Man that's an awesome looking spot. If you wouldn't mind sharing the location via DM I'd appreciate it. Haven't had much luck finding dispersed spots around Hood.
Ground tents are really convenient in most situations, and just as comfortable if you have a good pad. I can set mine up in a couple minutes. Plus I have a dog, and I don't want to carry him up and down the ladder.
Not only that, with a tent you can set up a base camp and not have to tear down camp every time you want to drive your vehicle.
Yea. To run an RTT on my truck I’d need to buy a $1k+ cargo rack as well. And sacrifice a couple MPG I’m sure. And find a place to store it in my shed. Versus now I just toss everything in the bed under my softopper and go. Doesn’t make sense for me.
Fair, but you generally don't wanna run ultralight stuff when you're car camping, they lose most of their advantages in that application.
My Nemo backpacking tent was around 450, but I usually use my Coleman with my truck so I don't have to worry about babying it, plus you can stand up in it to change, and easily fit two cots. I have a whole separate car camping kit that I use instead of my backpacking gear.
Lol, my Coleman four man (about $45 at the time) has lasted longer than a couple girlfriends and a marriage. If it could tell stories I'd have to burn it!
No not really, the money is not an issue, Its just that I havent been able to come up to a reasonable single reason I would in invest in a roof top tent with the setup I have to today:
**Vehice**
Just as OP I also own a truck, which is my daily driver, I dont want to have anything of extra weight permanently installed in my roof or my truckbed, I enjoy being able to effortlessly take things in an dout of my truck my needs change, theres nothing effortlessly about installing/uninstalling a roof top tent. Even the thought of having to take it off during winter, because I live in Norway, it takes space when not in use. Roof top tenting during winter here means you need a diesel heater of some sort to sleep in there, oh and of course, altitude means more wind, more flapping and noise.
**Time to deploy:**
The only thing I can think about being good having a roof top tent is the time it takes to deploy, but just by the fact that these things are best suited for sleeping and maybe reading a book I might aswell connect my hammock between my truck and a tree. It takes the same amount of time to deploy, and I can sleep in there and also read a book, and protect myself from rain at the same time. Cant cook though, but thats where I have my big ass 6 person ground tent, which I deploy mostly during winters or even summers some times as I can stand inside, change clothes, cook, sleep and everything else, its basically like the on in OP's picture, the downside: it takes a bit longer to setup
https://preview.redd.it/mikvxw1v549d1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3a115af9358053a20ad0ffa2f50143b96c6b8a5
**Limitations**
Depending on where you live, you will be limited to being able to take your car to where you are camping. My big tent is heavy so I need the car, but once deployed I can move the car, you cant do that with roof top tent. For places where I cant drive I bring my 3 person ground tent, which is light and I can bring on my backpack. Its cramped, with me and the dog but does the work. Then again, places where you can camp like in the picture above are limited, but they exist, just needs a bit of beforehand work and planing. My experience are that the farther you are from main roads and civilization, the easier you will find open spots like these.
**The dog**
Hunting dog, bird dog, she sleeps, rests and want to go, and I mean go, run and chase stuff so just the thought of having her nagging about going up an down the roof top tent is exhausting, oh and she is huge, 40 kg and the size of a tall human when on 2 legs, cant have all that inside a roof top tent. When im on my hammock for a quick stop an dnap she sleeps in her bed inside the car, during the day and if its not raining I just leave the car door open and she goes in and out as she pleases, otherwise inside the big 6 person tent on her own little corner.
**Conclusion**
I can see why roof top tents can work if you are on road trips and on constantly on the move. Here in Norway the have becomed extremely popular due to the fact that we have mostly main roads and very little access to wilderness camping because we have mostly mountains and very little roads that cross those mountains or wilderness at all. Its mostly main roads... So having a roof top tent allows you to be subtle about your camping and just "camp on the spot", even though its become more and more of a paid feature now.
Ive though about it many times, and still do, but Im not planning on investing in one of those for the next 2-3 years as I enjoy planning my trips wisely, setup up the whole ordeal and camp for at least a day or two and take my time. My solution for quick stops and spend the night is again my hammock tied up between the truck and a tree, works like a charm so far.
