We are from Massachusetts and we love the Outer Banks and Ocracoke. We drove through the Ocracoke campground this past July. We are very interested in camping with our Coleman popup, but we are nervous because of the wind. In Salisbury beach in Massachusetts they have rings embedded in cement that I guess you can anchor to. We have no idea how they work. Any advice from people who have camped on the Outer Banks in July would be great.
My wife and I owned a Coleman popup ('97 Yukon) and camped at Ocracoke many years in September for three weeks. Each year we had at least one major blow. The Coleman faired quite well, and although the canvas sides flap a little bit it was not uncomfortable sleeping during the storms. We suffered no damage, and had no leaks. Ocracoke doesn't have tie downs at the campsites, but we didn't need any. We also had the screen room attachment on our Coleman and during the strong winds we just un-velcroed the tops to allow air to flow through. The screen room went undamaged too, and we didn't have to take it down. We had great confidence in the weathering abilities of our Coleman popup.
Ocracoke in July is very nice, but also crowded. The campground does accept reservations and I suggest making them ASAP. Remember, there is no shade at Ocracoke, bring plenty of sun-block; flies and mosquitoes are the major pests, bring bug spray; and the temperatures are very hot, bring plenty of fluids.