Greater than 20 years in the past once I was in school, my girlfriends and I went automotive tenting on the Olympic Peninsula. It was pouring rain and the within of our tent and our sleeping baggage bought fully soaked. I ended up gathering what was left of my dry gear and hiding out within the driver’s seat of my automotive. It was a depressing expertise, and I discovered that one of the vital essential automotive tenting necessities is a high quality automotive tenting tent.
A terrific automotive tenting tent is simple to arrange, spacious, sturdy, and can preserve you dry regardless of the climate. I’ve been testing the lately up to date REI Base Camp 4-person tent, and it hits the entire marks – loads of room, a HUGE vestibule to your gear, numerous vents to enhance airflow, and an insane quantity of pockets to maintain issues organized on the within.
On this REI Base Camp 4 Tent Evaluate, I share my opinions on why I like this tent and some issues I’d wish to see improved after testing it in a wide range of climate circumstances.
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REI Base Camp 4 Tent Overview
This REI Base Camp 4 Tent overview is predicated on my expertise testing it in a wide range of climates over the previous few months. On one journey to the Arizona desert, circumstances ranged from a blistering 95 levels to 50 mph winds and heavy rain showers. I’ve additionally used it within the Uintas in Utah the place nighttime temperatures bought down into the 30s. On each journey, the tent has carried out properly, and it’s full of particular options and particulars that make this considered one of my favourite automotive tenting tents so far.
REI Base Camp 4 Tent Particulars
Professionals
Cons
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Ease of Setting Up
On my own, I used to be in a position to set the REI Base Camp 4 Tent up in 15-20 minutes the primary time round. I couldn’t discover the directions…seems they’re hooked up to one of many stuff sacks that the tent is available in. Nonetheless, the color-coding made it extraordinarily simple to determine.
Due to its measurement, it feels a bit cumbersome the primary time in case you are setting it up alone, however that may be true of any 4-person tent. Additionally, in case you’re utilizing a 4-person tent, most certainly you may have an extra set of fingers that can assist you.
Towards the top of this overview, you’ll discover step-by-step directions for how one can arrange the tent, together with much more photographs.
Spaciousness
Whereas the REI Base Camp 4 is rated for 4-people, it could be fairly tight making an attempt to suit 4 adults in right here. Actually, I arrange a NEMO Double Roamer (a 2-person sleeping pad), the REI Campwell Sleeping Pad, and one other outdated Thermarest automotive tenting pad I’ve, and so they didn’t all match. You’ll be able to see within the picture beneath how the blue and purple sleeping pads overlap.
Now, the automotive tenting sleeping pads I arrange have been wider than the typical sleeping pad, however I do assume 4 backpacking-style sleeping pads would match, no downside. Nonetheless, even then there wouldn’t be a complete lot of wiggle room with 4 adults, which is why I give it 4/5 stars for spaciousness.
Now for 2 adults and two children (or pups), this tent would work nice. For much more consolation, I’d personally wish to restrict it to 3 individuals which might leaves a bit of additional area in between the three sleeping pads so it doesn’t really feel such as you’re sleeping on prime of each other.
My household of three plus 2 canines can slot in right here with some room to spare (however our canines are on the smaller aspect). You’ll be able to see on this picture how significantly better it’s with sleeping pads that accommodate a complete of three individuals.
This tent would even be nice for 2 adults who merely need extra room. I slept in right here with a girlfriend and liked how we each had our personal area. You may simply match two cots in right here, a small desk, and even two compact camp chairs in case you have been hiding out from the rain.
Home windows and Vents
Certainly one of my favourite issues about this tent is the entire home windows it has. Not solely does this enhance air flow in scorching climate or cut back condensation out of your breath on a chilly night time, it additionally means that you can take pleasure in the entire good views.
When you don’t put the rainfly on, the highest has 4 mesh panels so you possibly can stargaze as you’re falling asleep. I like that this mesh doesn’t come at the price of your privateness although.
The doorways of the tent are fabricated from two layers. First is a stable layer that may be zipped up for privateness. If you would like higher airflow and views, you possibly can zip down the stable layer, revealing a second mesh layer that retains the bugs out.