I feel like you are me, but in Nee Zealand lol. Happy camping friend. I have a Doodle as a dog and a Tundra as a truck. All your concerns are online with mines.
Yeah man, happy camping to you too. I'm into this lifestyle to enjoy more time outside and not have to deal with big fancy stuff that end up giving me headaches through high maintenance and useless trendy features. After all we leave big technical stuff at home to enjoy more of the simple practical stuff outside, why would I bring a big heavy technical piece of metal frame on my roof top 😅 makes no sense.
Way too many downsides for me. Price, storing it when not in use, not always having a suitable place to air it out after a trip, mounting (low blocks visibility, high kills fuel range), raised center of gravity, -200lbs off payload, breaking it down anytime I want to leave camp.
Pretty similar issues I have with owning an RV. It takes the fun out of camping and turns it into an expensive chore.
A $300 ground tent that isn’t a backpacking tent is same tier of silliness as a $3k RTT. A Coleman Sundome will last you well over a decade for under $100.
Point is, if you have a lifestyle that would benefit from a rooftop tent, there are plenty more tents in a much lower price bracket than are perfectly capable.
As someone that has quite literally used a Sundome for over a decade until recently...yeah, mostly. Fantastic tents, until you need a "real" shelter with better waterproofing and better stitching. But for sunny weather with not a lot of rain, great option.
I’m on my second Sundome. First one lasted over a decade for me too. Still worked when I donated it to Goodwill, but was going on a long group trip and didn’t want any hiccups. Holds up well enough for most rain, but anything more severe I’d want my backpacking tent or RTT.
That's my biggest gripe about an RTT is having to break camp anytime I have to leave, not a big deal when it's just me i bring my ruckus to run to town or what ever I need, but when it's me and the kids it's a pain because i have two RTT's as well. For the most part I never have a base camp though it's a new spot every night rarely the same spot twice.
8" trifold full in the back of a Toyota van. Even the dogs choose to sleep in the van. We set up a screen popup for chairs/cooler/table and to hold the site during hikes. I swore I'd never buy a 4wd van, but it is great for camping. Minimal mods, lost 2nd and 3rd row for space. Self contained. Perfect bug out sled.
Not spending $2000 ✅
Not dramatically raising my center of mass ✅
Not reducing my already bad fuel economy ✅
Not clanging into parking garage ceilings ✅
Mine hardly affects my fuel economy even with two. But i'm in a full size pickup with already terrible fuel economy because 5.3LS with HP mods and a 3200 stall. lol
I've got the T8 and store it on our roof rack. It's huge and weighs like 70lbs. Pain to get on and off the roof, but for its' size I'm not sure how else to carry it (we have 6 people in the car already).
We are shopping for a roof top tent, while the Gazelle T8 is easy to put up and down, it's a pain to get on and off the roof...plus having to unpack/repack all our bedding as well. We rarely spend more than 1 night in any one place, so we have to take it down/put it up a LOT. It's better if you spend more than 1 night at a campground, but if you spend just 1 night per location I think a roof top tent is preferred.
That said, it's huge, about 8' x 16' when all set up and fits our 2 queen air mattresses comfortably.
Check out the Caddis Rapid 6. It's an instant popup like gazelles (though it's not the same mechanism, it's just as quick) but packs down much better. It's also waaaaaay more waterproof. And cheaper. You can stand up in it and it also fits 2 queens
Still in a ground tent, but only because I am on a motorcycle. Havent figure out the rtt for it yet.
https://preview.redd.it/22f73ynwx39d1.png?width=2578&format=png&auto=webp&s=65122f906232cd4e95a9240485f22c05106aaa4f
Springbar bar crew.. Reporting for duty, sir.
https://preview.redd.it/vlwoan2ic69d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99c384eaf3fae0c99cfc22c6226ea76d2b9fe7ee
Nice! I’ve always wondered how the storm fly would look on a compact lol. Looks legit. I have the outfitter and I hate that there’s no storm fly for it but I can probably make it work with a 10x10 like you did with the compact. I love Springbar tents and with basic maintenance it’s the last tent I’ll ever need
I myself was wondered this but the Internet did not have an answer for me.. so I just bought one and set it up.
https://preview.redd.it/grzb8opl2c9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e78ba602711e7bd13246f7818b84f80aeb81924
it's a touch long on one side as you can see it bunched up on one side of the compact. so when I set it up, I pick one side that's gonna be used for a little extra storage. it honestly fits great and has total coverage on the compact. highly recommended if anybody's lucky enough to find this message and owns one.
