To compare tent fabrics, you also need to know their overall rip strength. A footprint doesn’t take up much space, is relatively inexpensive, and is much easier to repair or replace than a tent bottom if it tears. For any tent you buy, we recommend also purchasing a companion footprint, if one is available. Howe, who has developed models for nearly every major tent maker, including Easton, Marmot, REI, Sierra Designs, and The North Face, said that when it comes to a tent floor, two lightweight layers are often stronger than one heavy layer he suggested using a groundsheet or footprint, even with a high-quality tent floor. No tent is impervious to floor punctures, though. If a tent has a coated fly and steep walls, even if that fabric isn’t of the best quality, “it’s going to shed most of the rainfall you’ll seldom have problems with leaking.” (Most of today’s tents have seams that are sealed with heat tape at the factory.) A difference in floor quality, however, will likely become obvious fairly quickly as you use and abuse the tent. “Generally, I would rather have a high-quality floor fabric than a high-quality fly fabric,” tent designer Bob Howe told us. But according to our experts, the durability of the floor of your tent is actually more important. It’s natural to focus on the quality of a tent’s rain fly-you need that piece to work when the skies open up. With almost 45 feet of vestibule space and six stability-enhancing criss-crossing poles, the next size up of REI’s Base Camp, the Base Camp 6 Tent, offers the best combination of space and features among the six tents we tested that fit those criteria.
NEMO WHY ARE YOU SLEEPING FULL
Overall, this tent was the sturdiest, most reliable shelter we tested, regardless of the situation, making it well worth its higher price.įamilies who regularly pitch their tent in rainy locales will want a wind-fighting tent with a good-size vestibule for storing wet shoes and gear, as well as a full rain fly for added weather protection. Our other favorite features are the tent’s two wide doors, which you can open halfway from either direction or fully open (you can tuck the doors into “roof pockets” to keep them out of the way), turning the tent into a useful beach tent or sun shade. The Base Camp also offers the most privacy compared with the other tents we tested-with or without the rain fly. Although our other picks rely on two poles for their support, the Base Camp has four aluminum struts weaved throughout it, somewhat like a basket. Car campers who plan to brave miserable weather or who live in an area where it’s not unusual will appreciate the extra strength and protection of the REI Co-op Base Camp 4 Tent.