Ground Tent camping on overland trips

[MMc]

Here's a couple of pics of our Gazelle setup from this summer. One with the rainfly one without. We use a ground tarp too While the Gazelle floor does seem durable, I like the level of comfort I feel from having the ground tarp.

Make sure the ground cloth is tucked under the tent if it rains. The ground trap will wick the water under the tent.

 

[Desert Stream Outdoors]

So after going down the rabbit hole of RTT, I decided to instead go with a swag from 23 zero. Love the concept and design, honestly had forgotten that they existed since I have been doing solo camping on by motorcycle where I normally use my Kammok Mantis hammock tent (also an amazing set up). Having the bed of my truck and now having to worry about something fitting in my pannier, the swag just loses the hoop poles and roles up. Set up is less then 3 mins and I role my bedding up with it. I did get one of the larger units since my son likes to go camping with me, but they may single sizes that are great as well. Paired up with my slumberjack roadhouse awning and I've got a great set up that didn't cost me more then $600.

 

[Dave Purvis]

The gazelle is an easy up and tear down with lots of room and is a stand up tent. We use 2 cots to get up off the ground which makes it flexible in "off camber" sites. Easy for one person to setup and teardown, but the additional cots and pillows and pads etc.. make it a little more work. I've recently gone to an RTT which will be great on trips when we are moving every night, but the Gazelle will still be the go to when we are base-camping. Will testify to the value of the hub style tent and the tub style floor it has. Its easy to clean, has good windows/air-flow and is solid build quality.

 

[Rubi-life2018]

So after going down the rabbit hole of RTT, I decided to instead go with a swag from 23 zero. Love the concept and design, honestly had forgotten that they existed since I have been doing solo camping on by motorcycle where I normally use my Kammok Mantis hammock tent (also an amazing set up). Having the bed of my truck and now having to worry about something fitting in my pannier, the swag just loses the hoop poles and roles up. Set up is less then 3 mins and I role my bedding up with it. I did get one of the larger units since my son likes to go camping with me, but they may single sizes that are great as well. Paired up with my slumberjack roadhouse awning and I've got a great set up that didn't cost me more then $600.

I will have to look into those! Thank you!

 

[MikeB3865]

I typically will use my litefighter 1. Love it.

 

[caj13]

I have 2 basic setups. I use a 10X10 popup that I can add sides, or netting around the sides, and park my suburban overlander up next to it, sleep in thecburb, step out/down into my 10X10 livng space. I also have a quick ip 10X14 2 room tent I use for more room / luxury. I put an airbed in that bad boy, its like sleeping in the ritz!

 

[socal geek guy]

I put down a ground cover (cheap tarp) then cut fresh pine branches to make a mat on top of the tarp. I don't take branches from one tree, use several trees so it does not get stressed. Use sleeping pad under your sleeping bag or a cot if you have the room.
I sleep snug as a bug. Dog sleeps on the wool blanket. The branches are also a good spot to take my boots off and not track a bunch of dirt into the tent.

View attachment 214898

i have the same tent. works good and is pretty easy to set up.

 

[KAIONE]

I was just in UT and used my 6moons tent on a doubled up tarp; f’ing love that thing! Was 25 at night and very cozy, a bit frosty on the outside in the am. Great times!

 

[Downs]

My current primary tent is a Gazelle T4. Unless I'm in the CJ then I gotta take my Kelty tent due to size of the T4. But in the XJ The T4 comes with me.

I've camped in a lot of vairous tents from Wal Mart specials to some high end stuff and the T4 has been my favorite so far. It's nice to be able to stand in an enclosed area and not have my head hit the roof. Setup and tear down is a sub ten minute affair even unpacking and repacking up my sleeping gear.

As for setup tips. Find levelish spot, setup tent, done. Everyone has their own thing or seance they want to do during setup but for the most part you'll figure out what works for you over time.

I can't do this in a rooftop tent either.

 

[grubworm]

i figure since most things in life are disposable...water bottles, jobs, relationships, etc, why not go with a disposable tent?

 

[EBasil]

This is a cool topic.
Personally, a rooftop tent is neither in the budget or the style we've built out our Trooper with. We are backpackers, and Scouts, so we've got a lot of backpacking gear and a variety of car camping gear that we can switch over to overlanding ( which is a little more compact then just hauling some gear to a campsite).

For tent, I'm using either an old two man backpacking tent that packs small, weighs 5 lb and is luxurious for a single, or a Big Agnes four person car camping tent that I can almost stand up in, has a large vestibule I can attach and easily accommodates two cots on either side of the main enclosure. It weighs about 8 lb with everything including the vestibule, and packs pretty small for its size.

