Camperig AT200 Awning Tent Review: A Smart, Simple Shelter for Overlanding and Car Camping
Quick and easy setup make this a versatile option for a wide variety of outdoor adventures.
Image Caption: Photo Credit: Camperig
Listen up, RVers, overlanders, car campers, and other outdoor enthusiasts looking for a simple and versatile shelter for use on your adventures. An innovative new brand called Camperig has recently arrived on the scene, bringing a host of unique and interesting products along with it. Chief among them is the Camperig AT200 Awning Tent, which places a premium on simplicity and ease of setup. In fact, the lightweight shelter is so well designed that it can be assembled in under five minutes, even by a solo camper. And while it may not be as warm and protective as a rooftop tent, it is extremely versatile and affordable, making it an option you’ll want in your vehicle for use in a wide variety of situations.
Photo Credit: Camperig
Simple Setup
To be fair, we’ve seen plenty of awnings, tents, and other temporary shelters that integrate with a car, truck, SUV, or RV in the past, but many of those need some kind of modification to the vehicle in order to use them properly. That isn’t the case here, as one of the selling points of the Camperig AT200 is that it doesn’t require owners to drill rivets into the side of their rig nor do they need roof rails or a rack with crossbeams. Instead, the tent uses a pair of suction cups that connect to the roof or side of a vehicle, effectively turning it into a support pillar. This is a surprisingly clever approach that truly does make deploying the shelter fast and easy. Here’s how it works.
Once you’ve reached your destination, simply pull the AT200 out of its included travel tote and lay it flat on the ground. Next, you install a set of flexible support poles, which neatly slide through a set of pole sleeves that are integrated into the shelter’s fabric. Then, place the ends of each pole into the corresponding pockets located on the corners of the tent. As with most traditional camping tents, doing so gives the AT200 a bit of structure, keeping the roof in place when fully deployed.
Next, you’ll need to install the two suction cups that come with the tent. Firmly place them roughly six feet apart on the roof of a car or truck—or along the side of an RV—and lock the suction cups in place by rapidly pressing the buttons on the built-in air pump several times. This will create a tight seal that will hold the cups in place while also providing support to the tent. A set of carabiners located on the rear of the AT200 connect to metal loops on top of the suction cups, holding it firmly in place even in brisk winds.
Photo Credit: Camperig
Finally, you’ll assemble a set of canopy poles and place them in metal rings found on the front of the AT200. When the poles are raised to match the height of the vehicle, the tent also rises up to reveal its full structure. A set of locking screws secures the poles in place, helping the shelter to maintain a rigid structure that holds its shape well even in wind and rain. For further stability, a set of guy lines can be attached and staked into the ground, although during our testing we assembled the tent in a parking lot while tailgating without using the guy lines and it still worked well.
Essentially, that’s all there is to setting up the awning tent. It really does take just a few minutes, especially after you’ve gone through the process a time or two. Additionally, Camperig does offer front and side extensions for the AT200, which give the tent even more room and add further versatility. Those extensions simply zip into place, giving owners added flexibility in how they use the tent, providing increased privacy and weather protection along the way. These add-ons require almost no time to set up by simply zippering into place.
Photo Credit: Camperig
A Large, Versatile Shelter
Once the tent is deployed, you’ll find that it provides plenty of interior room. On its own, the AT200 offers more than 54 square feet of space and has an interior ceiling height of over seven feet. Walking inside, it truly does feel expansive, with plenty of room for several people. The mesh walls are lightweight, yet durable, and allow a breeze to pass through while keeping insects out. And when the extensions are installed, the shelter becomes even more protective and private.
The AT200 comes with a wide front door that is easy to get in and out of, even when hauling essential gear. But, it also includes a rear door that faces toward the vehicle, serving as a passthrough for when you want to retrieve items from the car, access a cooler, or plug into a power station, all without having to leave the shelter. The tent also features a ceiling hook for holding a lantern or other light source, making it a nice place to gather even after dark.
As with most outdoor shelters, the AT200 provides solid protection from the elements. Its enclosed structure helps keep rain out of the interior, and the fabrics and materials have a UPF 50+ rating for protection from the sun. That said, if you’re going to sleep inside this awning tent, don’t expect it to keep you overly warm in colder conditions. You’ll still want a sleeping bag and sleeping pad with a proper temperature rating, as the tent itself doesn’t offer much in the way of warmth. Better still, bring a foldable cot to sleep on. Not only does the AT200 have plenty of room inside, you’ll also stay warmer and sleep more comfortably, too.