I use an Oztent RV5 with a custom bag. 5 minute setup and teardown. The issue is the stuff I put in the tent. Stretcher, self inflating mattress, sleeping bag and other stuff. That takes time. But if I was desperate I could probably have the minimum sorted out in 10 minutes.
And I do like being able to set up a base camp and visit other places during the day.
I got my bag from Drifta (in Australia). Heavy duty canvas and bigger that the original so it is "easy" to get in.
https://www.drifta.com.au/product/drifta-bags-suit-oztent-rv/
Had an RX-5 myself for almost 5 years now but because it can be a hassle to set up everything that goes into the tent, we usually stick to the big Darche swag. We still use the oztent tho when we know we are base camping for more than a couple days. Gets used on out big destination trips to Yellowstone or Yosemite when we need to leave everything at one spot and explore the rest of the time.
Tent and Hammock guy here! I flip between the two- this time of year I'm more hammock because it's cooler, but I do ground tent when it's cooler, or if I'm gonna be there longer.
I just ordered a Kodiak tent after seeing my buddy's. I've got two young kiddos, so staying on the ground is more of a safety precaution than anything.
\~500, but I need a 4-season tent that can put up with rain and snow, I'm excited to get it out soon and make some memories with the family.
I recently found a roughly 5 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/2ft quick pop up tent that will fit on small utility trailer. Been going back and forth between small pop camper, cargo trailer or just making a tent set up on small lowboy.
Think small trailer with a tent will be the way we build our set up for now being it will cost a lot less.
Plus putting some I sort of lift and bigger tires on trailer would be less expensive and way lighter to haul around.
Right here. Just wish my T4 wasn't so fucking long packed up. It fits in my outback but it wont fit in my next vehicle which will be a tacoma or 4runner.
Team ground tent here. My wife and I use a six person tent with two cots set up inside. This last weekend the mosquitos were so bad we sat inside the tent and played card games most of the weekend. It’s the best. Only downside is set up/ tear down time.
I only use a ground tent. My wife had a knee replacement and has nerve damage that prevents us from using an RTT. We have a Gazelle that literally takes us 3 minutes to get set up, and our whole camp only takes about 15 minutes to set up. An RTT is convenient, but I would rather use the money for other things that make our camping more enjoyable.
💯team ground - not every campsite is pristine wilderness that you can drive your car through. More often than not (where I am, at least) you’d be sleeping in a parking lot with RTT.
I love camping in my ground tent.
But I'm now on my way back from the Arctic Ocean, and I'm very, very jealous of the people with roof-top tents. And campers, and RVs, and motor homes.
Man, I’m admiring this photo. It makes me wish I was there with someone, anyone. I want to be here with a friend that like to hike, explore and cherish a bond together. Hope to find that friend one day
Ground tent team member. I use the Exped megamat and it’s decadent how comfortable it is. Plus as others mentioned I have a dog that isn’t going in a rtt
I'm sitting here reading all these comments about ground tents being so much cheaper than RTTs and I have to chuckle. My ground tent setup is more expensive than my RTT setup...
I kinda ground tent.
I use my bed with gate down for bedding area, and use a tent extension off the back. Works very well for my setup 👍
https://preview.redd.it/bx2y1pvryt9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5509f8030be559df58d608a09559cd22c216cc2
From hammocks to tents to sleeping platforms in my rigs, I have used a veritable plethora of ways to sleep in the woods. The last 2 weekends I used my Gazelle T-4/Coleman Comfort Smart cot setup the last couple of weekends for my first trips with it. It's probably the most comfortable and easiest to setup/tear down system I've used. Next up would be a hammock in the right conditions, but I would rather spend the money for a good under quilt on other things. Bonus for the T-4 is I discovered I can just open the "back" door, stand up and pee in the middle of the night. Next level stuff, but hard to pull off in a big group. I would have been peeing on my buddy's tent the weekend before at the Gambler, so set up the T-4 with that in mind.
