Roofnest Reveals First-Ever Soft Shell Rooftop Tent

The Meadowlark is a trimmed-down, compact take on the traditional rooftop tent.

roofnest meadowlark rooftop tent on a car Roofnest

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Rooftop tent enthusiasts, take note: there is a new, sub-100 pound contender on the block. Roofnest, known for its capable and well-designed rooftop tents, has launched the Meadowlark: a compact, lightweight 2-person rooftop tent built to deploy quickly and seamlessly.

Not only is this one of the lightest tents the brand has debuted: it’s also Roofnest’s first-ever soft shell tent. By removing the traditional poles and guy lines that tents typically rely on for their structural integrity, Roofnest was able to cut weight and streamline setup; with the Meadowlark, getting your tent ready can be done in seconds, not minutes.

At times, rooftop tents can feel more cumbersome than helpful: you may be a two-season camper, but due to the weight and size of most rooftop tents, it’s often easier to roll with the tent on your vehicle’s roof year-round than it is to take it off and find somewhere to store it (especially if you’re low on space, or don’t have a garage). The Meadowlark’s footprint is so small, wider vehicles can even get away with mounting a bike on the same crossbars, making packing more efficient.

roofnest meadowlark rooftop tent on a car
If your vehicle is wide enough, you can mount both the Meadowlark and a bike to the same crossbars.
Roofnest

The simple deployment and minimal footprint are appealing, to be sure, but the most alluring aspect of the Meadowlark is undoubtedly its weight: at 90 pounds, it’s easy to mount, and when you’re not using it, store away until next season. The Meadowlark measures 47 inches long, 44 inches wide, and 12 inches tall when closed — 13 inches narrower than the next most compact Roofnest tent, the Condor.

“We were able to achieve Meadowlark’s enviable 90-pound overall weight without jeopardizing quality or ease-of-use through the use of materials like high-tensile-strength, lightweight aluminum,” said Turner Sessions, Roofnest Product Development Lead at Roofnest. “More than making it easier to install and store, the limited weight is also a benefit for electric vehicles as well as cars with lower-capacity roof rack crossbars.”

If you’re a city dweller without a lot of storage space, or want a rooftop tent you can easily mount and remove at will, the Meadowlark is a robust and practical option, with a price point that’s less than half of competitors.

If you’re interested in picking one up, the Meadowlark is available on pre-sale now for $1,395 — $200 below its $1,595 retail price — and is expected to ship in October 2022.

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