But unlike the Mineral King 3 and the Tungsten 4, the mesh on each Base Camp tent starts high on the walls—more than 4 feet from the ground. This design is a big plus for people who regularly camp in crowded campgrounds and don’t like to get naked in front of strangers. And you can unzip the front door, remove it, and neatly stash it into one of the tent’s internal pockets—a useful feature if you’re feeling sociable. Most canopies, even lightweight models made of polyester or nylon, can withstand light 5 to 10-mile-an-hour winds without a problem.
Everyone who tested this tent loved it, and it’s not hard to understand why. With plenty of interior space, near-vertical walls, and a gigantic vestibule that could accommodate a golf cart, the Wawona feels more like a tiny home than a tent. The separate fly, which covers the upper half of the tent, ozark trail instant cabin uses a third, shorter “brow” pole to form protective peaks over the door and the back window. In our tests, an experienced camper took only about six minutes on the first try to set up the tent body alone and stake it out. Getting the fly placed and staked properly took about five more minutes.
Others are shaped like an umbrella with tie-downs and stakes to secure them. Some models resemble half-dome tents that provide shade without view obstruction. Polyester is water-resistant and provides some UV protection, though not as much as polyethylene, polyurethane, or vinyl. This lightweight material, which is relatively durable, easily packs down to transport in a trunk.
For this guide, we focused on tents that suit the most common terrains you’re likely to encounter when car-camping—grassy lawns or clearings, beaches, dirt campsites, and basic platforms—in spring, summer, and fall. We’re not looking at tents designed for such specialized activities as mountaineering, backpacking, or winter camping, though some of our recommendations have cross-over potential. A senior staff writer at Wirecutter, Kit Dillon has written about everything from ozark trail shower tent backpacks and cooking gear to luggage and road-tripping. Pop-up canopies are available in sizes that range from small 4-foot-by-4-foot models to wedding canopies that span well over 10 feet by 20 feet. You want to think about what you need to do to set it up, determine whether its size and weight are impediments to transporting it, and note what accessories are available. We greatly appreciated the push-button release mechanisms, which helped us avoid pinched fingers.
The 10-foot-by-10-foot base measurement is larger than the 8-foot-by-8-foot top measurement to give it the slant. The Clam Quick-Set is large enough to house a standard picnic table and six to eight people. It’s not as tall as some of the other canopies we tested, so anyone taller than about 6 feet 3 inches may have to duck.
However, slant-leg canopies can perform better on uneven ground due to the angled legs. Adventure Operations Australia Pty Ltd (AO) values your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. Unlike our top pick, the Tungsten 4 is coated with flame retardants.
However, once we stepped away from it, we realized that no one could see what was going on inside the tent. Finding a small, light tent is the logical approach when you’re backpacking. But with car camping—the industry term for what most people consider just camping—you’ll likely be parking next to your campsite and unloading. ozark trail canopy tent If you won’t be carrying your tent more than a couple hundred feet, more space means more comfort (as well as more room for your stuff). Many canopy manufacturers give canopies a polyurethane-resin coating that offers some water and sun resistance. Polyurethane does add some weight but is generally lighter than vinyl canopies.