Got a master catalog last week, just had time today to flip through it.

I have a HUGE 8 person or so Costco tent that I can stand up in, and it is big enough to hold my Sears porta-crapper

But for solo runs, it is way to hard to setup.

I also have a very nice REI NiteLite 2 person backpacking tent that I have used for a one day and even a 5 day trip before for car camping.
Easy to setup, but check this out.

Deluxe tent cot

Comes in single and double, and I would get the double.
The tent is pretty much water resistant, and off the ground, and super easy to setup.
Much more comfortable than my 2 person backpacking tent with a Camprest deluxe self inflating pad.

Once on the site, to zoom in on the pics you need Flash installed.

Single tent



Double tent



Has anyone seen these in person, and if so, what was your impression?

 

Yeah, Bass pro shop sells them. Pretty comfy. Kinda pricey there though. $150 through them. I've seen them go for as little as $50 for a double. I do want one.

 

At that point, I think I would just get a bivy:

 

I'm a part of a large surf fishing community in South Texas... we live on the beach in extremely harsh conditions many weekends per year... when solo, Tentcot is the only way to go... I've been hard at it for close to 10 years and have a nice geo 6 person tent, Mountain Hardware for 2, but TentCot blows them away for ease and quality...

negatives...

way too pricey, I bought mine used for $50, 3 years ago... a friend just paid almost $200 for one

Rainfly, a must if even a remote possibility of showers, trust me... rainfly turns it into an oven... apparently a lot are sold seperately... bulky, even the single size takes up 2-3 x's the space of a large family dome tent... double Tentcot doesn't translate to "couple friendly" as there is a support beam that runs the length of the tent (under the center)

hope this helps

jc

 

Seems like those things would be mighty cold in the winter time, or up in the mountains. Up off of the ground, so the cold air blows all around you, it would be like bridge icing. And besides, who wouldn't want a tent big enough to put a portable crapper in it??? JK. I'm getting some lucky person on my christmas list one of those Bumper Dumpers. Now that's a classy, and tasteful gift.

 

i have a gore-tex bivy, it's good in a pinch. but holds too much moisture.

 

Check out Hennessy (sp?) hammocks. They're lighter than tents and more comfortable to sleep in. No need for level ground either.

 

I have one of the tent cots. It is a single one, but I haven't gone camping in a long time so it is sitting in the closet brand new and unused. I think that I paid $119 for it from Sportsman's Guide.

 

Actually, its the opposite. You want to get OFF the cold ground. Heat Rises, so the cold air will not rise into your tent cot. Ive had my eye on this for a while, wish I could afford one. They look comfortable and would be very warm at night. Coupled with a good sleeping bag im sure you could camp almost anywhere... snow or not.

Never have to rake a campsite again either! Always a flat place to sleep!

 

Problem is the wind blows up your rear all night long unless you use an insulating pad.

I use a bivy thats quite light and love it. Also got a one man tent but its ok at best as I am too tall.

 

From all the review I have read on this, people do indeed stay very warm, and it is stable in winds while others are chasing their blown tents down the hills.

There are a ton of reviews on that site about this.

I am torn between this unit which would be easy to pack, and a full blown roof top tent.

http://racktents.com/
http://racktents.com/Tents.html

Even fits the stock rack like I have.

 

cots are cold. If you use one, make sure you have a them-a-rest or foam pad between the cot and sleeping bag.

I have used a cot a couple times, I would rather take a few minutes to rake a sleeping spot than freeze mu tush in a cot.

Since you are in WA Corey, you have the best natural bedding...Pine needles! I raked a spot 18 inched deep of pine needles, put down a ground sheet and laid out my bag, hands down the best nights sleep I have ever had outdoors.

I like the rooftop tent option though, nice thick bed, easy set-up/take down. La Tortuga!

 

X2. Pine needles are great for camping in the woods. They are soft, and supportive, and insulate well. They seem to keep most of the bugs off of you too. They can be a little itchy if you don't make your bed quite right, though.

 

From the site, it says that the tent fits every stock and aftermarket rack systems. But I have a question about that. The factory rack can only support 160lbs or so, right? (as stated on the rack). So if this tent is 120lbs, and an avg. person of 170lbs gets in it, is it going to break the rack or cause any damage?

Also, how is it when camping in an area with fast winds? How stable is this thing? Since it's on top of your rig, I'd think it would take a lot of punishment from the wind vs. a unit set up on the ground.

Sorry for the noob-ish questions. I have been very interested in a setup like the roof tent (due to me getting lazier and lazier ). I would love it oh so much if I never had to mess with poles and bungee cords again.

 

There is a misconception there.
The 160 lb is the rack slats, not the rack itself.
The rack can support a lot of weight.

Look up KD7's buildup in the FJ section, he has a heavy roof top tent on his FJ.

As far as the tents being stable up there, these are the choice of off road expeditioners all over the world.

Two members on here who run a magazine dedicated to that sort of thing both run roof top tents, and have tested them all in past issues of their magazine, http://www.overlandjournal.com/