Roof top tent vs ground tent

[Fellow Jeeper]

Nice. Congrats on the 3 month old

Sent from my SM-G935V using OB Talk mobile app

 

[AZ_Overland]

Here is my latest tent. It's an inexpensive Ozark Trail 6 person instant dome tent that literally took me a few seconds to get setup. I actually know for a fact it took less then 1 minute by myself. After it was setup I sprayed it down with a heavy dose of starbright waterproofing with PTFE and wiped it in with a cloth while wearing gloves. The tent is a 10x9 and fits two queen size air mattresses with about 2.5 feet of space near the only door (I hate having 75 doors to a tent btw). Time will tell how it stands up to long term use but for now I'm fairly happy.
All in all not a bad tent for $70

Sent from my SM-N900V using OB Talk mobile app

 

[KD7WCD]

Does anyone have any experience with an Oztent brand ground tent? I can't go for a RTT for reasons listed before (no where to store, no one to help load/unload...) and feel that the Oztent with cots might eliminate most the "issues" people have with ground tents.

I have one. It is totally worth the coins and yes, you can pitch it and be out of the rain in 30 Seconds.

Sent from my GT-N8013 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[KD7WCD]

Just adding an option to consider for those on the Tent side of this debate. While OZ tent is popular it seems, The Sibley Tent has some advantages. For about the same money you get about 4x the space, it can easily take a stove inside which is nice for winter camping, and is not nearly as long when packed, so can easily be stored inside the truck/jeep what have you.

The Oz tent is lighters, sets up quicker, and needs less flat ground, but all this is due to volume. If you have ever had to spend an extended time in a tent, room to stand up and walk around, make tea on a wood stove is nice and I think is worth the extra weight and set-up time.

On a side note, I don't get the need for speed to set up and take down a tent. I sort of like making camp and doing the routines of packing. Overlanding to me is a chance to slow down and do simple things.

Anyway, here is a link to the Sibley Tent I have.

https://www.canvascamp.com/en/lookbook

You'll have to show us some pictures of the palace all set up. Is it a waxed canvas?

Sent from my GT-N8013 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[KD7WCD]

Same here I've got a 3 year old and 3 month old.

Sent from my SM-N900V using OB Talk mobile app

One of my 4 year old daughter's favorite things to do is to go off roading in Daddy's truck. I agree. Get the girls out there and it will only help make them stronger women down the bumpy road of life.


Sent from my GT-N8013 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[mitchandbuck]

I dont care who you are, thats an AWESOME RIG!!!! 1st one i saw was a lifted black one on the snow in alaska. Ive been sold since. Ill have one, one day. Love it

Sent from my SM-G935V using OB Talk mobile app

Thanks man. I appreciate it

Can't make it through the day? Back up, and get a run at it!

 

[C.L.Gravy]

Glad this got posted. Currently going back and forth between a Kodiak canvas tent or a RTT for me and my family. I love the idea of the RTT but good grief they are expensive. $2000 versus $500-$600. Thinking I might go with the ground tent and use the left over money to put toward lockers.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[Scott]

Glad this got posted. Currently going back and forth between a Kodiak canvas tent or a RTT for me and my family. I love the idea of the RTT but good grief they are expensive. $2000 versus $500-$600. Thinking I might go with the ground tent and use the left over money to put toward lockers.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

Not a bad idea at all. It just really depends on your needs. For me I wanted quick setup, the ability to reduce my gear ( and since I can keep all my bedding in the rtt that helps) and room for 4 to 5 people, so the rtt worked for me after trying ground tents. Ground tents worked and rtts do have some drawbacks, so ultimately it's a choice only you can make.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

 

[C.L.Gravy]

Not a bad idea at all. It just really depends on your needs. For me I wanted quick setup, the ability to reduce my gear ( and since I can keep all my bedding in the rtt that helps) and room for 4 to 5 people, so the rtt worked for me after trying ground tents. Ground tents worked and rtts do have some drawbacks, so ultimately it's a choice only you can make.

Sent from my LG-H810 using Tapatalk

I hear ya. If money wasn't an issue for me I'd have an RTT in a heartbeat.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[stoney126]

Im not sure I posted this but i some areas RTTs can be rented, gets you a feel without throwing down a big chunk of change

 

[smalldog]

You'll have to show us some pictures of the palace all set up. Is it a waxed canvas?

