Although we always recommend using anchors such as weighted sand bag or stakes with guy lines attached to the top corners. What better way to enjoy a ballgame, picnic, or any outdoor activity than with a little bit of shade! This 10’x10′ canopy pops up easily, and will keep sun burn and overheating at bay. The North Face Wawona 4, which we used to list in our Other Good Tents section, has been redesigned; it’s now made of polyester, not nylon. 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. But all our testers, including our tallest panelists, gravitated toward this tent.
The tent is open at the top with a weather rain fly that fits over the dome. The fly is so small it allows rain to blow up under and then runs into the tent. I live in Canada and find these tents to be very good. If you a experienced camper like myself you would know that you have to use a tarp to cover your tent so that the water does not get inside when it rains.
I bought this tent and was very dissatisfied, two off the poles snapped right where they connect in the silver part. This is the first time to use this tent so it was brand new. When something says “waterproof” it does not mean it will not leak.
The Kelty Wireless 6 is a spacious tent that is easy to pitch, and it offers solid weather protection and durability for a reasonable price. Like the Mineral King 3, it has a simple, dome-style design that maximizes livability and minimize headaches. With 87 square feet of interior space, plus 28 square feet of vestibule space, the polyester tent fits four adults comfortably, or two adults with two or three children, with plenty of room to store gear and muddy boots. (As its name indicates, it’s meant to house six people, but we wouldn’t recommend that.) The Wireless 6 has two large doors and a full rain fly. A classic polyester dome tent, the Mineral King 3 uses two high-quality pre-bent aluminum poles, which maximize head and shoulder space, making this tent feel less cramped than other dome tents we tested. Two large doors provide easy entry and exit, and a vestibule—that’s camping speak for “mudroom”—outside each door adds significant sheltered storage.
I will never buy an Ozark Trail tent in my life and I will tell everyone I know that if they buy one what to expect. And that is you will never be dry in one because they suck bad. Only complaint was the zipper hangs on the front door flap, destroyed flap and zipper. They claim they are weather tested, but I feel ozark trail chair they don’t include rain or wind as elements of the weather. 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.
I have pitched the tent twice in my back yard and found that I could pitch it by myself in about one hour. I watersealed the seams, as per the instruction sheet inside the carrying bag but I have not been rained on yet. I’m going to Coleman for now on because you are incapable of making a zipper that doesn’t break so damn easy on the door. We typically see pyramid frames built with flimsy trusses and thin struts and reinforced (if you want to call it that) with cheaply made plastic joint connectors, and unfortunately this 10×10 Ozark canopy is no different. The biggest issue in all of this is the inability to withstand any rotational pressure during medium and high impact weather conditions as the joints become unstable and collapse at the mid points.
(Our runner-up pick comes with eight.) Six is enough to secure the tent and fly but not to fully secure the tent’s extra lines in very windy conditions. This shouldn’t be an issue in most situations, but if you’re headed into a particularly windy place or simply want some backup, we suggest picking up four extra tent stakes at your local outdoor shop or online. These inexpensive stakes are comparable to the ones that accompany the Mineral King 3; these slightly more expensive stakes will serve you well in any car-camping terrain. Temperatures ranged from the 50s at night to the 80s during the day.
The Wireless 6 goes up easily, using the same kind of intuitive pole and clip method as our couples’ pick. The fly is equally simple to attach and orient with color-coded clips. A single person can pitch the tent in 10 to 15 minutes. This type of pole tends to be less flexible and bulkier than pricier aluminum, and it can be a pain to handle.
The Base Camp, by contrast, has four full-size aluminum struts woven throughout it, somewhat like a basket, plus an additional brow pole that frames the front entrance and supports the larger of the two vestibules. The Base Camp also offers more ozark trail canopy privacy compared with our other picks—with or without the rain fly. The geodesic structure of the Base Camp tents is built to withstand wind and rain. It has two main that thread through sleeves, stretching between the four corners of the tent.