User Review: Ozark Trail 16 x 9.5 Family Dome Tent

Reviewed August 31, 2008 by jdavid93225

Rating:
Design: Family Sized Dome Tent
Sleeps: 6+
Ease of Setup: Moderate
Weight: About 30 Lbs.
Price Paid: $80

I purchased this tent at Walmart after looking at several other models. I liked the layout of the tent, and it looked like it was going to fit my needs.

When I took it out for the first time, on a trip to Wyoming, it worked well for the first few days, then the wind kicked up one afternoon when we were out fishing. We returned to camp that evening to find the tent blown over. Upon examination, we found that the two main fiberglass poles had broken, and one of them poked a hole through the rainfly. Luckily, I have another tent that I took with me, and we used that for the remainder of the trip.

Overall, I really liked the design of this tent. Unlike my other tent, it has a center hook for a lantern, and also a "power port," a small opening through which to pass a power cord from a vehicle or generator to bring power into the tent. The size is shown as being 16 x 9.5 feet, though it's really more like 16 x 8, with the other 1.5 feet being only a small "closet" that extends out the back. Due to the slope of the sides, the area in which you can stand upright is only about 8 x 8, though this is sufficient for most in-tent activities.

I placed my queen sized air mattress to one side of the tent, which my kids and I slept on. On the other side of the tent, we placed all our gear. This tent was plenty large enough for three of us plus our gear.

One thing I didn't like about the design of the tent was the rainfly. It only covered the center portion of the tent, but not the sloped sides, which had windows in them. It didn't rain while we were in camp, so I can't comment about how dry it stays inside.

As stated above, the wind broke the two main fiberglass sectional poles, causing the tent to collapse. When the poles broke, they both poked through the sleeves that hold them, but this was only a minor issue. One of the poles also poked through the rainfly, causing an "L" shaped rip about 3 x 4 inches.

When I returned home, I purchased a set of repair poles at Walmart for about $7 and proceeded to repair the ones that broke. I also used duct tape to seal the rip in the rainfly. I later purchased a repair kit, but haven't yet used it. With the failure of the tent in the wind, I would not recommend this tent for all weather camping, but if you're camping somewhere that has milder weather, I would recommend it.

I have since used the tent again with no problems, but only in mild weather. I still have no idea how well it protects from the rain.

The tent is most easily set up with two or more people, but one skilled adult could probably do it with some practice. It is said to accommodate up to seven people, which is possible without putting very much gear inside. I would say four plus gear is easily done, too.

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