If you're responsible for first aid at a club, school, venue or response unit, you've probably noticed there's more than one way to give a casualty privacy. Broadly, products fall into three types: pop-up tents, inflatable shelters and folding screens. Each has strengths. This guide sets out how they differ, so you can choose what suits your setting. That includes cases where our own product isn't the right fit.
1. Pop-up privacy tents
How they work: a sprung frame is sewn into the fabric. Take it out of the bag and it springs open; fold it back into a flat disc to pack it away.
Examples:
- Larger pop-up shelters for stadiums and events, such as Globehuggers' 5-second pop-up shelter (£299 ex VAT) [1] and Sheerspeed's stadium medical incident barrier (£295 ex VAT) [2].
- InciTent (Ireland): a 3-Sided Tent (€109 incl. VAT) with an open side for access, and a 4-Sided Tent (€129 incl. VAT) for full enclosure, with a zip along one long side. Both are floorless with a built-in roof, waterproof and patent pending, set up in 10 seconds, measure 200 × 130 × 125 cm, weigh 1 kg, and fold to a 60 cm × 3 cm disc.
Strengths: quick to open, light, needs no power or gas, low cost, packs flat. Watch-outs: folding a sprung frame back into its bag takes a little practice. Peg it down in strong wind. Check the size against your needs. Suits: pitch-side, schools, AED stations, patrol and response vehicles, events.
2. Inflatable shelters
How they work: air beams inflate to form a rigid shelter, using a pump, a battery inflator or gas canisters.
Example:
- SafeShel (Ireland): an award-winning inflatable rescue shelter designed by a coastguard. The company says it inflates in under 15 seconds using a manual pump, battery inflator or 60g CO2 canisters, weighs 5.5kg, has a foil base and six access points, and packs into a rucksack [3]. It lists users including GAA clubs, the Irish Coast Guard and county councils [3]. The price isn't published on its website.
Strengths: rigid, roomy structure; multiple access points; built-in base on some models. Watch-outs: heavier than pop-up tents. Inflation depends on a pump, battery or canisters being ready, and gas canisters are consumables. Deflating and packing takes longer. Suits: coastguard, search and rescue, large venues and sites where weight matters less and a larger, more structured shelter is wanted.
3. Folding (concertina) screens
How they work: rigid or fabric panels on a hinged or wheeled frame fold out to form a screen, the kind you see on hospital wards.
Examples: folding clinical screens are widely sold by medical and workplace suppliers. Prices vary with size and frame.
Strengths: stable on hard floors; easy to wipe clean; good for repeated indoor use. Watch-outs: bulky to carry and store. Mostly indoor. No roof, so no shelter from rain. Suits: medical rooms, first-aid stations in leisure centres and offices, events with a fixed treatment area.
Side by side
| Pop-up tent | Inflatable shelter | Folding screen | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Set-up | Springs open from bag | Inflate with pump, battery or CO2 | Unfold panels |
| Power/consumables | None | Pump/battery/canisters | None |
| Weight (examples) | InciTent: 1 kg [4] | SafeShel: 5.5kg [3] | Varies; often heavy |
| Roof / weather shelter | Yes (most) | Yes | No |
| Outdoor use | Yes, pegged | Yes | Limited |
| Typical price (published) | £295–£299 ex VAT [1][2]; €109–€129 incl. VAT [4] | Not published [3] | Varies by supplier |
How to choose
Four questions:
- Where will it be used? Outdoors on pitches, roads or beaches you need a roof and pegs, which means a pop-up or inflatable. Indoors on a fixed site, a folding screen may do.
- Who will carry it? A coach walking to pitch 3, or a Garda with a full car boot, will value light weight and a small pack size.
- What's ready on the day? Equipment that needs no pump or gas is one less thing to fail.
- How many do you need? For multiple pitches or sites, price per unit matters.
Where InciTent fits
We designed InciTent after our founder, Jonah Roche, a former scenes of crime examiner, attended a rural GAA club where a young player with a suspected spinal injury lay in heavy rain for over an hour waiting for an ambulance.
- 3-Sided Tent: pitch-side and roadside, with an open side for access.
- 4-Sided Tent: full enclosure for public places.
- Club packs for multiple pitches or sites.
Whatever you choose, store it with your first-aid kit and defibrillator, and practise putting it up before you need it.
Sources (checked 17 Oct 2026)
- Globehuggers 999, 5 second pop up shelter: https://www.globehuggers999.co.uk/product/5-second-pop-up-shelter
- Sheerspeed, Stadium Medical Incident Barrier Shields: https://www.sheerspeed.com/stadium-medical-incident-barrier-shields---speed-tent-pop-up-70452-p.asp
- SafeShel: https://safeshel.com
- InciTent product specifications: https://incitent.com/products/4-sided-tent