5 Tests for the OZtrail Festival 15 Shade Dome - A Camping Gazebo Review

Feb 4

Any opportunity to stay out of the sun is welcomed by those of us who live full time in Tropical North Queensland.

Not only can it frazzle you it really is uncomfortable and unhealthy for the kids to be exposed for any length of time.

**The OZtrail Shade Dome proved indispensable at our Australia Day party**

I was more than happy to trial the latest camping gazebo supplied by Anaconda and offer some feedback. Here’s the 5 tests we put it through……

1. Does it provide Shade?

Absolutely! Heaps in fact. The area underneath the OZtrail Festival 15 Shade Dome is like a small apartment. It’s definitely suited to large group gatherings. The dome style design helps provide you with shade even when the sun is at an angle, and yet it still has enough height so you don’t need to duck to get underneath.

**Heaps of room under here for the whole family & more…**

I find that with the traditional gazebos we’re forever hunting around for some shade as the sun moves. With the OZtrail Shade Dome you can pretty much plonk yourself under it and keep the same spot all day

No. 1 Test Passed! The OZtrail Shade Dome provides a BIG expanse of shade underneath that would fit an entire soccer team comfortably.

2. Does it keep you DRY?

Probably not such an important test for those that live south of the Tropics BUT essential for those who live in the ‘far north’. It’s easy to have harsh rays of sunshine wedged in between tropical downpours on the day that you choose to be outside. Shelter that actually provides good protection during the ‘odd’ downpour is a huge bonus.

**Can you see the water coming off the side near the corner? The design means water drains away easy.**

The OZtrail Shade Dome proved to be completely waterproof during hard rain and as an added bonus very little ‘pooling’ occurred thanks to it’s dome shape. With traditional style gazebos we’ve found them to leak over time (the top is generally made from a woven fabric) and pooling can be a major issue - you find yourself constantly pushing up the top to get rid of puddles of water (and to prevent the frame from buckling) and then everything underneath gets wet as the water spills over the sides.

With the OZtrail Shade Dome you just ‘shake’ the legs (trust me the kids love this job) and whatever excess water there may be on top simply flows off the corners, miles away from your gear underneath.

Number 2 Test Passed! The OZtrail Shade Dome excels in protecting you from ALL the elements, whether it be rainy or sunny.

3. Is it EASY to Set Up?

Initially the shelter was a pain for us to set up. With traditional style camping gazebo's it really is just a matter of sliding the frame out of its bag, grabbing a corner each, pulling it out and throwing the cover on top. You can have a gazebo style shelter up in a few minutes and if you’re clever you can even do it yourself.

**First you have to connect the poles……**

Not so with the OZtrail Shade Dome. Comfortably you will need 2, if not 3 people working as a team to get this Shelter up in the 'estimated' 10 minutes. The poles need to be fitted together and it takes a little working out which pole goes where in the whole frame. The good news is that the poles will only fit together in a certain way so it will prevent you making a complete balls-up if you’ve mislaid the instructions (as occurred with us the first time round).

In this particular case its wise to watch a video closely, or study the instructions well, before trying to set up. It really doesn’t go together as you would initially imagine and it does take a good amount of team work to get it up quickly. You can watch the video below to see how we did it.......

As you can see setting up the OZtrail Shade Dome is an ideal team building exercise – as it really takes good leadership and team work to set it up.

Test Number 3: Negative on this one! You’ll need to be a tightly gelled team (with a great leader) to erect this camping gazebo anytime quick.

4. What’s it like in the WIND?

The OZtrail Shade Dome performs surprisingly well in the wind. The low sides of the Shelter and its aerodynamic dome shape helps it resist the urge to take off when strong wind gusts occur. There is also a roof vent which allows air to flow through and prevents the shelter from lifting in gusty winds.

**The aerodynamic design is great for windy conditions**

We have been sheltering under gazebos plenty of times only to find a side buckle in due to large wind gusts. In comparison, the OZtrail Shade Dome poles and frame remain remarkably flexible and you do have the added bonus of staking the corners down and using Guide ropes if necessary.

Test Number 4: The OZtrail Shade Dome performs well in windy situations.

5. How’s it perform as a CAMPING gazebo?

The addition of an inner shell for camping overnight is an excellent option. It’s super easy to clip the inner tent to the OZtrail Shade Dome and there is enough room inside to sleep an entire footy team (under 12’s of course).

**Fitting the Inner Tent is easy peasy…..just clip it to the existing Shade Dome frame.**

Thanks to all the protection the outer shade dome offers, it’s easy to see how the light inner shell could become a favourite for campers, particularly if there are quite a few of you.

Test Number 5: The OZtrail Shade Dome easily transforms into a tent and offers sufficient protection if the weather isn't the best.

**Plenty of room for everyone in here!!**

Final Conclusion:

For a sports team, scouts group or any large group the OZtrail Shade Dome would be perfect. It not only provides excellent all round shelter but there is enough room underneath to keep a load of people protected from the elements. Set up can be quick if you have a ‘team’ of people to help and there is always the option to turn it into a tent if you want to stay longer than a day.

**OZtrail Festival 15 Shade Dome with Inner Tent attached**

Good things to Know:

Ceiling air vent keeps shelter cool
Sun Tough fabric with water repellent treatment
Cross pole frame means greater strength and improved water shedding
Easy to handle compact carry bag
Size: 4.5x4.5x2.4m & Weight: 19kg (Please note this is the bag weight for the Shade Dome only)
Full compliment of accessories available to transform the shade dome for other purposes. The Full Inner Tent is perfect for camping out (and very easy to attach to the shade dome).

Does this sound like the camping gazebo for you? Share with me any questions you might have about the OZtrail Shade Dome.

If you head to my Facebook page there is a competition on until 12th Feb 2016 to WIN an OZtrail Festival 15 Shade Dome and the Full Inner Tent Kit (straight off the showroom floor). UPDATE - The WINNER of this competition was Sarah Carly Clark who won it on behalf of the Saints Swimming Club.

Please NOTE: We received the OZtrail Shade Dome (& inner tent) complimentary BUT all views, opinions and photos in this article are %100 my own.If you missed out on the competition and are interested in learning more or purchasing an OZtrail Camping Gazebo Click HERE >> Anaconda (check out all their recent deals and offers).