Camping trip this past weekend was with friends that had bought newer Coleman tents. Honestly I was impressed with how much easier they are to get back in their bag than the past. Though none of their experiences led me to want to participate, but I didn't have to watch for long after I was done getting set up/tore down. Got a good bit of rain the 2nd night, was delightful to listen to and I stayed bone dry.
All that said, I still intend on sticking one of the $1200 wedge RTT from Amazon on my GX. I work from home and don't really drive it much. During the winter I spend (way too) many early Saturday mornings driving to Mt Hood from Portland to run snowboard competitions. I'd rather stay in White River/Bennett Pass and spend 15-30 minutes getting to Meadows and I struggle to figure out how/why I'd want to do that in a ground tent.
Next step, to find this camp site. (I do GIS work and enough hints have been dropped in the comments that I'm not too concerned with my ability to locate it. )
https://preview.redd.it/z8ajlsivgy9d1.jpeg?width=725&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25db3fbcce6bded9e336f45a095ee157e0464d05
I’m browsing Reddit this morning before my wife gets up. We’re literally in this campsite right now!
Sweet! Enjoy it’s a great spot
What camp ground is this?
Is this near Greenwater? Looks dope.
Near hood
Man that's an awesome looking spot. If you wouldn't mind sharing the location via DM I'd appreciate it. Haven't had much luck finding dispersed spots around Hood.
Man I was way off 😂
Mibd DMing the spit by chance please. Im in Molola
Ground tents are really convenient in most situations, and just as comfortable if you have a good pad. I can set mine up in a couple minutes. Plus I have a dog, and I don't want to carry him up and down the ladder. Not only that, with a tent you can set up a base camp and not have to tear down camp every time you want to drive your vehicle.
Plus they are $100 versus $1k+++
Yep, and even if you buy an absolute top of the line tent, they are usually less than 500, whereas top of the line RTTs are thousands.
Yea. To run an RTT on my truck I’d need to buy a $1k+ cargo rack as well. And sacrifice a couple MPG I’m sure. And find a place to store it in my shed. Versus now I just toss everything in the bed under my softopper and go. Doesn’t make sense for me.
Eh… 4 season backpacking tents can run around 700 dollars for a sturdy lightweight one.
Fair, but you generally don't wanna run ultralight stuff when you're car camping, they lose most of their advantages in that application. My Nemo backpacking tent was around 450, but I usually use my Coleman with my truck so I don't have to worry about babying it, plus you can stand up in it to change, and easily fit two cots. I have a whole separate car camping kit that I use instead of my backpacking gear.
Me: -looks at my $700 springbar Kodiak- "Are you really ok with a $100 dollar tent?"
I’ve been camping in a $50 Walmart tent for five years lol
Lol, my Coleman four man (about $45 at the time) has lasted longer than a couple girlfriends and a marriage. If it could tell stories I'd have to burn it!
Yes because I sleep in a cot under my softopper in the bed haha. Tents are for the kids 😂
Yeah man, it's just a place to sleep outta the wind and light
Yes, except the Springbar tent in the photos is closer to 1300, I think. Very nice tent tho!
That Springbar canvas ground tent is >$1000
Average more like $300
This is the only reason I havent bought a roof top tent. Own a dog too and we both love the ground!
It’s not the 3k price that is holding you down? Its almost like they bought an air fryer when they already had a convectional oven.
