It’s far and away the most weather-ready option of the bunch, but it uses less mesh than both the Wonderland and Skyward below, which has a notable impact on ventilation. It’s worth noting that the Base Camp recently went up in price by a considerable $80 (from $469 to $549 for the 6P capacity), making it the third-priciest option in REI’s camping tent collection (right behind the Wonderland 6 and Wonderland X tents below). And the rest of the design is equally up to snuff with an excellent mix of quality materials and design features, including two roof vents, functional organization, and even reflective detailing to help you see the tent in the dark. The dome shape and overlapping five-pole system mean the walls aren’t as vertical as the Wawona's above, but it’s still very easy to move around inside, and the reward is far better resistance against strong gusts (it’s rated for 3+ season use, meaning the tent can hold its own). Sitting near the top of REI's camping lineup for 2023 is their Base Camp 6, which takes cues from mountaineering designs for a sizable boost in weather-worthiness. What we don’t: Pretty pricey and not as tall as the Wonderland or Skyward. What we like: Sturdy, weather-worthy structure and ease of use. It’s also now sold in an eight-person version ($699) for bigger families and groups in addition to the smaller four-person capacity ($400).Ī Close Second (With Better Weather Protection) 2. But no tent is perfect, and the Wawona’s mesh-heavy build, expansive interior, and reasonable cost earn it our top billing for 2023.

Final nitpicks include the rainfly, which doesn’t cover the lower portion of the tent, and the all-mesh door can be a source of serious heat loss and drafts in the cold (for a more weather-worthy option, see REI’s Base Camp below). The upside is that the hybrid double-wall build vents considerably better than a single-wall tent like the Big Agnes Dog House (not included here), and it’s also less prone to collecting moisture in humid or rainy weather. The vestibule in particular must be guyed out tightly to stay upright, and the unique pole structure took some time to get taut and secure. That said, despite the updated pole structure, we still found the Wawona to be considerably time-consuming and tedious to set up. Added up, the Wawona is an impressively livable design and an excellent all-around value. ft.) that easily doubles as a seating area-to achieve the same versatility with the Wonderland, you’ll have to purchase the Mud Room add-on ($125) separately. And we love the massive front vestibule (44.7 sq. Offered in four- and six-person capacities, the tunnel-like design is reminiscent of REI’s Wonderland 6 below and provides a generous amount of interior space, including around 3 more square feet of floor area and an additional 2 inches of peak height-all for around $100 less. Updated fairly recently, the biggest shift was to a hybrid double-wall construction (the prior generation used a less breathable single-wall build), and they also retooled the pole structure to make setup easier. The North Face can be hit or miss in the camping market, but they have a winner in their Wawona collection. What we don’t: Time-consuming to set up, partial-coverage rainfly, and mesh door is draft-prone. What we like: Open interior and massive vestibule at a good value. Best Crossover Camping/Backpacking Tent: Marmot Tungsten 4Pīest Overall Camping Tent 1.Best Budget Camping Tent: Coleman Skydome 6P.A Close Second (With Better Weather Protection): REI Co-op Base Camp 6.Best Overall Camping Tent: The North Face Wawona 6.For more background information, see our comparison table and buying advice below the picks. Below we break down the best camping tents of 2023. For tougher weather conditions or more frequent use, it's worth spending up for better materials and interior space.

For car campers who take a couple trips each year during the summer months, even the cheapest tents on this list should perform fine. Many of these behemoths offer enough room to set up cots or even chairs and a table for card games on a rainy day. Spacious, user-friendly, and feature-rich, camping tents are made for a relatively luxurious experience in the outdoors.

Small halo sleep sack