Hang a lantern on the hook at the top of the tent for nighttime use. A water-resistant drawstring bag keeps your toilet paper dry when using your shower tent in multiple ways during a single camping trip. The Ozark Trail Hazel Creek Deluxe Shower Tent is the ideal addition to your camping gear.
After researching 30 six-person tents and testing 15 side by side on a total of five trips, we chose the Kelty Wireless 6 as the best entry-level camping tent for most families. It’s spacious, easy to set up, has weather protection, and is durable, all at an affordable price. The Wireless 6 lacks some of the premium ozark trail canopy tent materials found in pricier tents, but it features solid workmanship and should provide dependable, comfortable shelter in most three-season camping situations. Any $75 canopy tent from a big-box store—we’re talking about the common square canopy with four spindly metal legs—can provide shade during midday.
We set up the REI Screen House Shelter and L.L.Bean’s Woodlands Screen House side by side in the Mojave Desert in 100-degree temps. Fellow campers consistently gravitated toward the REI shelter over the L.L.Bean. Kalee Thompson is an editor covering health, fitness, baby, and kid gear. She has personally tested a dozen tents and an equal number of hair dryers. Blew the shower down and broke the plastic thing that holds the poles together into 2 pieces. We used a “Luggable Loo” seat over a five-gallon bucket, with a plastic bag inside.
Mesh panels offer ample ventilation, and a mesh drain in the shower allows quick water evacuation. The Kelty Wireless 6 is a spacious tent that is easy to pitch, and it offers solid weather protection and durability for a reasonable price. Like the Mineral King 3, it has a simple, dome-style design that maximizes livability and minimize headaches.
These two shelters are the same size and shape (7-foot peak height, 17 pounds) with an almost identical design. The cap-like roofs on both models provided far less shade than we wanted, especially in the beating desert sun. The mesh walls do have a ribbon of polyester at the foot, but even carefully staked they can leave gaps at the ground; if bug protection is your main concern, these tents would likely fall short. Finally, these shelters feel noticeably smaller than any of our picks. We also tested and liked the Coleman Mountain View 12 x 12 Screendome Shelter; it was an also-great pick until Coleman discontinued the model.
Each piece is designed to make the best use of whatever limited space you have available. Our folding camping cupboard is perfect for storing toys, clothes and swimming gear when it’s not in use. Then there’s our camping kitchen stand that will keep all your cooking equipment organised and maximise your meal preparation space.