Assembly Instructions for Ozark Trail Tents

Assembling a tent without an owner's manual can be a very difficult, frustrating endeavor--especially if it's raining or you have an entire family standing in the woods staring at you waiting to get inside. Luckily, you're not building a house, and most tents are relatively easy to set up if you follow a basic protocol. The following tips are based on instructions for several types of one-room Ozark Dome tents.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Step 1

Put a ground sheet down first, then put the tent body on top of it. Pull out the corners and sides of the tent so that it isn't bunched up. Face the door in the desired direction.

Step 2

Build the greater poles by pushing the shock-corded segments together until each pole is complete. If you have the tent box, look at the picture to see exactly how the poles connect to the tent. Alternately, look closely at the tent itself and find the sleeves for the poles. Figure out where each pole needs to go. Ozark Trail dome tents generally use a combination of sleeves and clips, and some have color-coded sleeves/poles to make it a little easier.

Step 3

Push the first pole up and through the sleeve from one end to the other (there may also be a hub in the top middle where the end of the pole is inserted). Then insert each of the other main structural poles in the same manner.

Step 4

Start with one of the poles and insert one end onto the pin at the tent base, then bend the pole into shape and insert the other end onto the proper pin--it often helps to have someone hold the first end while you insert the second. Repeat for each individual pole. Make sure that the sleeves are even and don't get bunched up. Connect any tent clips directly to the poles.

Step 5

Decide if you want to use a rain fly. If so, install the pole (if there is a rain fly pole) into the fly by pushing it through the sleeve and snapping the ends into the grommets. Alternately, the tent fly may have pockets to install the pole into. Place the fly on the tent and even it out so that it's lined up properly (door over door).Then connect the fly's clips to the rings on the main tent's base.

Step 6

Stake out the tent. Find each stake out on the bottom of the tent, pull it outward and hammer a stake into the ground directly through it to hold it in place. Then move to the next one. Move around in one direction and use every stake.

Step 7

Hang up the gear loft and any other accessories inside the tent.

Tips & Warnings

These general instructions are based on instructions for several Ozark Trail dome tents, including the WT-9000, WT-9900 and WT-9920N. Obviously, they don't apply to every single Ozark Trail model. If your tent is different, follow the link below to a list of manuals.

At the campsite, find a good, flat location. Check to make sure that the area isn't subject to low branches or running water, and prepare it for your tent by clearing out any small or large debris on the ground underneath the tent.

Make sure that you have all the pieces prior to leaving for the campsite. Nothing will set you back like leaving a piece of the tent at home. Be sure you have each stake that was included with the tent, the rain fly, main tent and each pole. If you can find the tent box or a picture of the tent, this will help tremendously.

Resources

Ozark Trail Manuals

Article Written By Joe Fletcher

Joe Fletcher has been a writer since 2002, starting his career in politics and legislation. He has written travel and outdoor recreation articles for a variety of print and online publications, including "Rocky Mountain Magazine" and "Bomb Snow." He received a Bachelor of Arts in political science from Rutgers College.

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