ATVs and Side x Sides are all about exploration but there is no better way to get up close and personal with nature than to camp out. The crew at Napier understands that better than anybody and they have a complete lineup of tents built specifically for vehicles that provide stylish, secure shelter for beyond where the pavement, and often times even the road ends.
INTO THE WILD PLACES
It’s not uncommon to see hikers, mountain bikers, and other groups out enjoying the trails, but the further you get from the parking lot, the fewer one sees. A couple miles into the back country seems to be the limit for most, but for riders of ATVs and other off-road vehicles that is where the best exploration begins. An off-road vehicle makes true back country exploration possible, and we’ve visited numerous majestic works of Nature most will never know simply because they’re inaccessible to them. Camping out in the tall pines or red rock canyons is an experience never forgotten, but it takes the right gear. Recently we tried the SPORTZ SUV TENT from Napier. The Sportz SUV Tent is a home-away-from-home designed exactly for our type of adventure.
HOME on the GO – THE SPORTZ SUV TENT
Any vehicle for back country exploration had better be tough. The same goes for your gear. Stephanie’s new Jeep Wrangler and our Can-Am ATVs definitely were up for any adventure but we needed a quality cover over our heads at night. The Napier Sportz SUV Tent might be considered the Jeep of off-road living. It’s tough, adaptable, roomy enough for plenty of gear, and ready for action. Details of the Sportz SUV Tent are:
- 9’ x 9’ footprint for 81 sq. ft. of floor space
- 7.25 tall at peak! Plenty of room to stand
- Sleeps 4 comfortably and room for 5, plus two in the vehicle depending on vehicle
- Overhead mesh gear loft, 2 side storage pockets, and lantern holder
- Includes 2 large doors and 3 large windows for excellent light and ventilation
- Made from Polyester Taffeta and Polyester mesh.
- Includes rain fly and door awning
- SUPER EASY to set up! Main supports are fiberglass and metal poles with draw strings.
- Straps secure the Sportz Tent to vehicle and sewn-in baffle flaps complete seal to vehicle body.
- Color: Blue and Grey
- Can quickly be unfastened from vehicle, and tent can be sealed on its own should you need to use your vehicle.
- Comes with a handy storage bag with expandable lower section
- 1-year warranty.
BUILDING A HOUSE
If you’ve ever set up a tent, you know how a seemingly simple construction can be the cause for considerable aggravation thanks to poor labeling of parts, badly written instructions, or any number of factors. Not with the Napier Sportz SUV tent.
From the moment we unzipped the sturdy carrying bag we were impressed. Napier didn’t just stick a set of instructions in the bag and wish you luck, they sewed them into the bag, and inside the tent! In addition, everything is packed away like your mother did when she sent you to school on freezing days! No detail was overlooked, and even the injection molded pole attachment joints come with small covers. They also took care to label the tent sides so you orient it correctly toward your vehicle. This is without a doubt the easiest tent we have ever set up. We barely glanced at the instructions. One person could accomplish it, but two makes it much easier. It’s highly intuitive, and in 15 minutes we were moving in. We do have a few tips on setting up the Sportz Tent and Napier takes care to mention most of these in their instructions as well. They are:
- Make sure the vehicle muffler has cooled before wrapping the tent under the vehicle frame. Napier clearly recommends this also, but it’s definitely worth mentioning.
- If you intend to run vehicle engine, DO NOT vent exhaust into tent!!! The safest option is to not run the engine with tent attached.
- We set our Sportz SUV tent on a tarp to help keep the bottom clean, and with any unforeseen rain. It’s an old habit of ours.
- Remove your trailer hitch insert. Your shins will thank you!
COMFORTS OF HOME
With the Sportz SUV tent fully setup and snuggly against the Jeep it was time to move in. We brought along an air mattress (sadly, it leaked) and moved our gear into our new home. There is plenty of room to store you gear, and the ability to keep some of it in the rear of your SUV makes the Sportz Tent even more spacious. Best of all, you can easily stand up in the Sportz tent, even in the corners. It definitely has the feel of quality! All seams are securely sewn, the flaps cover all openings precisely, and the zippers work easily. Even when you roll the flaps down for extra ventilation the attachment bands have a small, plastic fastener to hold it in place. The Napier people thought of everything!
A CAMPING WE WILL GO - WILDERNESS EXPANDED
After a day of riding and an evening watching the flickering flames of a fire, there is no better way to drift off to sleep than safely tucked into your camp tent. The Napier Sportz SUV tent has everything we could need for any overnight off-road adventure. It’s well made, it feels secure, it practically sets itself up, and it’s affordable. It’s a sleeping machine and it makes your SUV even more capable of off-road exploration. We can’t wait to sleep under it again!
SPORTZ SUV TENT msrp $359.99.
