Every detail was exactly the same, just in a different colorway. It was a familiar scenario for anyone who has been camping in the Pacific Northwest. Reservations were made for a Memorial Day weekend group site months ago, but as the actual long weekend got closer, the forecast started to look bleak. The North Face Wawona 4, which we used to list ozark trail instant cabin in our Other Good Tents section, has been redesigned; it’s now made of polyester, not nylon. Weighing just 7 pounds, the tent is light enough to double for backpacking trips, especially if you divide the pieces among hikers. We were surprised at first to see the Mineral King 3 come out on top because it was the smallest tent in our test group.
It’s the perfect choice for three-season multipurpose camping. Super spacious and received many compliments from other campers. We are a family of 6 and we fit 3 queen beds and there was space for 4. The closets stored all of our gear without having things on the floor and the space between them fit a projector ozark trail shower tent screen perfectly. The rainfly provided sufficient coverage, and there were a reasonable number of windows and doors, which also helps to prevent water incursion. There were even some different style stakes provided which hold better in soft ground (like we had around our testing site), a detail I appreciated.
When heavy trade winds buffeted our Oahu-coast testing site, we pitched each tent in full face of the blast. We then rotated the tents looking for structural weaknesses, and we tested their guy lines and tabs to see which tents had the best and most intuitive design for withstanding wind. You can also set up the tent without the fly while retaining some privacy, since the tent body has a high polyester wall on one side. If you expect there to be limitations to how much space you’ll have to set up your tent, it’s better to opt for something smaller. None of these came close to fitting on a standard tent pad, which is increasingly a requirement at the most popular campgrounds. The Base Camp tents include a low side vent and multiple stuff pockets on the walls and ceiling, which are made of 75D polyester treated with 1500mm of polyurethane waterproofing.
But all our testers, including our tallest panelists, gravitated toward this tent.
Keep this tent in your arsenal for when you know there will be clear skies on your camping weekend. It was very difficult to roll the tent back into its original shape to return to store. I’ve read many people have had the same problems and went to army surplus to buy a bigger durable storage bag.These are the two QUEEN Mattress I received with my bundle order. I did not open these boxes because they too needed to be returned with the tent. The Ozark 9 person cabin can fit two Queen Mattresses comfortably.
The North Face’s color-coded poles make this process easy to navigate. (We were stubborn and didn’t look at the instructions.) Once you identify the front and back, the process is straightforward. The fly goes up and over the tent body, covering only the upper half of the mesh dome, and then forms the glorious vestibule with the aid of a third pole. Use the extra stakes and guy-lines provided to stabilize the vestibule as much as you need. At $500, this modified dome-style tent isn’t cheap, but it represents substantial value. Many tents with similar profiles—such as the Big Agnes Dog House 6—either cost more or require you buy the tent body and attachable vestibule separately.
Though the Wireless’s fly kept water out of the tent’s interior, it took longer to fully dry once the rain stopped than some others we tested. It uses a 1200mm waterproof coating on 68 denier fabric, which didn’t seem to bead as well as higher-rated fabrics, such as those on the The North Face Wawona 6 or the REI Co-op Base Camp 6 (each of those have 1500mm coatings). 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. 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. A full rain cover, two vestibules, and an extra-sturdy pole structure make this the best choice for couples who want to get outside in any weather.
But if you have a big family then a 10-person tent can absolutely be a cozy way to enjoy the long weekend. Overall, I was pretty disappointed with the quality of the 10-person tents that I looked at. All were made from less robust materials, including fiberglass poles. This helps to keep the cost of the product down but makes for a less reliable product in the long run. Which is a real problem when you’re talking about your shelter. If you can, I’d recommend opting for one of the best 6-person tents or one of the best 8-person tents.
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. To compare tent fabrics, you also need to know their overall rip strength. For most fabrics, rip strength is expressed as a measurement of the diameter of the fibers in their thread, or a denier—the higher the denier, the stronger the fabric.