REI Base Camp 4 Tent

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

From the product description: "A robust, livable structure, the REI Base Camp tent is for camp enthusiasts who favor more remote, exposed sites."Blah!We have taken this otherwise excellent on two trips this year, and on both occasions moderate winds have shown that it is far from robust. On both occasions the winds (I'm guessing ~40mph) bent the green shaped poles into bizarre noodle shapes. We camped near others who had both examples of high-end tents and [...]tents, and this tent fared the worst. Throw in the fact that you can't get replacement poles (at least for the shaped poles) means that this is not a very good buy at all. If you only camp in sheltered spots then this may work for you, otherwise beware!!

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

My husband and I just had our first baby in February and have already gone camping eight times. Six of those times we slept in our old REI Half Dome 2 person tent with the baby and our dog. Needless to say, we realized it was time to upgrade to something a little bigger. We started researching tents before the baby was born and knew what we wanted. We were willing to pay any price for the tent that met all our demands: full rain fly, vestibule storage, single person set up, gear loft, at least 5 ft. height, back-packable when split between two people, aluminum poles, freestanding, well ventilated, and roomy. We have both grown up camping and would not settle for less than the perfect tent and that is what we found in the Base Camp 4 for a lot less than we expected to pay. This baby looks like it could take on a hurricane. We almost didn't buy it because it seemed so heavy, but most of the weight is due to the bomb proof tent stakes. We switched them out with the light weight stakes from our Half Dome and it is totally good to go for a weekend backpacking trip. We have camped in it a couple of times now and it was wonderful. No problem setting up/taking down by myself. Plus its REI. We have camped in our Half Dome literally HUNDREDS of times since we bought it in 2002 and there is no wear and tear. Plus it was one of the only 4 person tents with a full rain fly (very important on the west coast). REI knows whats up when it comes to giving people exactly what they need... no more, no less and for the right price. We are very happy customers.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

We have used this the REI Base Camp 4 for four years now and affectionately consider it our home away from home. The high quality Base Camp 4 has alsways performed perfectly.

We remained warm with no condensation in low 20 degree overnight temperatures in Yellowstone. We've endured several monsoon-type rainstorms with high winds in Utah with no leaks whatsoever; the tent withstood the winds without budging. We also have remained comfortably well-ventilated in hot, humid conditions on the Mississippi River bluffs and in hot, dry desert conditions as well.

The Base Camp 4 is very easy to put up (although the instructions to do so are vague and do need improvement). This tent is spacious and well-appointed with useful storage and thoughtful features that make it tower above its peers. For base camp use, for car camping or family camping, this tent is the last word.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

I love looking and buying new tents and over the past million years that I have been camping, this is my favorite family tent. It fits 3 nicely, but we use it for two. With two you both get your own door and wall storage, along with plenty of room for a huge duffle bag etc. I like the square design because you get more room that way and you also get plenty of room because the walls are more vertical than many tents this size. The large fly is big enough to use as a private area for washing up in. I only wish that for this reason there was no window in the fly on this side. I love the vents at the top of the fly and the ability to open and close them from inside. It would be a great bonus if the opening for getting to the fly vent also had a screen, so that you could open up the tent itself to let out the heat better without letting any gritters in.
The tent is easy to set up and as a mom, I can do it myself, usually. Sometimes I just need a rock or a foot on the other side of a pole to keep it from moving.
I have had no problems with the poles or zippers or anything. It seems to be build very well. It reminds me of my Sierra Design backpacking tents.
The only problem that I had is that the fly started to discolor from being out in the sun ( I guess). I know it wasn't from anything I did cause I take very good care of my tents.
I am 5' 9" and though I can't stand up straight in it, it is tall enough so that I can stand up enough to pull up my pants and walk around. I chose a slightly lower tent for better wind stability reasons. The taller they are the easier they blow! I also love the light weight pools. I will never buy a tent again with fiberglass poles. They break too easily.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

Venturing up to Estes Park with the family and dog, we opted for the REI Base Camp 4. We pitched the tent in the "perfect," flat spot at one of our favorite car-camping sites. Little did we realize the spot was flat for a reason... that night we had a torrential down-pour, accompanied by golf ball-sized hail. About two hours into the storm, my nephew decided to take a look outside, only to discover we were staked down in a pool of 3+ inches of water. To our amazement, the tent was completely dry inside. After clearing a path for the water to drain, the pool and storm disappeared, and we emerged bone-dry, and ready for whatever else mother nature might send our way.

