Some middle sections fell out but I had a standing frame of sorts, swaying and wobbling. The biggest material difference between the Sundome and our other picks is its crunchy, ozark trail chairs tarp-like polyethylene floor. The other tents in this guide all have bathtub-style tape-seamed polyester floors, which is the standard among high-quality tents.
In conducting research for this guide, we heard multiple tales of careful campers who had been using the same tent for 15 years or more. Tracking will be available once your product is shipped. Each individual product may be shipped from different fulfillment centers across the globe as our product research team spends the time to source for quality yet affordable products. It goes up OK, poles have color coded stickers on them.
The fly is equally simple to attach and orient with color-coded clips. A single person can pitch the tent in 10 to 15 minutes. This type of pole tends to be less flexible and bulkier than pricier aluminum, and it can be a pain to handle. Underneath the fly, the Mineral King 3 has a full mesh dome with a waterproof, tape-seamed bathtub-style polyester floor. The overall feeling inside the tent is airy and comfortable. 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.
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. 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. Two large vestibules add nearly 40 square feet combined—that is, 18.75 square feet on either side. 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.
After our longtime top-pick tent for two people ran into some stock issues in 2021, we researched new models and redesigns, and we assembled a batch of small tents for testing in March 2022, on Oahu. During this period, winds rose up to 35 to 40 knots, and we experienced passing showers as well as direct sunlight and 80-degree temperatures. To mimic heavier rain and to test the tent’s ability to withstand soggy ozark trail screen house ground conditions, we also soaked our tents with a garden hose. A few weeks later, we brought the front-runners to a platform in an area that had higher elevation, near the Waianae Mountain Range, and camped out overnight in intermittent but consistent rainfall. Some campers might find the Wawona 6’s footprint unwieldy in smaller campsites, or they might simply prefer a tent with a more straightforward design.
An avid hiker, camper, and long-haul road-tripper, Claire Wilcox has slept in (and occasionally improvised) tents in 11 states. She covers outdoor gear for Wirecutter and worked on the most recent update of this guide, testing couples’ tents and family tents. Great for backyard overnights, this simple dome-style tent is for anyone who doesn’t want to spend more than $150 on a tent but also doesn’t want to buy another one next year. It has a partial rain fly, but only one door and no vestibule. Step 3 –Secure the ScreenhouseDrape the greenhouse body over the frames.
In terms of how the two tents feel, the Marmot Tungsten 4 is more geared toward hunkering down and providing stalwart defense against wind, rain, and sun. In contrast to the Mineral King 3’s triangular vestibules, the Tungsten 4’s vestibules are trapezoidal, opening via a central door with protected areas on either side. This design does a better job shielding the tent from incoming—and sideways—wind and rain.
Been through several severe storms while camping with no issues. Keeps sun and bugs at bay which was my main reason for buying it. The way the poles clip into hubs is a little hard to get apart. Got one of these out of a storage unit at auction. Without instructions, it took me about 30 minutes to put it together and get it erected, by myself.
If you don’t have time to let the fly dry before you pack the Wireless in its duffle, we recommend laying it out when you get home so it doesn’t mildew in storage. One night during testing, for example, clouds loomed in the distance with clear skies overhead. After we pitched the tent, the Mineral King 3’s adaptable fly let us leave half the mesh dome uncovered. We watched as night fell and the first stars appeared. At the first sign of rain, it took only a few seconds—and a quick hand stuck outside the tent—to unfurl the fly and secure it for a dry night’s sleep. When we awoke, we could roll back one part of the vestibule, make coffee, and watch the sky lighten even though it was still raining.
Total collapse, hubs (2) shattered and two sets of poles completely destroyed. Not sure if I should order replacement parts or not, maybe I should just consider this a waste of money, and cut my losses while I can. This tent is only $47 at Walmart, ozark trail canopy however that is not the point. The hubs on the tent and the construction of the design are worthless. The hubs break and the legpoles bend beyond repair. We bought this screen tent about 2 years ago and just took it out of the box to put it up.