After reviewing the Ozark Trail 10×10 instant shelter we couldn’t leave out its closest competition, the Z-Shade tent. Z-Shade has been a staple in manufacturing instant canopies in a variety of sizes and colors since 2000. The brand is wholly owned by large conglomerate Activa Leisure Group who has been in the umbrella and shade business since 1842, so it’s safe to say they know a thing or two about outdoor canopies. Product DescriptionUpgrade your outdoor experience with our modern and durable pop-up canopy tents. The upgraded frame design ensures ventilation and cooling with a vent on the roof. Made with a strong and durable steel frame construction, reinforced stress points, and high-quality plastic parts, our pop-up canopies are built to last.
If you don’t have time to let the fly dry before you pack the Wireless in its duffle, we recommend laying it out when you get home so it doesn’t mildew in storage. 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 ozark trail shower tent a dry night’s sleep. When we awoke, we could roll back one part of the vestibule, make coffee, and watch the sky lighten even though it was still raining. To test the tents, we first opened them, splayed out their parts, and tried to put them together without consulting the instructions.
Two large vestibules add nearly 40 square feet combined—that ozark trail canopy tent is, 18.75 square feet on either side. Finding a small, light tent is the logical approach when you’re backpacking. But with car camping—the industry term for what most people consider just camping—you’ll likely be parking next to your campsite and unloading.
The angled legs add a bit more stability than straight-leg tents which we also like, but the design reduces the top canopy to 8’x8′ dimensions resulting in only 64 sq. The plastic foot pads are a nice touch that you don’t often see on value-priced tents and they do a good job of protecting the bottom of the legs from wear and tear. Similar to nearly every 10×10 shade canopy under $100, the legs utilize metal insta-lock push buttons that are not the most user friendly. With this feature there is always a need to worry about rusted metal thumb locks that become impossible to push in over time. Cheap tents generally tend to forego a lot of these nice-to-have features that make canopy tent life easier during set up, and unfortunately this one is no different. In terms of how the two tents feel, the Marmot Tungsten 4 is more geared toward hunkering down and providing stalwart defense against wind, rain, and sun.
While this model isn’t anything ground-breaking by any means, it’s still not oversimplified, and the vents are a prime example of that. With the massive influx of instant canopies taking over the market, it can be hard to find one that lives up to its claims. For a day at the beach, sunny picnic party, or other outdoor event, you want something that’s going to protect from the harsh rays of the sun, but is still easy enough to transport and assemble on site. Getting our hands dirty with the top-rated 9×9 Neso Grande lightweight beach canopy tent.