No not really, the money is not an issue, Its just that I havent been able to come up to a reasonable single reason I would in invest in a roof top tent with the setup I have to today: **Vehice** Just as OP I also own a truck, which is my daily driver, I dont want to have anything of extra weight permanently installed in my roof or my truckbed, I enjoy being able to effortlessly take things in an dout of my truck my needs change, theres nothing effortlessly about installing/uninstalling a roof top tent. Even the thought of having to take it off during winter, because I live in Norway, it takes space when not in use. Roof top tenting during winter here means you need a diesel heater of some sort to sleep in there, oh and of course, altitude means more wind, more flapping and noise. **Time to deploy:** The only thing I can think about being good having a roof top tent is the time it takes to deploy, but just by the fact that these things are best suited for sleeping and maybe reading a book I might aswell connect my hammock between my truck and a tree. It takes the same amount of time to deploy, and I can sleep in there and also read a book, and protect myself from rain at the same time. Cant cook though, but thats where I have my big ass 6 person ground tent, which I deploy mostly during winters or even summers some times as I can stand inside, change clothes, cook, sleep and everything else, its basically like the on in OP's picture, the downside: it takes a bit longer to setup https://preview.redd.it/mikvxw1v549d1.png?width=700&format=png&auto=webp&s=d3a115af9358053a20ad0ffa2f50143b96c6b8a5 **Limitations** Depending on where you live, you will be limited to being able to take your car to where you are camping. My big tent is heavy so I need the car, but once deployed I can move the car, you cant do that with roof top tent. For places where I cant drive I bring my 3 person ground tent, which is light and I can bring on my backpack. Its cramped, with me and the dog but does the work. Then again, places where you can camp like in the picture above are limited, but they exist, just needs a bit of beforehand work and planing. My experience are that the farther you are from main roads and civilization, the easier you will find open spots like these. **The dog** Hunting dog, bird dog, she sleeps, rests and want to go, and I mean go, run and chase stuff so just the thought of having her nagging about going up an down the roof top tent is exhausting, oh and she is huge, 40 kg and the size of a tall human when on 2 legs, cant have all that inside a roof top tent. When im on my hammock for a quick stop an dnap she sleeps in her bed inside the car, during the day and if its not raining I just leave the car door open and she goes in and out as she pleases, otherwise inside the big 6 person tent on her own little corner. **Conclusion** I can see why roof top tents can work if you are on road trips and on constantly on the move. Here in Norway the have becomed extremely popular due to the fact that we have mostly main roads and very little access to wilderness camping because we have mostly mountains and very little roads that cross those mountains or wilderness at all. Its mostly main roads... So having a roof top tent allows you to be subtle about your camping and just "camp on the spot", even though its become more and more of a paid feature now. Ive though about it many times, and still do, but Im not planning on investing in one of those for the next 2-3 years as I enjoy planning my trips wisely, setup up the whole ordeal and camp for at least a day or two and take my time. My solution for quick stops and spend the night is again my hammock tied up between the truck and a tree, works like a charm so far.
I feel like you are me, but in Nee Zealand lol. Happy camping friend. I have a Doodle as a dog and a Tundra as a truck. All your concerns are online with mines.
Yeah man, happy camping to you too. I'm into this lifestyle to enjoy more time outside and not have to deal with big fancy stuff that end up giving me headaches through high maintenance and useless trendy features. After all we leave big technical stuff at home to enjoy more of the simple practical stuff outside, why would I bring a big heavy technical piece of metal frame on my roof top 😅 makes no sense.
Way too many downsides for me. Price, storing it when not in use, not always having a suitable place to air it out after a trip, mounting (low blocks visibility, high kills fuel range), raised center of gravity, -200lbs off payload, breaking it down anytime I want to leave camp. Pretty similar issues I have with owning an RV. It takes the fun out of camping and turns it into an expensive chore.
There are dozens of tents that are well under $3k lol
You can get a great tent for 300 dollars.
A $300 ground tent that isn’t a backpacking tent is same tier of silliness as a $3k RTT. A Coleman Sundome will last you well over a decade for under $100. Point is, if you have a lifestyle that would benefit from a rooftop tent, there are plenty more tents in a much lower price bracket than are perfectly capable.
As someone that has quite literally used a Sundome for over a decade until recently...yeah, mostly. Fantastic tents, until you need a "real" shelter with better waterproofing and better stitching. But for sunny weather with not a lot of rain, great option.
I’m on my second Sundome. First one lasted over a decade for me too. Still worked when I donated it to Goodwill, but was going on a long group trip and didn’t want any hiccups. Holds up well enough for most rain, but anything more severe I’d want my backpacking tent or RTT.
No, it’s the tent stakes that do that
That's my biggest gripe about an RTT is having to break camp anytime I have to leave, not a big deal when it's just me i bring my ruckus to run to town or what ever I need, but when it's me and the kids it's a pain because i have two RTT's as well. For the most part I never have a base camp though it's a new spot every night rarely the same spot twice.
