Set up a bed for the parents and let the kids camp on the other side of the tent. CORE’s tents are very similar in price and an extremely popular alternative to Ozark. The CORE tent is comfortable, originally made to sleep 9 people, there is plenty of space for 8. Pull them down to the base corners of the tent and attach them to the pin rings. Beyond getting a great start with a tent, we also share lots of other cammping supplies that you will need in our Camping Gear List here.
I also like that for a small tent, there’s a ton of storage options. This is great for smaller tents that don’t have a lot of extra space. Large dome tents are also an option, and although they’re a little less flashy, they have some perks of their own. 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.
Among the tent’s setup features, we also appreciated the shepherd’s hook stakes the Mineral King 3 comes with. In contrast, the majority of the tents in our test group came with basic L-shaped stakes, which tended to spin around in the soil and slip a line. The shepherd’s hook design, in contrast, held lines and tabs secure in all conditions and required no extra equipment for handling. For the first ozark tent incarnations of this guide, we tested the smaller tents and the larger, family-size tents in two separate groups. To evaluate the small tents in real-world situations, we took them first to Greggs Hideout, on the Arizona side of Lake Mead. During our tests in this area, temperatures reached upwards of 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and at night, as the sands cooled, whipping windstorms kicked up around us.
On the downside, there’s no porch or any significant awning to speak of, so all your gear will have to stay indoors. And prepare to deal with a bit of mud or dirt because you have to store your shoes/boots inside the tent. The tent includes multiple skylights that you can zip open from the inside, allowing you to stargaze or adjust the amount of light you let into the tent. With three huge windows, you have awesome views of your surrounding and excellent ventilation even on the hottest summer days. Ozark Trail is a brand that most campers are familiar with, thanks to the fact that it offers some of the most affordable gear and is available at literally every Walmart around the U.S. and Canada.
The Hazel Creek 20-Person Star Tent With Screen Room was designed to sleep, yes, 20 people. What makes this particular tent so cool is that it has four separate “rooms” or compartments. Each one can fit a queen-sized air mattress and has a zippered divider curtain that gives it that room feel. The center room can also hold two queen-sized air mattresses. The separate pods have their own doors for easy access, and there’s another for the screen room.
Regarding capacity, each of the tents can accommodate 4 sleeping pads. But for real camping I see it as a system for up to 5 users, ideal for parents with 2-3 kids, and also for two couples. We must have had some wind but not tornado force/ hurricane force winds. I just wish who I need to contact to get a new tent shell and two end poles that are made of sturdy material would contact me and make good of it. I must say that nothing is waterproof, water resistant is a better term.
First, Ozark Trail uses sealed seams on this tent, but the fabric itself isn’t made for a rainstorm. You’ll want to give the entire tent a thorough Nikwax treatment before taking it on the road. Second, the fabric feels thin, and a few users have reported ripping it during setup, so you’ll need to take your time both setting up and taking down this tent. Without the fly, the Mineral King 3 has a full mesh dome with a waterproof, tape-seamed bathtub-style polyester floor. The tent doors are nearly wall-sized, and when they’re unzipped, you simply stuff them into pockets, rather than having to roll and toggle-tie the fabric.
Let me just tell you this, it doesn’t make a difference what model your tent is. The main thing is is that the zippers that you put in these tents are so substandard that it doesn’t last more than one or two camping trips. You set a new low in tents and the damn zippers you put in them. And before you guys cop an attitude, I have been camping since I was at least 4 years old and I am now in my mid-50s. Ozark Trail is what many would consider an “off brand” in the camping world.
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. If you’re planning a huge family gathering and want plenty of space for relatives, kids, pets, and all the necessary gear, this L-shaped tent may be just what you need.
The seams aren’t sealed, and the untreated fabric that makes up the body is prone to soaking through after prolonged exposure. The phrasing that Ozark Trail uses is “water-resistant.” In my experience with the tent, that means in any serious rain, expect to see some moisture leaking through ozark trail wall tent at least the seams. The bottom seam gives water a place to pool up and eventually leak into the tent. We, like some others, know that tents are NOT waterproof, so we sprayed the seams etc. with water replant. When we reached the beach everything went great, first night 30 mh winds.