The tent itself is pretty neat. Unfortunately, I didn't have any open pockets at the bottom, but they are completely sewn up. The poles are strong and strong enough to poke a hole right in the tent itself (which happened the first time I used it). With the pockets sewn shut, my almost three year old now has access to the staffs, which then become a weapon. I don't recommend if you have cats, they tend to love such things and can easily scratch fabric.