This Ozark Trail 10-Person Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent review is about a freestanding family camping tent from a new line of tents with the dark room technology which drastically reduces glare in the tent.
Key features & benefits
- Innovative Dark Rest technology.
- 2-room tent.
- 8 windows.
- Fits 2 queen airbeds.
- Instant setup in 2 minutes – no assembly required.
- Electric cable port.
- Very good price.
Where to buy
- This tent is available on Amazon.
- You will find it also at Walmart.
What is in the name
Dark Rest – what is this?
I have described this new trend (also known under the name Darkroom) in my separate post. Here, just to stress that in this particular tent this implies that i) all material is made dark, ii) the 4 skylight mesh openings are with additional zippered dark panels which create a dark environment, iii) the same dark material is also on the windows and the door. The purpose of this is:
- to reduce the glare and allow you to sleep longer in the morning,
- to take a nap during the day,
- to make a cooler atmosphere in the tent.
But the fly is with vinyl translucent windows so you can unzip some of the skylights panels and have the direct light inside. The pictures below show how different it can be in the tent when you use the panels.
Instant & cabin tent & freestanding
The meaning of the word instant is that the frame is pre-attached to the tent in the factory. So you just unfold it in all directions and then extend its telescopic poles, which look like spider legs to me. This can indeed be done in 2 minutes.
The word cabin refers to its straightened, steep, and tall walls. More about instant cabin tents you can see in this text.
The tent is formally freestanding, but do not miss to stake it down; you have 14 steel stakes included in the package.
Who is it for
The declared capacity of this tent is 10 people. However, its flor area is rather modest and you have 1.3 m² (14 ft²) per person. This is not so great in view of the fact that you don’t have any vestibule, awning, or porch. So I would say you should use it for 5 people maximum if you want some comfort.
Note that the two rooms are big enough to accommodate a queen size bed each, and there is one door per room, so it is great for 2 couples as well.
Season-wise, this is a tent for 1-1.5 seasons, practically a summer camping tent and I would not use it in harsh weather conditions.
In view of its instant setup design, this tent is a great option for people who change their camping place frequently, like those on cross-country tours.
The packed size 43 x 8 x 8 inches (109 x 20 x 20 cm) is quite typical for such a design, but it is also heavy. You realize you need a car, so this is to be used at places with a car access.
Materials & construction
Poles are steel, and the tent fabric is polyester, with polyethylene on the floor. They do not provide any information about the waterproof rating, I find this a bit disappointing.
The main new feature here is the Dark Rest design, so the whole fabric is dark and this creates a cooler atmosphere in the tent. The ceiling is essentially 3-layer type: the mesh, the panels underneath the mesh, and the fly above it. The 4 panels are with zippers so you can close them to create a very dark area. The fly is with vinyl windows above these panels and you can have direct sunlight in at your choice.
A note about “holes” in the tent. I have seen people complaining about “holes” in the tent, and they can be very visible when you look from inside because the tent is so dark so the contrast is huge. Those can be real holes indeed, but I know for sure that in some cases this is just the fabric at some small spots that is not in dark color as the rest, so it passes the sunlight in, and it looks like a hole while in fact it is not. So please take a closer look and put your mind at rest.
All windows have panels of the same dark material as those on the ceiling, and the same is with the door panels.
When all panels are closed, you have warmth substantially preserved, so this is an advantage as compared with the usual summer camping tents which only have mesh on the ceiling. Also, with such closed panels, you reduce the dust from entering from outside, good to know if you are using the tent in such a dry and dusty area.
Ventilation
When you close the roof panels, air circulation is reduced. But you still have 2 triangular areas with mesh on the two sides on the ceiling, so not all ceiling is closed. There are 2 floor-vents as well which should generate enough vertical airflow in combination with those ceiling openings.
All the windows and the 2 doors are with mesh plus panels, so you can regulate airflow quite a lot and this should not be an issue in this tent.
