(Runner-Up) Best Overall Camping Tent

Although its interior space isn’t quite on the same level as the monstrous Kingdom 6, the Base Camp 6 still boasts plenty of room for families and furry friends. It’s also just a bit more structurally sound in the wind, and it’s one of only four tents in our review that sports vestibules at both ends. Compared to any other tent, the Base Camp 6 seems like a clear winner; it’s versatile and easy to pitch as well as decently roomy for a dome-style tent. However, the Kingdom 6 has additional mesh that gives it better ventilation, along with several more pockets and a far superior storage bag, which we felt justified spending the extra $30. It was a tight race to name the best of the best, and in the end, the Base Camp 6 took home the Runner-Up trophy for Best Overall Camping Tent.

Compare to Similar Products

See Our Best Camping Tent Review 2021 HERE!

REI’s (or Recreational Equipment, Inc.) history dates back to 1938 when it started as a small co-operative for climbing enthusiasts sold out of a shop near Seattle’s Pike Place Market. It has since grown into a nationwide chain that countless co-op members frequent, and any hiker worth their weight in carabiners owns a product either sold or produced by REI. The company produces several popular backpacking tents—my Camp Dome 2 is approaching its fifth birthday and has gotten me through multiple hiking trips, but their camping tent designs have also demonstrated a real proficiency for understanding the needs of their customers. REI’s Base Camp 6 (retailing for $469) is just one example of this, with a handful of well-thought-out features and design choices.

Comfort

The square interior of the Base Camp 6 measures 9’2″ x 9’2″ for a total of 84sqft, and a max headroom of 6’2″. The numbers are near-average compared to comparably priced 6-person tents, although the sloped walls of this dome-style tent do give it a bit less interior volume than those that use pre-bent or hubbed poles to give the walls a bit more verticality.

That being said, the Base Camp still feels quite roomy, much of which can be attributed to its massive front and rear doors and dual vestibules. Both doors have quad zippers that connect in the top-middle and can be stashed away in mesh pockets that line the roof. The top half of both doors can be unzipped to reveal mesh windows, and there is also mesh lining the entire roof to provide views of the night sky. The front vestibule is supported by a tent pole that runs across the roof. It measures 27sqft and is large enough to function as a small sitting area. The staked-out rear vestibule, which is 17sqft and quite slanted, is better served as a storage area. Both can be sealed off completely for sufficient protection from the elements.

Ease of Setup

Expect to set aside roughly seven minutes to pitch this tent. This feat could be accomplished by one person but will go much easier with two. The process is a rather straightforward affair, thanks in part to color-coding on the poles and sleeves. You’ll start the assembly by feeding two tentpoles through fabric sleeves from corner to corner, crisscrossing through the center, and forming the main structure. The second set of poles connect to grommets along the base of the sidewalls; they criss-cross each other and run through hooks on the walls and sleeves over the front and back doors, pulling these areas outward to generate additional interior space. The fifth pole feeds through the rainfly to create a roof for the front vestibule. In fact, we found that deploying the rainfly was much easier with the Base Camp 6 than with some of the other tents in our review.

The total packaged weight of the Base Camp 6 is 20.6 lbs, which is near average amongst the tents we tested. The tent and other accouterments pack away into a heavy-duty storage sack measuring 24”x11”, which also comes with a pole-repair tube, pole bag, and stake bag. While packing and unpacking, this bag lacks any real flaws, but we still preferred the highly organized backpack-style bag of our other REI tent, the Kingdom 6.

Weatherproofing

The Base Camp 6 is rated for 3+ season use, so while we wouldn’t go as far as testing this out in the dead of winter, its thick rainfly provides enough insulation for it to prove its worth on an especially chilly fall evening. In addition, the dome shape makes it more stable in the wind than the Kingdom 6, which has vertical walls and pre-bent poles.

Although the rainfly completely wraps the tent to provide a great deal of privacy and protection from the rain, there are several options for ventilation. There are deployable vents at the top of the rainfly—which can be reached from inside the tent through zippered openings, along with triangular floor vents to create what REI calls “chimney effect” ventilation. Although we appreciated the ingenuity of these features, we also found that it didn’t do quite enough to counteract the thick rainfly, so the interior may get a bit stifling on hot days.

Durability

The ruggedness of the Base Camp 6 is a noteworthy strength. Along with its 75D polyester canopy and rainfly, the tent floor is made of 150D polyester Oxford that is touted as being both abrasion- and puncture-resistant. The aluminum poles are super thick, and the clips are pretty beefy, so you won’t feel the need to be incredibly gentle during assembly and disassembly. Still, to extend the life of this tent, we would recommend purchasing the accompanying footprint, which will cost an extra $64.95.

Other Features

The Base Camp 6 offers a plethora of storage options, with 14 stash pockets in convenient locations; close your eyes and point in any direction inside this tent, and chances are you’ll find one. It’s still not quite as staggering as the 22 pockets inside the Kingdom 6, yet it far exceeds any of the storage options presented by the other tents in our review. The dual doors and vestibules make it highly appealing for family outings, as does the durable construction. With proper care, the Base Camp 6 is a worthwhile investment that will stand the test of time.

The Bottom Line

Although its interior space isn’t entirely on the same level as the monstrous Kingdom 6, the Base Camp 6 still boasts plenty of room for families and furry friends. It’s also just a bit more structurally sound in the wind, and it’s one of only four tents in our review that sports vestibules at both ends. Compared to any other tent, the Base Camp 6 seems like a clear winner; it’s versatile and easy to pitch as well as decently roomy for a dome-style tent. However, the Kingdom 6 has additional mesh that gives it better ventilation, along with several more pockets and a far superior storage bag, which we felt justified spending the extra $30. It was a tight race to name the best of the best, and in the end, the Base Camp 6 took home the Runner-Up trophy for Best Overall Camping Tent.

^ Back to Top ^