Founded In 2009 By CEO Jake Jackson With The Intention Of Making Camping “Fun, Easy and Cheap”
The moon glowing up in the clear night sky is the final indicator that the music festival is coming to an end. Guests that were once pounding their fists in the air, singing at the top of their lungs and jumping up and down are now exhausted, thinking of calling it a night before the sun makes its way over the horizon. This is the exact atmosphere CINCH! founder and CEO Jake Jackson had in mind when he set out to create the perfect pop-up tent: The modern camper that may be too tired or busy or who may not want to leave the action a few hours early to set up camp.
“Some people may like spending a few hours setting up camp, but I do think that people that want to go for a weekend or even a day have to spend too long setting up – more time [that] you could be spending enjoying your stay,” he explained. “The Cinch means you can have more time.”
More time to enjoy a band's final set at a music festival. More time to tell ghost stories with family. More time to hike, bike, kayak, fish... Jackson, a lifelong camper who just wanted to find the right tent for festivals and weekends in the wilderness, founded CINCH! in 2009 with the intention of making camping “fun, easy and cheap – not [a way to] suck away your time, money and sanity.”
Made out of polyester with a HH rating of 3,000 (three times the industry standard for comfort and durability), the Cinch tent comes in three sizes – two, three and four-man.
When Jackson first designed the Cinch there weren't many pop-up tents on the market. They were flimsy, cheap and minimal. He couldn't find a pop-up tent with the size (double entrance and extended canopies) and quality that the Cinch offers. The Cinch also has LED tent pegs, LED torches that turn into lanterns, light reflective guy lines and a canopy that regulates the heat and makes the tent dark inside.
There were also no pop-up tents offering solar power, which offers campers the ability to charge their phones and cameras, check their emails and other things the modern camper may deem important.
After borrowing money off his mother and moving into her garage “to keep living costs down,” Jackson founded CINCH! from his mother's house. With help from some friends, Jackson launched the first tents on Kick Starter at the end of 2014, selling around 5,000 Cinch tents to date and over 1,000 tents on their current campaign (a second model). In fact, the second Cinch model campaign started in August and was one of the “fastest funded projects of all time,” reaching their goal in an astonishing 16 minutes, proving that the desire for a high quality, feature-driven pop-up tent was there.
“So far we've raised around $97,000. The response has been amazing,” said Jackson. “We have been blown away by the responses. We have such passionate customers. I think if you give people a great product that they can actually get great use out of and enjoy then they will be passionate.”
Jackson previously studied fashion promotion (with a small clothing company online) but it was the V festival in the UK back in 2008 that made the Lancashire, UK native turn to tent designing. Always a fan of the outdoors, Jackson felt that music festivals were the best place to go relax and enjoy life.
Since the launch of CINCH! Jackson has seen his Cinch tents at music festivals. His friends also spot Cinch tents that people use and send Jackson photos of people using his tents. “It's crazy when a friend sees one in another country,” he notes. Just a small company founded in a basement, CINCH! has not shown any signs of slowing down…and the excitement for the unique tents are spreading.
While Cinch tents are desired all over the world for many different purposes and lifestyles, Jackson still uses his Cinch tents for music festivals. He said: “The thing I like most about the Cinch at a festival is the double entrance. I can store all the gear in one and use the other. It really makes the weekend clutter-free, which is usually difficult with camping. I have loads of memories at festivals…[but] the best memories are the friendships that are formed. I know that sounds cheesy but there is something about the laughs you have that makes friendships stronger.”
After working so hard to bring the Cinch to life, Jackson just wants people to enjoy the Cinch tent, whether they are camping out in the backyard, going to music festivals with friends or exploring the beauty of nature.
“All of these are [the] things that create memories for life…and the Cinch improves those memories,” said Jackson. “I don’t think many products can say that.”
Olivia Richman
A graduate of East Connecticut State University in Journalism, Olivia has written for Stonebridge Press & Antiques Marketplace among others. She enjoys writing, running and video games.
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CINCH!, the ultimate pop-up tent. Their mission is to make camping “fun, easy and cheap – not suck away your time, money and sanity.”