The Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 Tent is the best car-camping tent choice for couples. It has everything you need for three-season camping, with the bonus ozark trail canopy tent of being light enough to double as an occasional backpacking tent. Although it’s designed to accommodate three people—hence the “3” in its name—we found that at 42.5 square feet, the tent is more comfortable for two, plus gear and maybe a medium-size dog. An extra-large vestibule can be used to store gear, provide shade or as a hang-out area in inclement weather. Like most dome-style tents, the Wireless 6 withstands wind like a champ—it fared noticeably better than the Camp Creek 6 in 15-mph gusts.
Common features include one wall with a zipper to allow passage once all walls have been lowered and secured in ozark trail shower tent place, a screen for movie projection and hanging storage shelves. In the heart of the Ozarks’ wilderness, a passion for exploration was kindled. This space serves as an homage to that undying spirit of adventure and as a community for those inspired by Ozark Trail’s commitment to crafting reliable outdoor gear.
We appreciate that the frame has been made of tough steel, as this ensures that it will stay stable throughout moderate winds. With the help of the provided stakes and guy ropes, you can stake it down, so it remains secure. You never know what kind of weather you may encounter but try not to pitch it if you know it will rain. Even so, the roof openings have hoods over them, so there’s no easy way for water to leak through. We think this is the biggest standout in relation to how different this model is to others on the market. Most versions at this price will stick to the really simple designs, with a complete lack of add-ons.
The separate fly, which covers the upper half of the tent, uses a third, shorter “brow” pole to form protective peaks over the door and the back window. In our tests, an experienced camper took only about six minutes on the first try to set up the tent body alone and stake it out. Getting the fly placed and staked properly took about five more minutes. To compare tent fabrics, you also need to know their overall rip strength.
The pyramid frame design is made of durable and powder-coated steel that is resistant to rust and corrosion. The steel legs are almost exactly the same thickness as the Ozark Trail and similar to that of most cheaper tents, but it’s still noticeably thinner than any commercial-grade shelter. The trusses are thin but actually hold up surprisingly well under stress when rotational pressure is applied. The truss connectors are adequate in terms of durability and will help to support the pyramid frame maintain structural integrity during mild to moderate windy conditions. Anything more than mph winds and you might find your Z-Shade tent starting to buckle where it shouldn’t be buckling.
Setting up the tent is a simple as extending the frame and raising the legs into place, and can be done by just one person in a few minutes, nothing unique or out of the ordinary here. The included carrying bag is made of denier polyester and is pretty well constructed. It has a single zipper closure with double stitching and also features an adjustable nylon shoulder strap for easy transport. Four metal stakes are also included to provide some extra stability and keep the tent from blowing away in strong gusts of wind.
To mimic heavier rain and to test the tent’s ability to withstand soggy ground conditions, we also soaked our tents with a garden hose. A few weeks later, we brought the front-runners to a platform in an area that had higher elevation, near the Waianae Mountain Range, and camped out overnight in intermittent but consistent rainfall. It’s natural to focus on the quality of a tent’s rain fly—you need that piece to work when the skies open up. But according to our experts, the durability of the floor of your tent is actually more important. If the tent you buy doesn’t come with a footprint (two of our recommended tents, the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 3 and the Marmot Tungsten 4, do), we recommend purchasing a companion footprint, if one is available. A footprint doesn’t take up much space, is relatively inexpensive, and is much easier to repair or replace than a tent bottom if it tears.