Bought a Ozark Trails tent

[livemusic]

I bought an Ozark Trails Instant 13x9, 8-person tent. (https://www.amazon.com/Ozark-Trail-P...c788e20b51efa2)

I haven't camped in many years, did some when young. This is primarily for 2 people, me and gf. I chose this tent for these reasons.

1. It's not too heavy and we are not backpacking anyway, and I figured the more room, the better. I might occasionally have another couple with us. And for just us, alone, we could put my queen air bed in there and have room for gear.

2. This model (and smaller models did not, ones I saw didn't anyway) seemed like it might have more ventilation and it's really hot and humid here in the summer. Any airflow is helpful.

3. I should have listed this first... easy to set up. We'll see, but it sure looked to be ridiculously easy to set up. I like!

4. I got it for $149. I wonder if I should buy Walmart's extended 2 year warranty, might cost $20. Anyway, the $149 plus tax was affordable.

5. I am 6'2" and I think the tent is 6' inside, so, that helps.

6. It has a rain fly.

7. Reviews... people said nice things, including that they could get it back into its carry bag!

Does anyone have an opinion on this? I haven't used it, I could take it back. Just wondering if these are okay or junk or what. I am still concerned that it might be too big, but can it be too big, assuming I don't have to carry it? I thought "Wow, do I really need a 13x9 tent for 2 people?" We fish and are going to camp some on a river, for sure, and we can carry it in my boat, it's not too big, nor heavy. We also might take some short trips just to do some camping at parks. I don't know if we will ever have another couple, that might not happen, lol. I could buy something else if this is not a good choice.

[in-tents]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

We have the 10 person which is 11x20 and it's been good for us. We sleep with 11 of us in it, me and wife with 9 kids. Had it about 6 years. We don't camp a lot but works well. No issues with water getting in. I would buy it again.

[NYCgrrl]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

Gosh, this thread makes me think this song is apropos:

Dinna say this before but I'm not a big fan of extended warranties in general since they tend to be a quick buck generator for the companies that offer 'em with lots of exclusions and conditions. I'd read the warranty carefully and see if it meets your needs.

Have fun out there!

[James.]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

I bought an Ozark Trails Instant 13x9, 8-person tent. (https://www.amazon.com/Ozark-Trail-P...c788e20b51efa2)

I haven't camped in many years, did some when young. This is primarily for 2 people, me and gf. I chose this tent for these reasons.

1. It's not too heavy and we are not backpacking anyway, and I figured the more room, the better. I might occasionally have another couple with us. And for just us, alone, we could put my queen air bed in there and have room for gear.

2. This model (and smaller models did not, ones I saw didn't anyway) seemed like it might have more ventilation and it's really hot and humid here in the summer. Any airflow is helpful.

3. I should have listed this first... easy to set up. We'll see, but it sure looked to be ridiculously easy to set up. I like!

4. I got it for $149. I wonder if I should buy Walmart's extended 2 year warranty, might cost $20. Anyway, the $149 plus tax was affordable.

5. I am 6'2" and I think the tent is 6' inside, so, that helps.

6. It has a rain fly.

7. Reviews... people said nice things, including that they could get it back into its carry bag!

Does anyone have an opinion on this? I haven't used it, I could take it back. Just wondering if these are okay or junk or what. I am still concerned that it might be too big, but can it be too big, assuming I don't have to carry it? I thought "Wow, do I really need a 13x9 tent for 2 people?" We fish and are going to camp some on a river, for sure, and we can carry it in my boat, it's not too big, nor heavy. We also might take some short trips just to do some camping at parks. I don't know if we will ever have another couple, that might not happen, lol. I could buy something else if this is not a good choice.

I was in your spot a couple years ago. I also went out and bought an Ozark Trails tent....mine was bigger. I have only used it 4 or 5 times but I am happy with it. It is a bit large though just for the 2 of us but it is bigger than yours. 3 rooms plus a front porch. I think yours is a good size and will accommodate more people in a pinch but if I were you I would encourage anyone going with you to bring their own tent but that is just me.

The only real problem that I have with it is that the footprint is 16x16 so I have to find a place big enough to set it up. If I was in a campground it wouldn't be an issue but I don't like camping in campgrounds so I have to be mindful when picking a spot. Other than that I think the Ozark Trails tents are a great starter tent.

All that being said lately I sleep in the bed of my truck with a tarp over the top to keep the weather out.

[actad]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

I have some Ozark Trail gear, including cot, screen house, sunshelter etc. The sun shelter was the only slightly disappointing purchase since its legs are plastic, but it is meant for light duty use on a beach. The screen house is quite nice and has the same metal click-to-open legs that are on my Coleman tents.

[tplife]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

As our moderator pointed out, it's way too big of a tent for most level campsites. It's large size is also means fewer poes/square foot of fabric, delivering poor wind and rain integrity in addition to fragile strength. The words "Ozark Tent" and "full rain fly" are never found together, so you can expect the oldest and fewest of features in the design. I'd take it back while you can and exchange it for something like a Eureka! Tetragon 6 if that's in your price point, lest you discover why owners of this tent size and brand "don't go camping very often"...Yep, we've owned one of this type of tent (in the Coleman brand name) and quickly discovered the many drawbacks.

[livemusic]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

I did return the Ozark Trails 13x9 tent and bought this BassProShops Eclipse 10x9 6-person tent -- http://www.basspro.com/Bass-Pro-Shop..._VTB2#desc-tab. It looked to be better material and design and was only $30 more. We went camping in it one night and it went well. One thing I wanted was as much ventilation as possible due to our hot days and, especially, hot nights. This tent has a lot of window and door noseeum mesh.