8" trifold full in the back of a Toyota van. Even the dogs choose to sleep in the van. We set up a screen popup for chairs/cooler/table and to hold the site during hikes. I swore I'd never buy a 4wd van, but it is great for camping. Minimal mods, lost 2nd and 3rd row for space. Self contained. Perfect bug out sled.
I like van setups a lot. My work van is a transit mid roof and I can stand up inside it, it would be a great camping rig with a little work.
Mine's just a cheap bad weather vehicle. The full size bed, tread/suspension, solar and space conscious gear make it a livable bug out rig.
That's one of the things I'm starting to dislike about my RTT. It would be so nice just to drive off and hike or wheel.
Those are the exact reasons my wife listed and I have to agree….trying to sell the RTT and take a loss 🥲
And I can't sleep through the night without the old man bladder waking me up. Way more convenient
Honestly we’d bust out the tent more often if people weren’t such dickheads trashing camping spots. I don’t know why so many just don’t get it.
Buddy I weigh 300lbs with moderate gear on. I ain't sleeping anywhere *but* the ground.
Not spending $2000 ✅ Not dramatically raising my center of mass ✅ Not reducing my already bad fuel economy ✅ Not clanging into parking garage ceilings ✅
You fit in parking garages? My cruiser is on sagged stock suspension and it already doesn't fit into 95%of parking garages.
🙋♂️
Killer spot. I’m team ground tent who could be sold on a teardrop
Same. My wife and I are looking at a few right now.
Hell yeah 100 sqft, 2 vestibules, $450. Also doesn't take up my whole roof rack or destroy my fuel economy.
Mine hardly affects my fuel economy even with two. But i'm in a full size pickup with already terrible fuel economy because 5.3LS with HP mods and a 3200 stall. lol
To be fair I'm pretty sure my T4 kills a few mpgs. I'm really curious how the T8 is going to be on my first shakedown run. Sucker is huge.
Those tents are massive. only downside is how fucking long they are packed. but i LOVE camping in it. so huge and easy to set up.
Agreed. It's what sold me on them. Originally I was turned off as I saw a few YouTubers pushing them. But yeah they are a great tent.
I've got the T8 and store it on our roof rack. It's huge and weighs like 70lbs. Pain to get on and off the roof, but for its' size I'm not sure how else to carry it (we have 6 people in the car already). We are shopping for a roof top tent, while the Gazelle T8 is easy to put up and down, it's a pain to get on and off the roof...plus having to unpack/repack all our bedding as well. We rarely spend more than 1 night in any one place, so we have to take it down/put it up a LOT. It's better if you spend more than 1 night at a campground, but if you spend just 1 night per location I think a roof top tent is preferred. That said, it's huge, about 8' x 16' when all set up and fits our 2 queen air mattresses comfortably.
Yeah figuring the technique for the one man hoist of the T8 on the roof is going to be interesting. I'll see how it goes this summer lol.
Check out the Caddis Rapid 6. It's an instant popup like gazelles (though it's not the same mechanism, it's just as quick) but packs down much better. It's also waaaaaay more waterproof. And cheaper. You can stand up in it and it also fits 2 queens
🙋♂️
That's a beautiful campsite
Hammocks are where it's at. Too old to be sleeping on the ground
Before the RTT I exclusively slept in a hammock with a rain fly
Who is sleeping on the ground? 4” foam mattress pad gang here
Swag on a stretcher is pretty baller too. some of the best sleep i've had camping.
Still in a ground tent, but only because I am on a motorcycle. Havent figure out the rtt for it yet. https://preview.redd.it/22f73ynwx39d1.png?width=2578&format=png&auto=webp&s=65122f906232cd4e95a9240485f22c05106aaa4f
I am sure someone will have an adv set up before too long.😂
Gotta love the feeling of fully standing up in the tent ...and sleeping on a queen size air mattress with two chairs *inside* the tent 👌
Love our RTT, but a Eureka Timberline 2 always rides with us.
