Ranger ShelterWhen the recession hit his Colorado construction business hard, Roger Cohen could have folded his tent and given up. Instead, he made three better tents -- with a view and built-in sleeping bag.

Mixing his passion for motorcycling, the Colorado outdoors and engineering skills acquired at the Colorado School of Mines, Cohen decided to combine the best features of sleeping bags, tents and bivouac sacks. The result was a series of "All Weather Personal Shelters", -- sort of super bivy sacks that incorporate the protection of a tent without the restrictions.
Cohen used hundreds of thousands of dollars of his own money to create the shelters and launch 5 Owls, which launched its e-commerce website, 5owls.net, last month. The site offers a variety of shelter designs and related accessories via its website. Cohen's success should come as no surprise.

His entrepreneurial roots extend to many of downtown Denver's iconic buildings, which were the products of a successful commercial construction and real estate development business run by his father, Al Cohen. Buildings in the Denver Tech Center, downtown Denver and the Inverness Business Park are among the structures his father helped create.
In the 1990’s, Cohen and his brother, David, continued the family's successful business tradition through their own company, Cohen Brothers Homes (CBH). CBH created a Whole House Building System for large-scale residential developments that won Popular Science’s Innovative Housing Technology Award and secured multiple patents in ten countries.
When the recession and unprecedented downturn in the residential housing market arrived, Cohen decided to adapt by turning to his passion while still using his business acumen and engineering education.

Ranger 2 ShelterCohen said his goal was to create a product that allowed outdoor enthusiasts to have an unrestricted view of the stars while feeling secure from bad weather, and, at the same time, he wanted a product that was more efficient, eliminating the need to carry both a tent and sleeping bag.

The versatility of 5 Owls All Weather Personal Shelters makes them appealing to horseback riders, river rafters, motorcyclists, backpackers, truck campers and others who want to make the most of their outdoor experiences.

In the event of quickly changing weather, as is often the case in Colorado, a partial shelter or complete Storm Shelter can be deployed without ever having to leave the comfort of the sleeping bag – in all three models -- named the Ranger, Ranger 2 and Solo Shelter.

Cohen said he personally tested his products during a Spring motorcycle trip near Raton, New Mexico. As the night sky filled with blowing snow and the temperature dipped to 16 degrees, his companions headed indoors, Cohen said, but he stayed warm while enjoying the comfort and space of his Solo Shelter.

“The morning temperature was pretty darned cold,” said Cohen, “but I was warm and dry in my Solo Shelter, using the insulated Ranger 2 inside the Solo Shelter for even more protection and warmth.”

Craftsmanship, the use of only the best materials and attention to detail, Cohen said, is what makes the products successful. 5owls.net

MSRP: $359-$399

Solo Shelter