OHT Day 2: Starry Skies, Spirit Creek, and Fane Creek

The weight of this Ozark Trail is lighter than most of the same size alternative steel frame canopy tents, coming in right about 29 lbs. From a positive perspective, the lightweight design increases portability ozark trail chair which is certainly important in carrying the tent to its intended location. From a negative perspective, the weight is indicative of a lack of high quality material and components used throughout the shelter.

It turns out he is the trail maintainer for this section of trail until the pipeline in 4 miles! He tells us that this next section has the most elevation gain in a single stretch but he also says it is not that bad of a climb. You may want to compare the Easy Up against the Qipi Beach Cabana, the Eureka Tagalong Shelter, and the Neso 1. A handful of REI customers complain that the tent is not stable in strong winds. Though the previous version came with four guylines—the stabilizing lines that allow you to stake out the tent for added security in windy conditions—the current version does not, which is inconvenient. Ryan Gemmell, a TentCraft design engineer, explained why using two decks of cards.

Our hands-down winner in this category is the Eurmax Standard 10×10. It offers impeccable craftsmanship and is even graded as “Entry Commercial” by the manufacturer. This canopy’s stitching and heavy-wear stress points are reinforced. Additionally, its 600-denier canopy fabric is the thickest we’ve seen. Likewise, the roller bag is made from commercial-grade components and fabrics, and the frame is thicker and heavier than other canopies. The Tagalong and Caravan V-Series scored slightly lower than our top scorers, but they still have straightforward setup processes.

We’re more than just custom pop up tents — TentCraft is a premium fabricator of all things experiential marketing and outdoor advertising. If it combines metal, fabric and print our team of skilled craftsmen can transform any napkin sketch or wild idea into a fully realized project. Serving the biggest brands on the planet as well as your local High School, if you want the perfect blend of quality and American craftsmanship, we’ve got you covered. So, for those of you who are enticed by the cheap prices of slant leg canopies, we’re here to warn you to not waste your money – even if it only costs you $75 or $100. We explore the lightweight beach canopy that’s powered by the wind to see if its worth its hefty price tag. Along the way we see a 400 pound hog in the distance, trotting up the mountain side like it weighed nothing.

Methodically, we used each tent in its intended environment — plus some unintended ones — to see just how much use we could get out of them. From whipping wind to sweltering sun to relentless rain, we set up these canopy tents across multiple weather scenarios to test them in the worst and best elements. We even carried or rolled each tent 100 feet to see how much suffering it took to move them from point A to point B.

ozark trail canopy

However, once on the ground, their roller bags make it extremely easy to pull them over concrete, dirt, and grass. The canopy tent has mesh walls on all four sides and an edge of polyester fabric (also DWR treated) at the ground that deters mosquitos and other critters from invading from below. Like many tents of this type, the REI Screen House Shelter has a fabric hook in the center of the ceiling that accommodates a small lantern or other light. The REI Co-op Screen House Shelter is easy to set up and pleasant to use, providing good protection from bugs, sun, and gentle rain showers. A high ceiling makes the tent feel brighter and more airy than other camping shelters with a similar footprint. That’s not the case with a slant leg canopy tent which, as you may have guessed, features legs that are slanted and form an angle of less than 90 degrees with the floor.

That said, we also feel its applications are somewhat endless. No assembly is required; this shelter is ready to go right out of the box and can be fully deployed in less than a minute. We admit there is a small learning curve to setting up the Escape, but once you’re locked in, popping this canopy into place is really fun and even somewhat addictive.

Most new tents incorporate this ventilated canopy design to increase airflow and reduce the trapping of hot air, helping to keep those in the shade cooler and more comfortable. The legs are locked into place with old school metal push button locks, something you won’t see on many modern pop up tents now-a-days. These push locks get very difficult to use over time, especially if the tent is used on the beach and exposed to sand and saltwater, causing rust build up. Many newer tent brands like EZ-Up use revolutionary thumb lock sliders or larger easy to release buttons, which are a much better user experience when setting the canopy up or taking it down. With the push buttons you need to worry about pinching fingers or not being able to release the button when it gets rusted, which is never a pleasant experience.

Jason is a native of Utah and seeks time in the outdoors every week. He spends his free time playing at local lakes, dunes, and campgrounds, where he routinely uses canopies for shade. He also is no stranger to the sideline, where he enjoys sitting under a canopy to watch family members play youth sports. Jason is also an avid car camper, hiker, and backpacker and has extensive knowledge of general outdoor gear.