As the roof tent market continues to evolve, there has developed a clear differentiation between the companies that innovate, and those that seem to just copy other designs. iKamper is one of the innovators, creating unique, quality roof tents for the overland and camping customer like their new Skycamp Mini.
We have several years of experience with their tents, including a full-size Skycamp that has been used by our staff for over two years. Their unique and quick set-up X-Cover won our Overland Journal Editor’s Choice Award.
The new Skycamp Mini is the two-person version of their Skycamp tent, taking all of the innovative features from the unique Skycamp and shrinking the overall dimensions. Sleeping 2 people, instead of 4, this smaller footprint allows for more room on the rack for other accessories like Maxtrax, or luggage. The size is also ideal for mounting to the roof of quad-cab trucks, or over the bed of shorter pickups.
The Skycamp Mini sets up in about a minute and weighs only 125lbs (57kg), well under the roof load limits of most trucks and SUVs. iKamper utilizes a hard shell of fiber-reinforced plastic and has a double layer with built-in air insulation, which helps reduce condensation and raise the overall heat retention of the unit.
The Skycamp Mini’s floor is made of high-performance honeycomb aluminum panels that are lightweight and strong. Strong enough to support 1.8 tons of vertical load force. The floor panels are made from layered aluminum with additional insulation to aid with heat retention in the mattress. The tent is made of breathable, water-resistant 300gsm poly-cotton canvas. To address weatherproofing, it also comes with waterproof zippers and a waterproof polyester 150D (PU 3000mm) rain fly for extra protection. The Skycamp’s thicker, heavier canvas is seam sealed and employs natural canvas water resistance.
This tent integrates features like lockable stainless steel closure straps and a redesigned ladder that orients each rung/step to be horizontal to the ground for added safety and comfort. As another unique feature, the windows have shades that can also serve as rain awnings.
Often overlooked, the weight and storage dimensions of a roof tent are critical to consider. This tent can easily be removed by two people and stored upright in the corner of the garage. It will also serve a wide audience, being ideal for the long-term traveler and cross-over owner alike. We recently received a test unit that has rotated into our testing schedule. Look for a full report on the tent in the next few weeks. $3,499 and available for pre-order at ikamper.com/pages/skycamp-mini
