Initially I had purchased a Roofnest Sparrow 2 but the for the same amount of money I could get a tent and a roof rack. So, I started to investigate what other tents were out there on the cheap and ran across Naturnest. There are three versions of the tent I looked at-clamshell, wedge without window/door overhangs, and a wedge with window/door overhangs.
While debating the pro’s and con’s of each version. I continued to review videos and the following subs on Reddit. The subs were important as I was able to search AND, more importantly, asked candid questions from those who had the tents. In addition, it was good to hear reviews after the fact. While Youtube videos are good for visual, there are not long term or practical reviews.
- https://www.reddit.com/r/4×4/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/4Runner
- https://www.reddit.com/r/overlanding/
- https://www.reddit.com/r/rooftoptents/
One of the things that really stood out to me when buying the Naturnest is the packaging and how it is shipped. True to the video, my tent arrived via special courier and in the exact same packaging, see pics below.
I ended up choosing the wedge shaped tent with window/door overhangs. I reasoned this because I like to have the windows open and live in the Pacific Northwest, famous for wet weather. I chose the wedge over the clamshell for the hard shell which is aluminum while the clamshell is an ABS plastic with golf ball type of dimples in it. So, the tent will be easier to clean and longer lasting, imo.
After taking delivery, I found that there is actually a small half circle window on the window/door opposite of the hinges toward the front. This is important since the tent needs ventilation to get rid of moisture when the outside temp is significantly lower than the inside which results in moisture build up. Since there are two adults and a 60# dog in the tent, we need as much ventilation as possible.
Another bonus is the clear plastic pocket on the roof interior is actually compatible with a touchscreen. So, I am able to manipulate the tablet screen without taking it out, including putting it to sleep for use later. (Bonus is that I am able to close the tent with the tablet in it and keep it there for later if I decide to move spots.)
(You may notice a kind of stairs on the rooftop tent ladder. More info to follow on that in a subsequent post.)
