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. That mesh also keeps the tent feeling airy and cool in hot climates. Marmot uses color coding smartly to help you position the tent as well as set it up. Both of the doors zip open to the side that’s color-coded blue, as opposed to zipping open to opposite sides. In other words, one partner—or one partner’s gear—is always going to get a dose of weather when they head out. 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.
Coleman says that the tent doesn’t need one, probably because its floor is a crinkly (though tough) tarp-like polyethylene, not a taped-seam polyester as in our other picks. I recently tried out the Leisure Sports 14′ x 12′ Enclosed Screen Tent and it has become a game-changer for our family’s outdoor adventures. The canopy has a UV protection rating of UPF 30, which is perfect for protecting us from those harsh rays when we’re camping or enjoying a barbecue. The mesh walls are ideal for keeping bugs at bay, and setting up this tent is a breeze with the included fiberglass poles, nylon tie lines, and steel stakes.
The Eureka Tagalong scored slightly lower but still boasted an impressive score. It sits lower than cathedral-style canopies, which more effectively blocks the sun’s rays as their angles change during the day. Its weather-taped seams and waterproof canopy also create an excellent barrier against rain. It doesn’t perform as well when it is breezy outside, though. As for the Caravan V-Series, we feel it provides excellent coverage from the sun.
From there, we tested each product for several months in Utah and California, subjecting them to sun, wind, and rain. All the while, we assessed key performance metrics such as functionality, ease of setup, protection, craftsmanship, and portability. We hope you can use this comprehensive and unbiased review to help you find all the shade-seeking advice you need to make the best purchasing decision. Our experts teamed up to develop a rigorous test plan, which we applied to every canopy tent in this review. We learn a lot about each model by testing in varying environments, including mountains, forests, lakes, beaches, and dunes.
If anyone reading this review has any idea where I can purchase another one just like it, please contact me at Browse Ozark Trail’s top-rated hiking and camping gear and more. Wasn’t even able to get the tent set up in a mild wind before one of the corner plastic parts broke.
It took longer than I expected, and I even saw a few complaints in other reviews about stitching issues and water resistance. But overall, the pros outweigh the cons, especially considering the affordable price and the tent’s spacious capacity. The Ozark Trail 12-Person Cabin Tent might not be ideal for long hikes or backcountry camping, but it’s perfect for a family or group looking to make unforgettable camping memories together.
However, there was a downside to this tent, as we faced a minor issue with a leaky roof during a sudden thunderstorm. It was disappointing to see that even with the rainfly on, water still dripped through. It only took me a few minutes to do it alone, but it’s advised to involve at least two people for faster and more efficient assembly. The included room dividers and multiple doors add more flexibility and comfort, allowing users to section off areas according to their needs.
Zippered doors can enclose the vestibule fully, so it serves as a separate room for the tent, or you can leave one or both open, so the vestibule can act like a porch or mudroom. The main tent body has a giant front door that’s oriented to make entry and exit easy for all the tent’s occupants at night, and a smaller back window that doubles as a second door. The Mineral King 3’s fly attaches intuitively with plastic buckles and has well-placed guy tabs. When the fly is fully deployed, the tent ozark trail canopy has two vestibules, which provide additional gear storage and also help ventilate the tent in inclement weather. And in a stroke of design brilliance, a small loop sewn into the top of the fly makes it possible to roll up one half of the fly, exposing the full mesh canopy while still providing shade and privacy. Since 2015, I’ve tested camping shelters and large car-camping tents on weekend trips involving more than a dozen families, and I have talked to dozens more about their tent travails.