Aper Targets the Bikepacking Segment with APEX1 Tent System

Aper, a new Swiss outdoor brand founded by industrial designer Fabian Furrer, has targeted the bikepacking segment with its new APEX1, a modular tent system designed to meet the spatial constraints of bike-based travel.

“The APEX1 is more packable than any comparable tent system on the market. Developed over several years and extensively field-tested, with the goal of setting new standards for the packability of overnight gear for bikepacking,” says Furrer

Why Aper’s Mission Matters

Most tents are designed with hikers in mind, not how bikepackers carry their gear. When it comes to bikepacking, space is limited and gear is spread across small bags, yet tents remain one of the bulkiest items.While some brands offer shorter poles, the compressibility of the tent itself is often overlooked. The result is gear that’s difficult to pack, awkward to carry and not really suited to life on a bike. Aper is the first outdoor brand fully dedicated to providing cyclists with overnight equipment, with a focus on pack size, compressibility, repairability and modular use. A key part of this work involves setting new standards for compressibility. A performance factor that, unlike weight or waterproofness, is not defined or rated by any existing industry norm. Aper has developed its own in-house testing method to evaluate and compare fabrics under realistic packing conditions, making compressibility a quantifiable design metric for the first time.

Facts and Figures APEX1

APEX1 has been developed with a clear focus on packability, versatility and longlevity. The following core specifications highlight the design priorities behind the tent system.

• Pack size: 1 liter of packed volume delivers over 2m² of usable interior space, an industry record. No other single-pole tent on the market packs down this small while offering this much space.
• Configurable setups: outer shell only (~480g) or full double-wall setup (~790g). All weights include poles, pegs, and guy lines, representing total packed system weight.
• Material: Double-sided, silicone-coated nylon is highly compressible and durable. The outside shell fabric is undyed to reduce the CO2 footprint by around 30%*.
• Repairable: waterproof seams are stitched using a specially impregnated thread: no glue, no seam taping is needed. This keeps the product repairable over time using simple sewing tools.
• Bike-integrated design: uses the bicycle as part of the tent structure, allowing fabric to be used more efficiently — reducing overall pack size and weight.
• Modular system: outer shell, groundsheet, and inner tent can be combined as needed — allowing riders to scale protection and comfort based on trip conditions.

The APEX1 launched on Kickstarter on October 7, 2025, easily reaching its crowd-funding goal within the first 48 hours with 107 backers, with pricing expected to be around $640.00 beginning in May 2026.  

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