For two-person camping, you simply can’t go wrong with the Roofnest Sparrow, a pop-up hardshell retailing for $3,095. Although this tent was not without its flaws, we were still very impressed with its user-friendly design. It boasts a quick setup, a comfortable interior, and the sort of durability you’d expect from a pop-up hardshell. It’s also the least expensive hardshell RTT in our review without compromising on features or build quality. While we would like to see some improvements to the awnings or the addition of an optional annex, there was nothing about the Sparrow that would inspire us to spend an additional $400 on the iKamper Skycamp Mini or an extra $1,000 on the James Baroud Evasion.

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There has been a major resurgence in camping during the past few years with the introduction of new names in the industry like iKamper and Roofnest, founded by Boulder, CO, resident Tim Nickles. Roofnest’s impressive lineup of RTTs includes the Falcon, Condor, and Sparrow (along with the Sandpiper and Eagle, not currently listed on their website). Each bird in this flock has both a standard and XL version, with a few other variations thrown in as well. For two-person camping, you simply can’t go wrong with the original Roofnest Sparrow, a pop-up hardshell retailing for $3,095. Although this tent was not without its flaws, we were still very impressed with its user-friendly design.

Comfort

The interior space on the Roofnest Sparrow is 83” in length and 49” in width, for a total square footage of 28.2. These numbers are nearly identical to the iKamper Skycamp Mini, but the Mini will set you back an additional $400. And although the 45” max headroom for the Mini is 5” more than the Sparrow, the Sparrow’s pop-up design gives it more vertical walls that assist in total interior volume. The only real drawback is that the gas struts used to assist in conversion also take up a bit of room inside the tent, so you will lose some space in the corners.

The different makeup of the Skycamp Mini and Sparrow structures also has a significant impact on the views they can provide. While the aptly named Skycamp has a skylight window due to its hardshell converting into a sidewall, it also loses views on that wall. The roof on the Sparrow, on the other hand, pops straight up, so you won’t be looking up at the stars in the evening. However, this does allow the Sparrow to have expansive windows on all four sides. All four sides feature canvas covers that can be converted into awnings or rolled up completely, with a mesh layer underneath to keep out the bugs. The mesh layer can also be unzipped, enabling the Sparrow to be entered from all four sides (although we would not recommend scrambling up and down your windshield). There are ladder brackets on both sides and at the back that make it easy to orient the Sparrow at any campsite. Still, the rear entryway may not be feasible on longer vehicles since it may interfere with the ladder. The other minor downside to pop-up RTTs like the Sparrow is that there is no need for an extension panel. That means when the ladder is installed, it will block off whatever door it is positioned above.

Inside the Sparrow, you’ll find a massive storage net on the ceiling as well as a detachable storage pocket that can be set up inside or outside the tent. There’s also a cozy 3″ memory foam mattress with an anti-condensation mat underneath that excels at keeping you both well-cushioned and dry. The mattress also has a removable cover that can be washed separately.

Ease of Conversion

The Roofnest Sparrow earns high marks in this category due to its lightning-fast 60-second setup time. You’ll first undo the clips and straps, then give the front and back a gentle nudge upwards and let the gas struts complete the pitch. You’ll then want to pull down the reinforced fabric at each corner so that it covers the base, then clip in the extendable ladder and pull it to the ground. Teardown will be the reverse of this process: remove the ladder and fold up the corner fabric, then pull down each side using the attached straps (you may need one person to hold down the front while you pull down the back). You’ll then stuff all the fabric inside the shell—this can be accomplished even with the window coverings rolled up—then lock in the metal clips and exterior straps. Although you can store your bedding inside the Sparrow while the Sparrow is collapsed, the ladder will need to be stored inside your car while in transit, or even on the fiberglass roof when parked (just don’t forget that you left it there once it’s time to clear the campsite).

The roof of the Sparrow adds to its overall versatility. The flatter front half is designed to accommodate a flexible solar panel that can be attached and detached using Velcro, while the recessed rear half is meant to act as an additional storage area. There are four clips in the corners of this back half that will hold down the included waterproof storage bag, along with channels at the back corners to funnel out rainwater.

Ease of Installation

The Sparrow comes fully assembled and has a straightforward installation process that can be accomplished by two people and is compatible with nearly every factory or aftermarket crossbar system. You’ll want to make sure that your crossbars are situated at least 28” apart before lifting the Sparrow onto your roof. The Sparrow is held in place with four mounting brackets, and the left brackets are spaced 21.5″ from their respective right brackets. The whole process should take less than an hour. The total weight for the Roofnest Sparrow is 130 lbs, making it one of the lighter hardshell RTTs in our review and just 5 lbs heavier than the iKamper Skycamp Mini. All packed up, its dimensions are 85 x 50″ x 11″, so you’ll want to set aside a fair amount of space to store your Sparrow when it’s not mounted to your vehicle.

Durability & Weatherproofing

The floor material for the Sparrow is fiberglass-reinforced ASA/ABS, which enables it to have a maximum load capacity of 650 lbs. This falls a bit short of the Skycamp Mini’s 900 lb capacity thanks to its honeycomb aluminum base, but given that these are two-person tents, this might be seen as just a bit overkill unless you’re planning to camp with a circus troupe and need somewhere to house all the clowns.

The canopy is composed of a 280g PU-coated polyester/cotton blend with a waterproof rating of 3,000mm, so this acts as your rainfly as well. As we mentioned earlier, the panels for all four windows can be converted into expansive awnings using the included tension poles; however, we would not recommend deploying these awnings if you’re anticipating any wind gusts, as they are notoriously flimsy. Thankfully, they can also be rolled up using clips at the top. It should come as no surprise that if the raindrops start to fall, you’ll need to roll these flaps back down to keep things dry inside.

Although we were pleased with the durability and build quality of the Roofnest tents, it was nice to see that should any damage befall the canopy, there are zippers located at the top and bottom that enable you to remove them completely for repairs or replacement.

Optional Extras

There are 12 accessories/replacement parts available for the Sparrow, but our three favorites were the Tent Cover ($125), which can be used for additional protection during storage or even when you’re driving; the Ptarmigan Tent Insulation ($349), a synthetic, polyester-based insulation that lines the walls and ceiling to keep things nice and toasty on chilly winter nights; and finally, the Goal Zero Batteries and Solar Panels, which enable you to feed some free power to your campsite. The solar panels will cost either $250 or $400, depending upon your desired wattage. These will need to run to the Yeti 200X or 500X power stations, which cost $300 and $700 respectively.

It’s worth noting that there are four other Sparrow models in addition to the base model in our review. The Sparrow Adventure includes crossbars at the top for bikes, kayaks, and other large gear, all for an extra $200. There’s also a Sparrow XL that’s 1” longer and 9” wider, along with an Adventure version; the XL retails for $3,395 while the Adventure XL is only $100 more. Finally, Roofnest offers a clamshell version of the Sparrow called the Sparrow EYE. Given that the EYE is priced the same as the original Sparrow, we had trouble finding the appeal—it has significantly less views and interior space, and seems to function much like the original but only half-expanded.

The Bottom Line

Roofnest has set the standard for two-person RTTs with the Sparrow. It’s the least expensive hardshell RTT in our review without compromising on features or build quality. While we would like to see some improvements to the awnings or the addition of an optional annex, there was nothing about the Sparrow that would inspire us to spend an additional $400 on the iKamper Skycamp Mini or an extra $1,000 on the James Baroud Evasion. It boasts a quick setup, a comfortable interior, and the sort of durability you’d expect from a pop-up hardshell.

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