From a positive perspective, the lightweight design increases portability which is certainly important in carrying the tent to its intended location. From a negative perspective, the weight is indicative of a lack of high quality material and components used throughout the shelter. The included carrying bag does not have wheels to aid in transportation, but at only 29 lbs.
I don’t know why they didn’t put a straight zipper in the center with two straight zippers across the bottom. That design would probably be more durable long term. Ozark Trail has re-innovated its sun shelter models since the 2080 model, made prior ozark trail sun shelter to 2011. The newer generations include a Model W418.1A 8-foot-by-6-foot sun shelter with two poles that slide through pockets. The other model, the Ozark Trail 8-foot-by-8-foot Instant Sun Shade, is an unfolding model with its tent poles attached.
Again, Ozark Trail tents are mainly fair weather camping tents (so you won’t be hiking into the backcountry with them) which means weight and packed size aren’t a big priority. The Ozark Trail 9 Person Cabin shares the same shortcomings as the other discount cabins found in the Ozark Trail lineup, most notably being its weather protection and ozark trail sun shelter durability. We also don’t recommend this tent for high winds because although all the poles are steel, Ozark Trail uses a thin-walled alloy that can bend under stress and plastic hubs that we wouldn’t trust in serious storms. As far as fairweather shelters go, however, this one may be the best value in terms of livability for your money.
This screened-in shelter also gets high points for its price, which is always a selling point with an Ozark Trail tent, but this one represents a particularly good value considering all its features. This isn’t an instant tent, but ease of use is still a high point of this model thanks to the simple setup. Just slide the roof poles into place, then plug the side and corner poles into their designated hubs and raise it all up. Two people can get this cabin set up in about five minutes, but setting the 2 Room Cabin up solo isn’t out of the question either. You can escape harsh sun rays on the beach or in your own backyard by using an Ozark Trail Sun Shelter, made by North Pole Limited. The shelter is a three-sided, dome-shaped tent that easily packs up to carry on your outdoor adventures.
With that being said, Ozark Trail does a good job of seam-sealing their tents from the factory in most cases, and with a little help, these budget-shelters can keep you dry when unexpected rain hits. Take time to treat the entire tent with a DWR coating like Nikwax (not just the rainfly) and never leave the house without a tent repair kit in case disaster strikes. Layout wise is virtually identical to the Core Instant Cabin we evaluated for our 10 person tent roundup, but delivers those same massive interior dimensions for about $100 less. Cabin-style construction means vertical walls and impressively high ceilings (they’re over 7 feet) span the length of the tent, so you’ll have plenty of room to spread out even with two queen-sized mattresses inside. Ozark Trail is all about big family camping tents on a budget, and few are as big and budget-friendly as the Ozark Trail 10 Person Two-Room Cabin.