Yakima aims high with new rooftop tents
Yakima has upped the ante with its rooftop tent offerings, with the release of two new models. The Yakima SkyPeak HD features a tough, hardshell design for incredibly fast set-up, getting you from the road to relaxation in seconds. Meanwhile, the SkyRise HD is lightweight and easy to handle, making rooftop camping more accessible than ever. Both tents are packed with features and backed by Yakima’s reputation for smart design and tough products.
SkyRise HD
The SkyRise HD is a soft-shell design, weighing in at 59kg (static load capacity: 272kg).
It’s constructed using tough 600-denier (D) ripstop polyester fabric (with a 3000mm waterproof PU coating), with the (removable) rainfly an equally tough 210D ripstop polyester, for four-season protection without sacrificing breathability.
This rooftop tent includes some cool features for campers, such as the extended rainfly that covers the collapsible ladder (sharing the same extra-wide/comfortable steps as the SkyPeak HD), along with extra-large windows for excellent ventilation (and views – as well as the side windows, there is a window located in the roof).
Other features include guy-lines and D-rings along the tent floor for added stability in windy conditions (or you can use them as a clothesline). The SkyRise HD also features dual zip pass-through slots for power cords and other accessories, it has interior storage pockets, and it shares the SkyRise Peak HD’s uber-comfortable Premium memory foam mattress with the removable cover and anti-condensation treatment. The low-profile tent clamps and lid latches include lock cores for SKS (Same Key System) locking, too, so you don’t have to worry about security when you’re away from your tent. As with its hardshell stablemate, there’s an optional annex for the SkyRise HD.
For those looking for a lighter-weight rooftop tent without having to sacrifice premium features, the SkyRise HD looks to be a winner. We’re hoping to get hold of a review unit as soon as the tents land in Australia for a comprehensive gear test. Stay tuned!
Yakima SkyPeak HD
This all-new rooftop tent features a hardshell roof and weighs in at 82kg (with a static load capacity of 272kg). The clamshell design means it opens in seconds, and there are three access doors on this model (there’s also an expansion section to give occupants more interior space).
The SkyPeak HD can carry additional gear via the tent’s side mount slots (one each side, with 34kg capacity each) and an accessory crossbar kit. There is capacity to carry up to 136kg all-up with this tent, but that will depend on your vehicle’s legal roof-load weight capacity; when calculating your total weight up top, you need to allow for not just the tent but also the roof rack/platform and crossbars to which it’s mounted.
The four-season tent provides plenty of breathability when the weather turns sour, and there’s plenty of ventilation available through the three doors plus pass-through slots (also used for power outlets). The interior also includes USB-A powered lighting and what Yakima terms a “Premium” memory foam mattress (with removable cover and condensation-resistant mat). Other interior features include pockets for electronics, and there’s a pass-through in the floor for additional cables (such as to solar panels or power packs situated outside the tent).
For more interior space there’s an optional SkyPeak HD annex as well. And for those who grimace at the narrow steps of previous ladders, you can rest easy thanks to the new extra-wide “barefoot friendly” angled steps.
Yakima OverNOut awnings
Yakima‘s two new freestanding awnings – the OverNOut 180 and the big-bopper OverNOut 270 – are brilliant add-ons to your roof-mounted accommodation system. Both are made from tough 420D polycotton fabric. The 180 comes with two support poles, and the 270 with three. T-slot attachment brackets are included, and you can also add a Wall Kit to both. The 180 awning weighs 22kg and offers 8.73 square metres of shelter; the 270 tops out at 31kg and provides 12.26 sq.m.
See Yakima for more info and stockists.
