This Ozark Trail Base Camp 14-Person Cabin Tent Review is about one of the largest cabin-type family camping tents on the market, with 4 separate rooms and 12 windows.
![Ozark Trail Base Camp 14-Person Cabin Tent.](https://familycamptents.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Ozark-Trail-Base-Camp-14-Person-Cabin-Tent-Review-view.jpg)
Key features & benefits
- Incredibly huge space – big enough for 5 queen size beds.
- 4 rooms.
- 4 doors.
- 12 big windows.
- Various options with dividers.
- Totally incredible price.
- Electric cable port.
Where to buy
- This tent is available on Amazon.
- You will find it also at Walmart.
What type of tent is this – what is in the name
Here you have a very complex structure with so many separate rooms and entrances, but essentially this is is a non-freestanding and cabin type tent. So this is already something unique, cabin type tents are usually freestanding. But this is such a huge construction that you have to stake its corners first (and you have them 8, don’t forget).
As a cabin type tent, the walls are very high and almost vertical, and the peak height in the central dome area is 78 inches (198 cm). So this is a very cavernous, pleasant, and livable structure with incredible proportions, see the picture below.
The words “base camp” can mean anything, but make no mistake, this is a summer camping tent, so you have huge windows on all sides. Every room has them 2 plus one on the door. The design also included mesh everywhere on the ceiling, so if the sky is clear you have wonderful views at night.
The area issue – how much you have really
The numbers 20 x 20 indicate feet, so this is the actual ground area needed for this tent. This means 400 ft² (37 m²). But this is not the floored tent area.
My estimate of the total protected area here is around 222 ft² (20 m²), or perhaps a bit more. Note, this is roughly 5/9 of the total area. It is easy to come to this value; you have a square and divide it in 3 x 3 equal units and then subtract 4 units. The remaining units will create the “cross” tent structure as you have it here, see the picture below.
This is big enough to accommodate 5 queen size beds. But if you do so, you will not be able to close the dividers. Note, I have included this tent in my list of extra large family camping tents.
Who is it for
♦ Sizewise, you have enough space for the declared 14-people. The area is huge, and you have in total 20 ft along one branch of the “cross”, so you can put 9 sleeping pads (25 inches each) side by side. The remaining 5 pads can also be easily accommodated in the two sections of the other branch of the “cross”.
But I do not think this is an option that would work in practice, except perhaps at some summer music festival or any similar gathering where people use the tent only to spend the night on the floor, and don’t have much stuff around.
If this is for camping, downgrade this dramatically. For example, a family with up to 6 kids can comfortably camp in such a tent. You would have the entrance room for boots and other stuff and the central dome section for sitting in the evening and for fun. The remaining three rooms would then be one for parents and the other two for kids. Sounds great, doesn’t it? I only regret we did not have such tents when my kids were small.
Yet another option is to use bunk-cots. In such a case, you save lost of floor space, such beds fit nicely against the walls of a cabin tent, and you can have a huge family camping comfortably.
♦ The packed size is surprisingly good for such a big tent. You have a bundle which is 28.5 x 13.75 inches (72 x 35 cm), small enough to be transported even on a motorbike. So if you are on a tour with your motorbikers friends, you might consider this tent.
How many rooms?
Note that unlike other tents, here you have built-in dividers that fully close the walls. So they are sewn-in to the walls and have central zippers for complete privacy.
You have a structure of a cross, with a central dome area that is connected (without the divider) with the main entrance. This is the biggest area, and the remaining three sections are with dividers, and you can create 4 separate rooms, 3 of them are the same size and the 4th is almost double size.
But fixing the dividers to the walls you can create various options with 1, 2, 3, and 4 rooms as it suits you best.
I already mentioned the number of queen size beds, so the tent can be used by several couples, but remember that you will not be able to close the dividers if you use such beds, they have miscalculated the proportions of this tent. So you would have to use some different sort of beds. In any case, each of the rooms has its own exit door, in total 4 external doors are here.
How many seasons
The tent is built for very mild conditions and for relatively warm weather without wind and only for moderate rain. So this is a summer camping tent and no more than this, and don’t be fooled by 3-season statements. This is because of the following reasons:
- So much mesh on the ceiling and on 12 windows cannot preserve warmth, so it is best to avoid a cold environment with this tent.
- Looked from a side, the tent is an obstacle of the size 5 x 2 meters. So this is a non-aerodynamic object of 10 square meters, and a side wind would put lots of pressure on it, so it would not last long.
- I have seen people asking if the tent can withstand snow. Definitely not, it is not designed for vertical pressure, at least not with those fiberglass roof poles.
Because of all these features, you will see this tent mentioned in my separate text about best family tents for hot weather camping.
All in all, if you need a tent for 3 seasons or 3 seasons plus, you will need something very different and much more expensive. See this Big Agnes Flying Diamond 6 tent as a nice example, or this Nemo Wagontop 6 tent.
Materials & construction
There are many poles here, but this is expected from such a structure. The main 12 poles are steel and the 10 roof poles are fiberglass.
There is no indication about waterproofness rating, but seams are taped and the tent is built to be waterproof. All the windows and the doors are double-layer, with mesh and with panels for protection.
The main door is with an inverted T-shape zipper and other doors are D-shaped. The roof is protected by a fly which is minimal in size, so you have unobstructed views through all those windows.
There is a hook for a lantern in the main area, and a few small pockets on the walls, they look grotesque to me on such huge walls. They have missed adding them more, this would make lots of difference. You have an electric cable port and this is pretty much all.
