Hi r/campinggear, my family recently purchased the tent mentioned in the title, the fairly cheap Ozark Trail 8-person instant cabin tent. However, when we received it, it was absolutely gargantuan, even wrapped up in its bag. It’s simply an impossible tent to do anything other than the most basic car camping with, and even then will take up the vast majority of our car’s trunk. I’m wondering if you can recommend a tent that could be a decent more compact replacement.
Layout wise is virtually identical to the Core Instant Cabin we evaluated for our 10 person tent roundup, but delivers those same massive interior dimensions for about $100 less. Unfortunately, the steel pole in the back of the tent did not lock into position, so this tent is defective. I did not continue to set up the screen porch (which has no floor) or put the rainfly on. I did go inside the tent to stand up and not hunched over and noticed the mesh ceiling with lots of ventilation. I’m sure this tent is good during a wind storm and rain/condensation issues.
For those that only want one bedroom, you can use the second room for eating, lounging, gaming, or storage. The legs and frame come attached to the tent’s canopy, telescoping out to prop it up. You then secure the corners and guy lines to the ground with the provided stakes. The instant, pre-assembled nature of this model makes it very attractive for a few reasons.
The main thing to know going into an Ozark Trail purchase is that you need to do your due diligence not to overstress the materials because a heavy hand can absolutely damage them. Take time to inspect your tent when you first get it (damages from shipping are common), and don’t ever “force” anything when setting up or tearing down your shelter. As stated above, durability and materials are the main pain point of Ozark Trail tents.
These shelters tend to be much heavier and bulkier when packed up due to the frame design, so you’ll want to make sure you’ve got room to transport them in your vehicle and store them in your home before buying. The Ozark Trail Yurt gets high marks for its overall interior space with 169 square feet of floor room and ceilings over 7 feet tall at their peak. That’s plenty of room for two queen mattresses with room left over for some chairs, a cooler, and a camp table. Speaking of camp tables Ozark Trail actually includes a small table with this shelter, which mounts at the base of the main support pole to make the most of the tent’s interior space. The table includes four large hanging mesh pockets at its sides, which, along with the multiple pockets found along the walls of the Ozark Trail Yurt, make storage and organization another high point of the tent. This screened-in shelter also gets high points for its price, which is always a selling point with an Ozark Trail tent, but this one represents a particularly good value considering all its features.
With that being said, Ozark Trail does a good job of seam-sealing their tents from the factory in most cases, and with a little help, these budget-shelters can keep you dry when unexpected rain hits. Take time to treat the entire tent with a DWR coating like Nikwax (not just the rainfly) and never leave the house without a tent repair kit in case disaster strikes. Large dome tents are also an option, ozark trail shower tent 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.
Plenty of customers swear by the Ozark Trail Yurt’s waterproofing, but we recommend treating it with an extra DWR treatment and sealing any missing seams before putting it to work. In terms of drawbacks, this is a particularly budget-friendly model from an already budget-focused brand, so you’ll need to be mindful of a few shortcomings to get the most out of this shelter. First, Ozark Trail uses sealed seams on this tent, but the fabric itself isn’t ozark trail canopy tent 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. 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.
There you’ll find all the info you could ever want on the materials, build quality, and weather-worthiness of these affordable tents. I have read many reviews about how happy people are with this cabin having no leaks or wind gust problems. BUT for myself, I am disappointed to have been so thrilled to order this tent with good intentions and ending in a return back to the store. While the waterproofing on this tent is good, it is recommended you provide added protection with water-resistant spray you can pick up at any outdoor store.