Getting our hands dirty with one of the best sun shelters on the market. Digging our toes in the sand under one of the best full-overhead coverage beach tents on the market. A frequent reader of our site put the lightweight Cool Cabana pop up beach canopy to the test during a West Coast vacation. The Ozark Trail 8×8 Instant Sun Shade did exactly what we needed it to.
Roof vents help with ventilation to keep you cool and the shade provides UV 50 plus protection. The floor space provides 64 square feet of shade and 59-inch ceiling height provides ample interior space. An additional privacy panel is included for even more shade and protection and can be attached to either side of the shelter.
It would be good for summer camping in the sun shade mode, or backyard camping for the kids, but I don’t know if I would risk it for backpacking. It is not very heavy, and not poorly constructed, but it just isn’t sturdy or waterproof. Spend a little more money and get a better tent. A square, about 6′ x 6′, with X-arrange fiberglass poles. You set up the fly first and it forms a sun shade, then you hook in the tent underneath.
I broke out the Ozark Trail Sun Shade on my first outing this season. It took me a few minutes to figure out that the flaps on the bottom are designed to be sandbags for use at the beach. I appreciated the directions being attached to the storage bag so they did not get lost or misplaced.
It was helpful that I happened to have a hammer to pound the eight stakes into the hard ground. Trailspace’s community of gear ozark trail straight leg canopy reviewers has field-tested and rated the top tents and shelters. Overall, this tent is not worth it if rain is involved.
Upon taking down the sun shield things started to go sideways. The structure is held up by foldable poles connected by an elastic band. There is glue on the ends of the fiberglass poles that keeps the ends of the poles in the required cap. This broke apart the poles from the cap fitting. I couldn’t believe that the glue failed on both sides.
This wasn’t the end of the world, but something I will consider with my next sun shield purchase. I understand that occasionally products have manufacturer defects. But after seeing this fail on both sides, I am concerned it would happen again if I returned the item for a replacement. Hop on over to Walmart.com where you can score this Ozark Trail 8′ x 8′ Instant Sun Shade with 2 Pack of 30oz Tumblers for as low as $39 shipped $33.52. To get started, simply click on the “Start Choosing Now” button and choose free in-store pick up if available near you; otherwise, shipping is $5.99 or free on orders over $35. A 90-day Warranty is included for free with every product on VIPOUTLET.
It’s often raining and it seems like this will also make a great shelter out of the rain. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it beats sitting in the actual rain trying to control an umbrella. You unfold all the poles and make sure to extend them out.