This REI shelter has a standard amount of room (100 square feet) with a peak height of seven feet, so lots of room for tall people. I thought so too until I discovered the magic of screen houses and how much they can up-level your average camping trip. One mad idea often begets another, and that is how this $34.95 purchase came about. As I’ve mentioned elsewhere in the blog, I’m getting married in Joshua Tree on August 2nd, outdoors.
Ozark Trail is a brand well-known for its affordable products, and this camping screen house is no different. The vertical sidewalls also mean you’re getting the entire 100 square feet of space to use. Lastly, the Core Instant Screen House Canopy Tent has sloped walls, which I don’t love because it reduces the amount of usable space inside the tent. This screen house is easy to set up, but note that it might be worth watching a video on how to fold it back into a disk shape. One thing to note with this screen tent is that since the covered part of the roof is so small, you may find yourself getting wet during rainstorms or more sun exposure during the summer heat. The tent also has two doors which are nice for a smaller screen house, so if space is cramped on the inside, there are multiple ways to get out.
It’s made with reinforced polyester and heavyweight no-see-um mesh, and it comes with the strongest stakes we’ve seen on any tent. The Clam also sets up and folds down with remarkable speed—we timed the process at 60 seconds. However, this model is too big to fit in the trunks of most sedans, and the muted colors look good when it’s sunny but can feel a bit gloomy if it’s already rainy out.
Then the screening doesn’t fit right over the frame. Wasn’t even able to get the tent set up in a mild wind before one of the corner plastic parts broke. I purchased my tent a couple of years ago, but time passed and just got it out to put it up. Also, one of the parts broke before using it one time.
Any $75 canopy tent from a big-box store—we’re talking about the common square canopy with four spindly metal legs—can provide shade during midday. But when you’re camping or eating outdoors, you’ll likely want protection from insects, as well. That’s why we focused on collapsible camping shelters with mesh walls to keep bugs at bay. We tested the Coleman 10 × 10 Instant ozark trail canopy Screened Canopy and Walmart’s Ozark Trail 10′ × 10′ Instant Screen House during our first round of testing in the winter and spring of 2016. These two shelters are the same size and shape (7-foot peak height, 17 pounds) with an almost identical design. The cap-like roofs on both models provided far less shade than we wanted, especially in the beating desert sun.
Ozark Trail 12-Person Cabin Tent with Screen Porch is a nicely designed summer camping tent with two floored rooms, numerous large windows, two doors, and a great price. However, some higher-end tents come with floors that you can zip into the rest of the screen house. These add an extra layer of protection if you’re not using a pre-established table.
You might want to see how this tent compares with some other family camping tents with the same declared capacity. So here you have the NTK Super Arizona GT which is far superior regarding protection because of its full-coverage fly and high waterproof rating. Here you have a beautifully designed family camping tent built in the cabin style with straight and tall walls. This is a structure with two inner rooms plus a front screen porch. So I would put it in the group of 3-room tents.
Don’t forget that mesh walls come in various thicknesses as well, which can influence airflow and visibility outside the tent. However, beware of tents with sloped wall designs. Take your time and compare it to the previously mentioned Alvantor Instant Screen House which has a similar build. One feature this screen house has that I haven’t seen elsewhere is an entry mat placed over the thresholds to prevent tripping over the edge of the tent. The Wenzel Magnetic Screen House is a lightweight and large screen shelter with two magnetic doors.
Interest does not accrue during the period of the plan. There is no administration fee charged for entering into a special payments plan. Each month during an equal payments plan you are required to pay in full by the due date that month’s equal payments plan instalment. The L.L.Bean ozark trail screen house Woodlands Screen House has a much more consistently glowing history of online reviews than does the REI tent. The add-on rain fly and tent-floor combo is also well liked. The Woodlands Screen House uses six lightweight aluminum poles, just like the Screen House Shelter.