Ground Tent VS Rooftop Tent

By Hristo I.

So you have decided quality holiday time somewhere on a safari in the wild, far away from civilization and you make the preparations considering on the choice between a 4x4 with a ground tent that has to erected next to the vehicle or one with tents mounted on the roof. A few things to consider so you are able to choose wisely.

If speed of putting up a tent matters to you and it's definitelly a thing to consider, be it the risk of arriving late at the designated spot or hit by a sudden rain while you've just arrived, a rooftop tent is obviously an advantage. It will fold open in a matter of seconds while battling with a ground tent in the half dark at the end of the day or getting yourself soaked wet can be a hassle.

The fact that tent interior like blankets, cushions and matresses can remain inside the rooftop tent as you fold it up can save you space inside the vehicle and more space is always nice! Depending on your personality and the people you're with, the rooftop tent with its elevation is able to provide an extra feeling of security. The chances of lizards and ground insects crawling in is non-existant while in a ground tent the possibility always exists.

If the area you're settling at is sandy or dirt-covered, the rooftop tent would prevent those from spreading in as your shoes would loose it while you're climbing up the ladder. Ground tents tend to collect a lot of ground material (one may wonder if that is the true reason they're called like that). Watery zones are of similar risk and ground tent floods are not so rare.

If you're into following wildlife with ease early in the morning or you just want to get going for some reason, that is impossible with a rooftop tent. It takes time to fold it before you can leave while with a ground tent you're good to go - just grab your car and leave. Folding down the rooftop tent properly is quite time consuming mainly because of the usual problems when it comes to securing and tightening the tent. That alone can be tedious and irritating enough to spoil your adventure. No such problems with a ground tent.

When the roads are uneven (and most often they are), the weight of the rooftop tent may easily cause your 4x4 to sway by shifting its center of gravity much higher. As a rule of thumb -- the less gear on your roof the better your safety. Another disadvantage with rooftop tents is the lack of privacy as they're opened right next to each other. You can expect many problems in that direction and your neighbour's snoring is probably the least of all.

As you have probably figured it out on your own, getting up at night and going to the toilet is more difficult in a rooftop tent than with the ground tent. And when the group is bigger the rooftop tents literally bind you all together, so it's not possible for someone to do a different activity like stay behind in camp with the shelter of a tent.

Think well and come up with a plan for the choice of your tent before you dwell into unknown of the open world.