Whether you’re thinking of hitting the road or staying close to home for your next car-camping adventure, you and your loved ones will need a comfortable place to sleep. 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 ozark trail screen house much easier. I like that it’s made to fold up compactly so it can easily fit into the back of my car when I’m heading out for a day at the lake. While the Ozark Trail Outdoorsman Tent is sturdy and durable, it’s quite heavy to lug around. We struggled a bit with transporting it to our camping spot, but we managed with some assistance.
We found this setup process easy because it didn’t rely on many moving parts or analytical thinking. The Eurmax Standard 10×10 is very functional, followed closely by the E-Z Up Pyramid, Clam Outdoors Quick-Set Escape, and Eureka Tagalong Shelter. All four of these models maximize space and offer several features that make them very livable. The Quick-Set Escape offers a massive, fully enclosed living space, and the Eureka Tagalong dons extra pockets, hooks, and attached sandbags. The center trusses on the Eurmax hang lower than we would prefer, limiting the available headspace, but this is our only caveat.
We assembled and disassembled the tents on all of our testing sites multiple times. We tried the rain fly for each tent as well, one time rushing to get several of them up during an unexpected rainstorm at night. When heavy trade winds buffeted our Oahu-coast testing site, we pitched each tent in full face of the blast. We then rotated the tents looking for structural weaknesses, and we tested their guy lines and tabs to see which tents had the best and most intuitive design for withstanding wind. The Ozark Trail Screen House 14X12 is a versatile and durable outdoor living space that provides protection against insects while allowing for an airy and comfortable atmosphere.
First things first, the Interpon AkzoNobel powder coating gave the screen house a protective layer that has definitely earned its keep in my backyard. The champagne aluminum frame added a touch of elegance, though I must admit, I haven’t had much luck keeping leaves and dirt off the surface. Overall, I highly recommend the Ozark Trail 12-Person Cabin Tent with Convertible Screen Room for those looking for a spacious, versatile, and comfortable camping solution. It’s a great choice for families and friends who want to enjoy nature without sacrificing comfort.
The Pacific Breeze Easy Up and the Qipi Beach Cabana came in just behind the top scorers. This position is primarily due to their larger packed sizes, which makes them slightly more difficult to carry and store. The Qipi, in particular, has a much longer packed size and, at nearly 10 pounds, it’s heavier than the others mentioned above. The Easy Up may have been the lightest in our list of top scorers, but it also comes in a longer packed size, which affected its overall score. You may want to compare the Easy Up against the Qipi Beach Cabana, the Eureka Tagalong Shelter, and the Neso 1.
In fact, it’s so large it feels like a proper home away from home. No need for complicated instructions or hours of assembly; it was an effortless set up, a plus during our camping trip. And, as a bonus, it was incredibly comfortable with a good 7-foot ceiling height, providing enough room for everyone. My recent adventure with the Ozark Trail Screen House was nothing short of unforgettable. While camping in the wilderness, I needed a shelter to enjoy the great outdoors without getting bitten by insects. This screen house, a 13×9 ft wonder, served its purpose to the fullest.
One wall comes fully unzipped and stashes into an internal pocket. Like the REI model, the L.L.Bean tent has ample interior pockets, a lantern hook, and a roomy carrying bag, though the bag is of the typical drawstring-sack variety. The shelter has a 10-by-10-foot footprint—the most common size for tents of this type—and a peak height of 7 feet.
The aluminum poles are quite long and awkward to maneuver, and it takes extra time to slide them through the fabric sleeves and bow them into place. We found the V-Series just as easy to set up as the other cathedral canopies we tested; however, it scored a little lower because it still incorporates spring-loaded adjustment pins to lock it into place. These pins are a little harder to use, especially during takedown, and they are more likely to pinch the skin. If your budget is tight, the Pacific Breeze Easy Up is an inexpensive beach canopy that provides the essentials for a quick, hassle-free setup but may not be built to endure many summers of use. If you can spend a bit more and want a more traditional cathedral shape, the Caravan V-Series is a good choice. We are also very impressed with the overall value the Coleman 10×10 Sun Shelter brings to the table.