Along with the mesh on the ceiling and doorways, there are additionally two-floor vents that you could open. I like this characteristic as a result of typically I wish to really feel a bit further breeze on my face on heat nights.
Lastly, there are 4 vents on the rainfly that may be popped open. These enable among the heat air from within the tent to flee because it rises which prevents condensation.
Pockets and Group
There are 18 pockets within the REI Base Camp 4 tent! I don’t assume I’ve ever slept in a tent with that many pockets. They’re conveniently positioned throughout the tent, so in case you have been sleeping with 4 individuals in right here, everybody would have their very own pockets for his or her stuff inside attain.
Not solely are there a whole lot of pockets, however they’re all actually massive. I match my Nalgene within the pocket by the door with out having to stretch the fabric. Within the others, I positioned my Kindle, headlamp, cellphone, hat and gloves and different necessities that I would like all through the night time.
There are additionally loops you possibly can hold issues from like a small lantern or perhaps a small moveable fan. I used the loops to string up my string lights which created a pleasant ambiance when hanging out in right here at night time.
Lastly, I’ll point out the pocket by the door. The doorways unzip nearly the entire means, and they’re much to massive to simply roll to the aspect. It took me a minute to determine this out, however when the door is totally unzipped, you possibly can stuff it within the pocket subsequent to the door so it’s out of the best way.
Vestibules
Merely put, the vestibules within the REI Base Camp 4 tent are superior. With a complete of 38.5 sq. toes inside the 2 vestibules, there’s greater than sufficient room for ALL of your gear. You may match a cooler, a few backpacks or suitcases, sneakers, and no matter else you wish to preserve out of the weather.
My buddy and I even arrange my two Dometic GO Camp Chairs in right here with room to spare. I might see this being actually useful on a scorching day whenever you wish to get out of solar. And with the vestibule on the opposite aspect, you continue to have loads of room to your gear.
Every vestibule has two zippers, one on either side. This makes it simple to get out and in of in the midst of the night time.
The one purpose I’m docking half a star right here is as a result of rolling up the middle of the vestibule is a bit tough. It’s a whole lot of cloth and fairly huge, so rolling it up with one particular person was difficult.
Weatherproofness and Sturdiness
Whereas I can’t but converse to long-term sturdiness since I’ve solely had this tent for a couple of months, I can say that it may face up to heavy winds and rain. Once I was lately tenting in Arizona, we bought hit with a sudden storm, and the REI Base Camp 4 tent stayed dry as a bone on the within.
The bottom the place we arrange the tent was nearly as arduous as concrete, so the tent wasn’t staked down in addition to I’d like. We additionally didn’t have entry to massive rocks to overwhelm the stakes. As an alternative, we have been in a position to safe the man traces in a couple of locations, and we additionally put a few of our camp furnishings within the tent to weigh it down as a lot as attainable.
With how poorly the tent was staked down, I couldn’t consider how properly it held up. The poles are fairly thick, in order that they don’t bend or buckle simply just like the poles from a lighter-weight tent would. The rainfly didn’t leak a single drop.
In rain, you’ll wish to be sure that the 4 roof vents are closed and secured with the velcro so water doesn’t blow in via these.
I’ve full confidence that the REI Base Camp 4 tent is hard sufficient for use in nearly any kind of climate that you’d camp in.
Packability
The REI Base Camp 4 tent weighs greater than 17 kilos, and the footprint provides one other 1 lb 5 oz. Whereas this sounds awfully heavy in case you’re used to sleeping in a backpacking tent, in case you’re on the lookout for a troublesome 4-person automotive tenting tent that you could nearly arise in, you’ll be hard-pressed to search out one that’s considerably lighter.
Something that’s lighter goes to be lacking options that make this tent so purposeful. For instance, The North Face Wawona 4 weighs 13 lbs, but it surely solely has one vestibule that’s considerably smaller than the REI Base Camp 4. It additionally doesn’t supply any privateness with out the rainfly on.
Another choice – the MSR Habiscape 4 – weighs 12 lbs 11 oz (I’ve a earlier model of this tent known as the MSR Habitude). It has extra headspace than the REI Base Camp 4, however equally to the Wawona, the vestibules are a lot smaller. In my expertise, it additionally doesn’t appear fairly as sturdy because the REI Base Camp 4.
