6 tests × 7 tents

The 7 Best REI Tents (Bought & Tested!)

These 7 REI tents set me back about $1,937 in total, and I tested them all over a period of 2 months.

$1,937 spent — all my own savings 7 tents tested 2 months of testing 0 sponsorships

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The Podium

Quick Summary

Here’s everything I recommend: one winner per size.

Best 2-Person REI Tent

REI Trail Hut 2

Cheaper than the Half Dome 2+, and much better in the rain.

7.6/ 10 overall

Check price on REI Co-op
The author’s REI Trail Hut 2.
Peak height: 38 in Total area: 46.6 sq. ft. Trail weight: 4.8 lbs Rain test: 6 to almost 24 hours, no leaks
Best 4/6-Person REI Tent

REI Co-op Base Camp 6

The only REI family tent with vestibules, and the only one that stayed dry in my rain test.

7.8/ 10 overall

REI Co-op – 6-person REI Co-op – 4-person
The author’s REI Co-op Base Camp 6.
Peak height: 73 in Total area: 134.9 sq. ft. Storage: 14 pockets, 20 loops Rain test: 6 to almost 24 hours, no leaks

Jump to: The Rest of the Best ↓ How I Tested ↓ Why You Can Trust Me ↓

The video

Video preview: every REI camping tent, bought and tested.

If you prefer watching to reading, check out my video here instead.

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Table of contents
  1. 1. REI Trail Hut 2 (Best 2-Person REI Tent)
  2. 2. REI Co-op Base Camp 6 (Best 4/6-Person REI Tent)
  3. The Rest of the Best
  4. How I Tested All 7 REI Tents
  5. Why You Can Trust Me

Best 2-Person REI Tent

REI Trail Hut 2

The author testing the REI Trail Hut 2 Tent.
My REI Trail Hut 2.

Test scorecard · scored against my budget backpacking tents

REI Trail Hut 2

7.6out of 10

Space6.8

Setup8

Features7.1

Ventilation6

Rain9.5

Quality6.7

Portability8

Key info

  • Peak height38 in
  • Tent area29.3 sq. ft.
  • Vestibule17.3 sq. ft.
  • Packed size21 x 8.5 x 7 in
  • Weight5.3 lbs
  • Set up6.75 mins
  • Pack away6.75 mins

Pros

  • Great value for money
  • Free footprint included
  • Best REI 2-person tent in the rain

Cons

  • Shortest peak height
Check price on REI Co-op

TL;DR

The REI Trail Hut 2 is my pick of REI’s 2-person tents: it’s much cheaper than the Half Dome 2+, and much better in the rain.

It’s also the best value for money of REI’s 2-person tents, and a free footprint comes in the box, an accessory you’d normally have to buy separately.

The footprint toggles of the REI Trail Hut 2.
The footprint toggles onto the corners of the tent.

In the rain, its full-polyester construction lasted 6 to almost 24 hours before anything started seeping through. Of REI’s 2-person tents, only the Trailmade matched it. The pricier Half Dome 2+’s nylon rainfly was slightly damp at the 1-hour mark and completely wet by 2 hours, with the Arete’s not far behind.

Seam taping in the REI Trail Hut 2.
One of the Trail Hut’s taped seams.

The main tradeoff is height: at 38 in, it has the shortest peak of REI’s 2-person tents, so sitting up on a tall mattress gets snug.

The author sitting under the peak height of the REI Trail Hut 2.
Me under the peak height, on a 6 in mattress. My head is almost touching the top.

So if you want an REI 2-person tent, catch the Trail Hut on sale and it’s an easy pick.

Check out the REI Trail Hut 2:

Check price on REI Co-op

Read my full review →

Best 4/6-Person REI Tent

REI Co-op Base Camp 6

The author standing in front of her REI Co-op Base Camp 6.
My Base Camp 6 in the yard.

