PRODUCT REVIEW
BY ALEX WRIGHT & BRONTE HARTLAND
DRIFTA ROOFTOP TENT AND AWNING A
s we sit around the campfire, overlooking the setting sun with a gleam of content in our eyes, it’s hard to imagine living life any other way. Since packing up our lives into the LandCruiser three months ago to head around our beautifully diverse country, Bronte and I (Alex) have learnt, (often painfully) the trade secrets of camping and fine tuned our setup along the way. With the intention of exploring some of Australia’s remote 4W driving we needed a roof top and awning that would be lightweight enough to tackle the tracks without worrying about being excessively top-heavy. With the Drifta 1.2 RTT being one of the lightest hard-shells on the market at 57kg, it was a no-brainer for us. We also wanted a 270-degree free-standing awning that was easy to set up and have the option for side walls to bunker down out of the weather when we needed.
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| Western 4W Driver #123
Since the beginning of the trip, the Drifta RTT has withstood the relentless downpour we experienced in NSW, keeping us high and dry up in the tent - literally not a single drop! We did make the mistake however of not putting a timber floorboard underneath us, leaving us teeth-chattering cold in the NSW hinterlands. This was easily resolved though by getting the ply bedbase provided by Drifta that’s made to fit the RTT, which now lives in our rooftop under the mattress, keeping us insulated from the chilly temperatures. I know what you’re probably thinking ... how does a rooftop go in the wind? After experiencing the strong southerly winds along the Great Australian Bight cliffs, the Drifta rooftop surpassed the test but there is a small trick to it. You have to face the hardshell into the wind. The tent and the hardshell are separated with an air gap
