Best Ozark Trail Tent in 2023: Our Top Picks

While that one commands a higher price tag and slightly bigger dimensions, the Ozark Trail 9 Person Instant Cabin Tent is a more budget-friendly tent, with an equal amount of family-orientated features. Chances are, though, you won’t want to spend half your trip setting up your tent. Manufacturers have found clever ways to make tent setup easier, including attaching the poles to the material so there are no pieces to assemble. Some family tents can be erected as quickly as 60 seconds, especially once you’ve gotten the hang of it. Shawna Newman is the editor-in-chief of Active Weekender, a website that provides resources — from gear recommendations to beginner tips — to people looking to plan outdoor adventures.

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 tent includes 3 rooms, so you have the main cabin with a removable ozark trail instant cabin divider, plus an unusual addition attached to the rear side of the main cabin body. Ozark Trail is all about big family camping tents on a budget, and few are as big and budget-friendly as the Ozark Trail 10 Person Two-Room Cabin.

First, although this is an instant tent, the unique layout and integrated awning make setup a little more involved than most. Second, the tall vertical walls and “L” shape make it about as far from aerodynamic as they come. Do NOT phone in the guyline portion of set-up (regardless of the weather) or you’ll risk damaging the tent. Finally, the material of this shelter is noticeably higher quality than many Ozark Trail tents, but the 68D polyester is still not as thick as we’d like. No Ozark Trail tent is perfect, but as far as full-size family camping tents go, this is the one to beat.

The divider is a curtain which attaches to the ceiling and the walls by toggles, see the picture below, so it gives a minimal privacy. If you do not need it closed, you can fix its wall to the cabin walls on the side, see the picture below. The three-room cabin is definitely one of Ozark Trail’s more expensive models though, so if you’re shopping on a budget, there are plenty of other models worth considering. ozark trail instant cabin The Clip & Camp dome is particularly affordable, and also happens to be one of the most dependable models the brand currently makes. Livability describes the overall day-to-day experience of owning and using a tent, and tents that are more comfortable, convenient, and easy to use score the highest in terms of livability. He is a dedicated backcountry explorer and a trained Wilderness First Responder.

I didn’t think I had a large enough space in my backyard to pitch this tent (14×13.5) I barely squeezed it in my yard. I laid down a tarp before I took out the tent from its box and it took me about 15 minutes to put up (&and I don’t like reading instruction but it is on the inside of the duffle bag). The main selling point of this tent is the screen room that is attached to the exterior wall of the main tent. Screened rooms are great for providing a large space that you can enjoy the surrounding natural landscape in a mesh-enclosed environment. A nice touch on the rainfly is that it extends over the screen room so you can remain “indoors” while it pours, offering some respite during rained off days. Which is the main reason people opt for the screen rooms, for that little area to chill in.