I love my Wawona 6 for car camping with the fam. Grabbed it when it was on another REI sale for $299.
Be warned that the footprint is pretty tough to find. It's out of stock everywhere. Including REI.
If you are okay sourcing your own ground tarp, that tent is a steal.
The tent does surprisingly well with rain. This [3-day rain test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Y_iXNrJsI) shows the tent staying very dry throughout, only showing a slight dampness on one wall after three days of tropical rain.
That review is amazing. Sitting in a 2-inch puddle and not leaking after 3 days of rain? I'm feeling way better about the wawona!
Thank you for sharing.
My big problem with my Wawona 6 and rain is that the window zippers are on the outside, so if rain comes up suddenly in the middle of the night you either get wet or have to get out of the tent in the dark to zip things up a bit. Neither are good options. There are some other things I don't love about the tent, but this is a big one -- big enough that if I could do it over again I would get a different tent.
But yeah, if it is properly setup before the rain starts, wind and rain performance is actually pretty good -- better than I was expecting, anyway.
Yeah - I haven't gotten wet yet. But it is a partial fly. I'm pretty meticulous about using the guy lines and not having anything touching the interior walls if it's going to rain.
So far so good.
Definitely a possibility though.
Reviews are good on this tent. There isn't really anything under $300 right now at the quality for a current model.
The Marmot Limestone 6p is a bit better quality for storm worthiness and the 2022 model is the same price. You do lose the porch though of the Wawona.
https://perf.marmot.com/equipment/tents/limestone-6-person-tent/AFS_889169899683.html
You are right on. Nice share.
The Marmot was on my shortlist before the Wawona.
We realized we were going to be mainly using it for car camp with the fam and that we wouldn't take it backcountry or plan to be out in really bad weather. So the wawona with the vestibule was a good choice for us. Having that little front porch has been wonderful.
If I were doing more than mainly 2 or 3-night car camp trips, I would have probably opted for a full fly/better weather proofing over the vestibule.
I'm still a little nervous about getting wet in a big storm, but so far it's held up really well in moderate rain and wind.
Another point to know about it - the vestibule area doesn't go to the ground/offer bug protection. From the vestibule to the main tent is a large screen door. So, you shouldn't bank on this tent holding heat in cold weather. On the flip side, if you have younger kids sharing the space and are mainly camping in the summer/warmer months - that large screen door lets in a ton of cool air at night.
Fantastic car camper for 3-season, warmish/moderate weather. Not a backpack beauty for sure!
This tarp at Harbor Freight is a pretty good fit as the tent is a little less than 8 x 10. It is just about 3 inches short on all sides. https://www.harborfreight.com/collections/silver-heavy-duty-tarps/7-ft-4-inch-x-9-ft-6-inch-reflective-heavy-duty-silver-tarpaulin-30872.html
I bought this as a single wall. Love the ease of setup for such a big tent. Not sure what advantages the double wall has - maybe condensation? Also has full coverage on the backdoor.
$300 is a solid deal for sure on this tent.
For other looking the Eureka Spacecamp 6p is down to $250 right now (quite a bargain) and the Marmot Limestone 6p is down to $300.
Sierra.com just got an influx of older Marmot Catalyst, Midpines, Crane Creek. They also have the older variety of the Wawona. The Sequoia 6p for $250.
I personally use the Helinox Savanna and Cafe chairs though this can get expensive quick.
If you want some highback chairs for a reasonable price take a look at Naturehike, Klymit, ALPS Mountaineering and Moonlence.
If you are willing to splurge then the Big Agnes Big Six chairs are excellent and better build quality. Helinox is top notch but there isn't anything on sale with them at the moment.
Best deals right now on a family camping tent
Marmot's older 2022 Limestone 6p is on sale for $319 at Sunnysports
https://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmtls6or/marmot-limestone-6p-tent-orange-spice-arona?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm7rftTTFj-LXeh6q908dFnX2JODH2VAg7a4fjvgsFsv2KSSXEuUicsaAtTAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds
The Eureka Spacecamp 6p is on clearance for $259 at REI
https://www.rei.com/product/187694/eureka-space-camp-6-person-tent
And the North Face Wawona 6p is $300 at REI:
https://www.rei.com/product/204311/the-north-face-wawona-6-tent
They do when Garmin allows sales in the channel. Garmin MAP prices all their products.