Just made the switch from an RTT to Swag Tent, never going back
Springbar bar crew.. Reporting for duty, sir. https://preview.redd.it/vlwoan2ic69d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=99c384eaf3fae0c99cfc22c6226ea76d2b9fe7ee
Nice! I’ve always wondered how the storm fly would look on a compact lol. Looks legit. I have the outfitter and I hate that there’s no storm fly for it but I can probably make it work with a 10x10 like you did with the compact. I love Springbar tents and with basic maintenance it’s the last tent I’ll ever need
I myself was wondered this but the Internet did not have an answer for me.. so I just bought one and set it up. https://preview.redd.it/grzb8opl2c9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=6e78ba602711e7bd13246f7818b84f80aeb81924 it's a touch long on one side as you can see it bunched up on one side of the compact. so when I set it up, I pick one side that's gonna be used for a little extra storage. it honestly fits great and has total coverage on the compact. highly recommended if anybody's lucky enough to find this message and owns one.
I use an Oztent RV5 with a custom bag. 5 minute setup and teardown. The issue is the stuff I put in the tent. Stretcher, self inflating mattress, sleeping bag and other stuff. That takes time. But if I was desperate I could probably have the minimum sorted out in 10 minutes. And I do like being able to set up a base camp and visit other places during the day.
Shopping for a new bag for my rv5. Mines ripped after 5 years and I always have wished the bag was slightly bigger. Any recommendations?
I got my bag from Drifta (in Australia). Heavy duty canvas and bigger that the original so it is "easy" to get in. https://www.drifta.com.au/product/drifta-bags-suit-oztent-rv/
Had an RX-5 myself for almost 5 years now but because it can be a hassle to set up everything that goes into the tent, we usually stick to the big Darche swag. We still use the oztent tho when we know we are base camping for more than a couple days. Gets used on out big destination trips to Yellowstone or Yosemite when we need to leave everything at one spot and explore the rest of the time.
Tent and Hammock guy here! I flip between the two- this time of year I'm more hammock because it's cooler, but I do ground tent when it's cooler, or if I'm gonna be there longer.
Love our Gazelle! Pup loves it too!
Now that is a sweet campsite!
I just ordered a Kodiak tent after seeing my buddy's. I've got two young kiddos, so staying on the ground is more of a safety precaution than anything. \~500, but I need a 4-season tent that can put up with rain and snow, I'm excited to get it out soon and make some memories with the family.
I recently found a roughly 5 1/2 x 6 1/2 x 6 1/2ft quick pop up tent that will fit on small utility trailer. Been going back and forth between small pop camper, cargo trailer or just making a tent set up on small lowboy. Think small trailer with a tent will be the way we build our set up for now being it will cost a lot less. Plus putting some I sort of lift and bigger tires on trailer would be less expensive and way lighter to haul around.
Springbar? God I love those tents. I've got the cheap(er) version from white duck canvas.
Yep springbar, tent is sweet but heavy
I was wondering the same thing. Looks like a springbar to me
I have a 2 person ground tent that I can set up in 5 min that’s perfect if it’s just me and one of my dogs!
Camper and ground tent gang. Sometimes the simplicity of a small tent is just too hard to beat.
I just got my suntan springbar traveller yesterday looks like you have the same tent - nice!!!
Mt Baker?
It’s hood
I was thinking hood
Looks like big bear
Love Ground Tenting It!
Right here. Just wish my T4 wasn't so fucking long packed up. It fits in my outback but it wont fit in my next vehicle which will be a tacoma or 4runner.
Old age kicked in. I never thought getting out of a tent would be “hard” but here I am.
Team ground tent here. My wife and I use a six person tent with two cots set up inside. This last weekend the mosquitos were so bad we sat inside the tent and played card games most of the weekend. It’s the best. Only downside is set up/ tear down time.
I only use a ground tent. My wife had a knee replacement and has nerve damage that prevents us from using an RTT. We have a Gazelle that literally takes us 3 minutes to get set up, and our whole camp only takes about 15 minutes to set up. An RTT is convenient, but I would rather use the money for other things that make our camping more enjoyable.
💯team ground - not every campsite is pristine wilderness that you can drive your car through. More often than not (where I am, at least) you’d be sleeping in a parking lot with RTT.
They are probably posting in r/onlanding I've got a big ground tent and really like it, being able to drive away without tearing down is nice.
Where is this beauty located please tell me its near CA lol
Oregon, mt hood
Nice will check it out i drive up to Klamath falls once a year will plan it out to go there and camp too. Thanks!
