REI Westward 6 Assessment | CleverHiker

Backside Line

The REI Westward 6 is a roomy household tenting tent with strong supplies, a tall inside, and one of the vital helpful vestibules we’ve examined. At 77 inches at its peak, it has sufficient headroom for many adults to face up comfortably. This makes a giant distinction whenever you’re altering garments, wrangling children, or simply attempting to exist inside with out feeling cramped The 35.1-square-foot vestibule is the opposite massive draw. It’s massive sufficient for a pair camp chairs, muddy footwear, bins, or the standard pile of child gear that someway multiplies by bedtime.

There are some considerate particulars right here, too. The forehead pole opens up the principle door properly, each doorways have zippered home windows for further airflow, and the colour coding makes setup significantly easier than it seems at first look.

The largest factor to notice is the partial fly. In heat, dry climate, it really works very well and provides this tent glorious airflow. However that very same design is much less preferrred in prolonged rain or colder temps, the place the extra open construct can really feel drafty and rather less protected. We additionally want the guylines had been pre-attached and got here with stakes, particularly on a tent this tall.

Nonetheless, for households tenting largely in gentle to average three-season circumstances, the Westward 6 is a snug, well-made tent with spectacular livability. For extra choices, take a look at our full information to the perfect tenting tents.

How We Examined

We examined the REI Westward 6 over a number of nights in a reasonably big selection of Colorado circumstances. These included windy camps at Nice Sand Dunes Nationwide Park, early-spring climate within the foothills, and heat summer season nights at a campground. We pitched and packed it up time and again, used it with and with out the rainfly in direct solar and cooler night temps, and arrange the total vestibule at a number of camps. We additionally made some extent to pitch it each solo and with a associate.

Consolation

Tall campers are going to understand the Westward 6 instantly. With a 77-inch peak peak, it lets you get up, change garments, and transfer round with out continually hunching over. At 6 toes 2 inches, even our taller analyst nonetheless had loads of headroom within the heart.

The forehead pole helps loads. As an alternative of the ceiling dropping off sharply close to the door prefer it does on plenty of dome-style tents, it retains that entrance part feeling taller and extra open. For a household of 4 to 6, there may be loads of room to unfold out. For 2 folks, it feels downright luxurious.

Air flow is likely one of the higher components of this design. The partial fly and mesh-heavy cover let plenty of air transfer by, which we observed instantly on hotter days. Even in direct Colorado sunshine, if there was a breeze, the tent stayed decently snug. The trade-off is that it doesn’t maintain heat particularly effectively as soon as temperatures drop, so this isn’t the coziest setup for colder, shoulder-season nights.

Sturdiness

The REI Westward 6 feels effectively in-built a approach that’s fairly apparent as quickly as you begin dealing with it. The materials have a sturdier, extra confidence-inspiring really feel than plenty of the household tenting tents we’ve examined. The {hardware}, webbing, and pole construction really feel like they had been made with common use in thoughts, not simply occasional weekend journeys. This isn’t a tent that feels flimsy or overpriced for its high quality. .

The poles are aluminum, which we recognize on a tent this measurement, they usually really feel strong as soon as every part is tensioned. Regardless of its taller profile, the construction felt steady so long as we took the time to pitch it effectively. At Nice Sand Dunes Nationwide Park, the place wind isn’t delicate, we had been reminded rapidly {that a} tent this tall must be guyed out correctly. As soon as we did that, it felt rather more safe, however it was irritating that the guylines weren’t pre-attached and didn’t include their very own stakes. 

The partial fly might be the largest long-term sturdiness query mark. This isn’t as a result of it feels poorly made, however as a result of it leaves extra of the tent physique uncovered than a full-coverage fly would. In good climate, the design works nice. In rougher circumstances over time, it could imply somewhat extra put on and publicity than another tents within the class.

That mentioned, general construct high quality right here is powerful. The supplies, pole set, and stitching all impressed extra confidence than plenty of equally sized household tents. The Westward 6 appears like a shelter constructed for households who camp repeatedly, not simply a couple of times a yr.

Climate Resistance

This tent handles gentle to average climate effectively, however it’s vital to grasp its intentions earlier than you head into rougher circumstances. In early-spring rain within the foothills, the tent stored us dry, and its general construct high quality gave us fairly good confidence. The supplies felt strong, the bathtub flooring did its job, and nothing concerning the tent felt flimsy when the climate turned.

The place issues get somewhat extra nuanced is the fly design. The partial fly is a giant motive the Westward vents so effectively, however it additionally means you’re giving up some safety in comparison with a full-coverage design. In mild rain and variable climate, that trade-off feels completely affordable. In longer storms, colder temps, or particularly uncovered camps, it turns into extra noticeable. This isn’t the tent we’d select for journeys the place tough climate is probably going.

