Escapees September-October 2023

rv gadget box

Calling All Gadgets If you have a favorite RV gadget, tell us about it! If we like it, we may review it in the “RV Gadget Box” column and credit you with discovering it! Contact us at techquestions@escapees.com. RV Gadget Box archive: https://gadgetbox.escapees.com

Napier Sportz SUV Tent—MODEL #82000 MSRP: $378 (Include the code ESCAPEES25 for 25%o ff all tents through December 31, 2023.) www.napieroutdoors.com/us/3000 22 Export Avenue, St. Catherines, ON, Canada 800-567-2434 www.napieroutdoors.com/us/contact-us

started setting up our campsite. Walking around inside the main tent was a new experience for my 5'10" self. I had plenty of room to stand up straight and stretch in the seven-foot headspace! Given how short most tents (and RVs) are, this made me exceedingly happy. No more shimmying into hiking pants while hunched over and off-balance! Thanks to an unexpected downpour, we got to test the tent’s waterproofness that afternoon. The rain fl y, tent and hatch portion all held up well, even when the wind picked up! The only “leak” we saw was that

Separating from the main tent was easy, as was the reconnecting when we returned. This also gave us a chance to fully air out the bottom wall of the sleeve, which still had a small puddle from the prior day’s rain. The SUV opening in the main wall is easily zipped shut to protect the interior and give privacy when the vehicle is no longer connected. The hardest part of reconnect ing was lining up the hatch to the now-established tent, but my vehicle also doesn’t have a backing camera. Even so, we were reconnected in less than fi ve minutes. I don’t know about you, but I’ve never been able to get a tent as neat and compact as it was when it was fi rst unpacked. The same was true for this Napier tent, but they built in some help for campers like us: the tent bag has a compression zipper! You can add an extra inch or two of depth to the tent bag by pulling the zipper one way, then once you have it all packed in there, you can pull it back the other way to compress the bag back to its original dimensions (if needed). Knowing I’d have to open the tent back up at home to fi nish drying out after the rain, we didn’t try very hard to pack it away neatly and that extra space was much appreciated. Given how much research I did six years ago when we fi rst got our Xterra and explored the world of SUV tents, this tent from Napier far exceeded my expecta tions. From ease of use and reliable structure to privacy and comfort, this was well worth the dedicated trip to test it out! It’s a great alternative for SUV campers who don’t want a rooftop tent. It’s a temporary structure that is easily assembled alone or with help, roomy both in footprint and interior height, and a great way to extend your living space when car camping. If you anticipate camping in rainy weather, take the time to waterproof the sleeve yourself ahead of time or grab an extra tarp, if you’re unable to remove the sleeve as suggested by Napier. GEORGIANNE AUSTIN #131681 grew up exploring the outdoors, something she continues decades later through road trips, camping, hiking and more. You may have even seen her at an Escapees event in her green Xterra out fi tted for car camping! An RV is in the future, but in the meantime, a lack of one isn’t slowing her down.

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once the rain passed about an hour later, there were small puddles in the bottom wall of the sleeve. Reading others’ reviews of this tent, I learned the vehicle sleeve is not as waterproof as the tent, and the rain fl y is not designed to extend over the sleeve. While all our belongings and the interiors of both the SUV and the tent remained dry, a puddle formed in the bottom of the sleeve. Grommeted holes allowed for drainage once the rain let up. For future trips, I’ll likely pack an extra tarp to cover the vehicle sleeve, just in case. (Sidenote: Napier advises users to take down the vehicle sleeve during inclement weather, which I didn’t see before this camping trip.) That night, we got to test the privacy of the tent. I headed off to the bathhouse while my friend got dressed forbedby fl ashlight. When I returned, I presumed they’d already gone to sleep because I couldn’t see any light or shadows. Turns out, the tent walls and rain fl y are thick enough to block most light from being seen outside the tent! Even with Re fl ectix panels in the SUV windows, I could see more light coming through the Xterra than through the tent. The next day, we detached the Xterra to drive to a hiking trail and run a few errands in town.

September/October 2023 ESCAPEES Magazine 9