REI Base Camp 6

Summary

Base Camp 6 is a well designed, well made family tent. Freestanding with a generous vestibule it is hard to come up anything not to like.

This has an expedition tent look to it. I was a Kingdom fan and thought that it was REI's best offering. I am a convert to the Base Camp. This being a freestanding design you have better options to pitch it.

It is tall enough for a six footer. We tried it out at 20 degrees and surprisingly no condensation. I was impressed with the ease of setup and it stows easy in the backpack stuff sack.

You can get a cheap 6-man tent with fiberglass poles and week zippers light weight materials and cheap clips that break or you can buy a well laid out well constructed and beautifully refined and executed tent like this one.

I set up in the yard to evaluate and found same problem as previous reviewer. (Didn't read first.) I actually love the overall design of the tent it's perfect for my needs. However it rained a lot since it's been up and the tie backs are definitley a problem. You do need to shut the door panels to keep the rain from leaking in the screen, but then the water travels around the zipper to the door tie back and drips inside the tent! I had to place tent sponges under area of drip before retiring. I haven't attempted customer service yet but I have found store staff very helpful and honest. I'm sure they will be willing to take it back but that doesn't help fix the problem. Also bought a Marmot swallow and it too had leaks in that rain fly. I'm thinking there is no tent that doesn't leak!

I bought this tent to accompany my son to Scout Camp and was the envy of the adult leaders. During 24 hours of rain 3+ inches,everything stayed dry. The fly extends down to the ground and is attached to the tent with quick release buckles. The front vestibule, extending out far enough with enough height, allows me to sit in my camp chair, stay dry and watch the rain come down. Ventilation was good and the built in pockets allowed me to stay organized. Set up and take down is easy with two people. I love this tent for long term stationary camping. This is a big tent -- more than enough for four with a lot of gear. Six people would be a real crowd.

I rented this tent from REI for a weekend camping trip. I've been doing a lot of research and thought I'd try out this tent before actually buying it. It worked out beautifully. First time setup was on site in the dark. Had a few friends help out and it was up within minutes.

It thunderstormed on us for two nights straight and not a single drop went inside the tent. Ventilation was good. I've got horrible heat tolerance, but the tent helped me keep my cool. The vestibules proved to be excellent for storing gear and keeping it dry. Great tent, now all I have to do is return the rental and buy one for myself!

Outstanding car camping tent. Roomy (especially when you consider the vestibules), very sturdy and nicely put together--handles wind and rain very well. Easy set-up.