Usually, when you go camping, you take shelter in ground tents. But when you are on a camping trip in a place that teems with all kinds of dangerous critters, the rooftop tents come in quite handy. These are the tents that can be mounted on an elevated surface, for example, your car roof.
People sometimes prefer rooftop tents to ground tents due to the safety it provides. But this is not all. Apart from the advantage of safety, there are quite a few other advantages it has overground tents. But not every aspect of rooftop tents is better than those of ground tents. There are some clear disadvantages as well. So, are rooftop tents worth it?
Well, there’s only one way to find out, and that’s by analyzing the characteristics of the tent itself.
What Are Rooftop Tents & Are They Worth the Money?
Rooftop tents are a kind of tent that allows a camper to save themselves from various dangerous creepy crawlies that crawl around after dark. Especially in countries like Australia, rooftop tents will be your best friend while on a camping trip, because every organism there is designed to kill a human.
So, if you have an option that allows you to stay off the ground, that’s going to be a huge advantage. The rooftop tents allow you just that.
But you also need to ask yourself, is a rooftop tent worth it? because these tents cost a lot, and I mean A LOT. That is exactly what we are going to discuss now.
Pros and Cons of Rooftop Tents
There are a lot of advantages to having a rooftop tent at your disposal when you are on a camping trip. But there are some distinct disadvantages as well. I will discuss these pros and cons below so you can see the truth about rooftop tents for yourself.
Pros Of Rooftop Tents
There are quite a few big pros of owning a rooftop tent that will make you think twice about using a regular ground tent ever again. Let’s go through them.
1. They are safe
The biggest advantage the rooftop tents hold over the ground tents is that they can assure safety much more than their counterparts. Not only will you be safer in a rooftop tent from things such as snakes, scorpions, and other poisonous insects, but you will also be safe from thieves who take advantage of the easy accessibility of the ground tents.
2. They are more comfortable
Rooftop tents provide the user with much more comfort than their ground counterparts. These tents come with comfortable mattresses with high density that can easily provide comfort for the owner. As a result, you don’t need to pack the bed, and mattresses separately when going on a trip.
3. They provide a better view
What’s a better way to wake up than to have an unobstructed view of the stunning surrounding of the camping area? Only the rooftop tents provide the camper with such a sight which is made possible due to their elevation.
4. They are more convenient to set up
Compared to its size, it’s surprisingly easy to set up a rooftop tent. You don’t even need the help of others to set up this tent and you can do it in a matter of minutes. All you have to make sure the surface where you are setting the tent up is level.
5. They are resistant to bad weather
Having to face foul weather on a camping trip has become the new normal nowadays. So, you will need a tent that can withstand rains, gale winds, and storms, or protect you from the punishing cold in winter. The rooftop tents are just the right kind of tent for you then. These tents are very resistant to adverse weather conditions and provide the owner with security that was previously unheard of.
6. They save a lot of space
Since they can be packed on top of your car, you are afforded a lot of spare space at the boot of your car. As a result, you can pack a lot of necessary items which were seemingly impossible to be packed before.
7. They are very durable
The tents which can withstand foul weather will also be very durable. Not only are they able to stand adverse weather, but they are also less susceptible to wear and tear from travel.
Cons of Rooftop Tents
Although the pros of rooftop tents are immense, some cons make you think twice about buying them. Let’s take a look at those :
1. They are quite expensive
The very first obstacle people face when buying a rooftop tent is the hefty price. Some tents even go for thousands of dollars, making them extremely out of reach for a lot of campers.
2. They are very heavy
Since the tents come with their beds, they can weigh up to as much as 100 kilograms, which is quite frankly, a lot. This heavyweight means that packing them on top of your car is quite tedious.
3. They take up too much storage space
Because of their large and bulky size, they take up way too much storage space. If you happen to have a hoist that can be mounted on the walls of your garage, life will become easier.
4. They offer less space
Let’s face it, you can only afford to accommodate so many people on top of your car roof. Yes, the tents are originally intended for accommodating 2 adults and 2 non-adults, but during summer, you will feel a bit cramped.
Final words
So, at the end of the day, are our rooftop tents worth it? As we know, safety is paramount when camping. So that side alone makes all the hassle worth it. Yes, there are some obvious disadvantages of a rooftop tent, but to those who can afford them, they are the best tents that they can have.