
The North Face
Wawona 6
Spacious vestibule, strong in storms, but rainfly tricky solo.
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I love my 4 person instant pop up tent. I don't even remember what brand it is. I got it on sale from Walmart so maybe it's Ozark trail? I've had it a few years now and it still works great. Set up and take down is much quicker than my friends with normal tents.
This is me, im cheap and i dont like to spend much time setting up the tent. I would get a walmart, ozark trail 4P instant tent. For rainy/sunny days, will just have a large tarp over. The tent is tall, sets up in 5 mins or less, tarp setup another 10 mins and im done.
I’ve used a couple 4 person instants and have been impressed. Gazelle (excellent) and an Ozark Trail very cheap but still quite good).
Hey, thank you so much for this! I’ll definitely check out the items you listed. When people say car camping I’m thinking more like country camping, where you pack everything in the car and set up at a campsite, but definitely not sleeping in the car itself. Though I’ve done both, and they’re both fun! I want to start going more often, sometimes solo, sometimes with a friend. I really appreciate the breakdown in terms of the big three as it makes everything way easier to wrap my head around. Tents make the most sense to upgrade first, especially something that works for solo and two-person trips. The tent I had in the picture actually melted last July when I camped at Kernville, CA on a really hot day. Now I have an Ozark 4-person all-season tent, but I’ll check out those Naturehike models and some of the higher-end options to see what feels right. Sleep system is next on my list too! Comfort and warmth matter way more than I realized. Thanks again for laying it all out so clearly, it makes all the options feel way less overwhelming. Appreciate it!
I hated that tent too, lol. I used it for the first time for my first solo camping trip and it literally melted on me, like plastic pieces coming apart. I got it off Amazon and ended up returning it and they actually accepted it. I have an Ozark 3 season 2 to 4 person tent now that I’ve used a few times and it’s held up so far. I agree with the first upgrade suggestion. I camped in Yosemite National Park last December and I was cold af, so a down or synthetic throw over my bag probably would’ve made a big difference. Appreciate the tips, I’ll look into that next!
I had issues with the tent in the photo. It literally melted on me, lol. I ended up returning it to Amazon and replaced it with an Ozark brand from Walmart, which I’m still using now.
Go for a 4-person tent. Ozark Trail at Walmart has some decent ones. I still have one my wife and I used a few times a year for many years before the kids came along.
Came here to say this! We picked up an Ozark Trail 4-person tent for festivals and it’s honestly way roomier and sturdier than I expected for the price. Setup is super straightforward, too, my partner put it together solo with no experience whatsoever.

The North Face
Wawona 6
Spacious vestibule, strong in storms, but rainfly tricky solo.

Gazelle Tents
T4 Hub Tent Series
Fastest setup, durable, but bulky and awkward door.

Durston
X-Mid 2
Ultralight, spacious 2P, but not for very strong winds.

Durston
X-Mid 1
Budget ultralight 1P, spacious, but large footprint.

Naturehike
Mongar 2 Backpack Tent (Nylon)
Budget 2P, spacious for price, but not for 4 seasons.

Ranked #1
Durston - X-Mid 2

Ranked #1
Gazelle Tents - T4 Hub Tent Series

Ranked #1
Gazelle Tents - T4 Hub Tent Series

Ranked #1
Durston - X-Mid 2

Ranked #1
Durston - X-Mid 2

Ranked #1
SlingFin - Portal 2