Test scorecard · scored against my 6-person tents

REI Co-op Base Camp 6

7.8out of 10

Ease of Use6.5

Spaciousness7.8

Features8.5

Ventilation6

Rain Protection8.7

Quality9

Portability8

Key info

  • Peak height73 in
  • Base area82.5 sq. ft.
  • Vestibule52.4 sq. ft.
  • Weight20.6 lbs
  • Packed size28 x 13 x 9.5 in
  • Storage14 pockets, 20 loops
  • Set up (1P)17.5 mins
  • Take down (1P)15 mins

Pros

  • Full-length rainfly
  • Most user-friendly vents
  • 2 big vestibules
  • Lots of storage

Cons

  • Does not come with a footprint
  • Less suitable for summer
REI Co-op – 6-person
REI Co-op – 4-person

TL;DR

The REI Co-op Base Camp 6 is my pick of REI’s family tents: a high-quality 3+ season tent for camping outside of summer.

It comes in a 4-person version as well as the 6-person one, and they’re the same tent in two sizes. I bought and tested the 6, so that’s where all the measurements below come from. Here are both: the Base Camp 6 and the Base Camp 4.

First, it’s the only REI family tent with a fantastic full-length rainfly. It holds the heat in on colder days, and it aced my rain test: a full hour of hose water, heavier than real rain, with no leaks anywhere. The Wonderland and the Campwell both leaked.

Water running down the sides of the REI Base Camp 6.
An hour of hose, running straight off the sides.

Second, its 4 vents are the most user-friendly I’ve seen on an REI family tent — the only ones you can open and shut from inside the tent.

The author shutting a roof vent from inside the REI Base Camp 6.
Shutting a roof vent without leaving the tent.

You also get 2 huge vestibules, and no other REI family tent comes with any. I used the 21 sq. ft. back one for storing gear, and the 31 sq. ft. front one for lounging around.

The author sitting on a camping chair in the front vestibule of the REI Base Camp 6.
Lounging in the front vestibule.

And for storage, a whopping 14 pockets and 20 loops — the most of any REI family tent, by a mile.

The one con: REI’s family-sized tents don’t usually come with a footprint provided, and the Base Camp is no exception, so you’ll want to buy one separately.

Take Note With the full rainfly on and not much mesh, the Base Camp gets hot and stuffy on summer days, so I’d leave the 2 doors or the 2 windows open for some cross-ventilation. It’s still bearable, but if you camp mainly outside of summer, this is REI’s family tent to get.

The REI Base Camp 6 without its rainfly.
Rainfly off — far more fabric than mesh.

Check out the REI Co-op Base Camp 6:

REI Co-op – 6-person
REI Co-op – 4-person

Read my full review →

Everything else I tested

The Rest of the Best

Here are the other 5 REI tents I tested, and why each one didn’t take its size’s crown.

2-Person Tents

  • REI Arete ASL 2 (8.2): the highest 2-person score here, and probably the best budget 4-season tent I’ve tested. It would have taken this crown, but REI has discontinued it, so the Trail Hut gets my recommendation instead.
  • REI Half Dome 2+ (7.9): a clever niche, giving you more floor than a regular 2-person tent without the weight of a 3-person one. But it costs a lot more than the Trail Hut, and its nylon rainfly was slightly damp an hour into my rain test, and completely wet by the 2-hour mark.
  • REI Trailmade 2 (7.4): REI’s cheapest tent, with the quickest setup and pack away of the lot. It matched the Trail Hut in the rain too, but it has the least livable space and just 2 pockets and 1 loop.

Family Tents

  • REI Wonderland 6 (7.6): the most spacious REI tent, with an 81 in peak height that runs the whole length, and easily half the tent is mesh. A great pick for fair-weather summer camping, but the partial rainfly leaked in my rain test, and REI has since discontinued it.
  • REI Campwell 6 (6.4): the budget cabin tent of the range, but the peak height is low for a cabin tent, there’s only 1 door, no vents, and the poles are fiberglass. I tested its previous version, the REI Skyward 4, which was much better.

The 6 testsHow I Tested All 7 REI Tents

Every tent went through the same tests, and I scored each size class only against itself. Here’s the method.

  • Scored within its size: The 2-person tents were rated against each other, and the family tents against each other, so the two sets of scores aren’t comparable.
  • Space: Every floor, vestibule and peak height was measured with my own tape measure.
  • Rain: Timed heavy rain from a hose or real rainfall, with no waterproofing sprays added beforehand.
  • Time: Each set-up and pack-away was pitched solo against a stopwatch.
  • One skipped test: The family tents weren’t scored on portability.
  • The Campwell: It’s the one REI tent I didn’t buy. I bought and tested its previous version, the Skyward 4.

