Being a hunter and angler makes discovering truck mattress tenting lodging tough. I really like the thought of a full-blown truck mattress camper, however I would like to have the ability to make the most of my mattress for any recreation we’d harvest. Having a full-size pull-behind camper additionally appears dreamy, however I discover myself driving my rig into locations few campers might be towed into.
Usually, I discover myself establishing a full base camp or sleeping in a cramped backpacking tent. If I do have entry to my truck on the finish of every day, I sometimes find yourself simply sleeping within the again seat or in a bivy within the truck mattress.
A rooftop tent actually appeared to resolve a variety of my sleeping woes with out taking over area within the mattress. Once I realized in regards to the new Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO, I used to be stoked to place it to the take a look at and see if it held as much as my typically unruly outside way of life.
In brief: Whether or not you’re a hunter, angler, camper, hiker, overlander, or somebody who simply needs a fast and simple tenting resolution, the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO matches almost each invoice. It’s light-weight, has a minimal footprint, and provides most residing area. This can be a flat-sick setup.
-
Sleeps
2 -
Model
Clamshell -
Shell
PC/ABS with LINE-X coating mounted to an aluminum body. -
Inside dimension
80″L x 47″W -
Exterior dimension
83″L x 50″W -
Top
8″ when closed -
Max headroom
58″ when open -
Weight
140 lbs. -
Materials
320GSM coated Polycotton (waterproof ranking of 3000mm) -
Setup time
Below 1 minute
-
Extraordinarily quick setup and takedown -
Very roomy -
Light-weight -
Low profile -
Tons of storage -
Ethereal and nicely ventilated -
Included inside LED lighting -
Aluminum rails for extra accent mounting -
Tons of extra equipment included
-
Pull strap for closing likes to flop within the wind -
Door flap tends to flop out over rear-mounted ladder
Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO Evaluation
Overview & Options
The Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO ($3,495) builds and improves on the insanely widespread Falcon Professional tent. With a listed capability of two individuals, I’ll argue that it’s two-plus-people succesful. Sporting solely an 83″ x 50″ footprint, the open tent feels enormous.
With a brand new U-Bar design, the rear portion of the tent tilts out, making a little bit of an overhang and rising the general headspace by 30%. A max inside peak of 58 inches means the common particular person received’t be strolling round, however they’ll be capable of comfortably wiggle about, simply getting dressed and storing gear.
If that’s not fairly sufficient room, you’ll be able to at all times spring for the XL model. You’ll get an additional 5 inches of legroom, 10 inches of width, and some additional inches of peak.
The Falcon 3 EVO’s mild weight of 140 kilos is a big plus for each set up and transport weight.
Severely Low Profile
At solely 8 inches tall when packed away, the Falcon 3 EVO doesn’t even seem to be it’s sufficiently big to comprise a lot of a tent. I’ve books that I introduced into the tent for the evening which can be thicker than the clamshell of the tent. It truly is spectacular.
Plus, with the included mattress, there’s nonetheless loads of room to your bedding, even whereas closed. Thoughts you, that completely relies on the majority of your bedding, however mine remains to be packed flat in my tent as we communicate.
Aluminum Rail System
The Line-X coated topshell is wrapped with an aluminum accent channel, permitting loads of customization and added equipment. One of many first extra purchases I’ll make can be crossbars to mount my fly rod tubes.
Testing: Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO
The Falcon 3 EVO confirmed up simply days earlier than I used to be set to take an enormous highway journey, bouncing from state to state, testing a number of merchandise, participating with teams of hunters and anglers, fly fishing, and taking pictures the mountain at Complete Archery Problem.
I get a bit rattled when I’ve to check one thing that’s unproven to me and about to be my dwelling for a number of weeks. Having no concept how this factor would maintain as much as the situations I might put it in, my nerves had been a bit on edge. I knew I used to be about to face some excessive warmth, surprising chilly, heavy winds, and torrential rains.
The Falcon 3 EVO was not solely as much as the problem but in addition completely exceeded my expectations of a rooftop tent.
Set up
I used to be initially nervous about getting this factor on prime of my truck rack, but it surely was really ridiculously easy. At solely 140 kilos, it’s simply lifted onto the highest of a automobile with two to a few individuals. As a result of I’m shorter than your common grownup human, we opted for a further particular person to hoist it up.
The common mounting package labored nicely, although we did should make a ironmongery store run to make it work with my Leitner rack on my truck. The bolts had been simply too brief to make it over the cumbersome top-rail system. Preserve that in thoughts in case your rack is a bit thick. You could have to fork over a further $6 or so to your native Ace {Hardware}.
