How to Choose a Backpacking Tent
REI Co-op Flash 3 Tent
$499.00
Members get an est. $49.90 in rewards
Ounce-counters, meet one of our lightest and highest-performance backpacking tents. The freestanding REI Co-op Flash 3-person tent is designed for backpackers seeking lightweight livability.
This item pays for membership!
$49
10% Reward
on this and every eligible full-price item*
+
$30
Bonus Card
valid for 60 days after joining*
=
$79
Value
Start earning when you buy a $30 lifetime membership.
Keep shopping
- The nearly 90° hubbed roof poles give extra headroom; foot pole increases volume at the other end, giving your toes room to wiggle, for a comfy night's sleep
- Premium aluminum poles and tested materials maximize lightweight durability and provide nearly vertical walls
- New ridge pole and door zipper improve interior space and entry/exit
- 2 large, easy-entry canopy-style doors
- Internal mesh pockets and gear loops allow for simple organization
- Packs down to 21.25 in. long—an easy fit in bike panniers or a backpack
- Guyout loops allow for tethering in inclement weather
- Comes with poles, a stuff sack, 10 stakes, 4 guylines and tensioners
- Double-wall construction and evolved venting reduce condensation
- Scooped rainfly reduces tent weight and increases ventilation
- REI Co-op brand is certified to The Climate Label; we actively fund efforts to reduce carbon emissions across our business and support climate projects around the world
Imported.
View the REI Co-op Flash Product LineView all REI Co-op Backpacking Tents| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 3-season |
| Sleeping Capacity | 3-person |
| Minimum Trail Weight | 3 lbs. 7.6 oz. |
| Packaged Weight | 3 lbs. 14.7 oz. |
| Packed Size | 7 x 21.25 inches |
| Floor Dimensions | 88 x 70/64 (L x W head/foot) inches |
| Floor Area | 40.9 square feet |
| Vestibule Area | 7.2 + 7.2 square feet |
| Peak Height | 40 inches |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors |
| Number of Poles | 4 |
| Pole Material | DAC NFL aluminum |
| Canopy Fabric | 20-denier nylon mesh (bluesign approved) |
| Floor Fabric | 20-denier recycled ripstop nylon |
| Rainfly Fabric | 20-denier recycled ripstop nylon |
| Footprint Included | No |
| Ultralight | Yes |
| Design Type | Freestanding |
| Sustainability | Contains recycled materials From a Climate Label Certified brand |
Buying Advice
More expert advice
Better gear is built together
From feedback to field testing, all of our gear is dialed-in by REI Co-op members. Their adventures informed every stitch and detail—making for better, longer-lasting gear.
Review this Product
Adding a review will require a valid email for verification
Customer Images
mommaZ
Received free product
Kirkland, WA
Love everything about this tent!
2 years ago
I am impressed on all levels with this tent! First off, it is VERY light at about 3lbs and packs down nice and small. I especially love the shape being narrower at the foot and wider at the top, along with more vertical space at the head. If you and your family are small, you can easily fit 4 people in this tent (one at the foot). My favorite part about this tent is that the whole top is like a skylight, great for stargazing. I love the color of the fly as it reminds me of blue skies when it is on. I am happy they made the fly so it has an awning so you can stick shoes outside your tent and they can stay dry under the fly. The tent is easy to set up as all the poles, and tabs are color coded. My only concern is that they material feels so light that I am worried it will rip on anything sharp. This is a great choice for a backpacking tent for more than 2 people.
Age:35–44
Weight:125–150 lbs.
