Speaking of camp tables Ozark Trail actually includes a small table with this shelter, which mounts at the base of the main support pole to make the most of the tent’s interior 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 ozark trail instant cabin and organization another high point of the tent. Like most dome-style tents, the Wireless 6 withstands wind like a champ—it fared noticeably better than the Camp Creek 6 in 15-mph gusts. The continuous curve of the dome shape allows for wind to pass over and around it. You can also get a nice cross breeze going by leaving the vestibules open.
The separate fly, which covers the upper half of the tent, uses a third, shorter “brow” pole to form protective peaks over the door and the back window. In our tests, an experienced camper took only about six minutes on the first try to set up the tent body alone and stake it out. Getting the fly placed and staked properly took about five more minutes.
Generally speaking, if you go into buying an Ozark Trail tent with reasonable expectations, you won’t be disappointed. None of these tents are designed to hold up in a serious thunderstorm. They’re not built for heavy winds, and they certainly aren’t made to stand up to heavy snow.
It is also important to consider the way in which the tent poles attach to the tent. Many of our picks use grommet attachments, which are more secure and simple to repair than key attachments if anything should break. Even so, you should, ideally, stake down each corner securely; ozark trail canopy tent in some crowded campgrounds, however, finding a flat spot with soil soft enough to do that can be difficult. While the waterproofing on this tent is good, it is recommended you provide added protection with water-resistant spray you can pick up at any outdoor store.
Just slide the roof poles into place, then plug the side and corner poles into their designated hubs and raise it all up. Two people can get this cabin set up in about five minutes, but setting the 2 Room Cabin up solo isn’t out of the question either. The mattresses that I used in the picture above are slightly smaller than queen size, but almost queen-sized, give or take a couple of inches. These 4 mattresses take up the entire tent, and there’s hardly any space leftover for camping gear.
Keep cool with the oversized ground vent, which can also fit an air conditioner. The Ozark Trail 16′ x 16′ Instant Cabin Tent sleeps 12 and can be set up in under 2 minutes. The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent is the best car-camping tent choice for couples. It has everything you need for three-season camping, with the bonus of being light enough to double as an occasional backpacking tent. Although it’s designed to accommodate three people—hence the “3” in its name—we found that at 42.5 square feet, the tent is more comfortable for two, plus gear and maybe a medium-size dog. A classic polyester dome tent, the Mineral King 3 uses two high-quality pre-bent aluminum poles, which maximize head and shoulder space, making this tent feel less cramped than other dome tents we tested.
The tent doors are nearly wall-sized, and after you unzip them, you simply stuff them into pockets, rather than having to roll and toggle-tie the fabric. Another two hanging pockets plus loops for a ceiling hammock provide simple yet effective interior storage. 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. (Still, we suggest that you buy a groundsheet.) The tent has two small, internal pockets—fewer than on any of our other picks—and a loop at the ceiling center to hang a small, lightweight light.
No assembly is required; this shelter is ready to go right out of the box and can be fully deployed in less than a minute. We do admit there is a small learning curve to setting up the Escape, but once you’re locked in, popping this canopy into place is really fun and even somewhat addictive. We found that company representatives are reluctant to estimate the lifespan of their tents. When pushed, most of the reps we talked to estimated five to 10 years, though the actual lifespan will vary widely depending on care and frequency of use (for more advice, read REI’s excellent tips). In conducting research for this guide, we heard multiple tales of careful campers who had been using the same tent for 15 years or more. A senior staff writer at Wirecutter, Kit Dillon has written about everything from backpacks and cooking gear to luggage and road-tripping.