I don't mind sleeping on the ground, where there's less wind and because all the angry, horny, hungry bears prefer to climb into the rooftop tents.

 

[boudain]

I’ve had my Gazelle T4 for a couple years now and LOVE it. Only thing I don’t like is the Orange color, which is all they had when I ordered. It’s not bad at night but during the day the brightness wears on me. It’s a nitpick so don’t read too much into it.

Setup and tear down is incredibly simple and you’ve got plenty of room to maneuver. It’s definitely bigger and heavier to haul so you’ll have to factor that in. In my attached pic I was in my Tundra. I’ve yet to go out with this tent in my Jeep but it definitely takes up space. But for my needs a solid, spacious base camp is near the top of my priority list.

 

[MMc]

I’ve had my Gazelle T4 for a couple years now and LOVE it. Only thing I don’t like is the Orange color, which is all they had when I ordered. It’s not bad at night but during the day the brightness wears on me. It’s a nitpick so don’t read too much into it.

Setup and tear down is incredibly simple and you’ve got plenty of room to maneuver. It’s definitely bigger and heavier to haul so you’ll have to factor that in. In my attached pic I was in my Tundra. I’ve yet to go out with this tent in my Jeep but it definitely takes up space. But for my needs a solid, spacious base camp is near the top of my priority list.View attachment 217110

I spent a week in a dumping snow storm in a green tent, I hate being in a green tents. Red isn't much better I bet the orange is close enough to red to dislike. I prefer yellows and blue tents and flys theses days.

 

[Downs]

I’ve had my Gazelle T4 for a couple years now and LOVE it. Only thing I don’t like is the Orange color, which is all they had when I ordered. It’s not bad at night but during the day the brightness wears on me. It’s a nitpick so don’t read too much into it.

Setup and tear down is incredibly simple and you’ve got plenty of room to maneuver. It’s definitely bigger and heavier to haul so you’ll have to factor that in. In my attached pic I was in my Tundra. I’ve yet to go out with this tent in my Jeep but it definitely takes up space. But for my needs a solid, spacious base camp is near the top of my priority list.View attachment 217110

I do like my Green T4 just because it's less noticeable in camp.

 

[Kozysnack]

we have the RTT but some places its too tall to open or in the case of Zion they didn't have a spot for us.
Also aways at the ready with a plan B we used our tent and the sleeping pads. Ours has a footprint tarp. Takes about
ten minutes for us to get the gear up and ready for the night, and maybe 15 to break camp.
With the RTT I'd say 5 minutes max up or down.

We soaked ourselves on the last outing because I didn't vent the tent. Nothing like waking up cold and wet to start the day.
Deployed the clothes line, hung the bags, then sat & had an extra cup of coffee.

 

[Viking1204]

I have both a RTT and Gazelle T-3 ground tent and the RTT is my favorite by a long shot. I have the Gazelle T-3 because there are campsites that have designated tent pads where I can't take my truck so those are the times I use the Gazelle. Despite the Gazelle being a popup tent it still requires a lot more work to setup and take down. Unlike the RTT which I just have to open or close and it has my bedding inside it already I have to get out my cot, sleeping bag and pad for the cot and set it up once the Gazelle is up. Same goes when it's time to go, I have to roll up the sleeping bag, we all know how fun that is, fold up the cot, and fold the pad I use on the cot. Then I have to collapse the Gazelle and fit it back into its bag.

Some ideas for ground tents, putting a canvas tarp under them with a few feet sticking out past the door of the tent gives you an outdoor carpet area outside the door to put your shoes out of the dirt. Also, the cheap moving blankets sold by Harbor Freight fit nicely on the floor of the T-3 and serves as carpet inside the tent. I also use a folded moving blanket folded up to provide cushion and insulation on my cot.

 

[MMc]

If you put a ground cover sticking out from under the tent when it rains water will travel under the tent. It's better to have a tarp that fits the tent and a slab of turf as an entrance carpet.

 

[Advtres]

While I like the quick set up a gazelle tent I personally really like a tent with a large vestibule - has saved out bacon a few times in rain storms and high winds and great at keeping our gear “out of site” when we are off exploring.

Plus it is a nice private area when you are stuck in more “cramped” camping sites.

 

[Kozysnack]

While I like the quick set up a gazelle tent I personally really like a tent with a large vestibule - has saved out bacon a few times in rain storms and high winds and great at keeping our gear “out of site” when we are off exploring.View attachment 218865

Plus it is a nice private area when you are stuck in more “cramped” camping sites.

thats a lot of space!

 

[Elzevir]

Agreed, that is a lot of space. Which tent is that? @Advtres