Setup
When manufacturers say there’s a 3-minute setup, I sometimes roll my eyes. Nonetheless, that is a type of uncommon events the place I feel setup is definitely quicker than that.
With a number of clips undone, the hydraulic system does all of the work, opening the tent fully. All it’s a must to do is swing the U-Bar out and safe it. That’s it. It takes actually a minute or two to arrange.
Unmatched Air flow & View
All of the air you’ll be able to ask for, that’s what you’ll get with this RTT. Even when the mercury climbed and we began sweating our tails off, the tent stayed shockingly cool because of floor-to-ceiling doorways and home windows. The slightest breeze saved it cool.
If wanted, there are HVAC vents (pictured above) for followers, AC, or warmth if wanted. Further vents will be zipped open on the very pinnacle of the tent physique, although I don’t even know in case you want them.
The highest (when open) has a full window that may be screened or opened, with a transparent rainfly cowl. This lets you shut it up in the course of the warmth of the day to maintain the solar from beating in but in addition lets you open’er up for excellent nighttime stargazing.
I can’t say sufficient about how ethereal and light-weight it feels. With all the things rolled open, it virtually seems like sleeping within the open air.
Nearly Too A lot Storage (If That’s Even a Factor)
A gear grid covers the majority of the again wall, with greater than sufficient storage to your quick-grab gadgets. The underside corners of the again wall additionally function fast stash pockets on the base of the included LED mild strips. These make for simple storage for an influence financial institution to run the lights or for no matter else you may want fast entry to with out having to even sit up at evening.
Subsequent to the rear door on all sides, there are extra gear storage pouches, that are excellent for the stuff that you must seize in your approach out. Suppose sunscreen, moist wipes and bathroom paper, bug spray, and the like.
For many who have screen-addicted youngsters (or those that are screen-addicted youngsters), there’s even a transparent pocket for tablets, angled completely for nighttime film marathons.
Easy Packaway
Just like the setup, taking issues down is sort of as fast. When you disconnect the U-bar, a fast pull on the webbing straps shuts all the things down. So long as you’re tall sufficient to tuck within the materials across the edges, it’s a simple, possibly 5-minute breakdown.
Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO Walkaround
That is a type of merchandise that’s tough to explain as a result of it has a lot more room than will be proven in pictures or defined with phrases. The factor is spacious.
Thankfully, Roofnest made a reasonably candy walkaround video to point out you precisely what you’re getting. Discover how small the tent seems to be from the surface however how roomy it seems to be as soon as she climbs in. It truly is wild.
Included & Further Equipment
The Falcon 3 EVO comes with a pile of equipment. Included together with your tent buy, you’ll obtain:
- 2” Reminiscence foam mattress
- 8.5′ Ladder
- Common mounting package
- 4’x4′ floor mat
- Gear grid
- Anti-condensation mat
- Twin-detachable pockets
- Privateness tent
- LED lights
Further Accent Choices
The place the Falcon 3 EVO Will get It Proper
The Falcon 3 EVO will get it proper nearly all over the place. Other than the 2 little quirks that you simply’ll examine beneath, I can’t say sufficient about this rooftop tent.
The Falcon 3 EVO will definitely discover a place on the river and on the mountain for nearly any journey I can consider. From the compact design to the over-the-top storage, it simply does all of it and does it nicely.
The place It Can Enhance
Discovering flaws is hard with this tent. I’ve acquired a number of notes after testing it within the subject, however they required me to actually stretch to search out them.
Due to the overhang design, which provides you extra space inside, you do find yourself with a rear door flap that just about instantly flops out when unzipping. This isn’t that massive of a deal until you aren’t paying consideration and go to crawl out at evening solely to search out the ladder blocked by tent materials.
So long as you listen, that is one thing you get used to rapidly. Or — the straightforward resolution — is to mount your ladder to one of many facet doorways.
The opposite subject is one thing I’m nonetheless making an attempt to work out. There’s a webbing strap (seen above) that lets you shut the tent when breaking it down and packing it away. I discover that it kind of flops about on prime of and across the tent with the breeze. I’ll make use of some sort of tie system to maintain it a bit extra contained and cease it from making pointless noise when the wind kicks up.
Remaining Ideas on the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO
What extra is there to say? I really like this tent. Even arrange subsequent to a pile of different choices, I’d select the Roofnest Falcon 3 EVO over different tents that price significantly extra.
As soon as I determine that strap, it is going to be virtually excellent in each approach, as Ms. Poppins says. For those who want a fast, simple tenting resolution that requires no floor or mattress area, that is it.