The easily recognizable logo has been seen by nearly everyone at youth soccer tournaments or beach vacations in recent years. We wanted to do an in-depth review of this popular instant shelter and ultimately give our recommendation as to if this value brand tent is worth the lower price point vs. the higher quality but more expensive competition. 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 Sundome’s tarp is clearly a budget material, but for what it was, we found it user-friendly.
I am preparing for a camping trip of 10 days and nights down in Florida where it rains a lot and the wind sometimes is pretty strong so I am wondering if the fly will stay put. There is a large space between it and the top of the tent that might be a trap for strong wind so the fly gets ripped off. I think I will go shopping this week for another tent that I feel better about. Otherwise I like the tent but do not trust it to hold up in severe conditions. We’ve tested (and recommended) Eureka tents in past versions of this guide.
Its fly extends into a huge front vestibule that can store large items like bikes, or even accommodate a table and chairs. Adults over 6 feet tall will be able to walk upright inside this tent—which has almost-vertical walls that can easily accommodate beds, cribs, and cots—as well as in the vestibule. The Coleman Instant Cabin makes getting camp set up quicker and easier than ever.
While it might not sound like much, that is a difference of 64 sq. Ft. of shade coverage which we find to be quite significant. You’ll be able to comfortably fit up to 4 chairs underneath the 64 sq. The ozark trail backpack benefit of the slanted legs is that these tents are more stable laterally which can increase the stability of the frame and make it less prone to toppling, an important benefit if on a windy beach.
If the Mineral King 3 is out of stock, or if you’d like a slightly larger tent, we recommend the Marmot Tungsten 4. The Tungsten 4 shares many of the Mineral King 3’s best features, and provides 10 square feet of additional living space as well as excellent weather protection—as long as you set it up properly. Like our top pick, the Tungsten 4 is a sturdy, two-door dome-style tent that can be deployed in about 5 minutes. It uses high-quality materials such as aluminum poles, breathable mesh, and water-resistant polyester fabric, and it comes with a full fly and a footprint. The Tungsten 4’s larger size accounts for the higher price tag (about $40 more), but campers who would like that extra room may find the expense worthwhile.
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I bought this tent and was very dissatisfied, two off the poles snapped right where they connect in the silver part. This is the first time to use this tent so it was brand new. When something says “waterproof” it does not mean it will not leak.
The Base Camp, by contrast, has four full-size aluminum struts woven throughout it, somewhat like a basket, plus an additional brow pole that frames the front entrance and supports the larger of the two vestibules. The Base Camp also offers more privacy compared with our other picks—with or without the rain fly. The geodesic structure of the Base Camp tents is built to withstand wind and rain. It has two main that thread through sleeves, stretching between the four corners of the tent.
I would not even think of unloading it on my worst enemy. I have tried to use it at our local beach and when ever the wind gets to 7-10 mph off we go chasing the tarp and that leaves the screen dome uncovered and in blew the sand. Once we tried it at the lake wind came up, off comes the tarp that with ozark trail chair a light rain everything got wet. Buy a couple of tarps…because you will need them.If and when I buy a new tent, I will go with Ozark again, and will not buy it from walmart….if you watch a doc. Called “Walmart, the high cost of low prices” it will explain to you why the product there is so cheap.
Better instructions on how it should be installed would have prevented the splintering, but I would rather have seen the “laundry room” not be an outside protrusion from the back of the tent. Rather it should have been a large pocket on the inside of the tent that requires no pole at all. There is a little cost savings in that design over the one that caused me to ruin my tent when the pole splintered and the appearance of the tent will be enhanced if the little black add-on at the rear is not there.