Now that you know all the specs and features, it’s time to look at our favorite qualities of this tent. We’ve ranked them from gold to bronze, but we think they all have an important purpose for making this an excellent tent. The structure is boxy and although it looks so stable, I would not use it in strong winds and rains. Note that there are no options to stake the floor sides in the middle, but you have guylines for the vents’ flaps, they are visible in the picture below. The picture below shows the light on in one out of three modes, low, medium and high light.
After I ordered the product at Walmart.com, I went to the store to pay cash. I received two queen air mattress on time but did not receive the tent till well over time estimated delivery. We’ve tested (and recommended) Eureka tents in past versions of this guide. In October 2023, Eureka’s parent company, Johnson Outdoors, announced that it was discontinuing the Eureka brand. The product line, including its tents, should remain available through the end of 2024. Even so, you should, ideally, stake down each corner securely; in some crowded campgrounds, however, finding a flat spot with soil soft enough to do that can be difficult.
The rain fly can be rolled down over the side windows, but you might get a bit of rain in the first room if you’re experiencing strong winds that blow the rain sideways. For cons, there’s only 1 door in the entire 10-person tent, there’s almost no ventilation at all when it’s raining, and it also leaks within just 15 minutes of light rain. The 3 roof poles are made of fiberglass, which are a bit more flexible. I wouldn’t recommend putting this 10-person tent up on your own though, because it’s quite difficult to get the roof to prop up by yourself. Sometimes I worry that these fiberglass poles will break, because they’re not that sturdy. Before going on your next camping trip, you’ll be fully prepared with all the right information on this popular 12-person instant tent.
In contrast to the Mineral King 3’s triangular vestibules, the Tungsten 4’s vestibules are trapezoidal, opening via a central door with protected areas on either side. This design does a better job shielding the tent from incoming—and sideways—wind and rain. The Tungsten’s two brow poles create an especially effective awning over the tent door, so very little water gets in when someone comes or goes. Like the Mineral King 3, the Tungsten 4 has a mesh canopy, though the opaque polyester part of its walls go higher, and provide more privacy, than the Mineral King’s. 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.
Measuring 10 by 10 feet, the Sundome covers an area larger than that of our family-tent top pick though its lower roof leaves it with less headroom. An avid hiker, camper, and long-haul road-tripper, Claire Wilcox has slept in (and occasionally improvised) tents in 11 states. She covers outdoor gear for Wirecutter and worked on the most recent update of this guide, testing couples’ tents and family tents. With nearly 60 square feet of floor space plus two large vestibules, the Tungsten 4 is roomier than our top-pick tent for couples.
If we had to spend a day in the tent during a storm, would it be comfortable? After first removing the models that failed the structural tests, we slept, watched the stars, and ate our meals in all of the tents, as well as planned hikes from them. There are also 4 elbow joints, which helps to connect some of the poles, and this also make up the instant mechanism. The stitching on this tent isn’t the best, there were quite a few areas of patchwork all around the entire tent, so unfortunately, that’s another con against this tent when it comes to quality.
For each of these 6 factors, we’ll compare the different tents to find out which one is the best. The tent with the highest combined score will win the title ozark trail canopy tent of “Best Tent” in its category. It’s a sturdy tent made by CORE, a small company based in the Midwest, privately owned and known for great designs.