I still am wondering if it's still too large for two people. They make a 4-person tent and it appears to be identical design and features but it's 5'4" inside height and the 6-person I bought is 6' inside. My being 6'2" tall, the one I bought is better in that department.

I am not sure how big this tent is with the porch deployed. They say it's 10x9 but I am not sure... maybe the porch adds more to that? I guess I will put it up in my yard and check that out, lol. Concerned about difficulty in finding camping spots that large.

This 6-person tent is certainly plenty big for 2 people and lots of gear inside. It seems to be well made and was pretty easy to set up.

I'm new to modern tents and modern camping, it's been decade since I camped!

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

I bought a large tent (forget the size, but it is large enough for about 8 -10 people) for extended trips. It was a Coleman, pretty much the same thing as Ozark Trails IMO. I've grown to hate it. As others have mentioned, you have to find a site large enough to pitch it. Also, It uses tubular metal poles and is a PITA to pitch and take down, AND all those staking points, PLUS guyouts for the rain fly. Speaking of the rainfly, I also need a tarp to keep the rain out. It is truly luxurious inside...except I don't spend any time inside while I'm awake. One nice thing is that I can stand up inside it.

If I could do it again (and I will) I would buy a smaller tent (4-person) with a stand-alone setup configuration (like a dome tent, e.g.) and reliable rain protection. For extended stays, that is (say, a week). For shorter stays or trips where I will be driving daily, I'm like James and I sleep in the back of my Pick-em-up. For hiking I use an entirely different set of gear.

HTH!

[a65hoosier]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

I bought a large tent (forget the size, but it is large enough for about 8 -10 people) for extended trips. It was a Coleman, pretty much the same thing as Ozark Trails IMO. I've grown to hate it. As others have mentioned, you have to find a site large enough to pitch it. Also, It uses tubular metal poles and is a PITA to pitch and take down, AND all those staking points, PLUS guyouts for the rain fly. Speaking of the rainfly, I also need a tarp to keep the rain out. It is truly luxurious inside...except I don't spend any time inside while I'm awake. One nice thing is that I can stand up inside it.

This was pretty much my experience with the Coleman Weathermaster 10 (add in the hassle of folding/rolling the beast). It is still on the gear shelf, but I haven't used it in 3 years....

[actad]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

The OP's tent is a click leg instant cabin tent. Super easy to set up and take down. I own the Coleman 8 person version. I have not found a place I can't pitch it such as state park campgrounds. It has better airflow than the 4 person in my avatar since it has a back window (as does my six person Coleman) which results in windows on all four sides. I use my smaller one when it is cold out when it is just me as it take less effort to keep warm. In warmer weather, the six and eight person tents are rather nice. Gives me more room for grandkid sleepovers.

[James.]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

I don't mind the setup. My wife and I can do it in 20 minutes or so. It really isn't that hard. And to be completely honest it isn't really that hard to find a spot....and remember that it is 16x16....I think the biggest problem that i have with it is that in colder weather a smaller tent is easier to keep warm.

[a65hoosier]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

The OP's tent is a click leg instant cabin tent. Super easy to set up and take down. I own the Coleman 8 person version. I have not found a place I can't pitch it such as state park campgrounds.

Agree. Most state park campgrounds can accommodate large tents. I have no doubt instant tents offer interior space and easy click poles for fast pitch/strike times. All for a great value. If it gets folks out camping and they have a good time, they'll do it again. Good for all of us.

The OP stated: "We fish and are going to camp some on a river, for sure, and we can carry it in my boat, it's not too big, nor heavy. We also might take some short trips just to do some camping at parks."

He may have difficulty siting this tent on riverside camping access sites due to the size of that tent. Depending on where he is camping, riverside/boat-in sites may be quite a bit different than state park campground sites. May or may not be a problem and one that can be avoided with some pre-trip scouting/research.

My bigger concern is whether that tent is durable enough to hold up to the rigors of riverside/boat camping where the tent is your primary shelter...and your boat---not a car---is your backup shelter. State park camping is getting a taste of Mother Nature, with dry warm safety of your car not too far away. You can't just safely leave a riverside campsite at 2:00am during a storm and hop in the boat to go home because a hub on the instant tent broke (which is unrepairable).

When you can't easily pack up and drive home when things go bad, or have access to backup shelter, your tent must be durable, reliable, and when things happen...field repairable. Most dome tents with basic pole structures can be repaired with a splint/tree branch, and tape.

The OP asked for opinions: Personally, I would never take an instant tent and camp without my vehicle being close by.

[Irate Mormon]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

This was pretty much my experience with the Coleman Weathermaster 10 (add in the hassle of folding/rolling the beast). It is still on the gear shelf, but I haven't used it in 3 years....

Actually I think that is the tent I have.

[eztarget]

Re: Bought a Ozark Trails tent

The OP's tent is a click leg instant cabin tent. Super easy to set up and take down. I own the Coleman 8 person version. I have not found a place I can't pitch it such as state park campgrounds. It has better airflow than the 4 person in my avatar since it has a back window (as does my six person Coleman) which results in windows on all four sides. I use my smaller one when it is cold out when it is just me as it take less effort to keep warm. In warmer weather, the six and eight person tents are rather nice. Gives me more room for grandkid sleepovers.

I completely agree with this. We have the slightly larger 14x10 Ozark Trail instant tent for 2 years now and have never had a site we couldn't find a spot on. We camp in NY State.

There is a 10x9 6 person instant tent from Ozark Trail as well. If you're car camping I'll never buy another tent without instant up. I HATE assembling poles and don't backpack with two small kids so these tents work great.