In practice this took more elbow grease than I was expecting, to the point that I worried the fiberglass poles would break (they did not). I arrived at the group site Friday midday to get everything set up. During that initial phase, I considered how intuitive (or not) the tents were to assemble, durability of the component parts, and the size and shape of the footprint. It was a familiar scenario for anyone who has been camping in the Pacific Northwest. Reservations were made for a Memorial Day weekend group site months ago, but as the actual long weekend got closer, the forecast started to look bleak. The feet areas of the legs are also something to mention, as they are shaped like pads instead of a simple pole.
These tents provide ample space for groups of four or more while still coming in at surprisingly affordable price points. But how hard is it to set up these tents, and do they offer the same level of protection? To find out, I called in five of the best 10-person tents and set them up side by side for a rainy Memorial Day weekend. 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 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.
The Ozark Trail cooler is made from polyethylene, which is the most common kind of plastic in use today. For anyone in the market for a cooler that works and won’t break the bank, I would absolutely take a serious look at what Ozark Trail has to offer. As far as color options go, you can purchase this in one of two colors, Greystone which is the one featured in this article and a lighter grey. The constant color feature among the two are the orange rimmed wheels which I don’t love but, it is not a deal breaker.
Voted #1 Aerial Adventure Park in America 2019, 2020, 2022 by USA Today. This cooler, when compared to the Pelican 45Q Elite and Yeti Tundra, has the smallest profile while still providing 45Q internal storage. It features rubber latches which I am a huge fan of for boating applications. When you are out on the water, people often sneak over to grab something from the cooler and may not latch it back up. With a hard plastic latch, you run the risk of brushing by the cooler and hitting your shin, which I have done and is awful.
They mention that it is very nice, has a great canopy, and the vented top helps in windy conditions. Some say that the frame is perfect and that it comes in a nice carry bag with ozark trail backpack wheels. That team is also pretty helpful to have when our marketing team needs to explain why a straight leg canopy has more structural integrity than a slant leg canopy.
In addition to packed size, assembled size, ease of set up, and weather protection, I also considered each tent’s price when making a final determination. As family friends started to trickle in over the course of the evening and following morning, they started to claim various tents. Over the rest of the weekend, my group provided feedback on how well the tents served their needs, and how well it protected them from the bad weather.