Photo Credit: Camperig
As already noted, the tent is surprisingly versatile, making it a great option not just for camping but a variety of other activities, too. For instance, it makes a great shelter while tailgating and serves as a nice base camp for use while mountain biking, hiking, or trail running. The AT200’s fast and easy setup means it can be deployed in a jiffy, creating a secure outdoor space for escaping the weather, conducting gear or vehicle maintenance, or just relaxing in the outdoors. And with three extensions providing privacy, it can even serve as a shower tent, with the lantern ring doubling as a place to hang a portable shower. And when you’re ready to pack it up for the day, everything breaks down just as quickly as it goes up, with all of the component parts—including add-on extensions—storing neatly in the aforementioned tote bag.
Camperig not only spent a lot of time designing the AT200 to be as simple to use as possible, they also placed an emphasis on durability. The materials used in the construction of the tent were specifically selected for their quality and long-term reliability. For instance, rather than cutting costs by using fiberglass poles, the company elected to go with aluminum alloy options instead. As a result, the poles are more robust and resistant to the wind, without adding much weight. The tent even uses an ultra-durable fabric called Dyneema on its corners to further resist wear and tear on those areas.
Photo Credit: Camperig
More Camping Gear From Camperig
While the AT200 Awning Tent is Camperig’s flagship product, the company has also launched several other interesting items designed to make our time in the outdoors better. For instance, when we received our test unit of the tent, we were pleasantly surprised to find the company’s AF3 Camping Flashlight included in the box. The hand torch features a rugged design built to survive the outdoors and offers a variety of handy features. Those include multiple brightness settings, with the highest offering an output of up to 5000 lumens and a beam distance of over 800 feet. Users can easily switch between a normal flashlight mode, a strobe setting, a lantern mode, and a red emergency mode. A built-in hanging loop gives it compatibility with the AT200 and the included mini tripod offers stability to stand on a flat surface. The flashlight is equipped with a 5000mAh battery, giving it a burn time of up to 20 hours depending on the settings. It can even be used as a USB-C power bank for charging your phone and other small devices on the go. But, with an MSRP of $193.70, it doesn’t come cheap.
One product that we didn’t get to test, but is still very intriguing, is Camperig’s Outdoor Guardians kit. This device is a portable outdoor motion detection system that includes four small sensors that can be deployed around your campsite and can alert you if anything moves across the perimeter. The included receiver also serves as a charging and storage case and can be configured to alert users via sound or vibration. The Outdoor Guardians system uses 24G mmWave technology, which is fast, accurate, and allows the sensors to be set up more than 325 feet away from the receiver. Built-in magnets allow the sensors to attach to a vehicle, and the user can even customize the range at which they work using one of three levels of sensitivity.
Photo Credit: Camperig
A device like the Outdoor Guardian can help boondockers and overlanders feel a bit safer while traveling through remote locations. A device such as this one is perfect for use in places where large predators—such as bears—could be prowling close to your tent or RV. It is also a great option for solo campers or anyone who is looking for an extra bit of security at the campsite. The entire system, including receiver and four sensors, has an MSRP of $388.70.
As for the Camperig AT200 Awning Tent, it retails for $648.70, which is an affordable and approachable price for such a versatile piece of kit. Its fast setup, high-quality materials and components, and all-around general usefulness make it a great option for anyone who uses their vehicle as a gateway to adventure. Whether that is relaxing at the campground, embarking on a massive overlanding expedition, or just tailgating with friends, this is a piece of gear you’ll want in your rig.
To learn more about the Camperig AT200, and the brand’s other outdoor gear, visit camperig.com.
Kraig Becker is a writer in the RV, outdoors, and adventure travel space. Over the course of his career he has contributed to such outlets as Popular Mechanics, Outside Online, Business Insider, TripSavvy, Digital Trends, GearJunkie, The Adventure Blog, and countless others. An avid runner and cyclist, he enjoys camping, hiking, mountain biking, kayaking, and just about any other outdoor activity. His travels have taken him to seven continents and on many amazing adventures.
