Ozark trail connectTENT

[lee senn]

Lee here I just discovered this today so may be old news to most. The connectTENT may be the perfect solution for family camping with a tear ( maybe leave the tear at home and get two or three of the Ozark connectTENTs ). I am having trouble getting the link to work so just key in Ozark trails connectTENT. Just snug your tear up to your easy up ( what a misnomer ! ) and hook up as many connectTENTs as your family requires . Lee and Norma

• Here's a link four the 4-person, side-tent style, which I've used off and on since I started camping in my TTT in 2013.https://www.walmart.com/ip/Ozark-Trail-4-Person-ConnecTent-for-Canopy/49382134?athcpid=49382134&athpgid=athenaItemPage&athcgid=null&athznid=PWVUB&athieid=v0&athstid=CS002&athguid=466001f5-c4fab6d9-5a65f8394a08da5&athena=true It's been stored awhile since last use, but I still carry it with me JIC I need it. I outlined my tent/canopy usage in another, earlier thread:

  I use 3 types of canopies & side-tents for my camping trips:
  • 1) a pop-up style canopy; I have two of them ...an EZ-Up and an Academy Sports version (both bought at Academy for $49, years apart)...I carry two now, but only have used one, since my hatch door provides good cover by itself. It covers my whole trailer, and it furnishes me with a 4-ft deep by 8-ft wide covered sitting area..if I need a larger space, then I'll use the second canopy. Either one takes me 15 minutes to pop-up, move over my 4x8 trailer, lash one set of legs to the trailer, and the freeside legs to hold-down weights (I always seem to camp in thunderstorm havens).
  • 2) a dedicated side-tent (with zippered opening and sewn-in floor)...it attaches to the canopy (the side I attach to the trailer, where it provides covered access directly from my secondary door). and is large enough for use as potty palace and changing room, both...it takes 15-20 minutes to assemble (with hold-downs and internal framework)
  • 3) a collapsible tee-pee style tent (collapses like a windshield sun-screen) that stores flat, and is instantly open, though it takes me 5 minutes to get the correct twist to collapse it! I've been lashing it under the main door side of my canopy/sitting area, because it serves as a smaller substitute to my real side-tent, which I had misplaced. When using that tee-pee tent as my porta-potty/changing room, I put up a sidewall on the other side, as a sun/rain shield.
  • Here's a portion of a previous post, on an earlier thread, about my canopy & tent choices:

    • I bought the same side tent at Academy Sports for $20 in 2013. At $20, it was an outstanding deal. It only takes 10 minutes to set up, and it fits under the Easy-up valance. I used it for a few trips, but I lost track of it, in all the clutter in my garage (3 bays of everything under the sun).
    • I bought a pop-up tepee style tent to replace it, in 2014 (it doesn't have a floor, but it is super-easy to set up or take down). I paid about $20 for it, on E-bay. It only takes 30 seconds to set up, or put away. I found the "lost" side tent, just last week, but didn't pull it out of the sports tote bag I put it in, back in 2013 (I put it away wet; it might be mildewed). If it's OK, then I'll bring it along on the next trip.

    • 

      two tent styles.JPG (53.49 KiB) Viewed 689 times

      $20 tent (blue) $20 tent (camo)
    • Either side tent will work great, but the bigger one has a sewn-in floor, which I favor. I'll be glad to use it again.

  • I've been trying to figure out a way to avoid having to use canopies and side-tents, but they seem to be the easiest and cheapest alternative to multiple bag awnings, and/or conduit-framed larger tent canopies. Last time I camped, my bad left shoulder (now healed) made assembly/take-down more difficult, but I was still able to perform it. Maybe next time, I might ask one or more of my camping friends to help, but that's sorta like asking for directions, which I never learned to do....

[John61CT]

What is an easy up?

[gudmund]

john61ct "what's an easy up?"..... if you look at the picture 'working for it' posted just before your question you'll see the 4 legged overhead blue canopy in it - this is what is meant when someone says 'easy up' - the word "Easy up" is now used generically like the word "Cresent" in cresent wrench and was the brand name of the company that started making/selling this canopy item when they came up with the idea for it years ago.