The L.L.Bean Woodlands Screen House has a much more consistently glowing history of online reviews than does the REI tent. While the previous version of this tent used beachy-feeling aqua and orange, the current version is a drab olive green more typical of other tents. This doesn’t affect the functionality, but the brighter colors were something we previously praised. We set up the REI Screen House Shelter and L.L.Bean’s Woodlands Screen House side by side in the Mojave Desert in 100-degree temps. Fellow campers consistently gravitated toward the REI shelter over the L.L.Bean. There’s a reason why makers of professional-grade canopies only use straight-leg frames.
Like the REI model, the L.L.Bean tent uses polyester (ripstop, in this case), which is more resistant to UV damage and absorbs less moisture than nylon by weight. The Woodlands Screen House also has the advantage of eight guylines, whereas the Screen House Shelter includes none. In addition, this model has the same bug-deterring flap of fabric along the base as the REI tent, but while the REI’s flap is about 9 inches wide, the L.L.Bean’s flap is about 10.5 inches wide. The shelter has a 10-by-10-foot footprint—the most common size for tents of this type—and a peak height of 7 feet. It will shelter a standard-size picnic table, but with little room to spare.
Simply fill the four attached anchor bags with sand or smooth rocks, stretch the canopy into an X-shape, and prop it up with the provided tent poles. We found this setup process easy because it didn’t rely on many moving parts or analytical thinking. Fellow campers and sun-baked spectators consistently gravitated toward the REI shelter over the L.L.Bean. Though the two tents ozark trail canopy have the same footprint, the REI’s roof is 6 inches taller; we found that the higher ceiling made the REI shelter feel significantly roomier inside. In between trips, we turned a neighbor’s large, flat yard into an ad hoc camping-gazebo testing ground. We erected our shelters just in advance of a 24-hour rain and checked for leaking and rainy-day ambience midstorm.
Its stiff frame doesn’t bend or sway during heavy breezes and stays put as long as it’s staked down or weighted by its five built-in sandbags. After weeks of testing, we have thrown a few penalty flags on the field. This product’s excellent wheel system is mostly plastic; we wish it were constructed primarily of metal. Additionally, it packs up large and is heavy, making it difficult to find room for it in the trunk of just any car. It’s also more challenging to lift into and out of a vehicle alone, and although quite solid, the E-Z Up can be a little wobbly at full height. These caveats aside, this is still our number one when heading out to the playing field.
You walk along this flattish section carved out in between the ridge just above and, a partial ridge just below with the valley farther down. It is pure magic as the late-in-the-day sunshine turns everything it touches to gold. We find a really cool waterfall coming out over some flat rocks! I am having a hard time finding words to describe these falls. We are climbing up a hill, and the falls are on the left but down the hill.
Its packed size is more than six feet, making it difficult to fit into an average-sized car. But if you’ve got a big enough rig, this is a dream canopy tent to add to your campsite. Fully enclosed and ready to protect you from sun, wind, rain, AND bugs, the Clam Outdoors Quick-Set Escape is a perfect shelter for the campground.