Wind is one other consideration. The Westward 6 is tall, and tall tents at all times give wind extra to push in opposition to. We felt that on early-spring tenting journeys, when sturdy gusts rapidly reminded us this tent must be totally guyed out to carry out its finest. As soon as correctly tensioned, it was rather more steady.

Total, climate resistance is sweet sufficient for the sort of tenting this tent is constructed for: gentle to average three-season use. It retains climate out effectively sufficient, however the partial fly and tall profile make it much less confidence-inspiring in windy, uncovered campsites and through extended storms.

Ease of Setup

The Westward 6 just isn’t the quickest tent to arrange, however it’s extra manageable than it seems at first. There are an excellent variety of poles concerned, particularly in the event you’re establishing the fly/vestibule, however REI did a pleasant job with the colour coding. The poles, sleeves, and webbing are all clearly matched, which cuts down on guesswork and makes the entire course of really feel much less chaotic than it may.

The tent physique is fairly simple when you’ve performed it as soon as. The pole construction is acquainted, and the clips and sleeves all make sense. That mentioned, that is nonetheless a giant tent, and large tents simply take extra time and extra strolling round. Solo pitching is doable, however it isn’t significantly enjoyable, particularly if there’s any wind concerned. With two folks, it feels extra affordable and goes up with out a lot drama.

The vestibule is the place setup will get extra concerned. It provides a ton of usable house, however it does require a pair extra poles and some further steps. The excellent news is that REI made that course of fairly intuitive. Regardless that it seems like loads unfold out on the bottom, it comes collectively higher than anticipated.

Packing it again up is usually painless. The carry bag opens large, which at all times makes life simpler whenever you’re breaking camp. The one draw back is that the cinch closure doesn’t cosy issues down particularly neatly, so the bag can really feel somewhat sloppy as soon as every part’s packed away.

Options

For a family-style tent, the Westward is effectively featured. The spotlight is the vestibule. With 35.1 sq. toes of lined outside house, it’s massive sufficient for 2 camp chairs and substantial gear storage. We even discovered ourselves stashing our bikes in it in a single day. The pole-supported design means it holds its form and offers actual protection. You’ll be able to even use the entrance flap of the vestibule as an awning – so long as you may have a pair trekking poles helpful. 

Each doorways embrace half-moon zippered home windows, which permit for air flow and visibility with the principle door closed. The awning configuration on the entrance door creates a lined entry possibility in mild rain with out closing the house completely. The exterior pocket outdoors the principle door is a small however sensible storage addition. The E-port for threading an extension wire into the tent is a helpful campground function. A lantern loop on the peak offers a central lighting attachment level.

The colour-coded pole, sleeve, and webbing system pays off throughout setup. On a tent with this many parts, eradicating ambiguity is value greater than it might sound on paper. The partial-fly design additionally features as a function for warm-weather campers. The air flow it permits is best than most equally sized however totally enclosed tents we’ve examined.

One draw back is that the guylines are included however not pre-attached, and no stakes include them. For a tent this tall, guying out just isn’t optionally available in wind, and the package as delivered leaves that job incomplete. Price range for extra stakes and deal with the guyline attachments earlier than your first journey.

Ought to You Purchase the REI Westward 6?

The Westward 6 is a good selection for households that camp repeatedly in three-season circumstances. It’s a spacious, well-built shelter with glorious air flow, a big vestibule, and sufficient peak peak to really get up in. The supplies are noticeably higher than most tents at this value, the color-coded setup system is legitimately useful, and the partial-fly design makes warm-weather tenting extra snug than a completely enclosed different.

There are some caveats, although. If you happen to camp in reliably wet or chilly circumstances, the partial-fly design and poor warmth retention could also be dealbreakers. And for uncovered or windy websites, plan to buy extra stakes and fix the guylines earlier than your first journey. However for gentle to average three-season automobile tenting with a household, the Westward 6 is likely one of the higher choices out there.

What Different Tenting Tents Ought to You Take into account?

If you happen to’re contemplating the REI Westward 6, listed below are a couple of different worthy choices from our information to the perfect tenting tents:

The North Face Wawona 6 Assessment: If the Westward 6’s vestibule impressed you, the Wawona 6 takes that idea even farther. In actual fact, the entrance vestibule is so massive it features as an outside room. It nonetheless makes use of a partial fly, however the supplies are top-tier, making it one in all our favourite tenting tents. There’s a small bounce in value, however there’s additionally a step up in construct high quality and options.

REI Base Camp 6 Assessment: For one more high-quality REI possibility, their Base Camp 6 is an organizational standout. It has 14 inside mesh pockets, together with a gear loft and twin vestibules. It’s additionally extra wind-worthy than the Westward, though setup is pretty concerned.

Kelty Wi-fi 6 Assessment: For comparable inside house at a cheaper price , the Wi-fi 6 is probably the most direct different. Construct high quality is a step down from the Westward 6 – together with fiberglass poles as an alternative of aluminum – and air flow just isn’t as sturdy. However the flooring space is substantial, and the worth is tough to beat.