Cascadia Vehicle Tents La Sal Tent vs Latitude Tents Explorer
The Cascadia Vehicle Tents La Sal Tent and the Latitude Tents Explorer are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Cascadia Vehicle Tents and Latitude Tents take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
Setup is not close. The Explorer opens as a pop-up in 30 seconds; the La Sal Tent takes 3 minutes. Over a trip with a new campsite every night, that gap compounds. The Explorer lists $205 lower, at $3,194 against $3,399.
They open differently: the La Sal Tent is a clamshell and the Explorer a pop-up. That is not cosmetic — it decides whether headroom is even across the tent or tapers towards one end, and how much of the roof the tent occupies when closed. The La Sal Tent uses aluminum; the Explorer uses aluminium hardshell. Canvas differs too: 280GSM polyester against heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head).
Cascadia Vehicle Tents
La Sal Tent
The La Sal is a side-opening aluminum hardshell sold in 50- and 56-inch widths at $3,399, with a 3-inch mattress and a stated 47-inch maximum headroom. CVT lists a 2-4 minute setup, a stargazing skylight, an LED light strip with USB connector, and integrated climate ports suited to diesel heaters. CVT's guide describes it as a 2-person tent.
- Side-opening hardshell with a stated 2-4 minute setup
- Stargazing skylight and a 3-inch mattress
- Integrated climate ports suited to a diesel heater
- Manufacturer does not publish weight or open/packed dimensions
Latitude Tents
Explorer
The Explorer is Latitude Tents's hardshell roof tent, opening on gas struts in a claimed 30 seconds and packing down to a 20cm-tall closed profile (excluding the supplied roof bars). It sleeps two on a 70mm foam mattress with an anti-condensation mat, and includes a built-in three-setting dimmable LED light plus load-bearing roof bars rated to 85kg closed and 25kg open. The maker publishes a 3000mm hydrostatic-head rating and a Gale Force 8 wind rating but does not list the tent's weight or full open dimensions as text.
- Hardshell opens on gas struts in a claimed 30 seconds
- Slim 20cm closed profile with roof bars rated 85kg closed / 25kg open
- Built-in dimmable LED light and 70mm foam mattress with anti-condensation mat
- Manufacturer does not publish the tent's weight or full open dimensions in text
Which one to pick
Take the Explorer if you move camp most days. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Clamshell | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | 4-season | — |
| List price | $3,399— worst of the tents compared | $3,190— best of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | — | 165 lb |
| Packed length | — | — |
| Packed width | — | — |
| Packed height | 8.5 in— worst of the tents compared | 7.9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | — | — |
| Sleeping width | — | — |
| Floor area | — | — |
| Interior height | 3 ft 11 in | — |
| Mattress thickness | 3 in— best of the tents compared | 2.8 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 3 min— worst of the tents compared | 30 sec— best of the tents compared |
| Shell material | Aluminum | Aluminium hardshell |
| Fabric | 280GSM polyester | Heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head) |
| Warranty | — | 2years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | Yes | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | — |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Cascadia Vehicle Tents product page | Latitude Tents product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Cascadia Vehicle Tents La Sal Tent and the Latitude Tents Explorer.