Sent from my GT-N8013 using OB Talk mobile app

The material is breathable, not waxed, but does not let rain in. The breathability is one of the best things about canvas, but mold is the risk with canvas. It is pretty high-tech canvas, treated to resist mold and fire. The floor of my particular tent has a very nice and thick PVC bathtub floor.

I tried posting a picture but can't seem to do it. The pics at the canvascamp website are better of my tent than I could pull off.

While many seem to love the Oz then, I really think that the canvascamp tents have the edge when it comes to packabilty, volume of space due to the circus tent style (11 feet), versatility (you can unzip the wall and floor section and just use the roof as a shelter), wood stove option, and better price point I think. However, it seems I am the only one on this thread that has this tent, or is even advocating.

I also love the old school, out-of-Africa, sort of vibe.

 

[KD7WCD]

I do love my OZTent but if I had seen these first I may have thought differently before buying in.

Sent from my XT1080 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[smalldog]

The OZ tent does set up much faster, which I do think about after hammering my 18th stake. Also, finding enough flat to pitch it is a huge variable. That is when I think about a RTT.

 

[wgmclain96]

Glad this got posted. Currently going back and forth between a Kodiak canvas tent or a RTT for me and my family. I love the idea of the RTT but good grief they are expensive. $2000 versus $500-$600. Thinking I might go with the ground tent and use the left over money to put toward lockers.


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

That's an excellent idea in my opinion. Lockers make all the difference. Just pick the high ground when you pitch the tent:D

Sent from my SM-G935V using OB Talk mobile app

 

[Scott K]

Always a great topic...............I go back and forth daily on this and I have both. I have a James Baroud discovery space RTT and 2 OZ tents; an RV 2 and an RV 4. I also have an off-road trailer for the RTT and a roof rack on my Jeep for the RTT or the Oz tent. I just bought the RV 4 for my trip to Arizona and Utah in May. This is why.................

Let me give you a little of my history. I bought my trailer with a Tepui RTT, worked great until May 2015 at Expo West. Anyone there that year knows why.....weather was terrible. I had the annex mounted and it was useless with my set up due to the height of my trailer and all the rain and snow, it turned into a bathtub. After that trip I sold the Tepui and bought the James Baroud, I thought a hard shell would be a better option for the type of camping I do. I love the James Baroud and it has stayed mounted on my trailer when I go camping, however 99.9% of the time I am solo. This makes hauling the trailer a limiting factor due to not wanting to get myself in a bad situation. I feel I am sometimes too cautious with the trailer and have missed some great areas I would have gone if the trailer was not in tow............if that makes any sense. So this year out West= no trailer.

I am rambling on here I know, but do you see my dilemma? So back to RTT, okay put the RTT on my roof rack. The problem with this is several..........COG, no more room up top, have to fit everything inside the jeep, etc. It is also a constant struggle of bringing too much or too little. Did I mention I am always solo and want to be prepared for all possibilities, can you say OCD.........

Back to the ground tent…..So my 2 week trip this year out West, I am bringing the Oz tent. I know it holds up in bad weather, I was at Hurricane Expo East 2015 and slept in the Oz tent………… quick setup, easy packing and easy to throw on the roof rack. More stuff on roof rack, less inside of the jeep.

At least that is my thought today………..sorry long post, a lot going on in my head on this topic. Hard to get it on paper.

 

[jeffs blackjeep]

yup...roof top for me, especially in our climate...wet, or higher up with the snow

Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk

 

[AndyH]

I've always been a ground tent person, and have also tried swags (find them a bit small tbh) and am now seriously considering a roof top tent. Just cant decide on whether to go soft or hard shell.

 

[boehml]

I suppose this is another con for a ground tent... Warthogs.

 

[KD7WCD]

Funny..... You say con. I look at this and think of my big smelly dog and think to myself tent warmer.

Sent from my GT-N8013 using OB Talk mobile app

 

[C.L.Gravy]

I suppose this is another con for a ground tent... Warthogs.

You win the post. Lol


Sent from my iPhone using OB Talk