The Clam Quick-Set Escape was by far the toughest canopy tent we tested. It’s made with reinforced polyester and heavyweight no-see-um mesh, and it comes with the strongest stakes we’ve seen on any tent. The Clam also sets up and folds down with remarkable speed—we ozark trail chairs timed the process at 60 seconds. However, this model is too big to fit in the trunks of most sedans, and the muted colors look good when it’s sunny but can feel a bit gloomy if it’s already rainy out. Not sure which canopy will deliver the best bang for your buck?
However, the weight of the tent was something I had to consider. At 16.7 lbs, it may not be the lightest option, but the included carry bag made transportation and storage much easier. I like that it’s made to fold up compactly so it can easily fit into the ozark trail screen house back of my car when I’m heading out for a day at the lake. However, as much as I appreciate the design and functionality of this tent, I’ve encountered a few drawbacks. Firstly, the mesh room lacks a floor, making it less useful for keeping insects at bay.
The REI Co-op Screen House Shelter is an intuitively designed, easy-to-erect picnic tent that offers protection from sun, bugs, and mild rain showers. In early March, we took our second trip to the oceanside Sycamore Canyon Campground (PDF) near Oxnard, California. A later check of the weather at nearby Point Mugu Naval Air Station confirmed top recorded wind gusts of 40 miles per hour. Its fully enclosed design protects users from sun, wind, rain, and bugs, making it a perfect shelter for camping.
The durable steel support poles and fiberglass pole roof gave us confidence in the product’s sturdiness, even in windy conditions. Overall, the tent provided a comfortable living space, with its screen porch offering extra ventilation while keeping bugs away. Despite the minor issue I faced, I believe the Ozark Trail Tent is a suitable option for families looking for a large and functional camping tent.
It always cost more than our top pick, but the price has gone up another $150 since we first tested it. Kalee Thompson is an editor covering health, fitness, baby, and kid gear. She has personally tested a dozen tents and an equal number of hair dryers. We love the size of the tent and we used it for a week with no problems. The second time we set it up one of the poles snapped and now I can’t find where I can get replacement poles.
Our experts teamed up to develop a rigorous test plan, which we applied to every canopy tent in this review. We learn a lot about each model by testing in varying environments, including mountains, forests, lakes, beaches, and dunes. Each canopy was set up and broken down repeatedly to assess its ease of use and craftsmanship, separating the well-designed from the failure-prone or confusing models.
Though all of these shelters are self-standing and staking them may not be strictly necessary in calm weather, it’s wise to always do so in case the wind picks up unexpectedly. Before staking out a tent, make sure all of its doors are zipped closed to avoid staking it too tightly and straining the zippers. Like regular camping tents, these camping gazebos are not intended to be left up for extended periods, as the fabrics are susceptible to UV damage. The canopy tent has mesh walls on all four sides and an edge of polyester fabric (also DWR treated) at the ground that deters mosquitos and other critters from invading from below. Like many tents of this type, the REI Screen House Shelter has a fabric hook in the center of the ceiling that accommodates a small lantern or other light.
This massive, 10×10 fully enclosed canopy packs down small and only weighs 13 pounds. It’s the ultimate mosquito net that is also lightweight and compact enough to hitch a ride on any adventure trip. After weeks of testing, we have thrown a few penalty flags on the field.