Camping

Ozark Trail 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent

Alex Buchnev

June 5, 2023

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent is super easy to pitch – in a minute or less! The three seasons tent has built-in LED equipped poles, a mud mat, media pocket, and great ventilation with the 3 windows, mesh ceiling, and A/C ground vents.    

Comfort and Space

The space and comfort of a tent are just one of many essential factors you need to consider when buying a tent, but they are important. You want to feel comfortable inside the tent and not like you can’t even breathe. 

Here’s how the Ozark Trail 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent performs when we look at the tent’s space and comfort.  

Floor Space 

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent has a total floor space of 90 sq ft (8.36 sq m), and it measures 10’ x 9’ (3.04 x 2.74 m).   

So how does the tent stack up against similar 6-person tents? 

The CORE 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent has a total floor space of 99 sq ft (9.19 sq m) and measures 11’ x 9’ (3.35 x 2.74 m), while the ALPHA CAMP Camping 6-Person Instant Family Tent has the same floor dimensions and total floor space of 90 sq ft (8.36 sq m) as the Ozark Trail tent. 

It seems that the Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent measures up pretty well, but what exactly can fit inside the tent? 

Here’s how you can configure the sleeping area inside the tent: 

• A king air mattress and a short sleeping pad to sleep 2 adults and 2 toddlers or small kids 
• A queen air mattress and a short sleeping pad to sleep 2 adults and 2 toddlers or small kids
• A full/double air mattress and a short sleeping pad to sleep 2 adults and a toddler or small child
• An XL twin air mattress and a regular or long sleeping pad to sleep 2 adults

In each of these scenarios, there’s only space for your essential gear. 

Shoulder Space and Peak Height 

The peak height of the Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent is 5.5’ (1.67 m). The cabin-style tent features slightly angled but mostly vertical walls. 

Only people who are shorter than the peak height would be able to stand fully upright in the tent, and most people would need to hunch over a bit. That doesn’t mean the inside of the tent is uncomfortable. You can still easily get dressed and get up from your air mattress or camping chair without feeling that the ceiling is too low.     

Number of Rooms and Vestibules 

The Ozark Trail 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent features a single room that’s your sleeping space or hanging out space. Because you wouldn’t have any privacy, especially if you are sharing the tent, the tent is better suited for short camping trips. Plus, you don’t have any space to store your gear, minus the essentials, meaning you’ll have to run to your vehicle every time you need something. 

The tent has a normal-size D-shaped door, an awning to give you some sun protection, and a mud mat so the inside of the tent stays clean. 

Storage Space 

There are no extra storage areas in the tent; however, you do have a hanging organizer for essentials and a media pocket. The e-port makes it easy to keep your phones and tablets charged, and you can still watch your favorite show before you turn in for the night.   

Lighting  

Unique to this Ozark Trail 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent are the ambient LED-lighted poles, meaning you have instant light when setting up the tent or when it gets dark. The light has 3 settings: low, medium, and high. No assembly of the lighting is required, making this tent a game-changer.

There is also a lantern loop if you want more light inside the tent. 

Breathability and Ventilation

The Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent performs well in breathability. The tent has a full mesh ceiling when the rainfly isn’t attached, and this is ideal for those hot summer nights or when you want to fall asleep watching the stars and moon. 

There are also 3 large mesh windows (one is in the door) and oversized ground vents to increase air circulation. You can also completely roll back the tent door for even more ventilation or leave it partially unzipped. 

Weather Resistance and Durability 

Most of the tent is a single-layer construction, ensuring it is best suited for camping in warmer weather. The only additional layer is the minimal rainfly that covers the mesh ceiling, but the windows and door are double layered. The windows are zippered, so you can decide how much air, privacy, and light you’d like.  

The tent outer is made from polyurethane, and it has a 1,200 millimeters water resistance, so the tent is pretty waterproof. However, with the minimal rainfly, we don’t expect that the tent will hold up in heavy rain. 

The boxy, freestanding tent has 4 telescopic leg poles. Again, the manufacturer doesn’t provide details about the wind rating, so it’s best to camp with the Ozark Train 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent when there is light to no wind for safety reasons.

Ease of Use

The Ozark Trail Instant Cabin Tent is easy to pitch, and it should take you a minute or less. The pro is that you don’t need another person to help you pitch, so your partner or camping buddy can gather firewood or take care of other camping tasks.  

Everything you need to set up the tent is inside the convenient carry bag. 

To pitch the instant cabin tent: 

• Remove the tent from the carry bag.
• Lay the tent body on a flat and even surface and unfold it.
• Expand the tent by grabbing the built-in telescopic poles on the outside of the tent frame and pull them into shape. 
• Gently pull the poles away from each other until you hear a click; this secures the cabin shape. 
• If needed, pull the tent further into shape if the floor isn’t fully flat.
• Secure the tent further with the tent stakes and the guy lines.  
• Pull the rainfly over the tent body and secure it onto each of the telescopic poles.

Packed Size and Weight

The packed size of the Ozark Trail 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent is (L x W x H) 43.25” x 8” x 8” (109.85 x 20.32 x 20.32 cm) and weighs 23.19 lbs (10.52 kgs).  

In comparison, the UNP 6-Person Family Camping Tent weighs 18.6 lbs (3.9 kg) and has a packed size of (L x W x H) 23” x 9.3” x 9.3” (58.42 x 23.62 x 23.62 cm). The OutdoorMaster 6-Person Instant Cabin Tent has a packed size of  (L x W x H) 45” x 9.2” x 8” (114.3 x 23.36 x 20.32 cm), and it weighs 14.9 lbs (6.76 kgs). 

The Ozark Trail tent is quite heavy, so it’s best for established campgrounds, festivals, picnics, and car camping. You can backpack with the tent, provided you don’t need to carry the tent for a whole day until you can pitch. 

ALSO SEE: Ozark Trail Tents: Full Model Lineup and Reviews

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Great ventilation with the mesh ceiling, D-shaped door that has a window, 2 other zippered windows, and oversized A/C vents 
• Quick and easy pitching process 
• Built-in light poles with 3 settings 
• Good water-resistance rating 
• Freestanding structure  

Cons

• Can’t sleep 6 
• 2 queen air mattresses can’t fit inside as advertised 
• Can’t keep your gear inside, except the bare essentials
• Not ideal for cold nights during the warmer seasons  

Rating