Ozark Trail - 4-Season Hiker Tent

I have the 1 person Ozark Trail Hiker tent. It was $35 at Walmart. Well worth it and does great for what it is. I mean, the only thing I would change is lower weight, and that's not happening without spending a lot more money than $35. I did buy some titanium stakes to replace the big bulky ones they provided, which saved me around 8 oz at least.

Hang out here long enough and you'll see plenty of posts touting either Coleman or Ozark Trail. OT is the one I usually recommend. 3P for $29 and 4P for $39 and Walmart, and unlike other cheap import trash, it's actually a well-made tent with decent poles and rain fly. (I can't remember but it might even include stakes.) It's not a one-season tent - if you make sure you dry it fully before storing it, and don't abuse it, it'll last years. A 4P is just about right for a couple with a full-sized air mattress and a pack-n-play for the little one. I see your request about size and respect that - larger units are available. But since you're going for such a short time, and this is your first time, I'd like to at least make a case to consider something VERY budget-friendly. There are a lot of other things you'll need to get and this will conserve budget for things where spending money matters more (air mattress, cooler, kitchen setup, etc). The 4P is a bit over 8' square, not much smaller than you were asking, and a foot shorter than you were asking but let's face it, when you say 6' tall, you're not standing in it - in a budget dome tent, that 6' mark is only at the center. If you're crouching when you climb into bed at the sides anyway... Anyway, YMMV, it's a very subjective decision, but it's worth a look. If/when you want to upgrade, this particular tent is so popular that it's super easy to resell or give away. Just a thought.

Their fabric is damn thin. Do not use this tent in rain. You will regret it, I promise.

It should be just fine for your use case if weight isn’t a factor. I own expensive tents but I also have a cheap $30 Ozark trail tent I bought in 2019, only use it for local 1 nighters and it’s still fine. Only thing I’d recommend is hit all the seams with water proofing spray, especially around the bottom where the fabric is stitched to the tarp floor. I just buy the 3M stuff that is recommended for outdoors, think it has a tent picture on the spray can.

I have the same one. Perfect for one.

Ozark trail makes some solid stuff for the price. I say go for it.

This will not be a popular answer lol. I usually do 3 to 4 night backpacking trips. I bought a $30 Big Cat tent off of Amazon and used it regularly for two years until I broke one of the poles. I had a trip planned so I stopped at Walmart and picked up a $19 Ozark Trail tent. I used it all week and it was exactly what I needed. It was super easy to set up. I would recommend a footprint, though. The flooring of the tent is not the best quality but hey, it was $19.

Ozark Trail and Coleman make decent and easy to use car camping tents that will hold up better than you'd think. I always steer people who don't know if they're going to be super into camping yet towards those brands. They'll keep you dry and covered for the night without breaking the bank. My last Coleman Skydome lasted at least 60+ nights before one of the corners started to wear through.

Ozarks Trail has increased a million fold in quality since it came out (late 90s/early 2000s?). I would definitely give it a try and keep the receipt just in case.

We loved our Ozark Trail tent! Set out on a cross country camping trip with a brand new Kelty that we spent a pretty penny on. A week in, a pole broke in the wind and we got SOAKED through the thin floor. Went to a Walmart, picked up an Ozark Trail, and left the Kelty in a dumpster. Never looked back on that decision.