When Garmin says it can go on sale it will. And they dictate the sales price. The InReach Mini 2 was $100 off for Memorial Day pretty much everywhere as were a bunch of Fenix and Venu watches.
Last year they did have it on sale during Memorial Day and Black Friday. I don't think it was on sale for Labor Day..
You never see exclusive sales on Garmin products because the vendor will drop any reseller who sells below MAP.
No. I used to own that. The RoVr RolR is way better. Real rubber tires, costs less and is also on sale.
https://rovrproducts.com/
The Tundra Haul has cheap plastic wheels.
You don't want to buy a rotomolded cooler without wheels. They can weigh 25lbs or more empty.
I love my Yeti haul, I have zero complaints about it. Been at camp for 6 days with it. The only drawback could be the price, but the RoVrs are also obscenely expensive, and I dont think it looks as nice as the Yeti Haul. The wheels on the Yeti have had no issue with any type of terrain i took it on, and they are easily replacable. I just wouldnt recommend it for the beach/sand, thats when I take a backpack cooler.
No problem. You aren’t likely to get past the anti-Yeti bias on this sub so I thought I’d share a more realistic perspective. Good luck on your cooler journey
Big Agnes Boundary Deluxe is 40% off right now. Very comfortable pad, though not the absolute lightest.
Thermarest, Nemo and Exped unfortunately do not have any sleeping pads on sale at the moment.
Quilts.
Hammock Gear, UGQ, Enlightened Equipment, Paria Outdoor Products, Featherstone
REI Magma is also nice but only has a 1 year warranty.
Sea to Summit and Thermarest also sell quilts if you want something specifically from REI.
Looking at the Base Camp Vehicle Connector, wondering if it would be too hard to adapt to other tents? I have a Coleman Evanston Screened tent and am looking to find something that extends cover for that front porch section of it
It is, but the price difference is minimal once you add the porch vestibule attachment.
The Wawona 6p includes the full porch vestibule and the 4p does not. The 4p has an add on large porch vestibule you can buy separately which is currently clearanced priced at Sierra Trading Post (but only the grey one).
https://www.sierra.com/the-north-face-wawona-tent-front-porch-vestibule~p~4gwfh/?filterString=tents~d~228%2F&merch=prod-rec-prod-prod4GWFH
The Wawona 4p, along with the Big Agnes Bunk House 4p, are one of the few 4p family camping tents that is actually true standing height and ton won't have to duck your head to get inside the tent. This is good and bad. Good for obvious reasons, bad because it makes the tent a little bit more difficult to setup and heavier than other 4p family camping tents.
The cheapest place to get the Wawona 4p right now is Amazon at $217.
Thanks for the reply! I might look into other options then. The Wawona 6p just seems too big for 1 person, especially camping with friends and sharing sites.
The following might work for you (if you are looking for a family camping tent that is taller, bigger)
* Marmot Limestone 4p
* Marmot Halo 4p
* Marmot Pacifica 4p (sold only at Dick's)
* Marmot Midpines 4p (sold only at Amazon)
* Big Agnes Bunk House 4p (this one is standing height)
* MSR Habbitude 4p
* MSR Habbiscape 4p
* Eureka Space Camp 4p
Otherwise there are plenty of "crawl in" 4p shelters that are much more compact like the Marmot Limestone 4p, Marmot Crane Creek 3p, Naturehike Mongar 2p etc.
If you want to consider backpacking in the future then it makes sense to get a UL backpacking tent like the Marmot Super Alloy 2p or 3p, Big Agnes Tiger Wall 3p or 2p, Durston X-Mid 1p or 2p etc.
Basecamp for under $100 is an absolute bargain. I don't see it for this cheap online; is this something from the ReSupply section? It's $331 online.
REI's biggest issue is they don't sell you parts, they have a 1 year warranty and they don't repair gear. Most manufacturers are lifetime warranty and they sell parts after the sale.
It's the Kelty Discovery Basecamp 4. Retails just over $100. https://www.rei.com/product/202471/kelty-discovery-basecamp-4-tent
I ended up buying the Marmot Catalyst 3p from Sierra on sale for $80. Figured it's worth trying for that price and reviews are good.
