And you have to make sure that the zipper is closed well and also sprayed with a water repellent. But unfortunately, they are many morons out there that don’t know the first thing about camping. I just bought the 9’x7′ backpacking tent 2 days ago, because I want to do some bikepacking here in FL. It is easy to set up and take down, and I loved the fact that it has three windows for lots of circulation in the heat and humidity.
I sprayed the tent after the first use (I feel a tent should get a test run without water sealant the first time then if it leaks I will spray it with sealant). This tent leaked a little the first time after only one hour of rain. Then after putting sealant on the sides and rain-fly with spray and seam seal stick it still leaked. Lastly after only five times using it the shock cord pole for the rain-fly broke (the cord snapped).
The bear was only checking us out really. I need a break from the Pacific NW clouds and rain sometimes. I go out to the rural part of the state where it is hot and dry.
Again, I AM a soldier with nearly 30 years experience in putting tents together. This Ozark Trail tent is, sorry to say this, a POS. Do not, DO NOT, spend your money on this. This piece of crap promises the buyer a lot for a lot of money, but what you get is something of lesser quality than if you bought a tent from the local Dollar store. Overall this is a wonderful tent that has held up well to many years of family camping.
To anyone who needs a good size tent that is leak proof, this is it. I have bought four tents of the Ozark Trail dome in the past 1 1/2 years. They leak all over even after I sprayed them with the sealer.
The legs are locked into place with old school metal push button locks, something you won’t see on many modern pop up tents now-a-days. With the push buttons you need to worry about pinching fingers or not being able to release the button when it gets rusted, which is never a pleasant experience. The legs extend to give the top peak a height of about 8’10” which will be plenty of headroom for anyone underneath. The bad news is the rain leaks, the “GoBeDry” rain protection system just does not work.
We took it out of bag carrier it came in, and were able to get it assembled in about 5 minutes. The box says 30 seconds, which will be true every subsequent time we now set it up. I really like ozark trail sun shelter the height and room of this tent. The extra pockets that just out with a zipper are a nice addition. I got this tent for summer and fall; so far it has been great, the size is the best part.
When something says “waterproof” it does not mean it will not leak. It is made of nylon and nylon does not keep water out. It is simply a way to keep you from direct weather contact.
When you buy anything from Walmart it is made cheap so it can sell for cheap. This I do not think a lot of people realize. But I do not plan ozark trail sun shelter on buying a new tent anytime soon. I got soaked when it drizzled for a hour or so. I will be going with a Coleman on the next purchase.