REI Co-op - Base Camp 4

I'm a minimalist, but still own four tents! One is a large tent that I use for car camping (REI Base Camp 4) which I can almost stand up in. Just as you, I'm getting older and wanted to be a little more comfortable when car camping. I use a small cot in this tent and a small chair to sit and read when it's buggy or raining out. The one drawback is wind. If it's very windy, I'll still pitch my backpacking tent (REI Quarter Dome 1.5). I've watched my stakes move horizontally through the dirt when using the larger tent in high wind. I also use an REI Arete ASL for winter camping/backpacking. I still have a cheap tent that I used when I was working wildfire because I didn't want to risk my "good" stuff at work. But lately I'm using the Base Camp for work too because I like that layer of comfort when I'm working/camping for two weeks straight 16 hour days.

Car camping? REI Basecamp 4

Base Camp 4 is a solid choice for CAR camping. But I can’t imagine it for 1-2 people. It weighs ~20lbs and is a huge apartment. It can hold 5 full length mats inside (this is really more of a 5 person tent) plus there is room for a half dozen more people under the vestibules. I’m used to mountaineering tents, and feel kind of embarrassed to use it even with my family if 4 because it seems so big. But compared to some mobile “apartment” tents that are set up these days in campgrounds, I guess it’s relatively small. When I bought mine it was still rated 4 seasons, so it can likely handle wind and snow loads better than some. All the fabrics seem durable and the venting and weather coverage seem good.

Probably? Especially if you’re more experienced at those temps than I am. I’ve only camped those temps once (last spring) because I’m a wimp, but that time I was in my REI basecamp 4 with my kid and was quite warm. The basecamp doesn’t get the same nice airflow that the highrise does, but it’s got a decent amount of mesh so the tents are pretty much in the same category. This morning when it was 60 and breezy it was definitely warmer inside the tent than outside. Looked hard at all the tents people here are recommending and finally went with the highrise because more than anything I wanted something that would make summer camping more bearable and something that I could set up with nothing more than my kid’s help. The huge front door that zips open all the way was great for getting things in and out of the tent. It didn’t rain so I don’t have anything to report about that. You probably can’t go wrong with any of the tents you’re considering.

Car camping? 1000% yes. A Base Camp 4 or similar is a freaking palace for car camping. We have a 6 for a 4-person family, and with just 2 of us in there we take up half the tent and have the other half to chill out. You can stand up to change, you've got plenty of space to hang out if the weather is bad, it fully changes the game.

I swear by the base camp ⛺️

Rei base camp 6. Bombproof design. Keep an eye out for sales and coupons. I have the 4 man and love it

I have the rei base camp four and love how bombproof it is for the price.

Rei base camp 6 or 4 depending on your sizing needs. We just used ours camping this weekend and LOVE it. The large vestibule was really lovely to have to put our bags and extra stuff In without cluttering the main tent. You can’t stand up in it and pockets galore! We were able to fit 2 double sleeping pads and a baby pack and play no problem.

2 people and 2 dogs: would recommend looking at a 6 person tent, especially if standing upright is of any importance. FWIW, we camp with a REI Base Camp 4 ("4 person") and while we have been Very Impressed with its ability to withstand wind & rain, the tent is BARELY large enough for the 2 of us. Sleeping platform is a pair of Big Agnes GooseNest (inflatable) Cots, topped with a Zempire 2-person Monstamat, leaving very little "open" floor space: maybe a foot at one end of the bed, and only a couple of feet at one of the sides. We actually gave thought to moving up to a 6 person tent, but decided to go with a completely separate "screen tent" instead (Eureka Northern Breeze) and have enjoyed having the Luxury of that space when facing periods (or days...) of rain and/or colder weather (we prefer camping in spring or fall - avoiding heat & Most people - and all 4 sides of the NB can be independently opened up for air or closed for wind / rain protection...). Good luck with whatever choice you make!

