ozark trail instant cabinLooking at the poles, your options come down to steel, aluminum, and fiberglass, ranked from strongest to weakest in the order they’ve been listed. However, the quality of the tent fabric itself is a little less straightforward.The durability of fabric is measured using denier. Since denier is an indicator of the thickness of the thread used in a material, it follows that the higher the denier, the more resilient the fabric is.
ozark trail canopy tentWherever you are in your journey, whatever gear you’re searching for, you can be sure to find unbiased and up-to-date reviews for all of your needs. Ease of setup (how easy it is to pitch and take down a tent) is pretty much always a high mark for Ozark Trail tents. These tents are built for first-time and/or fairweather campers, so Ozark Trail puts a lot of effort into making them easy to use. The one exception to the rule here is for the larger cabin-style tents, especially those with an “instant tent” design that uses pre-attached poles.
There is a large double size door with 2 zippers so you can open it from any of the two front rooms. The back room is without its own external door, but there is a window on the back, see the picture. This is why I have added this tent to my list of camping tents with closets. The packed size is typical for the instant tents, and one dimension is relatively long, 48 x 10 x 10 in (122 x 25 x 25 cm). With that being said, Ozark Trail does a good job of seam-sealing their tents from the factory in most cases, and with a little help, these budget-shelters can keep you dry when unexpected rain hits.
ozark trail canopy tentThe last thing you want to do is fumble around with an excessive number of poles and 20 pounds of tent material.Ozark Trail tents tend to be quite large, and large tents can be frustrating to put together. However, the manufacturers seemed to be aware of this, which is why they created most Ozark Trail tents with an instant design. Unroll the tent fabric on the ground, and pop everything into place in a matter of seconds. It doesn’t get much easier than that, and when you’re working with something as large as a 14 person tent, you’ll be very glad to have the convenience. We love the center height, at 7 feet and with a cabin design, it creates these huge interiors that feel like a house when you’re inside. Then when you’re inside its got a ton of cool features that help group camping and support the extra gear you’ll be taking.
All Ozark Trail poles are either steel alloy or fiberglass, and the fabrics used throughout the tent are typically on the thinner side. Again, not a deal-breaker, but don’t expect these tents to stand up to the same use and abuse as their premium alternatives from brands. Despite what you may have read, you can absolutely enjoy an outdoors experience in an Ozark Trail tent. It’s a cool tent all around, but our favorite feature has to be the 360-degree views delivered courtesy of this yurt’s giant mesh windows. There are three of these large floor-level windows along the walls of the tent, plus the giant mesh doorway that can be left open in good weather. Having room to spread out inside a tent is great, but unless it’s after dark or raining, chances are you won’t be spending any more time inside your shelter than you absolutely have to.