A headlamp can be useful for car camping, completing a DIY home-improvement project, taking your dog on late-night walks, and digging in the back of a dark closet, among other things. And if you need a headlamp for running—or you want one for a kid—we have options for those scenarios, too. The biggest material difference between the Sundome and our other picks is its crunchy, tarp-like polyethylene floor. The other tents in this guide all have bathtub-style tape-seamed polyester floors, which is the standard among high-quality tents.
The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent is the best car-camping tent choice for couples. It has everything you need for three-season camping, with the bonus of being light enough to double as an occasional backpacking tent. Although it’s designed to accommodate three people—hence the “3” in its name—we found that at 42.5 square feet, the tent is more comfortable for two, plus gear ozark trail canopy and maybe a medium-size dog. 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.
Getting the fly placed and staked properly took about five more minutes. Like the Mineral King 3, the Tungsten 4 has a mesh canopy, though the opaque polyester part of its walls go higher, and provide more privacy, than the Mineral King’s. Its tape-seamed bathtub floor and fly had no problem handling rain. The Tungsten’s fly is not adaptable in the same way the Mineral King 3’s is, but it is treated for extra UV protection, which should help lengthen the tent’s lifespan.
Take in the views of the Ozark Mountains on this long downhill par 4. Keep your tee shot left to avoid the large bunker along the right side of the fairways. This green slopes away from left to right with multiple bunkers short of the green. Enjoy the game’s pristine water features, large fairways and greens, and spectacular 19th hole—the Big Rock at Payne’s Valley™.
(This also made the battery last longer.) The lowest setting is 6 lumens, which is bright enough to read a map by. Rainbow lights make this kids headlamp fun to play with during camping trips or backyard adventures. Whether you’re headed into the backcountry or just taking your dog on a nighttime walk, with a good headlamp you’ll never be caught in the dark.