Camp10
09-26-2010, 06:42 PM
I picked up a tent for the back of my truck a month ago and got a chance to test it out this weekend. I picked mine up through Sportsmans guide,http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/guide-gear-truck-tents.aspx?a=614014 it was about $70 and said it was comparible to the $250 ones I was looking at.
In it's taken down state, the tent fits behind the seat of my truck and has been riding there for the past month. It takes up very little space and weighs little as well. I keep a lightweight 20 degree bag in the truck as well. The whole "kit" fits behind the seat and there is still room for a tool kit, first aid kit and some other odds and ends.
This weekend was its test run. I took my 11 year old son with me up to the allagash to try some fishing and to hang out. I figure that it will only be a few more years at best before it wont be cool to spend time with dad and I plan to drag him around as much as I can between now and then!
Anyways, we were able to get the tent up for the first try in about 5 minutes. this is also adjusting all the straps and learning which pole goes where. Not bad, IMO. The tent is very sturdy when set up. I didnt like the way it hangs over the rails of the bed but it only took a few minutes of rain for me to see why it was designed this way.
The wind blew very hard yesterday. It started from the west and shifted to the northwest through the night. I'll guess that the gusts were 35-40 MPH with a drizzle that turned into a steady light rain. The rain stopped around 2:30 this morning and the wind died down for a few hours as well. The temps dropped into the 40's for the rest of the night. I woke up this morning around 6:30 to the sounds of wind again. It wasnt nearly as hard as through the day Saturday but it was picking up. I was a little relieved to hear it though because I thought it might help dry the tent out. I opened the door flap to let the breeze into the tent to help dry out the condensation that formed through the night and that is when my son noticed the rain clouds.
We scrambles to pack up and get everything put away before the rain started again and nearly made it..it drizzled on us a little but we were still dry when we finished the cleanup.
The tent worked out great. Our gear stayed dry, the tent held up to the wind and we were warm despite the bad weather outside. It set up fast, took down easy and takes up little room. The truck tent keeps me off the ground, which is a plus this time of year when the ground can be cold. It also gives a little better level of protection from things that creep and crawl on the ground. This is a big plus for my son who gets a little nervous when the coyotes start talking.
Now the negative, you have to take all your gear out to set the tent up. I have a tool box to put most of the gear that wont be put into the tent but it means handling everything. With a 3/4 ton truck, that first step is a doozy! I didnt have much trouble but my son had to slide onto the tailgate backwards and spin around on his knees.
All in all, I am happy with the purchase. I think it would be great in a get out quick situation and much easier on the wallet than a trailer or slide in.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/hereisfine/100_0406.jpg
In it's taken down state, the tent fits behind the seat of my truck and has been riding there for the past month. It takes up very little space and weighs little as well. I keep a lightweight 20 degree bag in the truck as well. The whole "kit" fits behind the seat and there is still room for a tool kit, first aid kit and some other odds and ends.
This weekend was its test run. I took my 11 year old son with me up to the allagash to try some fishing and to hang out. I figure that it will only be a few more years at best before it wont be cool to spend time with dad and I plan to drag him around as much as I can between now and then!
Anyways, we were able to get the tent up for the first try in about 5 minutes. this is also adjusting all the straps and learning which pole goes where. Not bad, IMO. The tent is very sturdy when set up. I didnt like the way it hangs over the rails of the bed but it only took a few minutes of rain for me to see why it was designed this way.
The wind blew very hard yesterday. It started from the west and shifted to the northwest through the night. I'll guess that the gusts were 35-40 MPH with a drizzle that turned into a steady light rain. The rain stopped around 2:30 this morning and the wind died down for a few hours as well. The temps dropped into the 40's for the rest of the night. I woke up this morning around 6:30 to the sounds of wind again. It wasnt nearly as hard as through the day Saturday but it was picking up. I was a little relieved to hear it though because I thought it might help dry the tent out. I opened the door flap to let the breeze into the tent to help dry out the condensation that formed through the night and that is when my son noticed the rain clouds.
We scrambles to pack up and get everything put away before the rain started again and nearly made it..it drizzled on us a little but we were still dry when we finished the cleanup.
The tent worked out great. Our gear stayed dry, the tent held up to the wind and we were warm despite the bad weather outside. It set up fast, took down easy and takes up little room. The truck tent keeps me off the ground, which is a plus this time of year when the ground can be cold. It also gives a little better level of protection from things that creep and crawl on the ground. This is a big plus for my son who gets a little nervous when the coyotes start talking.
Now the negative, you have to take all your gear out to set the tent up. I have a tool box to put most of the gear that wont be put into the tent but it means handling everything. With a 3/4 ton truck, that first step is a doozy! I didnt have much trouble but my son had to slide onto the tailgate backwards and spin around on his knees.
All in all, I am happy with the purchase. I think it would be great in a get out quick situation and much easier on the wallet than a trailer or slide in.
http://i738.photobucket.com/albums/xx21/hereisfine/100_0406.jpg