The Ozark Trail 10-Person Family Tent with Side Room and Removable Rain Fly is compact and light, with two doors, two rooms and four windows, and with an incredible price tag.
Key features & benefits
- Extended dome type tent.
- Two doors.
- Four windows.
- Two rooms.
- Cable port.
- Incredible price.
What is in the name
The official long name of this tent is quite descriptive, but the words “removable rain fly” are quite redundant because this is quite common in most of the tents on the market. What they wanted to say is that when the sky is clear you can pull it and sleep under the stars. So this is a roll-back stargazing fly.
Regarding the shape, this is a typical extended dome type tent as you realize from the picture below. So you have the main room under the dome and extension supported with an additional loop pole:
Due to this extension the tent is not freestanding, so it must be staked to be fully functional. One piece of cord on the right side in the picture above adds tension to the structure.
The tent is formally a two-room construction, you have a removable divider shown in the picture, and with this you create two separate rooms with some privacy.
The tent is quite tall, you have 6.5 ft (198 cm) in the main area under the dome, so this is a stand-up height for most of users.
Doors and windows
Each of the rooms has its own separate door, and this is a really convenient to have. Below you can see how the door on the side room looks. Note that there is no brim here, so when it rains it is best to use the main door which is equipped with a small brim.
Each of the doors has a window on the upper part, equipped with a mesh and zippered panels. But there are also two separate windows with the same design, three in the main room and one in the side room. With this you have views on all sides.
Other features include a removable gear loft, a lantern loop, and organizer pockets to keep small essentials close. An E-port gives you convenient electrical cord access.
Materials
All the elements in the package are shown in the picture:
The poles and stakes: You have a set of four fiberglass poles, two for the front room, one loop for the extension, and a shorter pole for the brim above the main door.
The supporting poles attach to the tent’s base with the convenient pin-and-ring system shown in the picture below. Higher on the canopy the poles attach with clips and with sleeves.
There are 14 steel stakes to secure the tent to the ground, and 6 pre-attached guy ropes.
The fabric: The fabric is a polyester, but they do not provide any information regarding its durability and waterproof rating. The same holds for the floor, so this is quite disappointing. They only write that the fly seams are taped. Note that the floor is a catenary cut type.
Setup: This tent is easy to use, one person can do the job, plan up to 20 minutes for the job. All is color-coded for ease of use.
Ventilation
The tent has lots of mesh on the canopy, you can see it in the picture above that shows the tent without the fly. The fly is partial coverage type so vapor can always escape in particular in the area above the main door. The windows are on all four sides so you can create cross air circulation.
But there are no floor vents, they are needed when you have to close windows panels in situation with rain.
Who is it for
Regarding the area, the tent is officially for 10 people, and this is determined by the number of sleeping pads that you can squeeze on the floor. This is fine with backpacking tents, but for family camping tents of this type, it is best to ignore this information.
You have 139.25 ft² (12.9 m²) according to their statement, and this means 13.9 ft² (1.29 m²) per person. In my view, it is best suited for families with two kids. This is also an excellent option for a couple.
Regarding seasons & climate, the tent is well designed, suitable for 2-3 seasons, but with such a fly it is not best suited for very windy places.
If this is what you need, go for a tent with a full coverage fly, there are many options presented here in the site. One great example is the CORE Large Multi Room Tent for Family with Full Rainfly 10 Person.
Regarding the weight, this is a lightweight tent with its 22.9 lb (10.4 kg). But this is not really an important feature, it is not designed to be carried anywhere.
The packed size is a more important feature, and with its 25 x 10 x 10 inches (64 x 25 x 25 cm) this is a compact tent. It can be transported even on a motorbike. It comes with an expandable zippered carry duffle bag.
Regarding the price, it is simply incredible, so if you are on a budget this is what you need. Please follow the link to check for updates.
Specifications
- Weight: 22.9 lb (10.4 kg).
- Official capacity: 10 people.
- Dimensions: 17 x 8.5 ft (518 x 259 cm).
- Inner area: 139.25 ft² (12.9 m²).
- Inner area per person: 13.9 ft² (1.29 m²).
- Peak height: 6.5 ft (198 cm).
- Packed size: 25 x 10 x 10 in (64 x 25 x 25 cm).
- Warranty: One-Year Limited Warranty.
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
In summary, the Ozark Trail 10-Person Family Tent with Side Room and Removable Rain Fly is a surprisingly spacious and well-designed family tent for the price. I like the two-room layout, separate doors, good ventilation, tall peak height, and compact packed size. The removable divider also makes it flexible, so you can use the whole interior as one room when privacy is not needed.
The main limitations are the partial rain fly, lack of floor vents, and the missing information about the waterproof rating and fabric durability.
So I would not choose it for exposed or very windy camping, but for ordinary family camping in fair conditions it makes a lot of sense. For a family with two kids, or for a couple who wants plenty of space, this is a very attractive budget option, especially considering its incredible price.
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 10-Person Family Tent with Side Room and Removable Rain Fly
Pros
- Separate rooms.
- Very good windows.
- Incredible price.
- Compact.
- Lightweight.
Cons
- No floor vents.
- Poor description.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY:
For more tents of this shape please check in the category Dome Tents and Tents for 9/10 People.
Let me know if you have questions, there is a comment box below. Thank you for reading.
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