The long name of the Ozark Trail 14-Person Family Camping Tent with Lantern Loop and Weather Protection fails to tell you that this is a large three-room structure with great doors and stargazing features.
Key features & benefits
- Huge capacity.
- Three rooms.
- Three doors.
- Four windows.
- Stand-up height.
- Lightweight.
- Compact.
- Incredible price.
What is in the name
I have a feeling that the brand was quite careless in choosing the name of this tent. No doubt they could have come out with something much better. You will realize this later in the text.
Namely, the part “with Lantern Loop and Weather Protection” in the official name looks quite trivial. If they wanted to be descriptive, it has more important features than these two mentioned in the name.
But on their site they indeed write at one place “Ozark Trail 14-Person 3 Room Tent”. This is better but not detailed enough.
Regarding the general shape, this is an interesting hybrid between a cabin and tunnel design. You can see this clearly in the picture below which shows the tent without the fly.
The central area is like a typical cabin type tent with steep and straight walls. But the two extensions on the sides are supported with oval loops and give the tent the tunnel feeling.
Because of these extensions, it is not freestanding, so it must be staked out, but this would be done in any case with such a large structure.
Rooms
These mentioned separate parts are in fact three separate rooms. You can see them in the picture below. So you have the central room that connects to two identical side rooms.
The inner doors between the rooms are with a central zipper so you can open them and keep them out of the way when not needed.
Note that each of the rooms has its own external door, so there are three of them in total. The main door on the central room is gigantic as you realize from the picture below. This is rarely seen and quite a luxury.
Below you can see one of the side doors. Note that this part is considerably lower compared to the central room where you have impressive 82 inches (208 cm) height.
Each of the three doors has a double layer upper part, with a fixed mesh and a zippered panel to create a window when the sky is clear.
There is yet another window in the central room, opposite to the main door, see how it looks, this is view through it from the outside:
The fly
The tent has three separate parts that cover its top. The central room has a removable fly, and on the two side rooms you have a very good roll-back stargazing fly. It is shown in the second picture above; you can enjoy sleeping under stars whenever the sky is clear.
This is a unique detail of this tent. They should have called it Ozark Trail 14-Person 3 Room Tent with a Roll-Back Stargazing Fly.
Materials
All the elements in the package are shown below, who would say that so few of them create such a gigantic shelter.
The poles: You have a set of 8 poles, four are steel and four fiberglass. They attach to the tent’s base through the usual pin-and-ring system, one shown below, this works well and it is used in many tents of this type. Higher up you have clips and sleeves.
The fabric: They are very economical in details regarding the fabric. All that is known is that this is a polyester, no waterproof rating is given.
Nothing was mentioned about the floor fabric, but this is a catenary cut, not optimal unless the seams are perfectly taped.
Other features
- This tent comes with a cable port for convenient electrical cord access, you can see it in the picture above.
- There is also an attached front mud mat that may help keep the inside of the tent clean and dry.
- You also have a gear loft to keep small items close at hand.
- And yes, there is the famous loop to hang a lantern, which they find so important to mention even in the official name.
- Hanging organizer pockets for convenient storage of small, lightweight items, see them below.
- 8 Pre-attached guy ropes for securing the tent in windy conditions.
Inner details.
Setup time
They write that the average setup time for two people is 20 minutes.
This is quite realistic, in spite of the size of the tent this is an easy job. But attaching the fly may be tricky because of the height and size of the tent. Instructions are conveniently sewn into the carry bag.
Ventilation
Regarding ventilation, this tent is a mixed bag.
On one hand, you have large mesh windows on opposite sides for air cross flow. There is also a huge ceiling with mesh areas in all three rooms for vertical air flow. Vapor can escape through the mesh and on the sides of the fly.
But if you go back up and see the picture with the view in, you realize that taffeta is everywhere around, and there are no floor vents.
In my view, at least three of them are needed for such a large tent. When it rains, you have to close the windows and doors and rely on vents. They missed the opportunity to make this a great tent for warm weather camping.
Who is this Ozark Trail 14-Person 3 Room Tent for
Regarding the area, the tent is officially with a 14-person capacity, and this means the number of sleeping pads that may fit on the floor of all three rooms.
They write that it sleeps 8 people comfortably and you can realize this from the picture below that shows no less than 4 queen airbeds side by side, with plenty of floor area to spare. And everybody can easily reach the door to get out.
I see it as perfect for groups and for families with kids. As you realize, the side rooms are physically separated and this gives the best privacy you can expect in a tent.
Regarding seasons & climate, the tent is closable, and you can see this in the picture below. This is how you would use it in the case of rain.
This is a true three-season tent, but in view of its shape it is best to avoid very windy places. Bear in mind what I said about lack of floor vents; in the rain all the windows must be closed with inner panels.
My rating below for protection is low simply because they do not provide any information about waterproof rating.
Regarding the weight, this is indeed a lightweight tent for its size, you will see below how I rate it. But it weighs 32.82 lb (14.9 kg), so be ready for this.
The packed size is also exceptionally good for its size, so it will not take much space in the car trunk. I rate it very high below. They have included an expandable zippered carry duffle for transport and storage.
Regarding the price, it is simply incredible, you will hardly find something more affordable. Please follow the link and check for updates.
Specifications
- Weight: 32.82 lb (14.9 kg).
- Official capacity: 14 people.
- Dimensions: 21.5 x 10.5 ft (655 x 320 cm).
- Inner area: 195.45 ft² (18.2 m²).
- Inner area per person: 14 ft² (1.3 m²).
- Peak height: 82 in (208 cm).
- Packed size: 27 x 11 x 11 in (69 x 28 x 28 cm).
- One-year limited warranty.
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
In summary, the Ozark Trail 14-Person Family Camping Tent is an impressive family and group camping shelter that offers exceptional value for money.
Its huge floor area, three-room layout, three separate entrances, and unique roll-back stargazing fly make it stand out from many competitors in this size category.
The tent is easy to set up for its size, provides excellent standing height in the central room, and packs surprisingly small considering its generous dimensions. I particularly like the privacy offered by the separate side rooms and the versatility of having multiple doors and windows.
On the downside, Ozark Trail provides very little information about the tent materials and waterproof performance, which makes it difficult to assess its weather protection with confidence.
In addition, the lack of floor vents limits ventilation during rainy weather when the doors and windows must remain closed.
Overall, if you are looking for an affordable, spacious, and family-friendly camping tent with multiple rooms and plenty of living space, this model is certainly worth considering.
I have included it in my list of best 14 person camping tents and best 3-room family camping tents.
Below you can see how this tent stands against my standard rating criteria that I apply consistently to all of them here in the site so that you can easily compare:
Ozark Trail 14-Person 3 Room Tent
Pros
- Compact.
- Lightweight.
- Very good features.
- Excellent price.
- Great privacy features.
Cons
- No floor vents.
- No info about waterproof rating.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY:
For more tents of this shape please check in the category Tents for 11 People Plus.
Let me know if you have questions, there is a comment box below. Bookmark this site and come again, this will keep you informed, as you realize I add texts here on a regular basis. Thank you for reading.
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