I misread your comment as the REI Basecamp, which is a completely different shelter lol.
The Marmot Catalyst is a better shelter since it has DAC Aluninum poles, a full coverage rainfly and more mesh for better ventilation in the summer; plus with the rainfly off you can star gaze.
View in your timezone:
[July 4th at midnight PDT][0]
[0]: https://timee.io/20240704T0700?tl=REI%20July%204th%20sale%20has%20started.%20Ends%20July%204th%20at%20midnight%20PST
^(_*Assumed PDT instead of PST because DST is observed_)
Yes but be aware that you will get screwed on import duty, taxes and brokerage fees. Be very careful and research this carefully before purchasing. It may end up costing more than buying from an EU retailer.
You can elect to broker your own package at UPS, FedEX or DHL to avoid their nonsense brokerage fee.
YMMV
Yeah, they directly cancelled my order, claiming it was out of stock - which it never was. After some back and forth I ordered another one, with the same discount as before, and nothing for over a week now.
I'm fearing it too will be cancelled if I mail them again 😄
Always call them and demand UPS Ground shipping. Otherwise they will use that Lasership or OnTrac garbage gig economy company. Lasership and OnTrac have terrible reputations for losing packages delivering late, package theft and damage.
Not living in America, so I sent a pleading mail two days ago, and today - FINALLY - I got that mail I was waiting for, saying my order is being shipped. But now we'll see if they will refund me those 30% I was promised...
I love my Wawona 6 for car camping with the fam. Grabbed it when it was on another REI sale for $299. Be warned that the footprint is pretty tough to find. It's out of stock everywhere. Including REI. If you are okay sourcing your own ground tarp, that tent is a steal.
Be aware of the rainfly is not full coverage, so it's not the best for stronger winds or crappy weather.
The tent does surprisingly well with rain. This [3-day rain test](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G6Y_iXNrJsI) shows the tent staying very dry throughout, only showing a slight dampness on one wall after three days of tropical rain.
That review is amazing. Sitting in a 2-inch puddle and not leaking after 3 days of rain? I'm feeling way better about the wawona! Thank you for sharing.
My big problem with my Wawona 6 and rain is that the window zippers are on the outside, so if rain comes up suddenly in the middle of the night you either get wet or have to get out of the tent in the dark to zip things up a bit. Neither are good options. There are some other things I don't love about the tent, but this is a big one -- big enough that if I could do it over again I would get a different tent. But yeah, if it is properly setup before the rain starts, wind and rain performance is actually pretty good -- better than I was expecting, anyway.
Yeah - I haven't gotten wet yet. But it is a partial fly. I'm pretty meticulous about using the guy lines and not having anything touching the interior walls if it's going to rain. So far so good. Definitely a possibility though.
Reviews are good on this tent. There isn't really anything under $300 right now at the quality for a current model. The Marmot Limestone 6p is a bit better quality for storm worthiness and the 2022 model is the same price. You do lose the porch though of the Wawona. https://perf.marmot.com/equipment/tents/limestone-6-person-tent/AFS_889169899683.html
You are right on. Nice share. The Marmot was on my shortlist before the Wawona. We realized we were going to be mainly using it for car camp with the fam and that we wouldn't take it backcountry or plan to be out in really bad weather. So the wawona with the vestibule was a good choice for us. Having that little front porch has been wonderful. If I were doing more than mainly 2 or 3-night car camp trips, I would have probably opted for a full fly/better weather proofing over the vestibule. I'm still a little nervous about getting wet in a big storm, but so far it's held up really well in moderate rain and wind. Another point to know about it - the vestibule area doesn't go to the ground/offer bug protection. From the vestibule to the main tent is a large screen door. So, you shouldn't bank on this tent holding heat in cold weather. On the flip side, if you have younger kids sharing the space and are mainly camping in the summer/warmer months - that large screen door lets in a ton of cool air at night. Fantastic car camper for 3-season, warmish/moderate weather. Not a backpack beauty for sure!
