"It made us want to camp more" – Brad's TentBox story

What takes someone from a couple of camping trips a year to plotting a tour of the USA? 

For Brad Raynor, it all began with a TentBox Lite in September 2023 Three years on, he and his girlfriend are out camping far more than they ever were, with a setup he's added to piece by piece and a shortlist of favourite sites to show for it.

Here's how a compact roof tent changed the way Brad camps – the piece of kit he'd reach for first, the spots he keeps returning to, and what he tells anyone still sitting on the fence. 

Suddenly they were going more

Brad wasn't a heavy camper before. He'd done a few trips, not many, and it might have stayed that way. The TentBox shifted that. "It definitely made us want to camp more and go to a lot more places," he says – more nights out than they ever managed with a normal tent.

"The favourite thing about owning a TentBox has to be the ease of use and how little space they take up." When the bed is already inside and the whole thing folds away small, going away stops being a project and starts being something you do on a whim. That's the quiet case for a roof tent: the less setup stands between you and a night out, the more nights out you actually take.

No more duvet scrunched up in the back seats

Brad's setup has grown trip by trip. "Our first trip was just a TentBox, and now we have the thermal liner, sleeping bags, awning and awning room," he says. He's built it out for different kinds of trip, too – a pared-back kit for a simple weekend, a fuller, more comfortable version for longer stays.

Ask him for a favourite piece and he lands on the sleeping bags. "They're so warm and comfy, I love how you can double it up, plus how they pack down small means no more duvet scrunched up in the back seats." It's a small win that turns out to matter on every trip: no bulky bedding taking over the back seats on the drive home.

Where the TentBox has taken them

The trips have ranged across the country. His favourite site so far is Pomeroy Farm near Buxton, out in the Peak District. Another regular base is a Camping and Caravanning Club site in Chipping Norton – which happens to sit right next door to Diddly Squat Farm.

The other thing Brad rates is the people. "The community is also an amazing part, with people willing to help out with advice – even some get excited seeing other TentBoxers," he says. "I've had a wave before and waved back."

"If you enjoy camping, you will definitely enjoy having a TentBox."

”Just be patient with it”

Brad's advice to new owners is more measured: "Be patient with it. Setup and pack-down get easier the more you do it, and when it comes to any additional accessories, the more you camp the more you find out what you want and need."

Get the tent, get out there, and let the rest follow.

As for what's next on the list: "On my TentBox bucket list is getting a Cargo and doing a USA TentBox tour. But I would be happy with a European tour."

Build a setup like Brad's

Want to get outdoors more often and pack less on the way home? Brad's TentBox Lite 1.0 has since been replaced by the current TentBox Lite – the same compact, quick-to-pitch roof tent, brought up to date. Add the pieces he's built up over the years and you've got a camp that works for a quick weekend or a longer stay.

• TentBox Lite – the current version of Brad's tent. Compact enough for smaller cars, with the bed already inside so it's up in minutes.

• Sleeping Bag Bundle – two bags that zip together into a double, warm and quick to pack down. This is the "double it up, no more duvet in the back seats" part of Brad's kit.

• Universal Side Awning – shelter from rain or sun, and the base the room clips onto.

• Side Awning Room – turns the awning into an enclosed space. Brad's "awning room" for longer or wetter stays.