TreeLineBackpacker

What happens when you take the classic scout tent, and modernize it? Well, you end up with the Rover Scout. Combining modern materials and features with a classic configuration, it’s a unique and comfortable shelter that resonates good vibes. My review:

The Rover Scout features the classic “scout” tent shape. There are verticals walls, the tall angled ceiling, and traditional full zip front and rear doors with small awnings around the perimeter of the tent. It features 360 degree ventilation via roll up walls and doors, with two fully zippered doors for easy access. The tent is constructed from Weatherproof DYNATEK canvas for the walls and a biodegradable PE groundsheet. The tent includes a storage bag with carry handles, a tool roll complete with stakes and a mallet, and retails for $550. It weighs about 51 pounds, and sizes out at 8′ x 9′, with a center height of 7′ and a wall height of 3′ 2″.

Setup is fairly straight forward. First, layout the tent and stake out the 4 primary corners. Next, assemble the two metal poles, which just pop together like any tent pole would. Now, insert the two vertical poles into their pockets and push them upwards to raise the top. From there the 6 guy points are staked out and tensioned, and that’s really it. It can take a little finicky to get the walls perfectly vertical and to get the slack out everywhere, but this really just comes down to finding a nice flat place to pitch it, and staking out everything at the appropriate 45 degree angle. The lines can be tensioned by sliding the triangular tensioners. The only real challenge would be pushing the poles upwards, as they will have some weight on them from the tent fabric, but this can be done solo without too much fuss. Getting the tent perfectly square is perfectly doable, with some effort, but isn’t necessary in my experience. As you can tell from the photos. Uneven ground makes it much more difficult to get it all evenly tensioned.

The build quality of the Rover Scout is quite good. White duck didn’t hold back when it came to material choice. The Dynatek cotton is relatively thick and robust. It holds up well in the wind with a fairly high tear limit and great water resistance. It also resists stretching and loosening up in humid conditions, which will help maintain a properly taut pitch. The poles are stout, thick aluminum with steel caps that basically don’t flex at all under stress. They hold strong and true even under sudden gusts and sustained wind. The tent stakes come in two variants: A large steel stake, and a very large steel stake with ribs for extra holding strength. They’re both strong enough to beat with the included rubber mallet with no concern, which is ideal for campgrounds where the ground tends to be borderline concrete The tent floor is a fairly basic and common PE groundsheet, but it is probably the best choice IMO. It has held up fine in my testing which has been dominantly grass and dirt, but I would probably recommend a ground cloth if being used on gravel or stone. We’re not concerned with weight in this scenario so why not. The guy lines standard cordage, nothing to stand out but nothing concerning. Stitch quality is also pretty good, with generous reinforcement in the high stress areas. Every cut and seam line is flanked and secured to prevent fraying, which I always appreciate. I didn’t spot too many loose threads or stray stitches, which is impressive on a tent this size.

Livability with the Rover Scout is excellent. The ceilings are tall enough for most people to stand up in, and the interior provides 72 square feet of living space ( 8’x9′, but 8’x18′ is also available). To put that in perspective, three people and some equipment at the head or foot can easily fit inside. Alternatively, two people and lots of gear and extra living space, or, one person and a host of luxury items, like a full cot and side table with a clear walking isle. It’s a lot of space and it’s arrange in, arguably, the most efficient way possible. I have personally preferred to use it as a solo and two person shelter and really enjoyed the open airspace it provided inside.

Getting in and out of the tent can vary from super easy, to a little annoying depending on the situation. There are two large, full sized mesh doors on the tent, one front and one back. One opens via a wide circular zipper, while the other unzips down the center and then splits out to the sides. Essentially, one opens down the middle while the other follows the perimeter of the opening. This is nice as it provides some options for entry, while offering a distinct “front” and “back” door. The outer layer of the doors are of course water resistant canvas, which have a full vertical zipper and Velcro tabs both as a reinforcement and to allow a quick way to close them up when the stability of the zipper is need. The negatives here are when it’s raining it can take some time to get inside. You have to go through the Velcro tabs, the outer zipper, then the center zipper, which can be somewhat time consuming. When it’s nice out this is no problem, but in the rain it’s a little bit inconvenient as the tabs can re-attach themselves while working with the zipper, further slowing you down. In nicer weather, these can all be rolled back, including the mesh inner door, and it’s clear sailing. One can literally step right through with no impedance. It’s a normal tent issue, but a little more frustrating here due to the size, length of the zippers, lack of a vestibule, and the layers required for entry. Still, it’s not the worse scenario and doesn’t come up that often as, generally speaking, when it is raining you probably want to stay inside the tent anyway.

Ventilation on the Rover Scout is just fantastic. The entire perimeter of the tent and the doors can be unzipped/unrolled to reveal full insect proof mesh on all of the walls. This allows for a full breeze on nice days that blows through, front to back or side to side. Panels can also be selectively unzipped to moderate how much air comes through. In less than ideal conditions the doors can be partially unrolled to still allow some air to blow through, without letting rain inside. This allows for excellent heat regulation or even heat retention on colder days, with everything buttoned up tight. Condensation is minimal, and if it does build up it’s not an issue at the sleeping area is protected by the mesh panels.

The storage bag for the Rover Scout with the tent inside is as expected, large and quite heavy. At just north of 50 pounds, the Rover Scout isn’t exactly a light shelter and the storage duffel bag represents that well . It packs down to about the size of a small adult, but does include a couple of carry straps. It’s not pleasant to move around solo as the straps lack any padding and dig into the shoulders almost instantly. Thankfully the tent isn’t expected to be carried very far and with two people it’s actually quite easy, using the handles on the ends of the bag. It comes out of the bag without much fuss but getting it back inside isn’t always easy. This is due to the opening being only on the far end of the duffel, meaning you have to roll up the tent the slide it in. Given the weight, this creates some friction and the bag tends to move around. It’s much easier with two people, but I would much preferred the storage duffel to have a long, lengthwise zipper so the tent could just be rolled up and dropped straight in. Still, it feels durable enough and does get the job done.

Overall

The Rover Scout is a great shelter. It’s big, spacious, extremely enjoyable to camp in, and it has undeniably good vibes. I absolutely adored being able to roll up all the canvas walls to allow the wind to blow through or just to enjoy the scenery around me. It’s definitely heavy and not very pleasant to carry or pack up, but it’s actually quite easy to setup, holds stable in foul weather, and is built extremely well. I can’t get over the retro-modern stylistic appeal either. If the classic camping experience is what you are searching for, I really adore this option for 1, 2, or 3 people.

Highly Recommended

Want to learn more about this product and their other offerings? You can check out their products Here. This is not an affiliate link.

For information on our rating system and our testing procedures, check out our About us/ Contact us page.

Big thanks to White Duck for sending this over for review. I reached out and they were happy to provide me sample for testing. We couldn’t do this without their support.

Our full disclosure can be found on our about us page. Thanks as always for reading! Don’t forget to follow our blog for future updates and reviews (link on the right also).

If you have any questions, comment below, send us an email, or find us on Twitter or Facebook (links on the right).