Rooftop Tent Is So Lightweight Your Car Will Forget It’s Wearing It at All

And no tarps or tent stakes in sight

July 30, 2018 9:00 am

A flaw with the tiny home/adventure glamper van/bonanza mobile movement?

It assumes people need an industrial kitchen and satellite TV just to head out for an overnight hike or sunrise surf.

Lugging around a decked-out camper or driving a modded auto may come with badass creature comforts, but it’ll put years on the car and limit your ability to park and sleep precisely where you want to wake up.

Enter: A rooftop tent from Ecole cantonale d’art de Lausanne student Sebastian Maluska (ÉCAL is a design university in Switzerland), which could file a patent for the chronically overused term “lightweight” today and probably win. Maluska wanted an outdoor sleeping option that eschewed the tangled bundle of tarps and sticks of camping decades past … just without overly taxing the car. His solution? A bi-aluminum frame sheathed in waterproof sailing fabric. Tough enough to withstand the elements, light enough to keep strong the camel’s back. And the resultant shape even appears to resemble a modern white-sailed racing boat.

tent (3 images)

The structure latches on to the top of a car and can either pop up around bedtime, or sit flat while driving. It zips out on either side (Maluska claims he slept with these flaps open to better see the stars), and accommodates two guests, though it does look a bit tight. There’s also a ladder that tucks under the apparatus and drops down for ease of entry.

Of course, there’s catch. Maluska is still a student and this tent is, as of yet, still a concept. We’ll be paying close attention in the hopes that the spec eventually hits the market.

h/t Dezeen
All images from Dezeen

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