Eventually they gave in and provided store credit. In theory this item has a one year warranty. If used heavily, I can not see this product making it through a full camping or outdoor season. Once the structure is up, all you have to do is attach the detachable sun shade. There is only one shade, which can be put on either side of the sun shelter.
The structure is held up by foldable poles connected by an elastic band. There is glue on the ends of the fiberglass poles that keeps the ends of the poles in the required cap. This broke apart the poles from the cap fitting. I couldn’t believe that the glue failed on both sides.
I did not have these mounted in the photos posted with this article. The side curtains would function nicely for a windy beach setting. The product also comes with a tarp that can be put along the ground. This would be great for anyone that plans to sit down in the shelter. I need a break from the Pacific NW clouds and rain sometimes.
Sometimes it’s easier to watch someone set it up and talk about it, rather than read a review. Feel free to check out the video below, or you can scroll on down and read more about the sun shade. The legs are locked into place with old school metal push button locks, something you won’t see on many modern pop up tents now-a-days. These push locks get very difficult to use over time, especially if the tent is used on the beach and exposed to sand and saltwater, causing rust build up. With the push buttons you need to worry about pinching fingers or not being able to release the button when it gets rusted, which is never a pleasant experience. The Ozark Tail sun shade comes with side curtains to cover the mesh on the side.
We also plan on using this at football games in the fall. It’s often raining and it seems like this will also make a great shelter out of the rain. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it beats ozark trail sun shelter sitting in the actual rain trying to control an umbrella. The Ozark Trail 8×8 Instant Sun Shade did exactly what we needed it to. It kept us out of the sun when we didn’t want to be in it.