Bōte is a rapidly growing company that specializes in inflatable and portable watercraft, especially stand-up paddle boards and kayaks, as well as other hybrid-style boats and skiffs. In recent years, they’ve expanded their inflatable technology to other gear segments, especially camp furniture. It may seem gimmicky at first glance, but inflatables are coming into their own across the world of camping and overlanding gear, from truck toppers to roof tents to awnings and even entire camper trailers. These aren’t flimsy and puncture-prone pool toys, and Bōte’s inflatable Aero Couch and Aero Table are excellent examples of the genre.
Inflatable Technology
Stand-up paddle boarding (SUP) is one of the fastest-growing outdoor activities in North America. SUPs offer a watersports experience that can be more challenging and more of a workout than jumping in a canoe or kayak, and the big boards are also more affordable and approachable than your average self-propelled watercraft. On calm waters, SUPs can offer a meditative paddling experience, but on the fringes, some athletes are shooting intimidating rapids and riding huge waves on paddle boards. Many SUPs on the market now are inflatable (as opposed to EPA foam construction)—built from PVC materials that are multi-layered and drop-stitched for rigidity and collapsable for easier storage and transportation. Another advantage of these materials is that they can be molded into a variety of shapes, which Bōte has done with its lineup of camp furniture.
Bōte Inflatable Aero Couch and Aero Table
I had the opportunity to live with Bōte’s Aero Couch and Aero Table for most of the summer, hauling them in my Land Rover to diverse camp sites across Montana and Wyoming. I found they come in handy for a particular kind of use case, namely, “maxin’ and relaxin'” (to paraphrase one of the twentieth century’s great pop-culture poets). Low-slung and rock-solid, both the Aero couch and Aero table bring decidedly chill vibes to camp. At 17 inches in height for the table and 29 inches for the couch, this furniture is not for eating formal dinners or setting up a workspace for intensive tasks; the name of the game here is getting comfortable on low-impact travel days. Both pieces inflate to just 7-10 psi in only a few minutes with Bōte’s Aero foot pump ($45) or any other manual or electric pump designed for inflatable watercraft.
The Aero couch weighs a substantial 17 pounds and easily seats two adults plus a child or a medium-sized dog (the seating dimensions come in at 56 inches wide x 31 inches deep). The surprisingly soft seating surface has enough texture that sweaty skin doesn’t stick, and it stays cool in direct sunlight. I never once worried about punctures, and the couch even shrugged off a few errant embers from larger-than-average campfires. The ground-scraping height and shallow angle of the 15-inch back mean travelers with creaky knees might struggle standing up from the Aero couch, but its overall ergonomics are excellent. The Aero table (also approximately 17 pounds) is compatible with Bōte’s clever magnetic Magnepod accessory line (including insulated mugs, waterproof speakers, and coolers), featuring two attachment points. At 48 inches long and 30 inches wide, the table offers plenty of surface area for drinks, snacks, or games, but also supports up to 230 pounds, which speaks to its overall stability. Convenient carry handles make moving the furniture around camp easy.
Speaking of weight, pushing close to 40 pounds packed for the couch and the table together, the Aero furniture is not the lightest overall solution for setting up camp furnishings, and they don’t necessarily pack up as small as you might think. Bōte’s nautical color scheme of bright turquoise and grey runs counter to the muted palette of my regular pack-out, so it seems a little bit garish, but that’s an aesthetic choice. The Aero foot pump feels extremely well-made (the opposite of many cheaper pumps), and its attachments are securely air-tight. Bōte also offers a line of electric pumps. While the Aero table is a reasonable $79, the couch somehow comes in at a wallet-deflating $449—almost as much as Bōte’s Wulf 10-foot inflatable stand-up paddle board.
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- The Aero foot pump is robust and efficient.
Bōte Inflatable Aero Couch | $449
Bōte Inflatable Aero Table | $79
Bōte Aero Foot Pump | $45
Read More: ADV Pack Out :: Sea to Summit Camping Gear
Images: Bōte
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