And you can unzip the front door, remove it, and neatly stash it into one of the tent’s internal pockets—a useful feature if you’re feeling sociable. Some campers might find the Wawona 6’s footprint unwieldy in smaller campsites, or they might simply prefer a tent with a more straightforward design. If you want a six-person tent made with high-quality materials but a traditional profile, we recommend the similarly priced Big Agnes Spicer Peak 6, or Nemo’s Aurora Highrise 6. MSR’s Habitude 6 is also a good tent, but it costs about $200 more. Unfortunately, you have to buy a separate groundsheet for the Wawona 6 and for most other tents its size as well. 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.
Keep your gear organized with the included hanging gear organizer. And a carry bag for easy portability and storage when not in use. Make the most of your next camping adventure with the Ozark Trail 11-Person Instant Cabin with Private Room.
Like the Mineral King 3, the Tungsten 4 has a mesh canopy, though the opaque polyester part of its walls go higher, and provide more privacy, than the Mineral King’s. Its tape-seamed bathtub floor and fly had no problem handling rain. The Tungsten’s fly is not adaptable in the same way the Mineral King 3’s is, but it is treated for extra UV protection, which should help lengthen the tent’s lifespan. This dome-style tent has nearly vertical walls, high ceilings, and a single vestibule the size of an actual mudroom. It’s also straightforward to set up, and it is made with sturdy, light materials. But for the family that tested this tent (two adults, a preteen, and a dog) it was plenty big enough to spread out in with room to spare.
Even if you’re well versed with the classic criss cross style of most modern camping and backpacking tents, the structural needs of a 10-person tent can get pretty intense. So I understand why Coleman tried to simplify it by attaching their poles at one end of each tent. The smaller of the two problems is that this makes breakdown more of a hassle than it needs to be. You can’t simply fold up the poles separately and do whatever you need to do with a sopping wet rain fly and tent body. 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.
One night during testing, for example, clouds loomed in the distance with clear skies overhead. After we pitched the tent, the Mineral King 3’s adaptable fly let us leave half the mesh dome uncovered. At the first sign of rain, it took only a few seconds—and a quick hand stuck outside the tent—to unfurl the fly and secure it for a dry night’s sleep.
Throughout all our testing, we wanted to know how it felt to be inside the tents for long periods of time. If we had to spend a day in the tent during a storm, would it be comfortable? After first removing the models that failed the structural tests, we slept, watched the stars, and ate our meals in all of the tents, as well as planned hikes from them. I had high hopes for the Eddie Bauer Olympic Dome, but unfortunately this tent did not live up to my expectations. It started off well with some unusually excellent directions, which I appreciated having just come from the Coleman tent and its attached poles. As family friends started to trickle in over the course of the evening and following morning, they started to claim various tents.
This type of pole tends to be less flexible and bulkier than pricier aluminum, and it can be a pain to handle. After our longtime top-pick tent for two people ran into some stock issues in 2021, we researched new models and redesigns, and we assembled a batch of small tents for testing in March 2022, on Oahu. During this period, winds rose up to 35 to 40 knots, and we experienced passing showers ozark trail instant cabin as well as direct sunlight and 80-degree temperatures. 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.
Experience the great outdoors intimately with a well-crafted camping tent. Each tent for sale in this selection offers the durability to protect you from the elements and ensure a great trip. They come in a variety of styles, from traditional cabin and dome tents to fun kids’ tents decorated with their favorite characters. Whatever the environment, these tents provide a comfortable place to come back to after an exciting day.