This May Be the New Piece of Camping Gear You See Everywhere in 2026 and Beyond

For years, travelers who want the experience of camping without sleeping in a tent have been stuck with basically one of two options: drive a huge RV or campervan, or tow a trailer behind your car. In the last decade or so, pop-up truck campers and top-of-car rooftop tents have created a sort-of third option that can be a bit more affordable than a full campervan. All options have their pros, but each comes with compromises, whether that’s ladders and tricky access, extra insurance requirements, or extra fuel consumption — not to mention a steep price tag.

But as of September 2025, a Swedish brand well known in the US may have changed that. The brand just introduced a new way to camp that Matador Network‘s outdoorsy editorial team thinks may become a major trend in 2026 and beyond: a hitch-mounted, compact tent that’s easy to tow behind any car, including small sedans. It’s called the Thule Outset, and it could make elevated car camping an option for a whole new class of casual campers who aren’t ready to invest in a new vehicle, but don’t want to sleep on the ground, either.

How the Outset works

Unlike rooftop tents that require heavy lifting to mount on crossbars, the Outset slides directly into a two-inch vehicle hitch (the standard size for most vehicles). At around 163 pounds, it’s light enough to maneuver by hand, with a wheel kit that makes it rollable and mountable by just one person. Once parked, the tent swings open to create a platform bed a few feet above the ground. Setup is faster than most roof tents, and because the unit sits at ground level, you step inside rather than climbing a ladder. It comes with a mattress that stores inside the tent when folded, and Fredrik Ekvall, Director of Product Development for Thule’s adventure camping division, says there’s extra space beyond that. “You can even keep your bedding, including sleeping bags, in the tent when you fold it up to travel with it,” he told Matador Network.

The design has one other major advantage: you can detach the tent and leave it at camp. With rooftop tents, any run into town requires packing up and collapsing your sleeping space. With the Outset, you can drive away and return to a ready-made basecamp. It’s one of the major perks offered by a towed camping trailer, but without the towing burden — or the gas guzzling. “Thule Outset has little to no impact on fuel economy or battery range due to its back-of-car positioning,” Ekvall adds, “as opposed to a rooftop tent on the roof of your vehicle.”

Why we think it may start a trend

The camping market hasn’t seen many hitch-mounted tents, and certainly none from widely known, reputable brands like Thule. A few niche companies have experimented with them, but the Outset is the first to gain international distribution and mainstream credibility. That means it’s effectively creating a new product category.

Compared with rooftop tents, the Outset seems like it has a few distinct advantages: first and foremost among them being easy access. “You’re up off the ground without needing a ladder,” says Ekvall of the Outset, “so the tent is great for anyone who has trouble getting up the ladder and into the tent, including your furry friends.” That’s especially useful for people who camp with their dogs that may be all too used to the hassle of lifting their dog into a rooftop tent (or trying to encourage their dog to climb into the tent via a yoga mat across the windshield).

While the Outset isn’t compatible with hitch-mount bike racks, it does leave your cars crossbars available for mounting toys like bikes, kayaks, or skis. It also flips down when attached, giving you easy access to your hatchback or trunk space.

Perhaps most importantly for multi-day campers, you can leave the Outset behind when you need your car during the day. That’s essential for first-come, first-served campsites, and means you don’t need to worry about towing anything or driving a large, heavy trailer up winding mountain roads during remote adventures. There’s no additional insurance required for the Outset, and even tiny cars are able to tow it — unlike trailers and teardrops, which sometimes require a more powerful engine with a higher tow capacity to safely carry them. Cars do, however, need to have at least nine inches of clearance, and not have a rear-mounted spare tire (like a Jeep Wrangler).

Importantly, the Outset isn’t the kind of thing that requires an extra parking spot. Closed, its dimensions are 56.8 x 29 x 35 inches. While that’s larger than, say, an actual camping tent, it’s small enough to push in a corner of a garage or potentially store in front of your car in an assigned parking space.

What’s the catch?

Matador Network’s team hasn’t been hands-on with the Outset, so we can’t yet speak to its pros and cons. The most obvious catch is, unsurprisingly, the price. At $4,699, it’s far less expensive than teardrop trailers, pop-up campers, or campervans, but more expensive than most rooftop tents. Thule’s own rooftop tents range from the $2,999 “Thule Foothill” to the $3,999 “Thule Basin,” and rooftop tents at REI range from $2,000 to $4,600. For campers thinking about buying a trailer or camper van, $4,699 will seem like a steal. But it’s certainly pricey if you’re currently camping on the ground with a $300 tent and some air mattresses.

For the price, the Outset comes with a travel/storage cover to keep it clean, a 2.7-inch mattress, a rain cover, locks to secure it to your vehicle, and a limited lifetime warranty. It sleeps three people, and optional accessories like additional storage pockets or awnings can be purchased separately.

Ultimately, we’re keen to see if this catches on, and hope it opens a new wave of similar products from other outdoor brands. We’re in favor of any products that make camping and the great outdoors accessible to more people (as long as they’re responsible and respectful, of course). In speaking with Thule, it sounds like that’s the brand’s goal as well. “Following the growing interest in rooftop tents, and as dedicated campers ourselves here at Thule, we wanted to create a product that would open this type of camping to even more people,” says Ekvall. “Our ambition was to offer that same premium camping experience as a rooftop tent but make it more convenient and accessible.”