How to Make Roof Top Tent More Comfortable? (updated 2023)
You can make roof top tent more comfortable if you add a condensation mat, insulated matters, keep a hot water bottle inside the sleeping bag, use an appropriate pillow, illuminate the tent and most importantly use a portable heater.
There are many other considerations, but these are the main ones I have learned from my past camping experience, and I recommend you apply to make your roof top tent more comfortable.
Let’s look at several more specific steps that can make your RTT like your living room if you implement them earnestly.
How to Make Roof Top Tent More Comfortable?
To make the roof top tent more comfortable, you must follow these recommendations.
- Always use a condensation mat
- Invest in an insulated mattress
- Do not forget to invest in a quality sleeping bag for the winter
- Keep a hot bottle inside the sleeping bag in the winter
- Prioritize gas lamps in winter
- Take an ideal pillow to sleep
- Use an air portable fan in the summer
- Take extra precautions to deal with the bad weather conditions
- Park the vehicle on a flat and balance surface
- Take a shoe bag
- Make your time entertaining
- Always be organized
Always use a condensation mat
Before keeping anything inside the roof top tent, I always use a condensation mat. As its name suggests, the condensation mat absorbs the moisture that makes it possible to get rid of mosquitos, the big enemies after wild animals. The good thing is that even the best quality condensation mat is not pricey, takes significantly less space, and is lightweight.
Invest in an insulated mattress
No matter what style of roof top tent you are camping in, an insulated camping mattress should be in your camping gear. The reason behind this is that they are very comfortable even if you use a blanket instead of a sleeping bag. Personally, I use a sleeping bag and an insulated mattress underneath after the condensation mat. I will tell you the reason later.
Similar to the condensation mat, insulated mat is also not expensive, extremely lightweight and takes up very less space in the camping bag.
However, when choosing an insulated mattress, keep in mind that it should be wide enough and that the type of insulation is also essential. In addition, make sure that the weight-bearing capacity is adequate for you.
Do not forget to invest in a quality sleeping bag for the winter
After the tent itself, the sleeping bag comes first when we talk about comfort. So, knowing which sleeping bag will be more appropriate for even the coldest nights is essential. If you ask about my way of choosing a sleeping bag, I suppose that even if I don’t have a tent, my sleeping bag should be enough for me.
If you buy a lightweight sleeping bag just to minimize the overall weight of your luggage, you are wrong. You can cut other things, but the sleeping bag should be thick, waterproof, and heavy.
Keep a hot bottle inside the sleeping bag in the winter
The hot water bottle can be a big asset to keep you warm the whole night as well as tomorrow you don’t need to find liquid water from outside. By the way, the sleeping bag also plays a vital role in preserving heat.
According to my experience, if the outside temperature is -5 degrees Celsius, the sleeping bag temperature will surely be plus 5-10 degrees Celsius due to the hot water bottle.
Prioritize gas lamps in the winter
The gas lamp is a two in one accessory in winter particularly. You can get light and heat simultaneously. Although it can be dangerous in tents to tackle this, I personally make sure to turn off the lamp before sleeping.
For summer, you should have an LED light. It will be best for both inside and outside the tent.
Take an ideal pillow to sleep
No matter whether it is winter or summer, the pillow has its own importance for sleeping. If you want to take a good sleep as you take at home, you should keep your own pillow with you. Don’t invest in anything rubbish. It looks annoying to keep a big cushion in gear but believe me, I do this, and I never have a bad night with sleeping- any neck issues and other common problems without a proper pillow.
However, as a side note, I want to say it is up to you how you feel more comfortable.
Use an air portable fan in the summer
In order to avoid any discomfort in summer, a portable fan is necessary. You can either place the fan in front of you with back and front ventilation open or place it at the top of the roof top tent if possible, and another ventilation should be open.
Take extra precautions to deal with the bad weather conditions
We always rely on the weather forecast and make decisions accordingly, but you know prediction is not always accurate. So, even if you see the surrounding areas can have rainy or stormy weather, always take a waterproof tarp to cover the roof top tent.
I learned this from my experience. If you are a lazy person like me, you definitely do not take extra luggage with you, but bad weather and one long night can give you a great learning experience.
Park the vehicle on a flat and balance surface
If you do not park the vehicle on a flat surface, everything inside the roof top tent will be disturbed. The main point is you will be disturbing the whole night- Just imagine sleeping on the slope. So, for more comfort and to keep everything balanced inside the roof top tent, you will have to find an appropriate place to park the vehicle.
Take a shoe bag
As you know, you cannot get your shoes inside the roof top tent, so it is important to keep your boots safe. One way is to keep inside the vehicle, but it is wrong because you will be barefoot tomorrow. Secondly, you can keep them in the shoe bag and take them inside the tent.
Make your time entertaining
After a long tiring day of traveling or staying outside the tent, you need to take some sleep, but you cannot forget the amusement. If you do not like to watch video content, reading a book will make your quality time memorable and more comfortable. Comfortable in a sense, it will be a unique experience for you, and when you do this at home, you will have the same feeling that will give you the same comfort.
I always try to read at least two pages of the book in my roof top tent at night. Also, during rainy weather, books and other entertainment platforms are my best friends.
Always be organized
No matter how many beautiful scenes you see outside the tent, unorganized items inside the tent will destroy your feelings and you will never be comfortable. Therefore, it is imperative to be organized.
If you are not already an organized person, it will take time, so don’t worry. Start from one thing, and you will learn gradually. For example, after cooking, don’t wait; wash or clean the pots immediately and keep them in the bag again.
If it is not easy to do as a first step to becoming organized, always make enough food that you can easily finish. This way, after eating your food, the pots will be half clean, and as a next step, it is just a matter of minutes to clean them.
Besides that, there are a number of other things you can do to get started; just try to stay organized.
Final Thoughts
Although most roof top tents are very comfortable and durable to withstand different weather conditions, you should add the recommended value-added things to make them more comfortable.
However, if you are unwilling to implement all the points, your sleeping bag should be exceptional in winter, and in summer, you should have an excellent portable fan. Last but not least, you should be organized in any case otherwise, you will not feel comfortable inside the roof top tent.
