The Switch Pro backpack is larger and fits more gear, with a more rigid design and wheels on the bottom (not the lightest or best for portages). About an hour later, I was just chilling in the river at the same exit when an elderly fisherman lost his footing and suddenly found himself swept away by the current. In the space of probably 10 seconds, I told him to throw me his rod, then I hopped off my 11-foot board and pushed it out to him, which he managed to grab just in time for me to pull him back to shore. But when I decided to go river camping with a friend, I didn’t have camping gear for two people (I do most things solo). So I bought a $90, 6-pound Kelty Tanglewood 2, an $18 Ozark Trail sleeping bag from Walmart, and some cheap sleeping pads. The Switch Pro’s advantages over comparable options quickly became clear when I capped off my testing with a camping trip down the Etowah River.
The frame is that of a pyramid structure, which are generally found in all value brand canopy tents as they require less material to manufacture vs. that of a full truss system and as a result can keep the price lower. Adventure is where memories are made, whether it’s campouts in the back yard with the kids, Saturdays at the river with friends, or a week in the wilderness alone. Ozark Trail helps you and your family create everyday adventures with gear and accessories built with you in mind.
The biggest issue in all of this is the inability to withstand any rotational pressure during medium and high impact weather conditions as the joints become unstable and collapse at the mid points. In windy conditions high stress is applied to each side and the frame begins to break down at the unreinforced joint connectors. That is why we always recommend tents with a full truss structure as they are able to withstand rotational pressure since the cross section of the main support runs through the tent’s center as opposed to outer perimeter.
The Sundome’s tarp is clearly a budget material, but for what it was, we found it user-friendly. It’s easy to mop up after wet paws and spills, and it doesn’t hold moisture. It’s unlikely to be as durable, though, as the softer, stronger polyester found in our other picks. Finding a small, light tent is the logical approach when you’re backpacking. But with car camping—the industry term for what most people consider just camping—you’ll likely be parking next to your campsite and unloading. If you won’t be carrying your tent more than a couple hundred feet, more space means more comfort (as well as more room for your stuff).
The Tungsten’s fly is not adaptable in the same way the Mineral King 3’s is, but it is treated for extra UV protection, which should help lengthen the tent’s lifespan. Great for backyard overnights, this simple dome-style tent is for anyone who doesn’t want to spend more than $150 on a tent but also doesn’t want to buy another one next year. The canopy fabric is made of a lightweight denier polyester, offering water resistant features and 50+ UPF, which we love.
This baby has an impressive 475-pound weight capacity — the highest of any one-person ISLE board. Even laden with 50 pounds of camping gear and my 145-pound body, the combined weight doesn’t reach even half of what the Switch Pro is capable of. It can accommodate both my parents, who joyously paddled on it together on nearby Lake Lanier.
The tent weighs just 16 pounds, less than any other family tent we tested for this guide. The separate fly, which covers the upper half of the tent, uses a third, shorter “brow” pole to form protective peaks over the door and ozark trail canopy tent the back window. In our tests, an experienced camper took only about six minutes on the first try to set up the tent body alone and stake it out. Getting the fly placed and staked properly took about five more minutes.
For 2022, the Ozark Trail 4-Person Connect Tent Universal Canopy Tent has been enhanced to now work with both Straight-Leg and Slant-Leg 10 ft. x 10 ft. You can connect two of these tents to a Slant-Leg Canopy to enjoy private sleeping areas while sharing the common area under the canopy (each tent and canopy sold separately). If using a Straight-Leg Canopy, you can connect up to 3 of these tents, making it great for festivals or scouting adventures. Join our mailing list to get weekly flyers and be updated about specials, new products and unbelievable sales. Every day cleaning products and brand name vacuums, steamers, and accessories up to 70% off.
On the ISLE Switch Pro, the material is woven into the board’s curved rail, deck, and hull. Like other Pro Series boards, the ISLE Switch Pro is made with Airtech Pro Infinity Fiber. This material supposedly makes the boards three times more rigid than any other inflatable on the ozark trail canopy tent market. Unlike our top pick, the Tungsten 4 is coated with flame retardants. We were surprised at first to see the Mineral King 3 come out on top because it was the smallest tent in our test group. But all our testers, including our tallest panelists, gravitated toward this tent.
We reached the next exit point, where Diego could call his family (everything worked out fine). I reflected later that perhaps I should have felt more worried about the endeavor — but it was fun as hell. In one case, a group of five tubers were beached on a rock in the middle of a strong current and yelled for help. I tossed them a rope and hauled all five of them to the next access point a mile downriver.