These features all work together to make a tent feel more like your home away from home and less like a makeshift shelter in the woods. With that being said, there are a few things you’ll want to know going into your purchase. First, all Ozark Trail tents should be considered “fair-weather” shelters.
Yes, we all want a big spacious tent with room for plush sleeping quarters, but we also recommend looking for the little features that can elevate your camping experience. Interior storage is a great example, as all those little mesh pockets help keep things organized and off the floor. Screen rooms, shade awnings, storage vestibules, and privacy dividers are also great examples of livability-added features.
While both Coleman and Ozark Trail are highly inexpensive family camping tents, this is where Ozark Trail outshines Coleman. While I paid between $250 to $350 for both my 10-Person Coleman Tents, I paid only about $100 for the Ozark Trail 10-Person Cabin Tent, which is less than half the price of my Coleman tents. The easiest models to pitch are pretty much always “instant tent” shelters, which use a system of preattached poles than only need to be unfolded and locked into place. With that being said, we have yet to see an Ozark Trail tent that’s actually “difficult” to set up, so there’s no reason to limit your search to “instant-only” if you don’t mind putting your own poles together. Large dome tents are also an option, and although they’re a little less flashy, they have some perks of their own.
We put the lightweight Cool Cabana pop up beach canopy to the test during an East Coast vacation. I’ve only been to Exuma once but my heart resides in Eleuthera. I actually think I may have purchased another type of pop-up shelter once upon a time. I will investigate the garage and report back if I find anything worthwhile. I won’t have much time in Nassau to shop and I heard that everything (except conch) costs significantly more there than in the US. I get check-in baggage for free and therefore don’t mind carrying the shelter with me.
A subreddit for campers concerned more about the act of camping and less concerned about hiking long distances or light gear. Browse Ozark Trail’s top-rated hiking and camping gear and more. I continually snooped on other campers to see what I missed on other brands. The cup holders seem ridiculous, since food should never be taken in a tent.
I actually made a great video that shows you how to set up the Ozark Trail instant sun shelter. Sometimes it’s easier to watch someone set it up and talk about it, rather than read a review. Feel free to check out the video below, or you can scroll on down and read more about the sun shade. I am all about saving a few bucks with Walmart’s camping gear.
This will be coming with us to the beach and any sporting outings where we will be exposed to the weather. I need a break from the Pacific NW clouds and rain sometimes. ozark trail sleeping bag I go out to the rural part of the state where it is hot and dry. While this is amazing for evenings around the camp fire, the day time in the sun can be brutal.
We’ve also put together a handy buyer’s guide down at the bottom as a resource for shoppers who are new to the Ozark Trail brand, so make sure to check it out. There you’ll find all the info you could ever want on the materials, build quality, and weather-worthiness of these affordable tents. Store the sun shelter when it is completely dry to prevent mildew. Slide one of the short tent poles into the sleeve on top of the shelter body, with the pointed tip toward the front of the shelter.
First, although this is an instant tent, the unique layout and integrated awning make setup a little more involved than most. Second, the tall vertical walls and “L” shape make it about as far from aerodynamic as they come. Do NOT phone in the guyline portion of set-up (regardless of the weather) or you’ll risk damaging the tent. Finally, the material of this shelter is noticeably higher quality than many Ozark Trail tents, but the 68D polyester is still not as thick as we’d like.