent, which is ideal for overnight stays in and around the water. The pockets on the inside of the tent are handy, offering room for your phone, headlamp and other small items. They prevent me from accidentally rolling over my phone and the like in my slumber and having to search for everything in the morning.
Inventor Christoph Mantz spent four years developing the Bajao SUP tent. It’s named after indigenous sea nomads who roam the waters between Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. He wanted to make outdoor sleeping possible for SUPers, like it has been for kayakers for a long time. It’s become a trend in cycling (bikepacking), too. He’s received several awards for his invention.
The price is quite high at CHF 578 per tent, but there’s currently an Indigogo campaign where the Bajao Cabin is available for CHF 365. Sure, sleeping on the water isn’t for everyone. But for touring stand-up paddle boarders, adventurers and outdoor enthusiasts, it offers a no-fuss place to catch some Z’s. Given it can also be used as a trekking tent and a car roof tent, you might be able to justify the investment in a multifunctional three-in-one tent. In any case, the Bajao tent gives you a very special experience on the water.
The Bajao tent is not yet available on Galaxus. I’ll let you know as soon as we stock it.
Header image and videos: Siri Schubert
Siri Schubert
Senior Editor
Siri.Schubert@digitecgalaxus.chResearch diver, outdoor guide and SUP instructor – I love being in, on and around water. Lakes, rivers and the ocean are my playgrounds. For a change of perspective, I look at the world from above while trail running or flying drones.
