Latitude Tents Explorer vs Roam Adventure Co The Desperado
The Latitude Tents Explorer and the Roam Adventure Co The Desperado 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. Latitude Tents and Roam Adventure Co take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The Explorer is 6.599999999999994 kg lighter at 75 kg against 81.6 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. List prices are within $5 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Explorer is a pop-up and the The Desperado a clamshell. 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 Explorer uses aluminium hardshell; the The Desperado uses aluminium extrusion with honeycomb panels. Canvas differs too: heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head) against 420D polyester Oxford. Closed, the Explorer sits 5 cm lower on the roof — 20 cm against 25 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
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
Roam Adventure Co
The Desperado
Roam's aluminium-honeycomb hardshell for two, opening in about 30 seconds; the maker does not publish its deployed footprint.
- ~30 s hardshell setup
- Aluminium honeycomb construction
- 2-year warranty
- Open dimensions not published
Which one to pick
Take the Explorer if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. 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 | Pop-up | Clamshell |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $3,190— best of the tents compared | $3,199— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 165 lb— best of the tents compared | 180 lb— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed length | — | 6 ft 11 in |
| Packed width | — | 4 ft 3 in |
| Packed height | 7.9 in— best of the tents compared | 9.8 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | — | — |
| Sleeping width | — | — |
| Floor area | — | — |
| Interior height | — | — |
| Mattress thickness | 2.8 in | 2.8 in |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 30 sec | 30 sec |
| Shell material | Aluminium hardshell | Aluminium extrusion with honeycomb panels |
| Fabric | Heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head) | 420D polyester Oxford |
| Warranty | 2years | 2years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | Yes | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Latitude Tents product page | Roam Adventure Co product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Latitude Tents Explorer and the Roam Adventure Co The Desperado.