We’ve also put together a handy buyer’s guide down at the bottom as a resource for shoppers who are new to the Ozark Trail brand, so make sure to check it out. There you’ll find all the info you could ever want on the materials, build quality, and weather-worthiness of these affordable tents. Because of this reason, I personally think that this specific person got a used tent, that’s the reason why they got one with low quality flooring.
As a disclaimer, none of the Ozark Trail tents are going to be light enough for backpacking. Most of them come in somewhere between pounds, which is reasonable considering the sizes of the shelters, but still a bit excessive to carry long distances.So, this tent brand is for car campers only. Depending on your fitness level and the number of people helping you, it’s certainly possible to carry one of these tents a mile or so. However, I’d try to keep your campsite close to your car, so that you don’t have to make multiple trips across long stretches of trail. Ozark Trail only makes large tents, and it usually goes without saying that no one will stuff 12 people in a 12 person tent. Cabin tents with vertical walls allow you to get nice and close to the edges of the shelter, making the most of the available floor space.
The table includes four large hanging mesh pockets at its sides, which, along with the multiple pockets found along the walls of the Ozark Trail Yurt, make storage and organization another high point of the tent. The tent itself is nice and roomy, and boasts a 6-foot peak height to make changing clothes a drama-free endeavor. So the walls are steep and straight and the peak height along the main axes is 78 inches (198 cm). This is also an instant setup tent with the frame preattached to the tent, the declared setup time is 2 minutes only, see the steps shown in the picture below. Weight plays an important role when determining whether specific camping gear is right for you or not.
Nobody wants to spend all day sitting in direct sunlight either though, and that’s where a tent with a screen room like this Ozark Trail 9 Person Cabin comes into play. It will also work for anyone that’s sick and tired of the traditional 2-3 person tents and looking to upgrade. Trailspace’s community of gear reviewers has field-tested and rated the top warm weather tents. During my research on this tent I watched several YouTube videos on how to set up tent by yourself or with two people. This tent is a little heavy because of the steel poles pre-attached to the tent, so I recommend having a partner to help pop up and lock in the poles. Even with all the aforementioned features, the interior of the tent has a few more to increase your comfort level.
But the tent is with an awning, which needs another 8 x 6 ft in front of the entrance doors. This would mean that the ground area is of the shape + or a cross, and the two lengths are 14 and 20 ft. Though you do not need to use the awning if you don’t have enough ground. The tent includes 3 rooms, so you have the main cabin with a removable divider, plus an unusual addition attached to the rear side of the main cabin body. As stated above, durability and materials are the main pain point of Ozark Trail tents. The fabrics are often thinner and less technical (regular polyester rather than ripstop, etc.), and the poles are pretty much always made from cost-saving materials like fiberglass and thin steel alloy.
ozark trail shower tentBut you should certainly not miss staking it properly, the stakes and guylines are included in the package. A few very small pockets are on the wall, see the picture below, and I find this really inappropriate for such a big tent designed for 11 people. See this Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 tent which has 16 huge pockets (for 6 people). But there are no floor vents here, and this is not so great if you have to keep the panels on the windows closed.
ozark trail instant cabinI like my tents to have a denier over 100, but for light/moderate use, something around 50 works well too. If you’re looking to save money but still want that cabin tent experience, the Ozark Trail 10-Person Two-Room Cabin is tough to beat. If you’re willing to spend a few extra bucks (emphasis on few), the Ozark Trail 9-Person Cabin with a screen room gives some added livability at a similar price point. Second, Ozark Trail tents are affordable because they use very basic materials.
Cutting down setup time when you have minimal light to work with makes it extra convenient. Another situation where this instant style pays off is if you get to your campsite in the middle of a downpour, as you can trade of a minute or so in the rain for a quick shelter. Your tent won’t be air-conditioned, and things can get stuffy once you pack it full of people.
I have decided to show you this Ozark Trail tent side by side with some of its competitors with the same declared capacity. Weight-wise, with its 32.6 lb (14.8 kg) this is not a lightweight tent, but this is a normal weight for such a steel construction. You will see in the comparison table below that it is lighter than some of its competitors. This is a freestanding construction, self-supporting and stable as you can realize from the picture below which shows the tent without the fly.