FWIW: Our REI Base Camp 4 (the smaller version) has held up very well through several trips with high winds / thunderstorms / all-night-&-half-the-following-day rains. The vestibules at either end make ingress / egress easier in weather, although only the main one is large enough to place a chair inside. (Possible that both are larger on the 6p version - ?) The 4p unit we have is large enough for the TWO of us, but if we had a "do-over" we probably would take a Base Camp 6 for the extra height. Also: we prefer camping in spring / fall, and tend to run into cooler temperatures (nights in upper 30s on 3 of last 4 trips) & more rain, so weather protection carried more weight than ultimate air flow. (We were fine in late June in mid-Michigan, with day temps into low 80s and nights upper 60's - but we also used a tarp as a "sun-shade" for the tent to try to keep heat build-up down: seemed to work...)

Have been very happy with the wind & rain resistance of our REI BaseCamp 4 - it has stood up well to some serious weather. Main regret as that we did not go with a BaseCamp 6 due to the greater floor area and (especially) interior height of the larger version. We ended up adding an Eureka NorthernBreeze "dining" shelter to the kit this year - got tired of cooking & trying to eat beneath a tarp with morning temps in low-40s or even upper-30s - particularly if raining or windy. It is POSSIBLE that the BaseCamp 6 would have sufficient vestibule space to have fulfilled our food prep needs, but obviously that is just conjecture and we may have still ended up with the NB. FWIW: We had to do some seam seal work on the NB, as it dripped water in a few places (to be fair: during an all-night rain with thunderstorms, and only in spots where interior loops were sewn on), so Yes, Seam Sealing can certainly be called for, even on new gear.

There's really only one 4 season tent in the $250 range -- Alps Mountaineering Tasmanian. Quality ofc isn't the same as other $800 4 season tents out there but for more casual stuff it'll do fine. The Cabela's Alaskan Guide 4 is currently at $300 and it's got pretty good reviews as a 4ish season offering but fiberglass poles are kinda sketchy for 4 season camping. I am a big fan of the REI Base Camp series as a 3+ season, though, if you're talking inches of snow instead of feet and especially if you can get some tree cover. Exceptional sturdiness and fly design that can handle tougher conditions. They don't retail even close to $250 but REI runs sales that should bring the 4 person closer to $350-300ish if you can wait.

REI “Basecamp” model. Available in 4 or 6 person, with a full fly and a full vestibule on both doors (one of which is pole supported like a front porch).

As an owner of a Nemo wagontop, REI basecamp and Kodiak canvas.. I approve this message 😂 I’ve owned a lot of tents and Kodiak canvas feels like the one for me, other than being heavy it’s a perfect tent

If you want a bargain the Eureka Spacecamp 6p is a great buy at $259. Very storm worthy and has a full coverage fly unlike the Wawona. The Wawona is a good tent if you want the porch vestibule area. The Limestone Ilis Marmot's classic done tent. I used to own this and iw rock the Halo 6p. REI Basecamp is a great tent with a terrible 1 year warranty and no after sales support from REI. Aurora Highrise doesn't have a full coverage rainfly; I would skip this one. Between the MSR tents the Habiscape is newer and a better design with larger vestibules. The Big Agnes Bunk House 6p is fantastic with it's awesome stuff sack, nice vestibules and tall peak height. The Marmot Halo 6p is a killer storm worthy tent and the one I went with.

Same. Upgraded to the Base Camp from my Half Dome once I became a family man. Kids got bigger now we have a roomy REI Wonderland. Up to 4 tents now (and a solo lightweight bivvy).

The Base Camp has 4 poles that actually touch the ground and criss cross, and doesn't rely on plastic hubs. It most closely resembles an actual 4 season mountaineering tent, at least conceptually. You lose some livability because the walls can't be made as upright, but properly staked out, I feel like the design would hold up best in inclement weather.

For car camping, we went from a nice 4 person REI tent, to a cheap 8 person walmart tent. Couldn't be happier with all of the extra space we have.

Have a cabelas 6 man and an REI 4 man. The REI is the best, but I needed more room on a budget and got the Canaria’s on sale for $130 8 years ago. Still running strong.

Eureka 2 man, REI 4 man and Bushnell 2 room. All for different purposes.