Set Up & Pack Away

These are all 1-person timings, from the same starting point each time.

REI Tent (2P)Set Up (mins)Pack Away (mins)
Trailmade 2 winner5.56.0
Trail Hut 26.756.75
Half Dome 2+7.257.0
Arete ASL 210.08.5
  • The Arete’s 10 minutes: A whopping figure for a 2-person tent. It has the most poles, pole wraps, buckles, guylines and stake-out points of the four, and every one of them costs time.
The author setting up the ridge poles of the REI Arete ASL 2.
Setting up the Arete’s ridge poles.
REI Tent (6P)Set Up (mins)Pack Away (mins)
Campwell 6 winner14.012.0
Base Camp 617.515.0
Wonderland 619.516.5
  • The Campwell’s one win: Frankly, an easier setup is the only pro the Campwell has over the other two family tents.
The author setting up the rainfly of the REI Wonderland 6.
Getting the Wonderland’s rainfly on by myself.

Spaciousness

I measured each inner tent and vestibule with a tape measure, and the two together give you the total area.

REI Tent (2P)Inner (sq. ft.)VestibulesVestibule (sq. ft.)Total (sq. ft.)
Half Dome 2+ winner31.9217.549.4
Trail Hut 229.3217.346.6
Trailmade 229.3215.845.1
Arete ASL 232.6110.042.6
  • The Half Dome’s niche: Its 2+ sizing buys you more gear room than a regular 2-person tent, without stepping all the way up to a 3-person tent and its weight.
REI Tent (2P)Peak (in)PolesExtended Peak?
Arete ASL 2 winner464Yes (Length)
Half Dome 2+423Yes (Width)
Trail Hut 2383Yes (Width)
Trailmade 2402No
  • The Arete’s poles pay off: Its 4 poles carry the peak height along almost the entire length of the tent, so I could sit up nearly anywhere inside.
The height inside the REI Arete ASL 2.
The measured heights across the Arete.
  • The Trailmade: Just 2 poles, so its 40 in peak exists only at the very center, and the rest of the tent slopes away from it.
REI Tent (6P)Total (sq. ft.)Peak (in)Extended Peak?
Wonderland 6 winner82.581Yes (Length)
Base Camp 6134.973No
Campwell 682.564Yes (All sides)
  • The Wonderland’s 81 in: The tallest REI tent by far, and the peak runs the entire length, so I could stand upright anywhere inside it.
The author standing under the peak height of the REI Wonderland 6.
Standing under the Wonderland’s peak.
  • The Base Camp’s 134.9 sq. ft.: That total is the inner tent plus its two vestibules, and no other REI family tent includes a vestibule at all.

Features

Doors and windows first, then storage.

REI Tent (2P)DoorsWindowsDoor Size (in)StowingZippers
Trailmade 2 winner2037 x 34TogglesYKK
Half Dome 2+2038 x 29TogglesYKK
Trail Hut 22040 x 31TogglesNo brand
Arete ASL 21136 x 33PocketsYKK
The door zippers of the REI Trailmade 2.
The YKK zippers on the Trailmade’s door.
  • The odd one out: The Trail Hut is somehow the only REI tent that doesn’t come with YKK zippers.
REI Tent (2P)PocketsLoopsTotal
Arete ASL 2 winner6915
Half Dome 2+6511
Trail Hut 2279
Trailmade 2213
Some of the pockets inside the REI Arete ASL 2.
Some of the Arete’s 6 pockets.
REI Tent (6P)DoorsPocketsLoopsOthers
Base Camp 6 winner21420–
Wonderland 6287Divider x 1
Campwell 6165–
  • The Wonderland’s divider: One of the rare few family tents to include one. Its 7 toggles and loops split the tent into 2 rooms of up to 3 pads each.
The room divider of the REI Wonderland 6.
The zip down the middle of the Wonderland’s room divider.

Rain Test & Ventilation

Every tent sat through timed heavy rain, and here’s how long each one stayed dry.