Other details
A hook is available at the peak height point, and you also have several storage areas on the wall, quite nicely designed. You also have an electric cable port on the wall; these features are shown in the pictures below.
The two external doors are side by side, D-shaped and with zippers.
Specifications
- Weight: 37 lb (16.8 kg).
- Capacity: 10 people.
- Dimensions: 14 x 10 ft (4.27 x 3.05 m).
- Floor area: 140 ft² (13 m²).
- Area per person: 14 ft² (1.3 m²).
- Peak height: 78 in (198 cm).
- Packed size: 43 x 8 x 8 in (109 x 20 x 20 cm).
- 6-month limited warranty.
- Carry bag included.
Ozark Trail 10-Person Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent vs competitors
In the table below you can see how this tent compares with some other tents from this size range. This is the only one with the Dark Rest design. As you realize, the other parameters are very similar. To see more please follow the links in the table.
Weight, lb (kg)
Floor size, sq ft (sq m)
Peak height, in (cm)
Doors
Rooms
Dark Rest
Freestanding
Instant
Ozark Trail
Dark Rest 10
37 (16.8)
140 (13)
78 (198)
2
2
yes
yes
yes
Columbia Sportswear
Fall River 10
39 (17.7)
150 (13.9)
84 (213)
2
2
no
yes
yes
Campvalley
Instant Cabin 10
38.6 (17.5)
140 (13)
84 (213)
2
2
no
yes
yes
Another variant – Ozark Trail 10-Person Half Dark Rest Cabin Family Camping Tent
They have built a variant with the name given above, and the tent includes a screen room shown in the picture below. You can see more here. 
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
So in the summary of my Ozark Trail 10-Person Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent review to stress again that this is a tent most suitable for summer vacations and for camping in areas with little rain and wind. The Dark Rest design does it job and the tent indeed creates a dark and cool atmosphere.
But its declared capacity is not so great, so use it for twice fewer people and you will have plenty of space. See how I rate this tent:
Ozark Trail 10-Person Dark Rest Instant Cabin Tent
Pros
- Instant setup.
- Great price.
- Freestanding.
- Dark Rest technology.
Cons
- No vestibules or awnings.
- A bit heavy.
- Small area for 10 people.
Bear in mind the other tents from the same series, you can see its smaller brother the 6-person tent in my another review and also the bigger 12-person version. See also my list with the tents of this type.
Thank you for reading. This site is all about family camping tents so if you need something different, just look in the Categories above. You might want to compare this tent with the Core 10-person cabin tent. Please use the comment box below in the case of questions or comments. Have a nice day.
The review for the 10 person Ozark Trail Dark tent says it doesn’t have a bathtub floor but the review for the 12 person Ozark Trail Dark Tent says it does. Is this correct? Are these two sister tents different in this spec?
Thank you Shaun this was a mistake. Your comment is much appreciated.
Hi, I’m looking at staying in a tent for a few months (3-5/6) in the same location (working out of town). Some would say it’s high elevation (5,600ft, about 1,000ft lower than my house, so not worried). Looking at both variations of the 10 man tent but also curious about the 20×10. I’m thinking of a queen air mattress, a hanging closet, inflatable couch I spied at Walmart and a 32” tv. Would things be too cramped in the 10man tents? Thanks
Hi Kathrine, I am sure you will have plenty of space. Make sure that the tent is appropriate for the weather conditions, I am thinking about winds, this looks like a high elevation, close to the tree line. Let me know if I can be of any help, I have a good overview of everything that is on the market. A dark rest design is indeed a good option if you want to sleep well.
I don’t see this tent to be sufficient water proof. Can you suggest a 12-14 feet wide insta tent which is water proof and also withstand some cold weather ( I mean about 40 F degrees outside ).
Hi, it is difficult to suggest something. The reason is that this is more about how you will feel in such a tent at 40 degrees and not about if the tent will withstand the weather; it will, no problem with this. I have just returned from the mountains and at higher elevations it is always cold and unpleasant. So you need proper sleeping equipment and this is not so related to the tent itself.
