We also tested at the Mountain Oak Campground, located an hour or so east of Los Angeles, where at night the temperatures stay much cooler than in the surrounding valleys. Here, we also faced an onslaught of no-see-ums (biting gnats). Our testing also included sitting through thunderstorms on the public land just south of the Hualapai reservation, near the Grand Canyon. Finally, Kit somewhat cheekily borrowed many of these tents and thrust them into the hands of guests at his own wedding.
The best-selling Coleman Sundome 6-Person Tent has a footprint similar to that of our top-pick tent for families, but it feels significantly smaller because it has a dome-style rather than cabin-style design. Nevertheless, it still comfortably accommodates four, and it’s a roomy choice for two. This no-nonsense, single-door tent is intuitive to set up, has sufficient windows, includes a partial rain fly that’s easy to put on and stake out, and is cheery-feeling inside and out. We don’t recommend the smaller version of this tent for couples who might actually take it on the road; it was just too flimsy in our tests. Also note that this tent does not come with its own groundsheet. A wall tent is shaped like a rectangle or square box with a pitched roof.
These are all good reasons why now is the time to upgrade. Vinyl Sod Cloth – 10″ vinyl sod cloth is sewn into the base of the walls and doors. This acts as an air seal, allows your canvas to be up off the ground, and prevents water from wicking up the canvas wall. In the 2018 update, the Base Camp 6’s base changed from a rectangular shape to a nearly square design, which adds even more stability. Coleman makes no dedicated footprints for its tents, so we suggest that you buy a groundsheet.
The fabrics are often thinner and less technical (regular polyester rather than ripstop, etc.), and the poles are pretty much always made from cost-saving materials like fiberglass and thin steel alloy. Second, Ozark Trail tents are affordable because they use very basic materials. 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. 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.
The Mineral King 3’s fly attaches intuitively with plastic buckles and has well-placed guy tabs for you to secure it with extra lines and stakes. The fly also adds the vestibule space, which not only gives you options for gear storage but also helps ventilate the tent in inclement weather via two vents. And in a stroke of design brilliance, a small loop sewn into the top of the fly makes it possible to roll up one half of the fly, exposing the full mesh canopy while still providing options for sun protection and privacy. Car campers who plan to brave miserable weather will appreciate the extra strength and protection of the REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent.
One unique feature we learned about was that its tie-down lines have suspension elastic at the top, significantly reducing the chance of ripped fabric. Canadian Customers – Canadian customers cannot purchase and ship this Wilderness tent to Canada. Canadian regulations require all canvas tents to be Fire Treated, this Wilderness Tent is not Fire Treated. Please contact us to purchase a Fire Treated tent on eBay.
The Tungsten 4 is also bigger (by about 10 square feet) than the Mineral King 3. This accounts for a slightly higher price tag (it will run you about $40 dollars more), but the larger size makes the Tungsten 4 a great choice for campers who would like that extra bit of room. But we’d be just as happy to find ourselves ozark tent in the Tungsten 4, particularly if we were anticipating soggy or inclement conditions. Of all the models we tested, it offers the best balance of generous interior space, ease of setup, good durability, and a reasonable price. The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent is the best car-camping tent choice for couples.
Poly-cotton canvas is a blend of polyester and cotton, which is kind of like a hybrid that aims to take the best of both worlds. However, after testing multiple types of canvas, we found that this performed worse than 100% cotton or 100% polyester canvas. There aren’t actually too many poly-cotton canvas camping tents out there, so you don’t have to worry and, as always, test them for yourself.
I have the JW-7607 which is a 2-3 (read that as two) person tent. It has held up to kids camping in the living room and back yard, many camping trips to desert / forest / lake environments and even survived a bear “attack” with only a small tear. Galvanized steel or hardened aluminum are the most common types of frame material, but ozark trail wall tent of course, these are not the most lightweight materials. Heavyweight fabrics require heavyweight frames, so instead of trying to save weight, try picking the wall tent frame that is the strongest. Cotton canvas is notoriously durable and easy to treat with chemicals that make it resistant to things like flames, rain, or mildew.
In the 2022 redesign of the Marmot Tungsten 4, however, we did notice a weakness in the tent’s pole design. Like the Mineral King 3, the Tungsten 4 has poles that are pre-bent. The purpose of this is to pull out the tent fabric and give the dome greater volume; generally speaking, we view it as a plus as it gives dome tents a more open feel. But the bend on the Tungsten 4’s poles is overly acute and occurs lower to the ground than the Mineral King’s, which, we discovered, makes the poles vulnerable to rotation and collapse under pressure in some situations.