Setup
They say 20 minutes is enough for two people, but this sounds too optimistic, make it double. You spread it and start from the central room with its 4 vertical poles and 6 roof poles. Then you raise the side rooms. But it is best that you see this video:
Can you do it alone? Yes, certainly. Here is a time-lapse video of a guy doing this solo, have a look:
They obviously thought that the huge floor area was enough, but they missed to make the tent more user-friendly. There are only 5 small pockets here, so you have one per room and two in the main room. They are very small and practically useless.
There are no vents above the floor. They may look unnecessary with so many windows and the ceiling with mesh, but if you have long intervals with rain, all the panels must be closed and the tent may become a less pleasant place.
Specifications
- Weight: 47.96 lb (21.8 kg).
- Ground area: 20 x 20 ft (6 x 6 m).
- Floor area: around 222 ft² (20 m²).
- Area per person: 15.9 ft² (1.43 m²).
- Peak height: 78 in (198 cm).
- Packed size (L x D): 28.5 x 13.75 in (72 x 35 cm).
- Carry bag included.
- Stakes included.
Ozark Trail Base Camp 14 vs Competitors
See these three giants side by side. The Ozark Trail tent is without a match in a few important features, but not in all. Please follow the links to read more.
Weight, lb (kg)
Floor size, sq ft (sq m)
Peak height, in (cm)
Packed size, in (cm)
Doors
Vestibules
Fly
Freestanding
Rooms
Instant
Ozark Trail
Base Camp 14
47.96 (21.8)
222 (20)
78 (198)
28 x 14
(72 x 35)
4
no
yes
no
4
no
Core Instant
Cabin 12
52.55 (23.84)
180 (16.7)
80 (203)
51 x 12
(130 x 30)
2
no
yes
yes
3
yes
Eureka Copper
Canyon 12
38.75 (17.6)
168 (15.6)
84 (213)
28 x 10
(71 x 25)
2
no
yes
yes
2
no
Final thoughts, my rating, pros & cons
In the conclusion of this Ozark Trail Base Camp 14-Person Cabin Tent review. I would say that it is so easy to get impressed with this tent which looks like a castle to me. But bear in mind a few things pointed out in the text; it is not for the declared number of users, and the actual size is far smaller than what you might think in view of its 16 x 16 declared size.
It is disappointing that they did not give the exact floor area, have seen many people guessing. Other than that, this is a great tent for summer camping. I have added it to my list of best 14 person camping tents.
Ozark Trail Base Camp 14-Person Cabin Tent
Pros
- Very livable tent.
- 4 Rooms & 12 windows.
- Great packed size.
- Great price.
- Plenty of options for rooms organization.
- Surprisingly easy setup for such a size.
Cons
- Not for heavy rains or strong winds.
- Only a few pockets in such a huge space.
- No floor vents.
- Not big enough for the declared capacity.
Thank you for reading. If you need something different, just look around, this site is all about family camping tents, so you will find someth8ng for you. Check this Ozark Trail Instant Cabin 15 tent from the same brand and also this Ozark Trail 16-person tent with 20 square meters of the floor area. You might want also to compare it with this new Wenzel Mammoth 16-Person Family Dome Camping Tent which is an unusual extended dome structure. Not big enough? Then see this Ozark Trail 20 person tent as well.
If you have any question or comment, please use the comment box below. Have a nice day.
Do you know where I could buy replacement parts for this tent?
Hi, the only way is through the manufacturer/brand. Ozark Trail belongs to Walmart.
Can you send this tent to australia pls i really need this kind for our camp in the bush pls tota
Hi Tota, I do not sell it myself, the only way is through the links in the text.
The prices vary a lot on this tent. on here it is for 181.00, on Walmart it is like 239.00, on ebay it is 344.00 and have seen the price up as far as 550.00. For the same tent. I’ve tried to buy it off ebay, but it says one or more sellers can’t except payments at this time ??? What’s that all about. So on here it is listed for 181.00, but where do you pay for it?
Hi Gerald, this is a very popular tent and there are many sellers that are trying to sell it. That is why you have so many different prices. As for the price that was listed here and you mentioned, the tool I am using has not been updating the prices, and this is why it was showing what you mentioned. I am in the mountains right now and cannot deal with this tool issue in general, but I have removed the confusing incorrect price.
Hi
Can you tell me if I make sure windows and doors are all zipped is there any way a snake could get in??? M thank you
Christy
Hi Christy, the floor is sewn in, and all the doors are with zippers around. The windows are with mesh plus zippered panels for full protection against insects. So I do not see how a snake could get in.
Area per person
10
Weight
9
Packed size
9
Protection
10
Ease of use
10
Features
8.5
We have been using this for cross country camping for our large group the last few years and love it. We learned to turn the air mattresses or push them to side so they will fit with dividers closed. Few issues, One pole snapped while on the outer bank islands in a tropical storm and a few stakes were bent during a rain storm in the Idaho Valley but other wise it has held up quite well during all sorts of conditions. With the rain guard on it insulates well even in the mountain cold and still has the abilty to open a few windows during rain without it coming in. The bugs really like the mesh top so i recommend treating with permertherin and buring sage or citronella to keep them from being what you look at. Overall, very versatile and sturdy. There were a few campsites where we have had to rent an extra space to accolade the size or use tarps underneath due to spread being so large.
Many thanks Ashli, it is so great to hear about your experience with this tent. Very interesting observations about keeping insects off the ceiling. It is also good to hear that the fly was good enough to protect you from the cold, who would say when the ceiling with mesh is so enormous. All the best.
Hi JV
I was wondering if you ship to Canada? This is the tent I want for my kids and if you like you could also add me to
Sincerely
Lilla Braun
Hi Lilla, actually I do not sell the tents. Please follow the link and check with the seller. Not sure what you mean by this “add me to”.
This is a really superior site, I wish I’d found you earlier! Could you please add me to your e-mail list if you do that?
Thank you for the kind words Karen. I have added you as requested. Best regards.