Since it serves both short backpacking trips and car camping, the value increases. Since 1898, OL has been a leading authority in testing and reviewing hunting gear, fishing tackle, guns and shooting equipment, and much more. We have more than a century-long history of evaluating products, and we’re now bringing that expertise to online reviews. Our editors are experienced outdoorsmen and women, and most importantly, we’re trained journalists. We prioritize field testing and objective data when reviewing products. We conduct interviews with gear manufacturers and engineers as well as outdoor experts so that our readers have an understanding of how and why a product works—or doesn’t.
The Wawona 6 rainfly only covers the side mesh a little bit, allowing for moisture to sneak through in windy situations, but it remains a burly tent in every other way. One of the more surprising tents to score so well in this category is the very tall REI Co-op Wonderland 4. Thanks to a ridiculous amount of stakes and guylines, this tent holds strong in bad weather, and with the large mesh top and large side vents, the tent breaths quite well. We put the Marmot Limestone 4 up against the wicked hot days of the southern California desert and the windy nights of Reno, NV. Its shape held up perfectly to both, and the full-covered rainfly kept everything dry. Two extra poles on the tent’s roof add just enough extra height to feel open without turning it into a flat-walled sail.
Weighing just 7 pounds, the tent is light enough to double for backpacking trips, especially if you divide the pieces among hikers. Shoppaypay is a timeless culmination of refined luxury – fresh. Browse Ozark Trail’s top-rated tents and shelters and more.
Unfortunately, you have to buy a separate groundsheet for the Wawona 6 and for most other tents its size as well. Its walls are 75-denier polyester fabric (tougher than the Wireless 6’s 68-denier polyester and the same as the REI Co-op Base Camp’s) that extends about two-thirds up the tent’s sides, and then is topped with mesh. The partial fly does a great job of keeping rain out of the upper, mesh areas, and cleverly placed vents maintain airflow so it never feels too stuffy.
The tent itself has just two poles that cross like a dome tent, although it feels more like a cabin tent. It comes with a rainfly that has a bit of an overhang at the entrance to keep rain and bugs out. To tear it down again, you simply remove those stakes, then push the buttons attached to the red pulls.
We took this experience, coupled with a rigorous and detailed testing plan, and got to work finding a diverse set of tents for consideration. And unless you have a camping fan you plan on using, you’ll want a tent that circulates airflow, especially at night. Look for tents that feature windows, multiple doors, and multiple mesh screens to circulate ozark trail canopy tent air so you don’t sweat through your sleeping bag. After all, fresh air is why you came camping in the first place. You shouldn’t have to trade convenience for solid construction. Some high-end instant tents, and even some affordable ones, feature materials that are waterproof, UV-resistant, and strong enough to outlast bad weather.
Although it earned fairly low scores across the board, we did like one unique feature of the Coleman Camp Burst Dark Room 4. In this metric, we certainly focused on how many people a tent would sleep, but we also considered any special features that made each tent stand out from the rest. And, when the optional rain fly is affixed, there is almost no light at all. Jason Wanlass, who has spent the last 20 years of his life exploring the outdoors, joins Rob. He is an experienced backpacker who has trekked in Iceland, Nepal, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Argentina, and Chile’s Patagonia Region.
An avid hiker, camper, and long-haul road-tripper, Claire Wilcox has slept in (and occasionally improvised) tents in 11 states. She covers outdoor gear for Wirecutter and worked on the most recent update of this guide, testing couples’ tents and family tents. The Wawona 6 is a long-standing champ in our review for many reasons, not least of which is how well it has withstood the test of time. The main tent is made out of 150D polyester taffeta, the floor out of 68D polyester, and the poles are DAC MX — strong and light. And, of course, all seams are seam-sealed with a tub-style floor. Memorial Day is just around the corner, but there’s still time to organize a summer kickoff to remember.
Starting bright and early, we have you covered with the best camping stoves and a top-rated camping coffee maker to get breakfast cranking to reading by a top-rated lantern in your tent at night. While this review focuses on car camping, we have also tested some of the best backpacking gear for those interested in ditching the car and the crowds. To find more tents, see our review covering the best tents of all kinds. Pop-up tents are meant to be easy, quick and a one-person operation. With a larger tent, like the Core 9-Person, you may need a hand or two, but even the four-person tents, like the Magellan Outdoors Pro SwiftRise 4-Person Hub Tent, only took one person to put up.