Patent ID: 7673642

Claim:
A freestanding fabric shelter suitable for use by backpackers, comprising: a weather-resistant fabric canopy comprising two side edges adjacent the ground, and front and rear ends; two separate, spaced, generally straight, ground-level platform poles of a length corresponding to the side edges of the canopy; a single flexible arch pole, the arch pole being removably connected at each end to an intermediate portion of one of the platform poles in generally perpendicular relationship to the platform poles, the arch pole further being connected in generally continuous tension to the canopy across an intermediate portion of the canopy from one of the side edges to the other of the side edges; and, platform connectors along the side edges of the canopy removably securing the side edges of the canopy and the ends of the arch pole to the platform poles with the arch pole and intermediate portion of the canopy tensioned into a freestanding continuous arch between the platform poles with the side edges and ends of the canopy extending in tension from both sides of the arch pole.