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. Two large doors provide easy entry and exit, and a vestibule—that’s camping speak for “mudroom”—outside each door adds significant sheltered storage. The Mineral King 3 has a full rain fly, which you can roll up halfway or completely remove for epic stargazing.
The inside was nice and spacious and I appreciated the blue ambience on what was otherwise a strangely dark and gloomy day for late May. I arrived at the group site Friday midday to get everything set up. During that initial phase, ozark trail shower tent I considered how intuitive (or not) the tents were to assemble, durability of the component parts, and the size and shape of the footprint. It is also important to consider the way in which the tent poles attach to the tent.
But all our testers, including our tallest panelists, gravitated toward this tent.
The product line, including its tents, should remain available through the end of 2024. Measuring 10 by 10 feet, the Sundome covers an area larger than that of our family-tent top pick though its lower roof leaves it with less headroom. But it’s one of the least expensive tents we found that had no significant drawbacks and will truly cover your bases for three-season camping. The tent also comes with its own footprint, a groundsheet that protects the tent from abrasion, which we recommend that you have. We also appreciated the shepherd’s hook stakes that come with the tent.
Overall, these poles—all of them aluminum—contribute to a particularly sturdy structure, with or without the rain fly. During our testing, our Base Camp shrugged off both a rainstorm and a desert windstorm as if they were nothing. Despite losing some headroom in comparison with the Kelty Wireless 6 and The North Face Wawona 6, both of which measure six-foot-four in height, the Base Camp 6 offers a substantial six-foot-two. After researching 30 six-person tents and testing 15 side by side on a total of five trips, we chose the Kelty Wireless 6 as the best entry-level camping tent for most families.
Note that these tents are strictly meant for car camping; the Base Camp 4 and the Base Camp 6 weigh 16 and 21 pounds, respectively, so you won’t want to carry either one very far. Both come with storage sacks that you sling over one shoulder. If you can afford to spend more on a family tent, we recommend The North Face Wawona 6.
The Kelty Wireless 6 is a spacious tent that is easy to pitch, and it offers solid weather protection and durability for a reasonable price. Like the Mineral King 3, it has a simple, dome-style design that maximizes livability and minimize headaches. With 87 square feet of interior space, plus 28 square feet ozark trail canopy tent of vestibule space, the polyester tent fits four adults comfortably, or two adults with two or three children, with plenty of room to store gear and muddy boots. (As its name indicates, it’s meant to house six people, but we wouldn’t recommend that.) The Wireless 6 has two large doors and a full rain fly.
It’s the perfect choice for three-season multipurpose camping. Super spacious and received many compliments from other campers. We are a family of 6 and we fit 3 queen beds and there was space for 4. The closets stored all of our gear without having things on the floor and the space between them fit a projector ozark trail shower tent screen perfectly. The rainfly provided sufficient coverage, and there were a reasonable number of windows and doors, which also helps to prevent water incursion. There were even some different style stakes provided which hold better in soft ground (like we had around our testing site), a detail I appreciated.