How to Choose Tents for Camping

Introduce your family to a lifetime of camping adventures with the REI Co-op Campwell 6 tent. Cabin-style walls and an elevated peak height offer plenty of room for everyone to spread out.
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Imported.
View the REI Co-op Campwell Product LineView all REI Co-op Camping TentsBest Use | Camping |
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Seasons | 3-season |
Sleeping Capacity | 6-person |
Minimum Trail Weight | 17 lbs. 13 oz. |
Packaged Weight | 19 lbs. 12.6 oz. |
Packed Size | 9.5 x 26 inches |
Floor Dimensions | 120 x 100 inches |
Floor Area | 83 square feet |
Vestibule Area | Not applicable |
Peak Height | 64 inches |
Number of Doors | 1 door |
Number of Poles | 2 |
Pole Material | Fiberglass |
Pole Diameter | 12.7 millimeters |
Canopy Fabric | 75-denier polyester taffeta with a 1,500 mm polyurethane (PU) coating; no-see-um mesh: 40-denier solution-dyed nylon |
Floor Fabric | 150-denier polyester |
Rainfly Fabric | 75-denier polyester taffeta with a 1,500 mm PU coating |
Footprint Included | No |
Design Type | Freestanding |
Sustainability | From a Climate Label Certified brand |
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.
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Overall, this tent is spacious and comfortable. As a 6’3” guy, I was able to mostly stand up inside, which was a pleasant surprise. The large rear window provided great ventilation, though I wish the door had a mesh panel to improve airflow. Plenty of storage pockets helped keep things organized. Setup was a bit tricky solo—it’s doable, but definitely easier with two people. Once up, the tent felt sturdy and well-designed. I most recently used it at Pocomoke State Park in Maryland from March 7-9, and it held up well to the conditions. A solid option for group camping, just be prepared to team up for setup!
Great family tent. The tent was easy to set up, and everyone had plenty of room to spread out and stand up in. We have two family members over 6 feet tall. There was ample ventilation, and the tent was easy to get into and out of. This is a family tent for car camping, and I would not recommend it for a backpacking trip. We have been lucky to have good weather while using it, but the poles and the structure seem secure and should stand up to a storm. I received these products for free from the REI Trailblazers sampling program in exchange for my honest review.
This tent is big enough for car camping and would offer a pretty roomy camping experience for 2-4 people, but lacks a few features that could have make it great. The poles are pretty beefy and sturdy, and the tent is not too difficult to put together. It took me around 10-15 minutes by myself to put it up, so with two people it could probably be done in 5 minutes. The packed weight does feel a bit heavy, but a lot of that is due to the thick poles that come with the tent. I wish the interior was slightly taller (peak height is 64 inches, while I'm 72 inches tall) so that I didn't have to bend down much when moving around inside. Also, the exterior walls don't have anchor points in the center, so the walls tended to cave in whenever the wind blew against a wall. The front zipper door has no mesh layer, which would be nice to still see outside through a mesh while keeping the door closed. There are four storage pockets, one on each corner of the interior, and two small ceiling pockets. This allows for pretty good storage, although I would prefer the ceiling pockets to be slightly larger and easier to open as they are quite tight. It would also be nice to have a darker/blackout version, as the light-colored walls let in a bunch of light which may not be great in the early mornings depending on the type of sleeper you are... Overall, the tent is a pretty good size with nice basic features, but lacks a few features that I'd expect for a more expensive tent.
If you are looking for big space on a small budget, the REI C0-op Campwell 6 Tent is the one you want. First time set up on my own took about 15 minutes, and takedown about 5. Loved how I could easily get the tent back into its carry bag! The no-fuss rain fly was the easiest set up on any tent I've owned. There are no setup instructions included with the carry bag, however you can go to the REI website page for the Campwell to view a short instructional video that shows you how to get it done. Easy peasy. While the tent has a generous footprint, the height of the tent is a bit shorter than I prefer. I'm 5'5" and while inside could stand upright only in the center. Speaking of footprints, you'll want to pick up one for about $40 at REI that is custom to this tent as I wouldn't trust the polyester floor material to hold up on its own. The description indicates that this is a 3 season tent but that feels a bit generous, especially if you are camping in cooler climates like we see in Colorado. Think of it as a 2.5 season tent. I say this in part because the cover to the large window doesn't do a great job sealing out the breezes when closed. Nevertheless, on warm nights with the rain fly off your guaranteed a great view of the sky through the full mesh ceiling. Oh, I should mention there are stuff pockets and hang loops galore, so you can keep the internal space clutter free. All in all, the REI Co-op Campwell 6 Tent will get the job done on a budget.
So far I’m very pleased with this product. It took me less than 7 minutes to set up by myself. It was very sturdy and fairly roomy inside. My only negative is the height. It is not short by any means but my personal preference with larger tents is to be able to stand up in them. The other bonus for me was that it easily fit back in the bag when putting it away.
I received the REI Co-op Campwell 6 tent for free from the REI Trailblazers program in exchange for an honest review. Initially upon receiving the tent I noted that it packs down nicely for such a large tent and has a nice carry case with handles. It's not terribly light but a tent of this size is not meant for backpacking trips. I didn't note any instructions (maybe I missed it) but it's pretty intuitive if you've ever erected a tent. At first I tried by myself. This was tough to do in my basement which is a little small for this tent and it may be easier for one person to do it if you have the help of a tree trunk to rest the first tent pole against. I then enlisted my husband and it was much easier with two people. Start to finish set up with two people did not take long, 5-10 minutes max. And it is huge! I'm 5'5" and was able to fully stand up inside. I liked that it had pockets for storage inside. Will be great to keep little things easily accessible, especially since we will be camping with our small kids. It will definitely fit a cozy 6, and very spacious for a family of 4. It comes with a rain fly but the footprint is sold separately. Take down was also pretty easy and quick with two people. Overall, the REI Campwell 6 is an excellent choice for groups or families looking for a spacious tent to use on the next car camping trip. Just be sure to bring another adult to help with set up! I would highly recommend this product.
I spent hours trying to find a tent with positive reviews and this was the closest I came. I was nervous as it wasn't "perfect" but went with it. While I ordinarily do not leave my tent out when not in use, I left this up for a week to dry, only to have it pummeled by winds from a tornado. It was blown away and landed in woods nearby, entirely intact. Highly recommend!
We bought this tent on sale for 4th of July and we’re excited to take it out. We planned a two week camping trip, and on the third time we set up the tent, the string inside the pole snapped. The carrying case is also not very sturdy as it already has holes in it.