The Clip & Camp dome is particularly affordable, and also happens to be one of the most dependable models the brand currently makes. 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. Generally speaking, if you go into buying an Ozark Trail tent with reasonable expectations, you won’t be disappointed. None of these tents are designed to hold up in a serious thunderstorm. They’re not built for heavy winds, and they certainly aren’t made to stand up to heavy snow.
With such a mesh roof you would not want to use the tent in a cold environment. Keep in mind that we may receive commissions when you click our links and make purchases. We try our best to keep things fair and balanced, in order to help you make the best choice for you. For all the reasons mentioned above, we’ve found that the Ozark Trail Three Room Instant Cabin is the best Ozark Trail tent overall. Its combination of a spacious floor plan, smart layout, and added livability all work together to make it the stand-out model in the Ozark Trail lineup.
This Ozark Trail 10-Person Tent has a packed size of 29 by 18 by 13 inches. For a size comparison, here’s what it looks like beside a Coleman 2-Person Sundome Tent, as well as a 32-ounce Nalgene bottle, and it weighs about 30 pounds for everything. The carry bag seems to be of okay quality, and it can be made bigger for easier packing up. It wasn’t too difficult to get the tent, poles and all other accessories back into the carry bag. The 6 wall poles are made of steel, I think, but they’re probably not stainless steel, because I found some rust on one of these steel poles. So after washing your tent and I also do rinse off the poles, do let them dry first before storing it away.
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. 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. 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.
The mesh doesn’t exactly feel soft and silky, and I’m pretty sure it’s not no-see-um mesh, though it’ll keep the bigger bugs out. I also found a bunch of loose threads on the floor when I first got into the tent, and excess material on some parts. There’s some space at the bottom that’s not covered, and also some space at the top that’s not covered by the divider. What I don’t quite like about this divider is that it’s sheer, so not completely opaque, and also, it’s not exactly full length. There are 2 windows along the length of the tent, and 1 window on the width of the tent.
So I would not put it to very serious tests in harsh weather conditions. The bigger part of the tent is a single-layer structure, only the ceiling is with the mesh and here you have the minimal fly added as the second layer. However, the windows and the door are also double-layer with mesh and waterproof ozark trail instant cabin panels. As stated above, durability and materials are the main pain point of Ozark Trail tents. The fabrics are often thinner and less technical (regular polyester rather than ripstop, etc.), and the poles are pretty much always made from cost-saving materials like fiberglass and thin steel alloy.