Ozark Trail tents are sold exclusively at Walmart. They are designed more for families that are occasional campers than for backcountry enthusiasts. There are many designs available for campers who want to be comfortable in the great outdoors without having to spend a lot of money.
The Ozark Trail Brand
Ozark Trail tents are sold exclusively at Walmart. Several tent makers manufacture these tents and sell them under the Ozark Trail tents label just for this purpose. Being sold at Walmart, they have a considerably lower price than tents exclusively available at high-end camping stores. While they are not the same quality as the most expensive tents, those who camp occasionally will most likely be reasonably satisfied.
Ozark Trail Models
Several styles are available in Walmart stores and from Walmart.com. Each tent comes with a carrying bag and has a tub-style floor and taped fly seams designed to help prevent leaking. Ozark Trail tents are made predominately of nylon or polyester fabric. The poles are made of fiberglass and have hardware that is either aluminum or stainless steel.
Popular models include:
- 7 X 7 Tent (2 person - pictured): Designed to sleep up to two people, this small tent costs just under $30 and can be a good option for couples and solo campers. It has a window and a mesh roof, as well as a rain fly and a dome-style top.
- 9 X 7 Tent (3- 4 person): This tent is designed to sleep up to four people, making it a good choice for couples or families with small children. It costs just under $40 and can hold a queen-size air mattress. The single-room tent has a dome-style top and a fiberglass frame.
- 12 X 8 Tent (6 person): Made to accommodate up to six people, this is a good family or group tent choice at just under $75. It is a single room, dome-style tent. Features include a sizable rain fly and four windows.
- 20 X 11 Three-room XL (10 person - pictured): This super-size tent is designed to sleep up to ten people, making it a good choice for large families or groups of friends who like to camp together. It costs just under $140. The rooms are separated by room dividers that can be taken out if desired. Each of the rooms is large enough to hold a queen-size air mattress. The tent has a front canopy, an e-port, and more.
Please note that prices are current as of November, 2012 and are subject to change. See Walmart.com for the complete product line and current pricing information. Free site-to-store ordering is available.
Other Shopping Suggestion
While the Ozark Trail brand is a Walmart exclusive, you can occasionally find new tents in this brand offered for sale via the Amazon Marketplace, as well as new and used models on eBay.
Assembly
Assembly for all models is fairly simple. All that's required to put these tents together is laying the tent out flat and inserting the poles in the correct places. There are even EZ-up tents that are designed for the tent assembly-challenged. Note that these tents do not come with a footprint, which is a sheet to lay under the tent to prevent water from coming in from underneath. Any type of nylon tarp should do the trick though.
Issues with Ozark Trail Tents
According to customer reviews, the most common complaint about these tents is that they are not completely waterproof. They can leak along the seams during a heavy rainstorm. Thus, they are not the best choice for people who camp in extreme weather, such as heavy downpours or blizzards.
There are a couple things you can do to make a tent of this brand better insulated from the elements. You can apply waterproofing spray to the outside of the tent before using it, place a rain fly over top of it once it's set up and check that the zippers are closed tightly, including the ones on the windows and the porch, if applicable.
