User Review: Ozark Trail 2-Person Junior Dome Tent

Reviewed May 29, 2008 by Travis Richardson

Rating: rated 3.5 of 5 stars
Design: single wall, heavy duty floor, two pole
Sleeps: 1
Ease of Setup: EASY - full sleeves catch the poles occasionally, quick setup
Weight: 5 lbs
Price Paid: $18

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PROS:

-decent construction
-heavy duty floor
-overhead suspended pocket (great for a light)
-rear suspended pocket for tools, etc
-light weight
-inexpensive! (VERY few options fall below $30 any more)

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CONS:

-small rain fly
-ugly color schemes!
-pole sleeves are okay - pole snap hooks would have been nicer...

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PERSONAL EXPERIENCE:

This tent was a sought-after item for me.For years I'd lugged around my old Coleman 3 pole 8x9 and I would watch my friends packing their fancy, lightweight tents with jealousy. I had a hell of a time finding one for myself. In fact, I had to visit three different Wal-Marts continually for nearly a month to finally find one in stock! These things are really difficult to keep on the shelves. I suppose the sub $20 price tag keeps them selling quickly.

So far, I've used this tent several times out doors, and I feel it perfectly meets my needs as a weekend camper. The rain fly is small, but I usually carry a blue 8x8 tarp with me, so if the weather gets bad, I just chuck it over top of my tent, which seems to work fine so far.

Compared to my last tent, it's a dream come true. Only two poles and a quick setup means my shelter is ready in a flash. Then I just chuck my gear in the back corner, lay my bag diagonally, and have a free corner near the door to keep my boots and flashlight handy.

Let's face it - no matter what tent you have, you will have issues with water and rainfall. Do the tent a favor, and keep it dry as well. Most tents are designed for ideal conditions, and a downpour is certainly not ideal, for ANY tent. Consider packing a tarp, a few feet larger than the footprint of the tent you use. String it up over the tent as a canopy, and your water issues should dramatically lessen. The less water that HITS your tent, the less water you'll find INSIDE it. For a little extra pack space, you may have ensured a dry nights rest!!

**For instructions on setting up a tarp as a canopy, you may search google for "how to use a tarp" **

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FINAL NOTE:

This tent seems to appear in two versions: a two-pole rectangular floor shape, and a three pole diamond floor shape. The three pole version is considerably smaller when erect, (it reminds me of a bright orange coffin), is slightly more difficult to set up, and seems to have problems with rain gathering in the central triangle in the middle of the ceiling. I would suggest avoiding this version, as for the same price the two-pole version is more roomy and more capable. Both seem to pack down to the same size. ( My friend has the diamond shaped one, and he practically has to sleep curled around his gear.)

In all, there are four of us who own this tent, three of us have the two pole rectangle, and one owns the three pole diamond. Each of these tents (except mine) have seen several seasons, and done quite well, although none of us has had to endure any major rainfall.

Where to Buy

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