Made from rugged materials like polyester and powder-coated steel, this screen house is built to withstand various weather conditions. Its mesh construction also offers excellent ventilation, keeping the interior cool and comfortable during hot summer days. Overall, the 14X12 is an excellent choice for those seeking a functional and comfortable outdoor living space. Since 2015, I’ve tested camping shelters and large car-camping tents on weekend trips involving more than a dozen families, and I have talked to dozens more about their tent travails.
Over the years, I have evaluated gear for magazines including Wired, Popular Science, and National Geographic Adventure, where I was a senior editor. The Eurmax Standard 10×10 is very functional, followed closely by the E-Z Up Pyramid, Clam Outdoors Quick-Set Escape, and Eureka Tagalong Shelter. All four of these models maximize space and offer several features that make them very livable. The Quick-Set Escape offers a massive, fully enclosed living space, and the Eureka Tagalong dons extra pockets, hooks, and attached sandbags. The center trusses on the Eurmax hang lower than we would prefer, limiting the available headspace, but this is our only caveat.
A 3% surcharge will be added to all invoices paying by credit or debit card. You may want to compare the Easy Up against the Qipi Beach Cabana, the Eureka Tagalong Shelter, and the Neso 1. We also really liked the Neso 1, although it isn’t as sturdy, especially in the wind. We also recommend the Pacific Breeze Easy Up or the REI Co-op Screen House Shelter.
In our tests one camper took less than 10 minutes to put it up on the first try. Two shorter aluminum poles cross to support the roof while four longer poles join to the roof poles at the top of the tent and slide into pegs at the ground. The tent roof is made of polyester taffeta treated with a DWR (durable water repellent) coating. The walls are made of fine no-see-um nylon mesh edged with polyester taffeta. This polyester material is less susceptible to UV damage than the nylon that previous versions of this tent incorporated, but it generally has a feel that is not quite as soft. Despite the change in fabric, this REI shelter still weighs just 13 pounds, several pounds less than many others of this type.
If you want a lighter, more portable camp-style shelter, we highly recommend checking out the REI Co-op Screen House Shelter. The Eureka Tagalong Shelter is also a decent option but is not fully enclosed. Likewise, the Pacific Breeze Easy Up is very portable but limited in size. The instruction manual could have been a little more detailed, particularly for first-time users. And while the bag claimed to be compact, we found it a tad bulkier than expected. In conclusion, the Ozark Trail 10-Person Cabin Tent delivers on some aspects but falls short in others.
The Screen House is spacious enough for six people, or more around a folding table in an uninterrupted 360-degree panoramic shelter. The rest of the process was funny too, with wimpy frizzy guylines, and inexplicable bits of plastic that are supposed to tighten them. ozark trail chairs There’s shade, and fewer bugs than outside the screenhouse. Will I come home and just find the screenhouse gone, or will I see it blowing around in the street, trailing pipe segments? For the moment, my dream of an extra room in the back yard has come true.
On hot, sunny days, we don’t think we could remain inside the Easy Up for long periods. Even with the drapes stowed, there is less ventilation than in larger, open canopies. And, despite effectively blocking the sun’s rays, this shader tends to remain quite warm, much like a backpacking tent would when it’s left in the sun all day. It also doesn’t ozark trail chairs perform well in the rain, primarily because of its open design. The roof and mesh windows allow water to enter, and once inside, the waterproof tarp flooring compounds the problem by allowing the rainwater to form puddles inside the tent. While perhaps not as versatile, this is a great structure to have available for a breezy day on the beach.