Roof tent checklist

Roof tent checklist – Perfectly equipped for the next camping adventure

You are just before the next camping vacation in the roof tent and want to make sure again whether you have really thought of everything? A road trip with car and roof tent requires a very special equipment, which should be carefully prepared. After all, you don’t want to discover on the road that you’re missing the necessary repair materials or other practical camping gadgets for the roof tent. You can find practical roof tent accessories in our checklist. Once you have checked off everything, nothing is guaranteed to stand in the way of your next off-road adventure.

Checklist for your roof tent accessories

Anhand unserer Checkliste können Sie ganz einfach abhaken, was Sie schon eingepackt haben und welche Camping-Gadgets Ihnen noch fehlen.

✓ Mesh mattress pad

A must-have for roof tent campers are breathable mesh mattress pads. The mattress is placed directly on the ground in the rooftop tent. This can cause moisture to build up under your sleeping pad, leading to mold in the worst case scenario. To actively prevent moisture buildup, Matnext Airflow 3D Mesh mattress carpet pad, for example, is a great option. The open mesh allows condensation to escape, so that your mattress stays dry and protected from mildew in the long term.

✓ Roof tent ladder & ladder extension

Since most roof tents already include a ladder, we assume that you have already mounted your ladder to the sleeping quarters. However, roof tent ladders are usually supplied with a standard length of just under 2 meters. For this reason, you should definitely make sure that the extended ladder also reaches the ground before your camping trip. Especially in the case of very high vehicles, you may need a ladder extension. In this case, we recommend telescopic ladders. They are space-saving and flexibly adjustable in height.

✓ Waterproof shoe bag

Wet or muddy shoes have no place in your roof tent! However, in order not to have to climb barefoot or on socks into your camping home, special shoe bags are recommended. You can easily attach these to the vehicle in front of your roof tent. So you have your footwear always within reach when you leave the roof tent. Most models are also waterproof and have a mesh floor to ensure both dry storage and sufficient ventilation.

✓ Repair kit

Your roof tent must withstand wind and weather. In the event of violent gusts or hailstorms, it can still happen that the protective cover is damaged. To prevent moisture from the outside from penetrating into the roof tent, it is important to react quickly and patch the damaged area. For minor repairs to the seams, you should always have a sewing awl at hand. Gaffa tape is also often sufficient to cover smaller holes. Many camping suppliers also offer repair kits for roof tents that contain special patches, adhesives and alcohol swabs for cleaning the affected area.

✓ Diebstahlsicherung

On camping vacations you are often out and about hiking, visiting cities or resting on the beach instead of spending time in the roof tent. Even though it is unlikely that your rooftop tent will be stolen, you should protect it from possible theft while you are away. Anti-theft devices can be easily attached between your rooftop tent and your vehicle’s crossbars. A lock or special locking nuts, which can only be removed with the appropriate adapter, prevent unwanted theft of the tent.

✓ Organizer

You will probably store most of your travel utensils in your car during your camping trip. But everyone has a few things that they always want to have at hand, even in bed – be it their smartphone or glasses, a book or a flashlight for going to the toilet at night. Unfortunately, the roof tent often lacks options for stowing important utensils. Organizers in the form of folding boxes or storage bags are ideal for this purpose. You can either attach them to the ladder or take them with you into the roof tent.

✓ LED lighting

Spätestens, wenn Sie abends zum Buch greifen, werden Sie bemerken, dass das Smartphonelicht als Beleuchtung nicht ausreicht. Statten Sie Ihr Dachzelt daher am besten mit einer batteriebetriebenen LED-Leuchte aus. Diese gibt es zum Beispiel in Form von magnetischen Deckenlampen, die einfach am Gestänge befestigt werden können, oder flexiblen LED-Streifen mit Klettverschluss. Besonders praktisch ist auch die Nutzung einer Fernbedienung, über die Sie die Lichter ganz einfach an- und ausschalten können, ohne dass Sie dafür nochmal extra aufstehen müssen.

Practical roof tent gadgets for the winter

If you are planning a camping trip with a roof tent in winter, your packing list will face additional challenges. For example, it makes sense to purchase an inner tent with thermal insulation. This ensures a pleasant warmth in the tent even at low outside temperatures. Alternatively, you can also hang a thermal hood around your roof tent to protect your bedding from extreme weather conditions during winter camping. But be careful: due to the strong coating, the moisture that collects overnight can hardly escape. Therefore, make sure that the hood has a small window that allows air circulation. A proven gadget among outdoor enthusiasts are also electric blankets. They also provide sufficient warmth in the event of a nighttime cold snap. Thanks to an integrated power bank, many models can even be used wirelessly.