Thule’s Clever Camp Shelter Avoids All the Major Pitfalls of Rooftop Tents

Camp smarter, not higher.

A family camping scene with a man sitting on a folding chair near a small campfire, a woman standing with a child on her shoulders, and a car equipped with a rooftop kayak and an attached tent with bedding, set in a grassy area with trees and hills in the background during golden hour.

Published 4 hours ago

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Rooftop tents are convenient, comfortable and safe, eliminating mud, animals and uneven terrain from the basecamp equation.

But they’re not the only way to elevate the sleeping experience outdoors.

Enter the Thule Outset, a sleek, super-accessible hitch mounted shelter that keeps you off the ground and tents off your roof.

A portable, elevated camping tent with a sturdy black frame and light blue fabric walls, featuring two separate sleeping compartments connected by a central opening. The tent has roll-up windows and doors with mesh screens for ventilation and insect protection. It is shown next to a white, polygonal, stylized car model. — The Outset is just as roomy as traditional rooftop tents, and comfortably sleeps three.

Elevating comfort

Now available in the US after an initial European launch, the Outset corrects many of the minor annoyances that can take a traditional camping experience from fun to flop: uneven terrain, wet and muddy conditions and God forbid, bugs.

But unlike a rooftop tent, which can be arduous to install and a pain to access (especially at night), the Thule Outset sits little more than a foot off the ground. That makes it suitable to campers of all abilities, including young children, seniors and pets.

A family camping scene with a man sitting on a folding chair, a woman standing with a child on her shoulders, and a car equipped with a rooftop kayak and an attached tent extending from the rear. The tent is set up on a grassy field near a tree, with a small campfire burning in front of the seated man. The background features a misty, forested hillside bathed in warm, golden light. — Thanks to its low height, campers of any age can easily access the interior of the Outset.

The cozy shelter has a three-person sleeping capacity, and it’s rated for all-season camping and at just 163 pounds. It can also be mounted onto a 2-inch receiver hitch by a single person.

The spacious internal dimensions rival those of standard rooftop tents, and when it’s all packed up, the Outset isn’t much bulkier than having a couple bikes on the back of your vehicle.

A woman dressed in black is standing next to a silver-gray Volvo XC40, pulling a large black wheeled suitcase. The scene is set on a cobblestone surface in front of a modern concrete wall and a black metal gate. The woman is smiling and looking down at the suitcase. — Wheels on the tent allow one person to easily roll the Outset to their vehicle, and the intuitive installation system makes it easy to install on any 2-inch receiver hitch.

Black cargo box mounted on the rear of a white car, attached to a hitch carrier with integrated red tail lights and a central license plate holder labeled "Thule. — Rear-of-car mounting makes the Outset a much more aerodynamic option compared with traditional rooftop tents.

The canopy fabric is hard-working and functional 600D polyester ripstop, which is both breathable and water-resistant.

Three doors (one on each side and one at the front) provide panoramic views, plenty of ventilation and are strategically placed to minimize disturbing your fellow camper, should you need to leave the tent in the middle of the night.

Functionality and fun

One of the worst-kept secrets regarding the inconveniences of using a rooftop tent is that when you’d like to leave your campsite for the day, there’s no safe way to mark the space as yours … and no guarantee someone won’t have moved in during your absence. (You could leave a camp chair to guard your spot, but it’s not a reliable strategy.)

A man sits inside a modern, elevated gray tent with an extended canopy, set up on a grassy area near a lake. To the left, a gray SUV is parked with two black bags on the ground beside it. To the right, a woman dressed in black holds a baby and walks barefoot near a stroller. In the background, there are forested mountains partially covered by clouds. — Thanks to the Outset’s detachable design, setting up basecamp is simple and convenient.

By camping with the Outset, once you’ve chosen home base, you can detach the tent from your rig, and thanks to its ability to securely lock while at camp, you can drive away for the day with peace of mind intact.

Availability and pricing

The Outset is available now on Thule’s official website for $4,700.

At almost five grand, the Outset certainly isn’t cheap, and Thule justifies its above-average price point by citing the tent’s high-quality construction, rigorous testing process and unique, elevated camping experience.

But consider which route is more economical in the longterm:

The $3,000 rooftop tent that is hard to set up, annoying to get in and out of and a real bummer for your gas mileage?

Or the $5,000 hitch-mounted tent you use every weekend with your family, that brings campsite comfort to a new level?

A compact, elevated two-person tent with a sturdy frame and fabric walls in shades of blue and gray, attached to the back of a white, polygonal, stylized vehicle. The tent has an open side entrance and a black mesh window on the front.

Thule Outset

$4,700 at Thule

About the Author:

Hayley Helms is an associate editor at Gear Patrol specializing in all things outdoors. Once upon a time, she wrote for Men’s Journal, Gearjunkie, and Shape. Whether it’s tuning us into the joys of hiking and camping, or rigorously testing head-to-toe outdoor apparel, she leaves no stone unturned (though she always Leaves No Trace).