Camping

Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome Outdoor Camping Tent

Alex Buchnev

May 23, 2023

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome Outdoor Camping Tent, also called the Ozark Trail 6-Person Camping Dome Tent, is a three-season camping tent that’s easy to set up and lightweight enough to carry to your camping spot. The tent features a built-in footlocker and mud mat, various storage pockets, and great ventilation.     

Comfort and Space

Essential factors when choosing a camping tent are how spacious and comfortable it is. Even though you mostly use the tent to rest and possibly store some gear in, you want to know how well you and your loved ones will fit inside and whose feet may need to hang out the tent door. 

Here’s everything you need to know about how well the Ozark Trail 6-Person Camping Dome Tent meets your space and comfort needs.    

Floor Space 

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome Outdoor Camping Tent measures 12’ x 8.5’ (3.65 x 2.59 m), giving you a total floor space of 102 square feet (9.47 square meters).  

So how does this tent measure up in comparison to similar tents? 

The Coleman Skydome Camping Tent with Dark Room Technology is also a 6-person tent, measuring 10’ x 8.5’ (3.04 x 2.59 m), with a total floor space of 86 square feet (7.98 square meters). Another similar 6-person tent is the UNP Family Camping Tent that has a total floor space of 90 square feet (8.36 square meters). The tent measures 10’ x 9’ (3.04  x 2.74 m).  

All in all, the Ozark Trail 6-person tent has a much larger floor space in comparison. But what fits in the tent? 

There’s enough space for a queen air mattress and a short sleeping pad, so enough space for two adults, a toddler, and a small child. Or you can fit a double/full air mattress and a regular or long sleeping pad, meaning there’s space for three adults and a toddler. In these cases, there is precious little space for your gear. Alternatively, you can fit two long sleeping pads and have more space for your gear.

The D-shaped door on the tent is wide, so you should easily get your gear in and out of the tent.

Shoulder Space 

There’s quite a lot of shoulder room in the Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome Outdoor Camping Tent. The center height is 6 feet (1.82 meters) thanks to the enlarged dome design and sloped walls, even though the tent still maintains a low profile. 

Most people should be able to stand fully upright in the center of the dome tent. If you decide to hang inside with your camping chairs on a rainy day, you’ll be able to sit upright and get up from your chair easily too. 

RELATED: Best Tall Camping Tents: Stand Up Tents for Tall People  

Number of Rooms/Vestibules 

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome Tent has only one room in which you and your partner (and kids) can sleep and hang out. The tent is suitable for short camping trips since you’d likely need to leave your gear outside or in your car. 

There are no vestibules or screen porches. However, the tent does have an awning, providing some protection from the sun. The built-in mud mat ensures you can leave your shoes outside so no mud, dirt, and other debris track into the tent. 

Storage 

Depending on how many people are sharing the tent, you may have enough space to store your essential gear. The built-in footlocker on the side of the tent provides extra space in which you can keep some of your gear, and best of all, you can access the locker from outside and inside the tent via zippers. 

The Ozark Trail tent also has a media pocket, a gear loft, three two-sectioned storage pockets, a center loop so you can hang lanterns or lights, and an e-port so you can run power to the interior of your tent to charge your smart devices.   

Breathability and Ventilation

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome tent performs really well when it comes to ventilation and breathability. You’ll be extra pleased. 

On a clear night, leave the rainfly off and enjoy the star-filled sky through the full mesh roof. The rainfly can also be rolled up on the back, adding breathability and ventilation on warm or hot nights. You can even unzip the top half of the door, revealing a mesh window to let a cool breeze in. 

Durability and Weather Resistance 

The manufacturer doesn’t share any information about the material of the tent or the tent poles. However, if this tent is like the other Ozark Trail tents, it’s likely that the poles are made from fiberglass, which should be able to withstand mild wind, and the outer material is a lightweight polyester that’s durable against abrasions and scrapes.

The seam-taped rainfly ensures the tent interior stays dry during light rain; there have been complaints that the tent isn’t fully waterproof when heavy rain falls. You can easily rectify this and spray the tent with a waterproofing spray.

Ease of Use

The frame is external to the tent, meaning it’s much easier to pitch the tent than if you had to deal with an internal frame. 

Here’s an easy-to-follow step-by-step guide to pitch the Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome Camping Tent: 

1. Lay out the tent body on a flat surface. 
2. Stake out the corners of the tent to secure it in place. 
3. Take the collapsible poles and feed them through the sleeves located on the top of the tent.
4. Grab the end of the poles and place them at the corners of the tent body, popping up the dome tent. 
5. Secure the pole ends to the corner footings, and attach the poles to the clips. 
6. Attach the rainfly to the small plastic hooks and velcro tabs on the left side of the tent (if you are facing it) and pull it over to the right side. Attach it to the footings and velcro tabs.
7. Feed the awning pole through the sleeve of the rainfly located by the front door and fix the two grommets on either side of the door.

Packed Size and Weight

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Dome Outdoor Camping Tent weighs 14 lbs (6.35 kg) and has a packed size of (L x W x H) 24 x 9 x 6.5 in (61 x 23 x 16.5 cm). Everything you need to pitch the tent is included in a convenient carry bag. 

The tent is a bit heavy to carry over long distances, so it isn’t ideal for hikers or backpackers. It’s best for picnics, car camping, camping at established grounds, and festivals.  

In comparison, the Ozark Trail 5-Person Dome Tent has a packed size of (L x W x H) 25 x 12 x 11 in (63.5 x 30.5 x 28 cm) and packed weight of 22.5 lbs (10.2 kg). 

The Core 6-Person Dome Tent weighs 6.4 lbs (2.9 kg) and measures (L x W x H) 25 x 7 x 7 in (63.5 x 18 x 18 cm).

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Great ventilation with the full mesh roof, mesh door-window, and roll up rainfly 
• Enough space for essential gear and various storage pockets 
• Has an awning 
• Easy pitching process 
• Comes with a seam-taped rainfly, improving weather resistance 
• Good center height for short to medium tall people 
• Comes with a carry bag and everything needed to pitch the tent 
• Wide door for easy access 
• Has a mud floor, footlocker, and power port  

Cons

• Not ideal for strong winds and heavy rains 
• Not enough space to store all your gear inside 
• Can’t sleep 6 people 

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