Height:5'3"
Yes , I recommend this product
Diesseldorf
Received free product
MT
Lightweight, Water-Tight, Roomy
2 years ago
This is an excellent size and weight for 3 people with gear outside or 1-2 people with gear inside the tent. The seams around the base of the tent are solid and, even though it is see-through thin, the floor holds up as well. All stake holes, buckles, and stake ties were firmly attached. The setup is quick and easy, the Y pole adds a nice bit of extra roominess to the base for your feet/gear. You can't stand up in it (expectedly), but you can easily sit without being hunched over. I took a pic of my feet at the base when my head was at the top to show how much room you can expect (I am 6'-1"). There is more room at the top height-wise, but not much difference width wise. The rainfly beads water nicely and the vent is very good at increasing airflow. The fly canopy shelters your gear away from the tent. Without the fly, the mesh top allows very nice airflow. There is one potential flaw in the fly that by the vent one of the poles pokes into it past the metal grommet area. I expect a hole their eventually, but don't expect that to cause any leakage as it is far enough away from the tent. I do expect it to still be held fine by the metal grommet and nearby seam.
Age:35–44
Yes , I recommend this product
CRoberts
Received free product
New Jersey
A good very light floor for your tent
2 years ago
The floor is very light and fits into a very small bag. It takes up very little room and is not heavy in any way. It folds out easily and has all the straps to secure it to the bottom of your tent. It was easy to set up and easy to put back in the bag
Age:45–54
Yes , I recommend this product
PurpleIowa
Great lightweight, packable tent
11 months ago
We've owned this tent for over a year now. We use it on backpacking trips and trips that require a plane ride. It's been to Olympic, Glacier, and on many trails in the upper Midwest. The best thing is that it is quite spacious for 2 people, the worst thing is that it is a little big for some backcountry tent spots. It has held up reasonably well for such a lightweight tent, but there are some signs of wear. The tent has kept us dry in rain, and it vents reasonably well.
Age:35–44
Height:6'0"
Yes , I recommend this product
kaybtx
Received free product
Houston, TX
Light yet durable, easy to put up and take down
2 years ago
This tent is the perfect balance of lightness, durability and simplicity. It's good for both backpacking and car camping. I put this up the first time in daylight and it was a snap. The next time I had to put it up in the dark, it was completely manageable. Plenty of room for 2 people and a dog or two people and gear. I think it could fit three smaller people, but it would be a squeeze. This was perfect for two larger campers and our backpacks overnight.
Age:35–44
Yes , I recommend this product
Backpacking mom
PNW
Definitely NOT for 3 people
2 years ago
Bought this tent for my kids (11 & 13) and myself for backpacking this summer. As soon as it arrived I immediately set it up to make sure the “glowing” reviews were accurate -they are not. It was easy to set up & very light weight. I put our 3 sleeping pads in to see how they would fit and there is no way 3 people can comfortably sleep without being on top of each other or without touching the sides of the tent. Absolutely no room for any gear inside either. No storage pockets or place to hang a headlamp- very basic, bare bones tent. Would work well for 2 people but for the price & lack of storage there are other tents that are better than this Flash. Returning it and will get something else.
Weight:125–150 lbs.
Height:5'7"
No, I do not recommend this product
Happy camper
Works for 3 people
1 year ago
Lightweight, easy setup, big enough for three standard pads. Get the footprint to protect the thin floor. Future versions ought to include a clip or hub for the short pole to attach to the Y-pole, instead of freely wiggling about.
