Explore Uganda on a self-guided journey with a Uganda car hire that comes with a rooftop tent. Enjoy the holiday at your own pace with full control of the drive. Rooftop tents are becoming an increasingly popular alternative to ground tents. Particularly among Tourists. This guide outlines the merits of using a rooftop tent over ground tent.
A rooftop tent mounts to your vehicle’s roof rack or roof bars. The tent folds or collapses down into a flat, aerodynamic package that stays mounted to your roof while you drive. When you’re ready to camp, you simply fold the tent out or pop it up, depending on the design.
Most models include a comfortable foam mattress. You sleep off the ground on the vehicle’s roof. Usually, a ladder is included to help you climb up into bed. Rooftop tents are typically mounted to 4X4 expedition or over landing vehicles. Smaller and lighter rooftop tents are available that can be mounted on most cars. Rooftop tents sleep from 2-4 people depending on the size.
MERITS OF ROOF TOP TENTS OVER GROUND TENTS
Faster and easier to set up
Generally, rooftop tents take less time and effort to set up than ground tents. A well-designed hard shell rooftop tent can be set up by one person in less than 60 seconds. You simply unlock some latches, pop the tent up with the help of some gas struts, and then lock it in place with safety supports. This is faster and easier than setting up any ground tent because you don’t need to mess with a footprint, poles, stakes, guy lines, etc. It practically pitches itself.
Maybe the biggest advantage rooftop tents offer in terms of setup is time and difficulty is the fact you can leave your bedding in place when the tent is collapsed down. You don’t have to mess with stuffing and unstuffing your sleeping bag and rolling and unrolling your sleeping mat every time you camp. This saves a considerable amount of time and hassle every time you set up and tear down camp.
Easier to find a Campsite
It is generally easier to find a suitable campsite when you’re using a rooftop tent. All you need to look for is a flat place to park. It doesn’t matter if the ground is wet, rocky, muddy, lumpy, or covered in snow or vegetation. You don’t need to worry about puddles or water flowing into camp if it rains. Because you’re raised off the ground, you don’t have to worry about getting muddy or wet.
If your site is a bit uneven, you can drive a tire over a rock or dig a small hole to even things out. Rooftop tents also allow you to camp on solid surfaces like gravel parking lot. You don’t have to pound stakes into the ground to use a rooftop tent. If you can drive there, you can camp there with a rooftop tent.
More comfortable
Rooftop tents integrate a mattress into the floor of the tent. Rooftop tent mattresses tend to be thicker, larger, and more comfortable than ground tent sleeping pads. For example, most rooftop tents include a 2-3 inch thick foam mattress that offers plenty of back support. The mattress also covers the entire floor of the tent.
Because you don’t have to pack up your bedding every night when you use a rooftop tent, you can use standard sheets and a down comforter instead of a sleeping bag. Many campers find this setup less restrictive and more comfortable than using a sleeping bag.
Better view
Rooftop tents put you 5-6 feet off the ground, depending on the height of your vehicle. This allows you to enjoy an unobstructed view of your surroundings while you’re in your tent. There is nothing better than laying back and taking in the view of a towering mountain or beautiful beach. When you’re sleeping in a ground tent, even a small hump, shrub, or boulder can block your view of the landscape.
You can store your bedding and some gear inside a rooftop tent
Many rooftop tents are designed in a way that leaves a bit of space inside when they are closed. This way, you can leave your sleeping bag, blanket, pillow, and sleep pad set up at all times. This saves you a great deal of time and effort when setting up camp.
To me, this is one of the biggest advantages rooftop tents offer. Rolling and unrolling a sleeping bag and sleeping pad is my least favorite part of setting up camp.
In addition, pop-up models often offer enough space inside to store some extra gear. For example, you could leave a book, some clothes, a map, a flashlight, a tablet or laptop, etc. in the rooftop tent while you drive. It’s nice having everything already in place and ready to go when you’re ready to crawl into bed.
Cleaner
Because rooftop tents are elevated off the ground, they tend to stay cleaner than ground tents. You can set a doormat at the base of your ladder so you can wipe your feet before you climb in. This way, you don’t track as much mud, sand, water, or dirt into your tent.
Because the tent is elevated, it is less likely for the wind to blow dirt in. The inside tends to stay cleaner. Also, rain can’t splash mud onto the sides of the tent. In addition, you don’t have to deal with debris getting stuck to the bottom of the tent. Another benefit is that your car interior will stay cleaner because you’re never storing a wet and dirty tent inside. The rooftop tent always stays outside.
Rooftop tents may be safer
Many campers claim that rooftop tents keep you safer than ground tents. Tourists traveling across Africa commonly use rooftop tents to put them out of reach of predators like lions and hyenas. Those who camp in bear or mountain lion country may also prefer the extra security of rooftop tents.
Rooftop tents are safer because wild animals may be less likely to climb up on the vehicle to try to get into the tent. Additionally, because you’re sleeping above any animals that wander through your camp, they’ll be less likely to stick their nose in your tent to sniff around. After all, you’re out of their line of sight. You won’t wake up with a bear rooting around inches away from your head. If a dangerous wild animal does enter camp, you can keep an eye on them from above. You may have more time to prepare your bear spray or horn as well.
As an added bonus, rooftop tents keep you out of reach of some venomous critters like scorpions, snakes, and spiders. These critters are unlikely to climb up into the tent when you’re so far off the ground.
Warmer/Better Insulated
Rooftop tents are generally warmer than ground tents. There are several reasons for this. First, rooftop tents use higher denier (thicker) fabric for the walls. Some rooftop tent models offer a quilted insulating insert as an optional accessory.
With the extra insulation, less heat escapes in the night and the interior stays warmer. Next, you’re not sleeping on the cold ground in a rooftop tent. The floor is thicker so it provides some insulation from the outside. You don’t lose as much heat to the cold ground. Finally, rooftop tent heaters are available for extremely cold nights.
More durable and long lasting
Rooftop tents tend to be more durable than ground tents because they are made from thicker and stronger materials. For example, most rooftop tents are made from denier fabric. Ground tents, on the other hand, are often made from much thinner denier fabrics.
The thicker fabric is less likely to tear or develop holes. In addition, rooftop tents feature thicker and sturdier zippers poles, and floors. They can handle years of use and abuse. You should get a decade of use out of a quality rooftop tent if you take care of it. In general, hard-shell models last longer than the Ground tents.
Better ventilation/dryer
Rooftop tents tend to stay dryer than ground tents. There are several reasons for this. First, condensation isn’t as bad because rooftop tents offer better ventilation. Because you’re higher off the ground, you won’t have to deal with as much water evaporating from the ground and condensing on your rain fly.
Rooftop tents also feature large windows that you can open for extra ventilation. Most models have small awnings over the windows so you can leave them open, even when it’s raining.
Rooftop tents look cool
Honestly, this is one of the biggest benefits of using a rooftop tent. It makes your vehicle look like a true Tourist. For some people, looks don’t matter. For others, looks are important, even if we don’t like to admit it. Maybe you want your vehicle to look like your favorite trip in your minds. Maybe you just want to use the newest and most popular type of gear. Whatever the case, rooftop tents look pretty great. Of course, this is subjective. Some people think rooftop tents look gimmicky.
Conclusion, 4X4 with Rooftop Tent, helps you discover Uganda at a reliable & cheap price. Rooftop tents will cover comfort, setup time, costs, safety, ease of use, longevity, and more. Hopefully, this guide helps you choose the best shelter for your next camping trip
