Rei Co-Op Base Camp 4 Tent Review

Both Olsson and Howe emphasized that a great family tent is one that gets more kids outside—which means one that’s affordable to most families. A full rain cover, a spacious vestibule, and a reinforced pole structure make this the best choice for couples who are committed to getting outside no matter the weather. Access to the interior of the tent is fairly straightforward and easy.

The Base Camp stuff sack is a bit small and lacks internal dividers. GearLab is founded on the principle of honest, objective, reviews. Our experts test thousands of products each year using thoughtful test plans that bring out key performance differences between competing products.

Now, as a Los Angeles based art director and writer she still loves being outside and exploring every chance she gets. On any given weekend, you can find her backpacking, hiking, or running ridiculous distances up and down mountains. You can follow her blog, Wild Country Found, and Instagram, or check out her personal website for more information. The Kingdom 6 is an excellent tent, and one we recommend if you need to size up.

It’s a setup that worked well for us, and something I would recommend doing if you plan on trekking with such a large shelter. While not a requirement, it’s often a good idea to use some type of footprint or ground cloth when camping. The extra layer makes it easier to clean up if you’re camping on dirt or mud and protects the tent’s floor from damage (thus extending the tent’s overall lifespan). But do you need to spend the big bucks and get the one specifically made for the tent?

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It sports a 6-pole structure for the main tent with an extra pole for the large, 40 sq ft vestibule. This, combined with a thick rainfly and a 150-denier polyester oxford floor that touts being abrasion and puncture-resistant, makes it one tank of a tent. It looks strong, it feels well made, and it comes from a brand well known for quality tents. Whether I’m on a casual car camping one-nighter or a week-long backpacking trip, pitching my tent is one of my favorite parts of the camping experience. In the summer months, you can find me camped out in a tent more often than sleeping in my own bed.

But if you want a tent with a fast set-up and few compromises, the Rapid 6 is a great choice. The boxy tent is similar in style to our top pick, the Eureka Copper Canyon LX 6, but it falls short of that tent in several ways. The Coleman tent is noticeably smaller, with a footprint of 90 square feet, versus the Eureka’s 100 square feet. With a 6-foot-2-inch center height, this tent’s roof is almost 10 inches lower than the Eureka’s. Tent makers use this heavy, crunchy, tarp-like material in cheaper models, and it’s unlikely to be as durable as the softer, stronger polyester in the Copper Canyon LX 6 and most of the other tents we looked at. “A two person tent in this category will generally be between 3.5 to seven pounds,” he explains.

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Since this tent boasts extra space, it is quite heavy, weighing in at more than 18 pounds. You won’t want to backpack or walk long distances with this one, but it’s perfect to set up next to your car. While REI Co-op claims this is a three-season tent, reviewers say rain can leak through the air vents in the rainfly, so stick to warmer weather.

Not surprisingly, this tent can withstand some serious wind and weather, and provide pretty decent ventilation. It’s rated for use in all four seasons but might have a bit of trouble keeping you warm and dry in the harshest winter weather. Essentially aluminum tent poles might bend under the weight of heavy snows, causing the tent to be less than taunt overall. If you know that you’ll be camping in a high snow area, you might want to consider other, more winter friendly options.

Beyond the footprint, the interior carpet keeps the room even more comfortable and cozy when the temperatures drop. That said, we were impressed with the six passive vents around the fly. Inside, there are seven mesh pockets of varying sizes to help organize accessories.

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I use the fly all the time – I don’t want to have to get up at 3am when it starts raining. That said, I also did not like the height of the tent because when it was very cold outside, it took longer to get warm inside the tent. Investing in some high-quality basics can get kids excited about camping out—and help you avoid a mid-trip detour to the nearest big-box store. A great family tent is one that gets more kids outside—which means one that’s affordable to most families. In addition to the tough material, the sturdy aluminum rods provide added strength to the mix, and their relatively lightweight nature doesn’t detract from their toughness. Before dinner, you can top off with a cup of hot chocolate for calories your body can burn throughout the night.

