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The Meadowlark is a trimmed-down, compact take on the traditional rooftop tent.

Rooftop tent enthusiasts, take note: there is a new, sub-100 pound contender on the block. Roofnest, known for its capable and well-designed rooftop tents, has launched the Meadowlark: a compact, lightweight 2-person rooftop tent built to deploy quickly and seamlessly.

Not only is this one of the lightest tents the brand has debuted: it's also Roofnest's first-ever soft shell tent. By removing the traditional poles and guy lines that tents typically rely on for their structural integrity, Roofnest was able to cut weight and streamline setup; with the Meadowlark, getting your tent ready can be done in seconds, not minutes.

At times, rooftop tents can feel more cumbersome than helpful: you may be a two-season camper, but due to the weight and size of most rooftop tents, it's often easier to roll with the tent on your vehicle's roof year-round than it is to take it off and find somewhere to store it (especially if you're low on space, or don't have a garage). The Meadowlark's footprint is so small, wider vehicles can even get away with mounting a bike on the same crossbars, making packing more efficient.

The simple deployment and minimal footprint are appealing, to be sure, but the most alluring aspect of the Meadowlark is undoubtedly its weight: at 90 pounds, it's easy to mount, and when you're not using it, store away until next season. The Meadowlark measures 47 inches long, 44 inches wide, and 12 inches tall when closed — 13 inches narrower than the next most compact Roofnest tent, the Condor.

"We were able to achieve Meadowlark’s enviable 90-pound overall weight without jeopardizing quality or ease-of-use through the use of materials like high-tensile-strength, lightweight aluminum," said Turner Sessions, Roofnest Product Development Lead at Roofnest. "More than making it easier to install and store, the limited weight is also a benefit for electric vehicles as well as cars with lower-capacity roof rack crossbars."

If you're a city dweller without a lot of storage space, or want a rooftop tent you can easily mount and remove at will, the Meadowlark is a robust and practical option, with a price point that's less than half of competitors.

If you're interested in picking one up, the Meadowlark is available on pre-sale now for $1,395 — $200 below its $1,595 retail price — and is expected to ship in October 2022.