Camping has always been popular, from rough and ready tent styles to bell tents and glamping and everything in between – there exists a camping style suitable for everyone – no matter your taste.
Photo by Michael Aleo on Unsplash
With the rise in social media, remote working, and laptop lifestyles, it is no wonder those looking to fulfill their need for wanderlust are on the rise, and camping provides a great way to make this achievable for all budgets.
Arguably one of the biggest competitors around when it comes to camping options is the rooftop tent – a tent that sits on the rooftop of your car or truck. From hard shells and soft shells to big 4×4 tents and ones small enough to fit on just your average vehicle – the possibilities offered by a roof tent are pretty amazing.
By customizing your vehicle with a roof top tent, you are presenting yourself with a whole new world of flexibility, safety and comfort – best of all, there are rooftop tents to suit a wide variety of budgets.
Here is some cool stuff to know before you set off on your first rooftop camping adventure:
Minimize your set-up a time
One of the advantages of being a rooftop tent owner is the ease of use it presents. Say goodbye to hours spent working out how to pop your tent in the great outdoors and say hello to an easy set-up with little effort on your rooftop tent – saving you time for the best part of camping- adventures, and smores!
The majority of hardshell rooftop tents are designed with simplicity in mind – popping up in minutes with the bonus of a built-in mattress so you can drive straight in and settle down for the night!
When moving from camp to camp, rooftop tents provide flexibility not offered by your standard tent. Packing up is just as easy, meaning you’re free to travel to your next destination and complete the simple set-up once more.
Having a tent on the roof of your vehicle also makes picking a spot to camp less stressful. You don’t have to worry about trying to find a flat area to ensure water doesn’t end up running towards your head in the night or that no rocks are lurking beneath your sleeping bag. Instead, you park up, pop up the tent and jump straight in, which means even if you arrive at your camping spot when night has fallen, the set-up is still efficient, and you can snuggle up in your camping bed in no time.
Enjoy the views
A great benefit of opting for a rooftop tent is the fact that, as the name suggests, you’ll be on the roof so you can experience the views around you from an elevated perspective.
Camping up high ensures that no matter the weather, you’ll be sleeping on a flat and dry surface. Having your tent on the roof creates a new level so you can leave all of your wet and muddy belongings at the ground level keeping your tent dry and mud-free at all times.
Not to forget that you’ll be on a different level from most wildlife and pests too, which means you can sleep easy knowing that you are less likely to be intruded upon through the night by any uninvited snakes or creepy crawlies!
Sleep better
We have all been there when camping – you nestle into your tent, ready for a good night’s sleep only to be kept awake all night by the battering of wind and rain on your tent.
The good news is most rooftop tents are more durable than your average ground tent. Rooftop tents are made of better materials as they do not need to be as light as ground tents because you don’t need to carry them on your back! Wave goodbye to sleepless tent nights as you’ll be kept safe from the weather conditions in your rooftop tent. You can even opt, in heavy winds, to position your vehicle behind a tree or rock to add an extra layer of protection between you and the wind.
Not only this but, more often than not, rooftop tents are larger than the average ground tent, which means co-sleeping with a partner, relative or furry companion is much easier and comfier as there is more room. Some rooftop tents come with a built-in mattress which is better for two people to co-sleep on than trying to fit two singles that end up moving around all night.
Overall with their durable nature and larger surface area – rooftop tents make for quite the comfy night sleep!
More storage space
The unique design of rooftop tents means that you can store not only your tent on top of your vehicle but your bedding too! So this means your car space is free for other things like water activities, extra clothing, and cooking equipment.
Rooftop tents also eliminate the reoccurring struggle that is trying to cram your sleeping bag back into that tiny bag, wondering how it ever fits in there in the first place – the worst part of every camper’s adventure!
So there you have everything you need to know to prepare you for your rooftop camping adventure! If you are looking to explore, satisfy your wanderlust desires, and sleep well – then a rooftop tent is the way forward for you!