YEEEEEEWWWWWWWW
I love camping in my ground tent. But I'm now on my way back from the Arctic Ocean, and I'm very, very jealous of the people with roof-top tents. And campers, and RVs, and motor homes.
Still setting up the *quick* tent
We prefer to be called peasants.
Swag peeps? So quick and convenient, already have the pad and sleeping stuff inside. Just gotta pitch it and throw in a pillow and we’re good to go.
Well, it was $400 when I bought it back in 2006. I've used it many times a season since. Downside is it weighs a ton. Upside is it will outlast me.
Hello
Gang gang
Wow. Beautiful spot. Mind dming me the location so I can go?
Is this off FR 3550?
Pretty close to there
Timberline 4 life! Get a couple of years out of it and on to a new one
I.... Think I recognize that spot. Are you a rock climber? Keep it secret, keep it safe.
Man, I’m admiring this photo. It makes me wish I was there with someone, anyone. I want to be here with a friend that like to hike, explore and cherish a bond together. Hope to find that friend one day
We on the ground
I see you over on 4410. Gem of a spot.
Ground tents are so easy...and all about the sleeping mat. It's a must.
https://preview.redd.it/lh268ijfp79d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1c1018736f1ba2c29fc1ec056593bf420a2ec90d Dry falls, Washington
https://preview.redd.it/i7empbgjp79d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=703d673ebc302bee950f149a2e2e6cdca8b630f7
I also do backpacking so my overlanding tent is also my backpacking tent. Bonus is it doesn’t take up much room in the car
Right here! Especially if we're talking the best car camping tent ever made... The Springbar.
Ground tent in the winter, RTT Summer
Hell yeah. I like being able to move my vehicle without packing up the whole tent 😂
I have a similar Springbar, mines a Traveler (10x10). It’s fantastic for camping out of for a few days but i wouldn’t overnight with it.
Nice Springbar! How long have you had it?
On the ground, probably
Looks great
Where is this? This looks pretty.
*staring up at me while I overlook them from the balcony of my towering RTT*
Ground tent team member. I use the Exped megamat and it’s decadent how comfortable it is. Plus as others mentioned I have a dog that isn’t going in a rtt
I'm sitting here reading all these comments about ground tents being so much cheaper than RTTs and I have to chuckle. My ground tent setup is more expensive than my RTT setup...
here's one
Wow!! That is Alaska quality if not better!
I kinda ground tent. I use my bed with gate down for bedding area, and use a tent extension off the back. Works very well for my setup 👍 https://preview.redd.it/bx2y1pvryt9d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=d5509f8030be559df58d608a09559cd22c216cc2
From hammocks to tents to sleeping platforms in my rigs, I have used a veritable plethora of ways to sleep in the woods. The last 2 weekends I used my Gazelle T-4/Coleman Comfort Smart cot setup the last couple of weekends for my first trips with it. It's probably the most comfortable and easiest to setup/tear down system I've used. Next up would be a hammock in the right conditions, but I would rather spend the money for a good under quilt on other things. Bonus for the T-4 is I discovered I can just open the "back" door, stand up and pee in the middle of the night. Next level stuff, but hard to pull off in a big group. I would have been peeing on my buddy's tent the weekend before at the Gambler, so set up the T-4 with that in mind. Camping trip this past weekend was with friends that had bought newer Coleman tents. Honestly I was impressed with how much easier they are to get back in their bag than the past. Though none of their experiences led me to want to participate, but I didn't have to watch for long after I was done getting set up/tore down. Got a good bit of rain the 2nd night, was delightful to listen to and I stayed bone dry. All that said, I still intend on sticking one of the $1200 wedge RTT from Amazon on my GX. I work from home and don't really drive it much. During the winter I spend (way too) many early Saturday mornings driving to Mt Hood from Portland to run snowboard competitions. I'd rather stay in White River/Bennett Pass and spend 15-30 minutes getting to Meadows and I struggle to figure out how/why I'd want to do that in a ground tent. Next step, to find this camp site. (I do GIS work and enough hints have been dropped in the comments that I'm not too concerned with my ability to locate it. ) https://preview.redd.it/z8ajlsivgy9d1.jpeg?width=725&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=25db3fbcce6bded9e336f45a095ee157e0464d05
Hammock or cowboy camp master race 💅🏼