REI Co-op Base Camp 6 Review: All-Weather, All-Season Family Tent

When my wife And I had children, one of the first things we did was get a bigger tent. Fifteen years ago, the most beautiful car campsite tent that I was able to find was the Kingdom 6 of Rei. I would gladly exchange this room for a little more force in stormy weather, which always seems to be when I camp, and a smaller imprint that will adapt to more places.

This is exactly what the base camp of the Rei base camp offers. It is smaller in the overall living space than the Kingdom 6, but during my tests, it resisted much better the wind while being large enough to sleep comfortably five.

Family

Photography: Scott Gilbertson

Before diving into the base camp, I should note that although Rei no longer does the Kingdom 6, that does something close to Wonderland 6, which is an option at the end. I decided to exchange space for the stronger design of the base camp. I also like that the basin form of the base camp adapts better to small camping sites.

The Rei Co-OP base camp tent is available in sizes of four people and six people. I tested the base camp 6, which, I would say, comfortably sleeps five adults and is almost perfect for two adults, two teenagers and a 10 year old child. Rei’s specifications claim 84.3 square feet of interior floor space, which, compared to the rest of the family camping tents of our guide, is almost exactly average for a six -person tent. You can technically adapt to six sleeping pads, but it will be tight, which is almost normal for the course with tents. If you want a better daily life experience, size up to at least one person larger than the actual size of your group.

One thing that the base camp makes more habitable is a plethora of pockets and ceiling hooks to store clothes and equipment. There are 14 packets of meshes around the tent (more or less the entire lower part of the tent is knitted pockets). Keeping things tidy and organized always improves life in a tent.

Photography: Scott Gilbertson

There are two huge doors with complete zippers, so you can open it completely when you load things. The top of the tent is made of mesh, and there are two vents of triangular mesh on each side of the tent, as well as net panels on the doors. All these elements can be closed with zipper with the exception of the roof, which is just mesh. All ventilation options combine to make it an excellent tent for warmer nights, because there is a way to move the air, no matter what direction the wind blows. Even when it is still dead, it is good to know that a heat escapes from the top of the tent. There are also vents in the Rainfly, which can be supported open to allow a breeze, even during a storm.