I am a typical believer in the mantra, "You get what you pay for," but in this case you get FAR more. The tent is warm enough for two people and a dog in 30+ (F) degree weather. When packed with four, it is even more comfortable. You will not go wrong with this purchase for car / family camping.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

This is truly a three season tent. Comfortable and well ventilated, the Base Camp 4 is not easily susceptible to becoming a stinky tent. It did well with condensation in the spring and was not even is phased by an intense thunderstorm.

I am a single mom of 1 six-month-old infant and trust this shelter to keep us dry and toasty in all conditions excluding snow.

I was able to pack this tent into the hike-in campground at Yosemite's CAMP 4 without a problem. Again, being a single mom, it is vital that the tent assemble easily. I was able to set this up as our base camp solo and quickly.
5 Cheers for Base Camp 4.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

I bought this tent for solo R & R car camping, and have used it all over
the country. It's easy for a rather small woman to set up, has loads of
room for one person (functioning as a combined living room/bedroom
in inclement weather), and so far has never leaked a drop of rain. Ventilation is also very good with one or both doors of the fly up.

I've used an older model for several years and it's still in near perfect
condition, a testiment to good materials and construction. It's simply a
great tent and one I'll use for years to come.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

This tent is perfect for car campers. We have the Base Camp 6 for the family (love it too!) and this one we use for camping with two or three people. It sets up really easily - the pole color coordination is helpful. I've set it up by myself with no problem. The two vestibules are excellent and accommodate items well. Camped in steady downpour and was never wet. Air vents at the top are nice and zip-up windows help with air movement and keeping in warmth in cooler weather.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

I'd been looking at tents for what seemed like years thru college, but always opted for the cheaper chain-store brands. My girlfriend and I knew we were goning to be spending a few weekends in a tent this summer, and decided that it was finally time to invest in a solid tent. We knew we were primarily going for comfort, with room to store all our gear and fit an air matress on car camping trips. I started off by buying a hoodoo 3, but didn't account for the thickness of the mattress and spent an uncomfortable night with or faces practically against the ceiling.The next week I made a quick trip to REI,[...], and picked up this one. And am I glad it did. On the drive up to Maine on our most recent trip, the sky's opened up, and continued to do so for the next three days every few hours. Both mornings saw multiple people rolling out of bed complaining about muggy, damp tents, wet blnkets that got soaked the day before, etc. A lot of people gave us some flak for how much we spent, but when we set our tent up in a few minutes during the rain and only got a few drops inside, everyone's tune changed.The size is perfect for two if you want space for your things. We put out queen sized air matress in with the head at one door, and had more than a foot on each side, and at the front door. I like the idea of the vestibule area, and it was good when it was raining to have that transition area, but it felt like it could be a little bigger or atleast longer. To duck into the vestibule, turn around and zip down the fly, the turn around again and zip open the door and take off your shoes before climbing in was a bit of a hassle. Other than that, the tent was perfect.

Comments about REI Base Camp 4 Tent:

I am notoriously finicky about tents--especially when I'm doing the luxury "car camping" thing--and I bought and returned two other tents before settling on this one. It was worth the wait. This tent is super sturdy and so easy to assemble that my young kids can set it up by themselves while I attend to other things like food. The full-coverage rainfly is much appreciated here in the Northwest (though it does cut down on ventilation somewhat--that's inevitable and worth it, in my opinion). All in all, a great tent.