REI Tent (2P)MaterialsRain TestVentsRainfly Stakes
Trailmade 2 winnerPolyester6-12 hours22
Trail Hut 2 winnerPolyester6-12 hours22
Half Dome 2+Nylon/Polyester2 hours (Damp rainfly)24
Arete ASL 2Nylon2 hours (Damp rainfly)37
  • Polyester beats nylon in the rain: The two full-polyester tents shrugged off 6 to almost 24 hours of rain, while both nylon rainflies were wet by the 2-hour mark. The Half Dome’s was slightly damp after just 1 hour.
The rainfly of the REI Arete ASL 2.
The Arete’s nylon rainfly.
REI Tent (6P)Rainfly LengthRain TestVents
Base Camp 6 winnerFullNo leaks4
Wonderland 6PartialMinor leakage0
Campwell 6TinyLeakage0
  • The Wonderland’s gap: Its rainfly stops short to make room for a window, and water wicked in at the divider loops overnight. It technically has 2 door vents, but they’re so tiny I count them as zero.
A leak at the divider loop of the REI Wonderland 6.
The Wonderland leaking at a divider loop the morning after.
  • The Campwell’s cap: Its rainfly covers only the very top of the tent, so wind-driven rain slips under it and in.

Quality

Quality here means the materials: the flooring, canopy, rainfly and poles.

REI Tent (2P)FloorCanopyRainflyPoles
Arete ASL 2 winner70D Nylon Taffeta40D Ripstop Nylon40D Ripstop NylonDAC
Half Dome 2+75D Polyester Taffeta75D Polyester Taffeta40D Ripstop NylonAluminum
Trailmade 275D Polyester Taffeta75D Polyester Taffeta75D PolyesterAluminum
Trail Hut 266D Polyester Taffeta68D Polyester Taffeta66D Polyester TaffetaAluminum
  • The Arete’s hardware: A full nylon build with DAC poles across the whole tent: Press Fit main poles, a FeatherLite NSL cross-pole, and even the stakes are DAC.
  • The Trail Hut’s materials: Somehow the thinnest fabrics of all the REI tents, at 66D and 68D throughout.
REI Tent (6P)FlooringCanopyRainflyPoles
Base Camp 6 winner150D Polyester75D Polyester Taffeta75D Polyester TaffetaAluminum
Wonderland 6150D Polyester75D Polyester75D PolyesterAluminum
Campwell 6150D Polyester75D Polyester Taffeta75D Polyester TaffetaFiberglass
  • The Campwell’s poles: Fiberglass, the material of cheaper Coleman and Ozark tents, and something I’ve never seen on any other REI tent.

Portability

The last test covers the 2-person tents only, since a family tent travels from the trunk to the campsite.

REI Tent (2P)Packaged (lbs)Trail Weight (lbs)
Half Dome 2+ winner4.54.1
Trailmade 24.64.1
Trail Hut 25.34.8
Arete ASL 26.05.7

Some of these tents come with footprints, so I took the footprint’s weight out for a fairer comparison of the packaged weight.

  • The Arete’s 6 lbs: The most poles and the biggest rainfly of the four add up. That’s the price of its 4-season build.

All Test Scores

The scoreboard

Based on the tests above, here are the overall scores, grouped by size, because each size was scored separately.

2-person tents

  1. Arete ASL 2 (discontinued)8.2
  2. Half Dome 2+7.9
  3. Trailmade 27.4
  4. Trail Hut 2Best 2-Person REI Tent7.2

Family tents

  1. Base Camp 6Best 4/6-Person REI Tent8.2
  2. Wonderland 6 (discontinued)7.6
  3. Campwell 66.4

Each size was scored only against its own size, so don’t compare a 2-person score with a family-tent one. The Arete tops the 2-person board, but REI has discontinued it, which is why the Trail Hut takes the crown. The Trail Hut’s and Base Camp’s scorecards above carry the scores they earned in my budget backpacking tents and 6-person tents reviews, where each was rated against a different set of rivals.

The methodWhy You Can Trust Me

$1,937

Buying all 7 of these REI tents cost me close to $2,000 of my own savings.

2 months

I tested them all over a period of about 2 months.

6 tests

Each size class went through the same tests with the same tape measure, hose and stopwatch.

30,000+

I also run a YouTube channel with over 30,000 subscribers that reviews nothing but camping gear.

Every figure above is from my own testing – measured by hand, bought with my own money.

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