Inflatable pole supports, also known as air beams, serve as rigid structural supports when inflated but are soft and pliable when deflated. Tents using such technologyare neither commonly used nor widely accepted and are available from a limited number of suppliers.
Much like a bicycle tube and tire, air beamsare often composed of a highly dimensionally stable (i.e. no stretch) fabric sleeve and an air-holding inner bladder. However, other air beam constructions consist of coated fabrics that are cut and manufactured to its intended shape by a process such as thermal welding. Depending on the desired tent size, air beams can be anywhere from 2-40 inches in diameter, inflated to different pressures.2 High pressure air beams (40-80 phi) that are filled by compressors are most often used in larger shelters, whereas low pressure beams (5-7 phi) are preferred for recreational use.3 The relatively low pressure enables the use of a manual pump to inflate the air beam to the desired level. Air beams have the unique quality of bending, than breaking, when overloaded. Tents that use inflatable airbeams are structured identical to those that use flexible poles.
Inflatable air beamtunnel tent
Dome tents that use inflatable air beam support are available in a variety of sizes ranging from lightweight 2-person to larger 6+ person shelters, and are virtually identical to the arrangement of flexible-pole supported dome tents. Beams are usually integrated in to the tent shell such that they do not must be reinserted every time setup occurs. Air beams can be located either on the inside or outside of the tent shell. Similar to the pole-supported construction, air beam supported dome tents are free standing but should be staked out with pegs and guy out lines to increase stability and strength.
Tunnel tentsare a common form of air beam supported tents because their size can be easily modified by adding additional hoops. Military applications use this style of tent for a range of purposes including medical shelters, helicopter enclosures, and airplane hangars. In these constructions, hoops are generally identical in size. In commercial air beam supported tents, the hoops can be different sizes. Tunnel tents tend to withstand high winds well because of their low profile shape. However, the tents are not freestanding and must be anchored and guyed out securely.