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April 13, 2009

Carport (Courtesy of Kelty)

What is the best tent to attach to our minivan?

— BB
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

gear girl answer

Check out Kelty's Carport ($330, kelty.com). This minimalist, streamlined, three-season tent attaches to either the side or rear of a roof rack on an SUV or mini-van and, with its clip-sleeve construction, can be set up in a flash. With three mesh windows and full-coverage retractable side panels the Carport almost feels like a tent, except it's missing the floor. (Land Rover is sold separately.)

Do you have a question of your
own?

If you travel with a lot of baggage (or children), try the McMansion of attachable tents, the Napier Sportz SUV 83000 ($330, sportzbynapier.com). Napier isn't kidding when they say this tent transforms your SUV or minivan into a home away from home. With a removable sleeve and screen room, the tent wraps your vehicle with a 10-foot by 10-foot domed sleeping area for up to six people and a 7-foot by six-foot dining area. Coolest aspect: The car-attachment is removable, so you can roll away without worrying about the portable palace crumbling down.



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Stephanie Pearson: The Gear Girl
When it comes to gear, contributing editor Stephanie Pearson lives by one rule: What you own, owns you. That's why the skier, hiker, biker, runner, canoe paddler, and sometimes yogini is on an eternal quest to find gear and clothing that will enhance her life rather than make her a slave to dysfunctional stuff. During her seven-year stint as a travel editor at Outside, Pearson received three honorable mentions in The Best American Travel Writing series for stories on Guatemala, New Zealand, and Bhutan. Now that she's no longer in the office at Outside HQ in Santa Fe, Pearson hopes to be on the road more and is always in search of functional and aesthetically pleasing gear that's easy to use or clothing that's elegant to wear. Pearson is based in northern Minnesota and Santa Fe. Her latest adventure was on the fringe of the Amazon Basin in Brazil.