In the U.P., a new, sustainable approach to off-grid glamping

At a remote spot deep in the woods in Marquette County and not far from Lake Superior, a Michigan-based start-up company called Electric Outdoors, Inc., is testing a first-of-its-kind camping platform. 

Reachable by a long dirt road, the site where the camping platform sits has no electrical or sewer hookups. No trash receptacles. The camping platform, known as the EO Canopy, is fully powered by sustainable sources, making energy, water, waste handling, satellite internet and EV charging available completely off the grid. 

The pilot project by Electric Outdoors, which develops technology and manufacturing to help people enjoy the outdoors in a more sustainable manner, will continue for several months. EO Canopy makes it possible for EV owners to camp in remote areas, knowing they’ll be able to return home with plenty of charge. 

The hope is the project can be expanded and the wooded property in the U.P. opened up to demonstrate what the future of camping could look like. 

It’s a pioneering and entirely new approach to glamping, focused on sustainable energy generation and connectivity.

“There are lots of possibilities,” says Josef Hjelmaker, founder and CEO of Electric Outdoors. “We are unleashing a sustainable experience for people going to spend time outdoors. We want people to create memories and not worry about all the anxieties that can go along with (traditional) camping.”

The EO Canopy simplifies camping. The unit is self-contained and can be set up anywhere, eliminating the need to be set up solely at designated campgrounds with electrical and other utility services. 

The pilot program kicked off outside Negaunee in late August and is expected to run through the end of the camping season, with a possible extension into the spring. Interested parties have been visiting and testing the camping platform. 

An aerial view of the EO Canopy on a remote site in Marquette County.

The Upper Peninsula location was chosen as a pilot location because of the region’s commitment to innovation in the outdoors, especially its focus on electric mobility and sustainable experiences. The U.P. is home to the country’s first electrified trail network, developed by Minnesota-based Polaris, Inc. That network lies a couple of hours west of Marquette; other areas of the U.P. are considering the possibility of creating electrified trails as well. 

“Running this pilot in and around Marquette with its beautiful Lake Superior shoreline, and where you are really embraced by the outdoors and all its possibilities, is such a privilege,” Hjelmaker says. “It’s an area of Michigan that lives and breathes the outdoors and where people come to enjoy the outdoors."

Similar pilot projects are slated for Florida, Colorado and California. A number of customers have already expressed interest in the EO Canopy. The company expects to build as many as 50 units next year, at a facility in metropolitan Detroit. 

In the U.P., the pilot program has gotten off the ground with help from the Innovate Marquette SmartZone, whose staff met Hjelmaker early in his efforts. Innovate Marquette Smartzone is a nonprofit organization that provides resources to innovators, entrepreneurs and business owners in the Marquette area. 

“Electric Outdoors fits exactly into the kind of work we do,” says Joe Thiel, who is CEO of Innovate Marquette. “Our Marquette Outdoor Venture Innovation Center enables entrepreneurs to incubate and accelerate their projects and get them investment as quickly as possible to get them in this landscape.”

Innovate Marquette, as well as others, came together to help Electric Outdoors overcome various hurdles to get the project off the ground. 

“There are long-term benefits to get more players up here to share in this space and support the local economy,” Thiel says. 

Electric Outdoors moved forward with testing the camping platform in the U.P. and elsewhere, after a successful first round of seed funding earlier this year. The funding round was led by Veolectra, Inc., an advanced EV technology product development company. Veolectra was joined by Michigan Rise and the Michigan Outdoor Innovation Fund as well as other investors. 

The EO Canopy illuminated at night.The pilot program is designed to offer landowners, and other stakeholders the opportunity to experience the unit’s capabilities first-hand.

“We are learning together with our partners,”  Hjelmaker says. “We’ve gotten very good feedback on the product itself and things we can do to improve it. People are just wowed by this product and amazed that you can do this in the middle of nowhere. They’ve embraced the project and love the experience.”

 The portable, all-electric system enables landowners in remote areas and “vulnerable municipalities” to unlock their land “without the need for expensive grid or utility infrastructure development, creating new revenue opportunities and addressable markets,” the company says.

There also will be a ripple economic effect, providing new business for local outdoor gear companies, restaurants, stores and others. 

Innovate Marquette’s Thiel says the EO Canopy opens the outdoors experience to others who aren’t interested in traditional camping and those who have been uncomfortable in more remote regions or have mobility issues.

“This is a cool mobile solution that breaks down barriers,” Thiel says. “This is self-sufficient and the EO Canopy can be dropped anywhere … It’s the future of camping for people who want this experience.  It’s for people who want to go somewhere in their EV and be on a two-acre piece of land by themselves.”

The EO Canopy is fully powered by sustainable sources.

Will the EO Canopy revolutionize camping?

“It’s a key piece of the ecosystem in the outdoor world and one of our top priorities,” he says, noting regional and statewide efforts to lead innovation in the outdoor recreation industry.

That type of camping will appeal to many and fills a niche in the region. Still, traditional camping - procuring your own gear and setting up tents in state or other parks – is not going away.  

“Josef has a great vision and is building an amazing product. This is the kind of stuff Michigan needs to keep here in Michigan. We have a better environment than any other state for startups because of the manufacturing available in lower Michigan. We are poised right now as a state to dominate this market.”