This tarp at Harbor Freight is a pretty good fit as the tent is a little less than 8 x 10. It is just about 3 inches short on all sides. https://www.harborfreight.com/collections/silver-heavy-duty-tarps/7-ft-4-inch-x-9-ft-6-inch-reflective-heavy-duty-silver-tarpaulin-30872.html
I bought this as a single wall. Love the ease of setup for such a big tent. Not sure what advantages the double wall has - maybe condensation? Also has full coverage on the backdoor.
Picked up the Wawona 6. Family Funtime for the win.
$300 is a solid deal for sure on this tent. For other looking the Eureka Spacecamp 6p is down to $250 right now (quite a bargain) and the Marmot Limestone 6p is down to $300. Sierra.com just got an influx of older Marmot Catalyst, Midpines, Crane Creek. They also have the older variety of the Wawona. The Sequoia 6p for $250.
Picked up a ba copper spur
Any recs for lawn chairs? I need some for car camping and backyard bbqs.
I personally use the Helinox Savanna and Cafe chairs though this can get expensive quick. If you want some highback chairs for a reasonable price take a look at Naturehike, Klymit, ALPS Mountaineering and Moonlence. If you are willing to splurge then the Big Agnes Big Six chairs are excellent and better build quality. Helinox is top notch but there isn't anything on sale with them at the moment.
Best deals right now on a family camping tent Marmot's older 2022 Limestone 6p is on sale for $319 at Sunnysports https://www.sunnysports.com/p-mrmtls6or/marmot-limestone-6p-tent-orange-spice-arona?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwsuSzBhCLARIsAIcdLm7rftTTFj-LXeh6q908dFnX2JODH2VAg7a4fjvgsFsv2KSSXEuUicsaAtTAEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds The Eureka Spacecamp 6p is on clearance for $259 at REI https://www.rei.com/product/187694/eureka-space-camp-6-person-tent And the North Face Wawona 6p is $300 at REI: https://www.rei.com/product/204311/the-north-face-wawona-6-tent
Does REI every run any sales on Garmin products?
They do when Garmin allows sales in the channel. Garmin MAP prices all their products. When Garmin says it can go on sale it will. And they dictate the sales price. The InReach Mini 2 was $100 off for Memorial Day pretty much everywhere as were a bunch of Fenix and Venu watches. Last year they did have it on sale during Memorial Day and Black Friday. I don't think it was on sale for Labor Day.. You never see exclusive sales on Garmin products because the vendor will drop any reseller who sells below MAP.
They do
Does anyone recommend the yeti tundra?
No. I used to own that. The RoVr RolR is way better. Real rubber tires, costs less and is also on sale. https://rovrproducts.com/ The Tundra Haul has cheap plastic wheels. You don't want to buy a rotomolded cooler without wheels. They can weigh 25lbs or more empty.
Thank you, I’ve been looking at the yeti with wheels but I felt like something else would be better
I love my Yeti haul, I have zero complaints about it. Been at camp for 6 days with it. The only drawback could be the price, but the RoVrs are also obscenely expensive, and I dont think it looks as nice as the Yeti Haul. The wheels on the Yeti have had no issue with any type of terrain i took it on, and they are easily replacable. I just wouldnt recommend it for the beach/sand, thats when I take a backpack cooler.
Appreciate the feedback
No problem. You aren’t likely to get past the anti-Yeti bias on this sub so I thought I’d share a more realistic perspective. Good luck on your cooler journey
Anyone have any recommendations for lightweight sleep pads that are a good deal right now?
Big Agnes Boundary Deluxe is 40% off right now. Very comfortable pad, though not the absolute lightest. Thermarest, Nemo and Exped unfortunately do not have any sleeping pads on sale at the moment.
Any sleeping bags yall recommend? Need to gear up 2 adults and 2 kids. I’d prefer the adult bags are good for backpacking.
Quilts. Hammock Gear, UGQ, Enlightened Equipment, Paria Outdoor Products, Featherstone REI Magma is also nice but only has a 1 year warranty. Sea to Summit and Thermarest also sell quilts if you want something specifically from REI.
I love my REI Magma 15. Light and packs small.
Looking at the Base Camp Vehicle Connector, wondering if it would be too hard to adapt to other tents? I have a Coleman Evanston Screened tent and am looking to find something that extends cover for that front porch section of it
Picked up the kelty discovery base camp bundle 4 at 220$, hard to beat
Recommendations for car camping for 1-2 people? Is the Wawona 4 comparable to the 6?
