This baby has an impressive 475-pound weight capacity — the highest of any one-person ISLE board. Even laden with 50 pounds of camping gear and my 145-pound body, the combined weight doesn’t reach even half of what the Switch Pro is capable of. It can accommodate both my parents, who joyously paddled on it together on nearby Lake Lanier.
Unfortunately, you have to buy a separate groundsheet for the Wawona 6 and for most other tents its size as well. Both Base Camp tents have two doors and lots of mesh in the main tent body. But unlike the Mineral King 3 and the Tungsten ozark trail canopy tent 4, the mesh on each Base Camp tent starts high on the walls—more than 4 feet from the ground. This design is a big plus for people who regularly camp in crowded campgrounds and don’t like to get naked in front of strangers.
If the Mineral King 3 is out of stock, or if you’d like a slightly larger tent, we recommend the Marmot Tungsten 4. The Tungsten 4 shares many of the Mineral King 3’s best features, and provides 10 square feet of additional living space as well as excellent weather protection—as long as you set it up properly. Like our top pick, the Tungsten 4 is a sturdy, two-door dome-style ozark trail canopy tent tent that can be deployed in about 5 minutes. It uses high-quality materials such as aluminum poles, breathable mesh, and water-resistant polyester fabric, and it comes with a full fly and a footprint. The Tungsten 4’s larger size accounts for the higher price tag (about $40 more), but campers who would like that extra room may find the expense worthwhile.
She has over 15 years of experience in the consumer products industry and a degree in fiber science from Cornell University. Lexie serves as an expert source both within Good Housekeeping and other media outlets, regularly appearing on national broadcast TV segments. Prior to joining GH in ozark trail shower tent 2013, Lexie worked in merchandising and product development in the fashion and home industries. That’s perfect if you’re trying to avoid carrying the board at any point. Though slightly smaller, it’s also easier to carry and, therefore, better for adventures requiring a bit of portaging.
An avid hiker, camper, and long-haul road-tripper, Claire Wilcox has slept in (and occasionally improvised) tents in 11 states. She covers outdoor gear for Wirecutter and worked on the most recent update of this guide, testing couples’ tents and family tents. You can also set up the tent without the fly while retaining some privacy, since the tent body has a high polyester wall on one side. Even with an understanding of the various types of tent issues, it can be difficult to tell when to call it quits with a damaged or faulty tent. After all, some issues are purely aesthetic, while others may hinder a tent’s performance only slightly.