Basecamp tents Backpackable and affordable

I forgot an important criteria

I’m 184 tall so internal height is very important to me, I need at least that 6 foot of headroom somewhere in the tent

We have had a Base Camp 6 for maybe a dozen years. We bought it to car camp in the Rockies in the shoulder seasons when it can be very windy and get occasional sleet or snow. The thing is darn near bomb proof, even after dozens of nights. Can’t speak to new versions but while we travel in the summer with a lighter tent, the Base Camp will continue to be our bad weather car camping tent.

I can second the Basecamp design.  I have the 4 and have used it in the tree line on Rainier with no issues.   It is bombproof.

I don’t have either of these tents, but I do have the REI Hobitat 6, which I think was replaced by the Kingdom.  I believe they replaced the Hobitat because they made many design choices to increase livable space at the expense of weather-ability.  With that said the tent is still pretty bomber-proof when properly staked.  I haven’t had a snow load on it, but it has held up to winds admirably for a 7.5 foot tall tent with near vertical walls.  The poles and fabric are heavy duty.  They do include multiple tie-out points for better staking.  Based on my experience with a less weather resistant REI tent you should do pretty well with the Kingdom.  If you are concerned how the Kingdom will hold up, then go with the Base Camp.  Frankly I don’t think any REI tent would do worse than one of those old massive canvas tent that it sounds like you use currently.

Anybody here ever heard of or any experience with the ShelterBox tents?

I had not heard of them but since posting one has been listed on eBay for $300- pick-up which seems to be a bargain although not even remotely back-packable it could be sled hauled for use a group shelter if we get a group going

Another vote for the REI Basecamp tents.  The four interlocking poles (plus another for the front awning/flap) make for excellent strength and are quite easy to set up, much more so than many multiperson tents on the market.  You can read the specs, but the 6 person model should provide adequate height for you to stand up in.  We own the Basecamp 4.  I jokingly tell my husband that if we ever lose the house, we can live in a Basecamp 6.

The Kingdom series of tents are generally taller and have slightly more livable space inside, BUT they lack the strong pole architecture of the Basecamps.  I suppose they could work as winter tents as long as you have no wind and not much snow, but here in Colorado where winds can routinely blow 20-40 mph, the Kingdoms do not fare as well.  It is also more difficult to tension it to prevent sagging under rain or snow loads.  I suggest you read reviews carefully.

I am leaning towards the Basecamp-6 based on snow loading mainly.

I know I could hack the Kingdom but not economically perhaps and it would need the Garage to work in the wet and our snow is wet.

Final decision may come down to which ones feature in the annual Spring Sale tho

I missed out on the Spring sale but was leaning towards the REI Basecamp6 then this comes up locally and I am very tempted Not a rucksack carry but on a sled no real problem

https://www.tomsoutdoors.com.au/collections/tents/products/helsport-varanger-camp-8-10-person-tent-kit-w-fire

That looks cool. We have a Seek Outside Redcliff & stove and that stove really transformed winter camping for me. Or spoiled me. We used it on the weekends this winter, often as an alternative to staying in a hotel to go skiing in northern NM and southern CO.

Looking at SeekOutside prices and then doing an exchange rate calculation makes me think the Helsport is a real bargain although a good bit heavier per enclosed volume

The price dropped.

While I do like the look of the big REI 6P dome at $1400-AUD the Helsport was too much of a bargain to resist; especially with the stove being included as part of the package. It will be the hub of our big winter gathering, with most people sleeping in their own small tents and using this for getting together to warm our hands and hearts with hot cocoa, spiced rum and noisy Uno or Zilch

Does anyone make a really big pyramid tent?  Or at least a really tall one?  For height, space, cost, weight and wind resistance, it’s hard to beat a ‘mid.  My Black Diamond Mega Light is 2.4 pounds with pole, sleeps 4, and only costs $230.  I don’t require standing height (although I admit it’s VERY nice when pinned down for a few days), so the Mega Light is in the sweet spot for me.

A little googling answered my own question:

https://www.campsaver.com/sierra-designs-mountain-guide-tarp-4-person-4-season.html?_iv_code=Z58-CGS-53454&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI8afUtJ2N2wIVA9VkCh0UswrGEAQYASABEgJK0_D_BwE

It ain’t light, but it ticks the other boxes: height, space, wind resistance, cheap.

5+ pounds, height: 89″ (2.26m) with snow pit, 79″ (2.01m) without snow pit, $255 on sale, 4-season (snow flaps), great wind resistance.
<h1></h1>

No international shipping to Australia tho and while it ticks a lot of those boxes for me also it doesn’t have the height that I want for long term comfort. I was going to get another Chouinard tipi [ Megalite] but I didn’t think they offered real value anymore. Strip the Helsport down to a single skin and leave the stove behind and use it for 8 people and it comes down to just over a kilo per person, not UL but LW enough; but that isn’t why I bought it. My main criteria for comfort in a long term camp is height, in this I can stretch out tall.

Initially I was looking for something else but this double skin tipi with stove came up and I considered it a real bargain for use as a fixed.basecamp anyway

My choice is the two person Tarptent SCARP 2 for a pulk-borne tent. Two doors and vestibules and plenty of room for two or one with lots of gear and one side pulled in for cooking in the lee vestibule when necessary. Crossing poles are needed for heavy snow loads.

See this site’s “Winter Hiking” forum and search for my “Winterizing my Scarp 2” thread for photos.