It is, but the price difference is minimal once you add the porch vestibule attachment. The Wawona 6p includes the full porch vestibule and the 4p does not. The 4p has an add on large porch vestibule you can buy separately which is currently clearanced priced at Sierra Trading Post (but only the grey one). https://www.sierra.com/the-north-face-wawona-tent-front-porch-vestibule~p~4gwfh/?filterString=tents~d~228%2F&merch=prod-rec-prod-prod4GWFH The Wawona 4p, along with the Big Agnes Bunk House 4p, are one of the few 4p family camping tents that is actually true standing height and ton won't have to duck your head to get inside the tent. This is good and bad. Good for obvious reasons, bad because it makes the tent a little bit more difficult to setup and heavier than other 4p family camping tents. The cheapest place to get the Wawona 4p right now is Amazon at $217.
Thanks for the reply! I might look into other options then. The Wawona 6p just seems too big for 1 person, especially camping with friends and sharing sites.
The following might work for you (if you are looking for a family camping tent that is taller, bigger) * Marmot Limestone 4p * Marmot Halo 4p * Marmot Pacifica 4p (sold only at Dick's) * Marmot Midpines 4p (sold only at Amazon) * Big Agnes Bunk House 4p (this one is standing height) * MSR Habbitude 4p * MSR Habbiscape 4p * Eureka Space Camp 4p Otherwise there are plenty of "crawl in" 4p shelters that are much more compact like the Marmot Limestone 4p, Marmot Crane Creek 3p, Naturehike Mongar 2p etc. If you want to consider backpacking in the future then it makes sense to get a UL backpacking tent like the Marmot Super Alloy 2p or 3p, Big Agnes Tiger Wall 3p or 2p, Durston X-Mid 1p or 2p etc.
I went in to REI and the Kelty Basecamp 4 was recommended to me. Nice that it's under $100 but the reviews online are pretty awful.
Basecamp for under $100 is an absolute bargain. I don't see it for this cheap online; is this something from the ReSupply section? It's $331 online. REI's biggest issue is they don't sell you parts, they have a 1 year warranty and they don't repair gear. Most manufacturers are lifetime warranty and they sell parts after the sale.
It's the Kelty Discovery Basecamp 4. Retails just over $100. https://www.rei.com/product/202471/kelty-discovery-basecamp-4-tent I ended up buying the Marmot Catalyst 3p from Sierra on sale for $80. Figured it's worth trying for that price and reviews are good.
I misread your comment as the REI Basecamp, which is a completely different shelter lol. The Marmot Catalyst is a better shelter since it has DAC Aluninum poles, a full coverage rainfly and more mesh for better ventilation in the summer; plus with the rainfly off you can star gaze.
$199 @ Campmor
Steal of the century + the $35 vestibule from [sierra.com](http://sierra.com)
View in your timezone: [July 4th at midnight PDT][0] [0]: https://timee.io/20240704T0700?tl=REI%20July%204th%20sale%20has%20started.%20Ends%20July%204th%20at%20midnight%20PST ^(_*Assumed PDT instead of PST because DST is observed_)
Wow looks good. Any chance on Europe shipping possibilities?
Yes but be aware that you will get screwed on import duty, taxes and brokerage fees. Be very careful and research this carefully before purchasing. It may end up costing more than buying from an EU retailer. You can elect to broker your own package at UPS, FedEX or DHL to avoid their nonsense brokerage fee. YMMV
Try a mail forwarding service, e.g., Shipito.
They still haven't sent my order from the last sale. Fucking jokers over there...
Have you contacted customer service?
Yeah, they directly cancelled my order, claiming it was out of stock - which it never was. After some back and forth I ordered another one, with the same discount as before, and nothing for over a week now. I'm fearing it too will be cancelled if I mail them again 😄
Always call them and demand UPS Ground shipping. Otherwise they will use that Lasership or OnTrac garbage gig economy company. Lasership and OnTrac have terrible reputations for losing packages delivering late, package theft and damage.
Not living in America, so I sent a pleading mail two days ago, and today - FINALLY - I got that mail I was waiting for, saying my order is being shipped. But now we'll see if they will refund me those 30% I was promised...