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.
I always put a large tarp over my tent, so I stay dry whether the tent leaks or not. I had a small 4 by 6 tent that everyone laughed at when we went camping. It’s amazing how the tent, poles, and fly all fit into the carry-bag and I can still carry it at age 69. Although I expect limited opportunity to use one, I’m hoping to be able to find a new one, just in case. My wife and I bought this tent at Wal-mart when our son and daughter were about 12 and 9 respectively. Our daughter’s daughter (now 18) took it this weekend on her first solo campout.
Having room to spread out inside a tent is great, but unless it’s after dark or raining, chances are you won’t be spending any more time inside your shelter than you absolutely have to. Nobody wants to spend all day sitting in direct sunlight either though, and that’s where a tent with a screen room like this Ozark Trail 9 Person Cabin comes into play. Every year, thousands of new campers get their first taste of the outdoors in an Ozark Trail tent. Their combination of space and affordability catches the eye of many campers, but the details on these shelters can be lacking.
Here’s the reason I only gave it 4 and a half stars though. They are fiberglass (which when fiberglass tent poles are made a certain amount of plastic is added to the mix to keep the fiberglass from breaking as it is bent and flexed). These poles that came with it had more plastic mixed in with the fiberglass than they should have. Whether you have a model with sewn-in or separate poles, you’ll want to unpack it at home the first time. It’s easier to familiarize yourself with the process in the comfort of your own backyard or living room, away from the wind.
We don’t find that to be a noteworthy drawback as the nylon handles and shoulder strap work just fine in carrying the tent. The most popular product in their line is the 10×10 Instant Slant Leg Tent with a blue canopy top. It is made with a steel construction frame and polyester material for the canopy, which is in line with just about every shade tent on the market today. The frame is that of a pyramid structure, which are generally found in all value brand canopy tents as they require less material to manufacture vs. that of a full truss system and as a result can keep the price lower. The Ozark Trail canopy very well might be one of the best selling 10×10 tent brands of all time. The easily recognizable logo has been seen by nearly everyone at youth soccer tournaments or beach vacations in recent years.
First off, dome tents are typically less expensive since they have fewer total parts and less sophisticated frames. Second, dome tents tend to fare better in bad weather because they’re rounded shapes are more aerodynamic. Ozark Trail tents are pretty much all “fair-weather” shelters, but dome tents get the advantage here. It’s a cool tent all around, but our favorite feature has to be the 360-degree views delivered courtesy of this yurt’s giant mesh windows. There are three of these large floor-level windows along the walls of the tent, plus the giant mesh doorway that can be left open in good weather.
Both models of the Ozark Trail shelter come with tent pegs and sandbags to secure your shelter against wind. Simply push or hammer the pegs through the metal rings along the edges of the tent or fill the empty sandbags to provide a counterweight. For windier conditions, bring paracord to secure the metal rings to a log, boulder or tree for more stability. I had purchased the item about eight months before getting to use it. Customer service stated that it was past the point where the purchase populated in their system. If used heavily, I can not see this product making it through a full camping or outdoor season.
All Ozark Trail poles are either steel alloy or fiberglass, and the fabrics used throughout the tent are typically on the thinner side. Again, not a deal-breaker, but don’t expect these tents to stand up to the same use and abuse as their premium alternatives from brands. Despite what you may have read, you ozark trail screen house can absolutely enjoy an outdoors experience in an Ozark Trail tent. The Ozark Trail Three Room Instant Cabin takes our top spot as the best Ozark Trail tent. With room for 12 and nearly seven-foot ceilings, it checks all our boxes for a big family tent, but even as cabin shelters go, this one is special.