The Roofnest Falcon is one of the easiest tents you'll ever set up

But is it worth more than $3K?

Over the past few years, I've been fortunate enough to travel, camp, and film all around the World. Usually, I sleep inside a camper van or in a tent on the ground, but this week Roofnest offered up a Falcon Rooftop tent, and because it's fall in Michigan, I knew exactly where to go. Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore in Northern Michigan.

During my two nights at D.H. Day Campground, I became accustomed to this rooftop tent. In the video above, you’ll find a detailed review but here are five things I like about it plus a few areas where it could be improved upon. 

What I like

Easy Setup
The Falcon Rooftop tent is the quickest tent I've setup ever. 
Arriving at my campsite, it was getting dark, and the rain was forecasted to start within the hour. Within minutes my shelter was ready to go. 

Sleeping Pad
Typically when I'm camping on the ground, I bring an air mattress or a sleeping mat. In addition to The Falcon, it comes with a foam pad for sleeping. The pad is also thin enough without the need to remove it to pack the Falcon back up. 

Plenty of ways to get in
If you’re like me and absolutely need a room with a view while on vacation, well, you’re in luck because the Falcon has three of them. Two on each of the sides and a rear-facing opening. 
Let's also consider this a great design. Imagine you arrive at your campsite and find that you can only park your vehicle in a particular position, which could potentially block a safe way using the ladder. 

Slim Profile
At just over 6” tall when closed and weighing in at 140 lbs I love the small footprint, it makes for easier packing and travel. I never felt like I had a giant mattress attached to the top of the roof of the Telluride slowing me down. 

Rigid construction
The compactness of the Falcon doesn't come at the expense of a solid build. The clamshell design is made of aluminum and feels sturdy. I was never worried that it was going to bend or break on me during the night. 

Areas for improvement

Questionable Waterproofing
Now they say it's waterproof but don't bring this through an automatic
car wash. I didn't do that because I wasn't quite ready to trust the waterproofing just yet. Instead, opt for a hand sprayer while doing my best to avoid spraying directly onto the tent. However, when I came back to the campsite and opened the Falcon, some water droplets were noticeable inside. Keep that in mind, whenever you need to wash your car with this thing on top.

Storage Mesh
The overhead storage mesh needs to be much tighter. It's a great idea, but every attempt to store my jacket above me, it would fall right out the bottom. 

Bring Tools
One problem I've had with this tent is the clamps or latches designed to keep the Falcon closed while not in use. One of them began to become increasingly difficult to open and close. Eventually, to compress the Falcon down, I had to get on top of the actual shell itself, use my body weight to push it down, and then do my best to completely latch the back latch. 

Additional observations

Ventilation
Like any other tent, be prepared for a lot of condensation if you don't properly ventilate at night. I didn't correctly vent the first night, and the ceiling was a bit damp when I woke up the next morning. Thankfully, because the roof is slanted, I didn't have to worry about it dripping down on top of me as I slept.

Overall, the Roofnest Falcon Rooftop tent made my camping trip a pleasant experience. At $3,395.00, it is more than I spent on my first car, as well as more than any rooftop tent made by Thule or Yakima. Is it worth the high price tag? That depends on how much you enjoy camping. To me, the lightweight, comfortable materials, solid construction, ease of use, and slender profile make it worth the price tag.

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