The Wawona lost a few points for the new rainfly that only covers the side mesh a little bit, allowing for moisture to sneak through in windy situations, but it remains a burly tent in every other way. The Tensleep Station is also excellent, but the stakes are thin, and the top ventilation could be improved. Setting up the rain fly and garage in moderate wind isn’t as intuitive as it could be. That said, once this tent is set up, it is massive, comfortable, and withstood some howling winds and rainy nights in Joshua Tree with ease.

Reviews, Pros & Cons Rei Base Camp 4 By Customers

As we touched on above, there are some inherent downsides to using one tent for both camping and backpacking. For the former, the Trail Hut is far less roomy and comfortable to spend time in than taller and more premium options like the Nemo’s Wagontop 4P below and four-person variation of our top-rated Wawona. REI does make a lighter-weight alternative in their Half Dome SL series, although capacity maxes out at “3+” (48.75 sq. ft. of floor area; 5 lb. 11.7 oz.). But if you love camping and are looking for an affordable way to dip your toes into the backpacking world, the Trail Hut is a perfectly workable entry-level option.

Tipping the scales at 20 pounds 10 ounces, the “6” is a beast to pack and carry around. That said, the Base Camp falls mid-pack compared with other premium car camping designs. Alternatives like the burly Cabela’s Alaskan Guide Model 6 (33 lbs.) and massive REI Kingdom 6 (21 lbs. 6oz.) weigh more, while Marmot’s Limestone 6P model undercuts it slightly at 17 pounds 3 ounces. If you don’t mind the smaller size and lack of ventilation in the rainfly, Kelty tents are great options for both new and veteran campers. The frame is sturdy, thanks to the 4 steel/fiberglass poles helping it to maintain its shape. We all know how heavy steel is, which is why this tent weighs in at 20 pounds, 4 ounces – quite heavy any way you look at it.

Year-round tents are protective across variable and tough conditions, but they’re not the most airy for hotter days or nights. Also, the high-end construction requires beefier material that sports a bigger bill than most three-season builds. For summer and fall backpacking trips, this build is light, strong, and a top pick. For a long mountaineering expedition, it’s a friendly weight for carrying up a mountain but wouldn’t be our first pick for a 2-foot dump or hunkering down in an ongoing blizzard. The Nemo Equipment Kunai 3-4-Season Backpacking Tent ($700) is a solid freestanding choice for a broad range of conditions from hot, humid environments to rain, high wind, or snowy blasts.

Another consideration of a four-season tent is how well-ventilated the design is and if it’s suitable for the amount of time you’ll be posted up in your tent. If you’re tall or wide, pay extra attention to the width and length of the tent dimensions as well as the area of your sleeping pad. It’s also a good idea to visit a local retailer where the tent can be set up for you to check out in person. The infrastructure of a three-season tent can handle rain and light snow.

For a family camping trip, McConaughy advises “not to worry about weight, care more about durability. And it’s packed with clever features that make camping with kids less stressful. Likewise, the upper portion of each door features a mesh or fully open window for cross-ventilation. And the rainfly is a 68-denier ripstop polyester fabric treated for waterproofness. For a two-person tent, this layout is generous with ample head, foot, and side space to protect everything from ski boots to ropes or camera gear.

The reason it doesn’t have one (you can’t even buy a compatible rainfly separately because it doesn’t exist) is because, frankly, it doesn’t need one. Water will easily roll right off the canopy, since it’s been thoroughly coated with polyether urethane. Since you’re essentially setting up a home away from home, camping can be heavy on gear. Tents are typically your biggest purchase—both in price and size—followed by items like camping pads or mattresses and sleeping bags. Depending on where you’ll be camping and for how long, other essentials include a gas-burning stove, cooler, and camping chairs.