Who else Car Top Tents it? #cttlife

[bricepollock]

Vans are expensive! Who else car top tents it so they can have higher clearance, better gas milage, 4wd and a rig that wont expire with your van?

I've spent about seven months with a partner in my Yakima Skyrise at this point. Curious to hear from other's experiences. Not all roses, but has its benefits.

[REI-SeleneB]

Car top tents are the way to go!  If you have the walls around the ladder, you have privacy and can use the space for restroom/shower.  I saved so much money on road trips every summer!  

[REI-JohnJ]

Car Top Tents are AMAZING! My family loves our Tepui!

I went for a fabric that was dark to help my kids (6 and 4) get to sleep. With 24 hours of daylight in the summers 'regular' tent fabric was letting in too much light. Boy am I glad I did! Plus, with all of the public lands in Alaska it is pretty easy to find places to camp no matter where you are. It's been a great investment!

[bricepollock]

@REI-JohnJ 

Light is a big challenge with my sky rise in parking lots and the north, do you find the black fabric also gets a lot hotter? Heat is my other nemesis in the summer.

[REI-JohnJ]

Yes, it does get hot for sure. I think we're slightly biased though as 'hot' here is 80 degrees. I couldn't imagine sleeping in anything hotter than that. The Tepui has superb ventilation so if it is hot we can open up the windows and the air will move around. We also invested in a Coleman Tent fan which helps a little. Of course, when you open the windows you let the light in so there is a trade off there :). We adapt and make it work. It's far better than sleeping on the ground or paying for a hotel (or van, or RV for that matter)!

[Cash_Starbuckle]

Hello Rei-JohnJ

Have you though about using sleep masks?

[REI-JohnJ]

@Cash_Starbuckle We have! Fortunately we haven't gotten to that point yet, but it is definitely on the radar if we need to. Fortunately our kids like to burrow down in their sleeping bags as well as hanging up blankets to build 'forts' inside the tent which helps make it darker as well. With the dark colored canvas, the black rain fly, and those other things I mentioned we do okay. Thanks for the suggestion!

John