Yakima SkyRise Rooftop Tent

The Yakima SkyRise introduces a few important upgrades to the growing rooftop-tent industry.

The new Yakima SkyRise, which launched last month, is the most utilitarian rooftop tent we’ve seen yet.

For one, it’s much easier to attach to your roof than models from Tepui*. Instead of using metal clasps that have to be tightened with a wrench—an awkward process that can take up to 30 minutes—the SkyRise incorporates a series of slick clamps to grasp your bars, no tools required.

At 105 pounds for the three-person tent, the SkyRise also lighter than most of its competitors, as it’s made from ripstop nylon rather than canvas. While we prefer the look of the canvas, it is a fair bit heavier. The Yakima tent seems solidly built, if pretty basic. There are windows on three sides and a mesh ceiling panel. The rain fly attaches with quick-release buckles.

Like other rooftop tents, the SkyRise comes with a plush built-in mattress—in this case, 2.5 inches of high-density waterproof foam that stays in the tent even when packed. When you’re driving, the tent accordions into a compact, 12-inch-tall brick (for both small and medium versions) with a waterproof vinyl cover that’ll keep the tent dry in a downpour.

The Yakima SkyRise tent comes in two sizes: Small (which weighs 95 pounds, sleeps two, and costs $899) and Medium (105 pounds, sleeps three, costs $1350). Both come with an 8’6″ aluminum ladder.

*This sentence initially misrepresented Treeline Outdoors’ rooftop-tent attachment system, which uses a similar design as Yakima’s. Read More