To preserve the warmth (at least partly), the tent should be an enclosed construction, like with PVC windows or at least closable mesh sections. So you have such tents here in the site, check any of Vango tents, but those are never instant tents. So this Ozark Trail 10 tent is good from this perspective, and its dark rest is an extra bonus. In a tent, you wake up when nature wakes up, i.e., when the Sun is up, so such a dark rest feature is indeed useful.
So, I am afraid I would not dare to suggest anything in particular, but you might want to check my list with best instant tents for camping if such a design is your priority. There are some great brands there.
On the other hand, canvas tents are as close to 4-season tents as this is possible for a tent. Most of them have a very simple setup (but they are not instant tents strictly speaking), and they work on a very different principle when it comes to waterproofing, so they are reliable. A canvas material creates a cool atmosphere, so although they are not dark rest in the strict sense, they are still very pleasant.
Hi JV, when the dividing door is closed are there gaps on the sides or is the divider sewn all around so one room would not be able to peek in the other room? Hope that makes sense.
Thanks
Hi Zach, yes it makes sense of course. So the answer is the divider is not sewn-in, this is just a curtain which attaches through toggles. In fact, it is visible in one of the pictures on Amazon, have a look here.
If you would like something with more privacy, just let me know which tent (size, shape) and I am sure I shall suggest you something appropriate, there are many tents with sewn-in dividers here in the site.
I don’t have a specific tent in mind. Just looking for two rooms where kids on one side can’t look into the other side( sewn in divider), blackout and reasonably priced. Thanks for your help!
Hi Zach, there are many possible options for what you are looking for. So here are a few:
From black-out tents, here are a few:
Coleman Air Valdes 6XL – this is a huge tent with multiple rooms. Some are separate tents within the tent.
Eurohike Buckingham Elite 6 – Here you have the sleeping rooms on the opposite side of the central living room, so this is the best option. But you can have it only from the EU Amazon stores.
Vango Odyssey Air 800 Tent – Here again you have rooms on the opposite sides of the living area so privacy cannot be better. This is a tent with air beams instead of poles.
Here are a few that are not black-out types but some are quite dark:
H HANNAH Space 6 Person Family Tent – this is similar to some shown previously. Note that the central room is also fully floored, the picture in the text shows an older version.
Chinook Twin Peaks Guide 6-Person – here you have two domes and the divider is fully sewn-in, unique construction.
Gazelle 26800 T4-Plus Pop-Up Portable Camping Hub Tent – this is again something unique, two separate rooms with real divider.
Slumberjack Overland 8 Person Tent – here again you have two completely separate rooms.
MOOSE OUTDOORS Inflatable Tent 10 – this is something special, inflatable tents, so there are no classic poles, air beams are instead. The dividers are fully sewn in nd you have 3 rooms.
Coleman 6-Person Connectable Tent – this is something totally unique, you can connect several tents together so they give the best possible privacy you can have in a tent.
How does it hold up in strong winds?
Hi Rick, tents with such a partial coverage fly are not for strong winds. Let me know if you need something particular.
Hi JV, thanks for your review.
does it warm up under the sunlight, because of the dark color?
Hi Elad, no in general the atmosphere is cooler, though if it is very hot outside then you can expect the same inside but not more than in an ordinary tent. With all vents and such a strong shade it is definitely more pleasant than a standard tent. I have seen other people also asking about that.
Any of these Ozark Trail Dark tents have a big enough ground vent opening for an AC unit?
Hi Mark, you can see this 12-person tent with two vents that may serve as ports for an AC unit. Alos this 15-person tent in the same list. I wonder how good this idea is with such tents. They have ceiling completely mesh and then partial coverage fly. Such a structure cannot keep the cooled air inside. I do not remember any of the dark rest tents with big enough opening of that type, but yes those would be much better because of the panels on te ceiling.