Smoking Tents

By Gregory Mottola

When Arnold Schwarzenegger became the Governator and was told that he couldn't smoke inside the California state capitol, he didn't get angry or even—he pitched a tent. If a newly instated domestic smoking policy has driven you out of your home as well, there are plenty of ways to make like Arnold and create a smoking domicile in your own backyard.

Tentsmiths makes period tentage with heritage appeal and scientific purpose. Its British Artillery Laboratory tent is a modern re-creation of an old design taken directly from Grose's Military Antiquities of 1803. The tents were originally intended for grinding up gunpowder on the quick and storing firearms, but could easily be repurposed for mixing Martinis and storing large stocks of cigars. Tentsmiths has added an attractive gable entry in the eaves and placed a vent in the ridge perfect for letting out cigar smoke. The tent's army duck canvas material is offered in a flame-retardant finish. It's a 12- by 18-foot tent with a 10-foot-high peak.

You've been kicked out in the dead of winter or the rainy season perhaps? Then consider a rugged Hemingway-esque approach to your encampment with the Deluxe Alaknak II tent from Cabela's. The well ventilated structure will protect you from the elements while you enjoy your cigars. An attached awning entrance directs rain run-off away from the front door. Plenty of screen windows and a roof panel help purge the tent of smoke. The waterproof fabric stands up to snow, and you can even install a heating stove that vents via the stove pipe chimney when the temperature plummets. The Alaknak II comes as large as 12 x 20 feet with enough headroom to stand, but folds up quickly into a small handheld sack.

For a more permanent installation, whether poolside or patio, you can always resort to cabana-style structures to smoke and sip in the shade, but at the same time maintain open, airy unobstructed views. The steel-framed Pacifica line of cabanas from Resort Cabanas (pictured) can be fitted to your property and are available in sizes from 4 x 4 feet to 20 x 20 feet, with all nine sizes fully equipped with traversing cable curtains should you wish to partly or fully enclose the cabana for ambience or privacy. A 12-by-12-foot cabana runs about $3,750. Mountings for ceiling fans and televisions are optional as are flame-retardant fabrics.

Visit tentsmiths.com, cabelas.com and resortcabanas.com.

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