Aside from these two alternate options, the REI Base Camp 4’s packaged weight could be very a lot in keeping with different 4-person automotive tenting tents. For the entire options it affords, I’d select this over the opposite automotive tenting tents I personal, so long as I can drive proper as much as my campsite.
What I do like concerning the REI Base Camp 4 is that all the things simply suits within the bag that it got here in. I didn’t should wrestle to get it again in after utilizing it, and the footprint even suits in the identical bag, even these it’s bought individually.
Once I’m storing it, I don’t hassle making an attempt to fold all of it good and neat. I simply stuff it within the bag like I’d if it have been a sleeping bag.
How you can Set Up the REI Base Camp 4 Tent
Establishing the tent could be very simple. It takes me about 15-20 minutes on my own, and if Ryan helps me, that point will get minimize right down to 10 minutes. Listed below are the steps:
1. Put down footprint and pull all the things out
The very first thing to do is to unfold the footprint and pull the entire tent elements out of the bag. I like that the poles, stakes and tent all have their very own sacks to maintain all the things organized.
The REI Base Camp 4 Tent Footprint is bought individually, however I extremely advocate it because it supplies an added layer of safety for the underside of the tent. It is usually the precise measurement of tent and will be staked out.
2. Insert the gold poles into their sleeves
Discover the 2 gold-ended poles and insert them into the gold sleeves on the tent. These create the preliminary construction for the tent.
One thing distinctive about this tent is that it has “dead-end pole sleeves.” This implies the tent poles don’t poke out the opposite finish when you find yourself pushing the poles via. This makes it a lot simpler to arrange by your self with out the assistance of one other particular person. The one factor you must take note of is that the rounded finish of the pole should be inserted first
As soon as the poles gained’t undergo any additional, insert the top of the pole you might be holding into the grommet.
3. Insert the brown poles into their sleeves
Subsequent, there are two poles with brown ends that present further assist for the tent. These run via the brown sleeves throughout the highest of every door.
As soon as via the sleeve, you’ll run the poles diagonally throughout the aspect of the tent sticking the ends within the brown color-coded grommets.
On the perimeters of the tent, there are clips that you simply connect to the poles to make the tent extra taut.
There’s additionally a hook that goes round each poles holding them collectively the place the cross.
4. Stake down the tent
Earlier than you placed on the rainfly, make any changes to your tent’s placement, ensuring it’s even with the footprint. Then stake out the tent loops and the footprint loops collectively.
5. Add the Rainfly
The cool factor about this tent is you don’t really want the rainfly for privateness. The stable cloth on the doorways means individuals can’t see via the tent except they’re very tall and standing proper subsequent to it, peering in from the highest.
However in case you are anticipating any climate or it’s chilly and also you wish to minimize down on the breeze, then it’s price placing on the rainfly.
The rainfly creates two different-sized vestibules. I recommend placing the larger vestibule on the aspect the place you assume you’ll be coming into and exiting the tent probably the most. The aspect with the larger vestibule has a white pole sleeve.
Orient the vestibules the best way you need so the rainfly doorways are aligned with the 2 tent doorways. Then clip the 2 corners of the rainfly down close to the smaller vestibule.
Subsequent thread your ultimate silver-ended pole via the rainfly’s pole sleeve and stick the 2 ends within the grommets.
6. Stake out the vestibules and tie out man traces
The ultimate step is to insert the remainder of the vestibule clips into the tent clips after which stake out the vestibule corners. This may create a pleasant patio and guarantee. the vestibule doesn’t flap round within the wind.
If it’s windy, the REI Base Camp 4 Tent additionally comes with a set of man traces that may simply be hooked up to the tent. We had to make use of these down in Arizona as a result of the bottom was too arduous to correctly stake out the tent and fly. The man traces helped immensely in that state of affairs.
The place to Purchase
The REI Base Camp 4 Tent is barely obtainable at REI. It retails for $474, but it surely incessantly goes on sale throughout REI promotional occasions. Listed below are the hyperlinks for the tent and its non-compulsory equipment.
I hope you discovered this REI Base Camp 4 overview useful! When you have any questions or expertise with this tent, depart a remark beneath.
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