Yes , I recommend this product
sonofjohn
Received free product
Richland, WA
Spacious 2-Person Lightweight 3-Person Tent
2 years ago
This is a pretty awesome lightweight 3-person tent! I was only able to test it with two people, and it was VERY spacious and very lightweight. For comparison, my prior go-to lightweight backpacking tent (Quarter Dome SL 2) weighs in at 3.3 lbs (or 2 lbs. 8 oz. "min trail weight") and is neither spacious nor (fully) freestanding. For me, the Flash 3 weighed in at x.xx lbs, but that was everything, ALL the stakes, guidelines, rainfly, and footprint. The "min trail weight" is listed as 3 lbs. 8.8 oz. I found the tent set up VERY easily by myself using the instructions sewn into the tent-sack. However, it's also pretty intuitive to set up. While it recommends staking it out first, I'm frequently in locations where that can be difficult, so I set it up without staking it in first and had no problems. Nothing fancy about the stakes, but they do give you 10 stakes and 4 guidelines. I only needed 4 for the tent and 2 for the rainfly vestibules. From the instructions it looks like the remaining 4 stakes (and guidelines) would be used to brace the (long) ends of the tent in windy conditions. I tested this in what I estimate (based on forecast) were 6-9 mph winds and did not use (or need) the additional bracing. But I imagine if you're expecting windy conditions they'd come in handy. Total weight of ALL the stakes and guidelines was .3 lbs. (but to be fair, I'm not sure how accurate my scale is at lower weights...) The inside corners measured 69" and 63" at the (long) ends with about 63" across of usable space away from the corners. I was EASILY able to fit two sleeping pads with space for bags, clothes, etc. However, that left only 18-19" in the middle. Both my pads are about 19-20" wide, so that third pad would definitely be snug, but I think easily doable. Max height is about 45". And with the short pole that extends width-wise across (roughly) the middle, you get about that height across the width of the tent (not just the center), so that's really nice. The wide end includes two vents in the rainfly with little mini velcro arms. Found the venting to be MORE than sufficient given the almost entirely mesh roof and with the rainfly on and vestibules extended. However, it was pretty chilly (36ish F), so I'm not sure how big a deal the venting was at that temp... Lengthwise, I got about 83" in the center. Not a super big deal for me either way because I'm only 5'6"; so again, plenty of interior space even without the vestibules (with two people). The vestibule provided about 30" of space away from the tent body at a max height of 42". Although the interior of the tent is pretty bare-bones without any pockets or other accessories, it has toggle-loops in all the right places for the tent doors (one on each long side) and rainfly doors. In short: assembly was super easy, the tent works freestanding (without stakes), is lightweight, and VERY spacious for 2. I imagine it will work just fine with 3 although be a little tight. I think this tent would have been perfect when I was backpacking with my two kids when they were a bit younger; now that they're pretty much full-size adults, I do not think there'd be enough space for the three of us to be comfortable, plus space for all our gear (e.g., in the vestibules). However, next time I'm going out with three, I wouldn't hesitate to give it a shot (especially if everyone is closer to my height). The only potential issue I noticed was that although the rainfly provides generous vestibules, on the long ends, it does not cover the full tent body. It does leave any mesh exposed, so I suspect that the (non-mesh) tents walls are sufficiently waterproof, but we didn't have any rain, so I don't know.
Age:35–44
Yes , I recommend this product
Min49er
Received free product
Atlanta, GA
Great 3 Person Backpacking Tent!
2 years ago
I couldn't be happier with my decision. This tent is the perfect size for 3 people, it has plenty of space inside for sleeping and storing gear, yet it is still lightweight and easy to pack for backpacking trips. The set up is easy and quick thanks to the color-coded and intuitive pole system. The tent is made with high-quality and durable materials that kept us dry during a sudden rainstorm, and the mesh windows provide great ventilation. The tent also has a large vestibule which is perfect for storing gear and shoes. One of the things I love about this tent is its freestanding design, which makes it easy to set up on rocky or uneven terrain, and it also allows for easy relocation if necessary. Overall, I highly recommend the REI Co-op Flash 3 Tent to anyone looking for a high-quality and reliable tent for their backpacking adventures.
Age:35–44
Yes , I recommend this product
Losmeli
Received free product
Los Angeles, CA
Large Backpacking Tent
2 years ago
This tent is perfect. 3 Adults fit perfectly in this tent. My husband, daughter, dog and I were able to sleep comfortably and still had room for some of our gear. Backpacking tent was really light and compacts small making it easier to pack other goods. Also, love that you can sit up. I have another backpacking tent and I feel like I have to crawl out all the time, this one doesn’t feel like that.
Age:25–34
Yes , I recommend this product
1 - 10 of 12 Reviews