The Tungsten’s two brow poles create an especially effective awning over the tent door, so very little water gets in when someone comes or goes. Underneath 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 after you unzip them, you simply stuff them into pockets, rather than having to roll and toggle-tie the fabric. Another two hanging pockets plus loops for a ceiling hammock provide simple yet effective interior storage. If you’re a car camper, you probably won’t be too worried about this part.
This model also comes loaded with added features, like a clothesline, plenty of pockets both inside and outside, and handy hooks for your shower head and water bag. The KingCamp models also feature a mesh floor, keeping your feet clean and giving you a soft surface to stand on. Because the double room tent seems larger at first glance, and because it’s both heavier and more expensive, most people will assume it is, in fact, larger. The single room version is actually both taller and has a larger total base area.
A footprint doesn’t take up much space, is relatively inexpensive, and is much easier to repair or replace than a tent bottom if it tears. Some shower tents don’t have a floor, requiring you to stand on the ground while you’re showering. Others feature a built-in floor that’s typically made from the same material as the walls and ceiling.
Car campers who plan to brave miserable weather will appreciate the extra strength and protection of the REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent. The main bodies of our other picks are structured with two main poles with added support from smaller brow poles. 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.
The North Face Wawona 4, which we used to list in our Other Good Tents section, has been redesigned; it’s now made of polyester, not nylon. Unlike our top pick, the Tungsten 4 is coated with flame retardants. Weighing just 7 pounds, the tent is light enough to double for backpacking trips, especially if you divide the pieces among hikers. We were surprised at first to see the Mineral King 3 come out on top because it was the smallest tent in our test group. But all our testers, including our tallest panelists, gravitated toward this tent. You’ll have plenty of room to shower and change, making it easy the superior choice.
To test the tents, we first opened them, splayed out their parts, and tried to put them together without consulting the instructions. We assembled and disassembled the tents on all of our testing sites multiple times. We tried the rain fly for each tent as well, one time rushing to get several of them up during an unexpected rainstorm at night. When heavy trade winds buffeted our Oahu-coast testing site, we pitched each tent in full face of the blast.
ozark trail shower tentThe Tungsten’s fly is not adaptable in the same way the Mineral King 3’s is, but it is treated for extra UV protection, which should help lengthen the tent’s lifespan. The Wireless 6 goes up easily, using the same kind of intuitive pole and clip method as our couples’ pick. The fly is equally simple to attach and orient with color-coded clips. This type of pole tends to be less flexible and bulkier than pricier aluminum, and it can be a pain to handle. Despite having the smallest capacity of the tents we tested—42.5 square feet—the Mineral King 3 easily fits two people with a full-size mattress, or two sleeping pads, and gear.
If your shower tent doesn’t have proper ventilation, it won’t be able to dry. Often, these ventilated areas come with fabric flaps to give you privacy while you’re showering. A shower tent should be tall enough for you, your friends, and your family members to stand up straight. Most shower tents are between 6-7 feet tall at the center of their ceiling. Most customers felt that this portable camping shower was sturdy thanks to its heavy-duty steel frame. However, sturdiness came at the expense of a more cumbersome setup.