Reviews You Can Rely On

REI Co-op Camp Dome 4 Review

This is a great tent for budget campers and those just getting into the camping game
gearlab tested logo
REI Co-op Camp Dome 4 Review
Credit: REI Co-op
Price:  $199 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   REI Co-op
By Wes Berkshire ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  May 3, 2019
73
OVERALL
SCORE
  • Comfort - 40% 8.0
  • Weather Resistance - 25% 6.0
  • Ease of Set Up - 15% 8.0
  • Workmanship - 15% 7.0
  • Packed Size - 5% 7.0

Our Verdict

REI discontinued the Camp Dome 4 as of Spring 2020.
REASONS TO BUY
Simple
Quality
Entry-level tent
Reasonable price
REASONS TO AVOID
Lacks high-end features
Snug for four adults
The REI Camp Dome 4 is exactly what you think of whenever you hear the phrase, “Dome Tent.” That's not to say it's the $30 Kmart pup tent your whole Boy Scout troop used when you were a kid. The Camp Dome 4 has most definitely stepped into the 21st century, but it's still your standard, reliable dome tent. That said, the price reflects that as well, making it one of the better value tents that we tested. There's no fancy upgrades or incredible new features, but it's going to get the job done. REI makes a quality product, without breaking the bank. The poles are sturdy, the setup is quick; this is a quality tent, if somewhat basic. If you're looking for innovation, you can move on (maybe have a look at the REI Half Dome 4 Plus), but if reliability and familiarity are your game, the Camp Dome 4 is a great choice.

Our Analysis and Test Results

The REI Camp Dome 4 is a reliable, starter tent. It's not going to win any awards for innovation or draw open-mouthed stares of admiration and envy from fellow campers. What it will do is provide a reliable, high-quality tent that will do everything you want a basic tent to do, and at a significantly lower price than the other four-person tents we tested. It's a more entry-level tent than its cousin, the REI Half Dome 4 Plus, but for those leery of breaking the bank on a tent, it's a great fit.

Performance Comparison


rei co-op camp dome 4 - the rei camp dome 4.
The REI Camp Dome 4.
Credit: Berkshire

Comfort


In what seems to be standard practice in the tent game nowadays, the REI Camp Dome 4 is going to be a bit snug when stuffed with four full-grown adults. At a smidge under 60 square feet, two adults in the Camp Dome is roomy. Throw in a kid, and you should still be plenty comfortable. Three adults, as long as you're not complete strangers and didn't just come from the all-you-can-eat buffet, would still be fine.

It's a foregone conclusion when talking dome tents, but we'd be remiss not to mention that the walls are not particularly vertical. Obviously, right? I mean, it is a dome tent. Something you'd expect, but also something we feel is important to consider in terms of the amount of space and roominess inside the tent. If the rain forces you inside for any appreciable time, those sloping walls may start to feel like they're closing in on you.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - a good slant on the walls limits the overall inside volume of the...
A good slant on the walls limits the overall inside volume of the Camp Dome.
Credit: Berkshire

The Camp Dome 4 sports two full doors, an upgrade from those old Boy Scout dome tents of our youth. This means that two people can have their entrances/exits and don't have to crawl over each other for that midnight bathroom break. Each door also has a window, not to mention large mesh panels on the sides, so when the mercury starts to boil, or when you want to fall asleep to the cool night breeze, you'll be in good shape.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - the rei camp dome 4 has a good-sized window on each door to keep the...
The REI Camp Dome 4 has a good-sized window on each door to keep the air flowing and the sight-lines open.
Credit: Berkshire

Pockets and storage aren't plentiful, but they're at least uniform and well-placed. Each corner has a good-sized pocket to hold your headlamp, phone, wallet, and other sundries.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - fairly standard-sized pockets in each corner of the camp dome 4.
Fairly standard-sized pockets in each corner of the Camp Dome 4.
Credit: Berkshire

Each door zipper on the Camp Dome 4 is relatively standard, but we were at first confounded, and then impressed, by the thick lip of nylon around the inside of each door. It just seemed like added material. However, the genius in this small touch is that it eliminates the annoying ability most zippers have to get caught up and stuck in the rest of the tent. When you're hauling your things in or out of the tent, you can easily one-hand the zipper with no worries of it catching and bunching up on you. There isn't much of a sunshade or vestibule, though if you are lying inside the Camp Dome with the window or door open, the minor overhang will block some of those UV rays.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - the added inner flap reduces zipper snags, a common enemy of the...
The added inner flap reduces zipper snags, a common enemy of the otherwise friendly camper.

Weather Resistance


For most outings, the Camp Dome 4 is going to keep you dry. The fly is thick, seam-taped, goes nearly to the ground on the sides, and can be cinched tight at each corner to ensure a taut, waterproof layer surrounds you. While it does leave the doors a bit more susceptible to rain, the mesh on the door windows begins high enough up on the door that the fly's awnings will keep all but the most horizontal of rain from finding its way in and the polyester lower half of the door sides will take care of the rest. The floor, also sturdy polyester, is seam-taped and water-resistant. As long as you don't set things up directly in a drainage or go out camping for extended periods during monsoon season, you'll be fine.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - the rainfly does a good job covering the sides, and the overhang on...
The rainfly does a good job covering the sides, and the overhang on the front and back vestibules is pretty good, but an overhang doesn't stop horizontal rain.
Credit: Berkshire

As mentioned before, there is an impressive amount of mesh surrounding almost the entire upper half of the tent, meaning those hot summer days and muggy humidity should be well mitigated in the Camp Dome 4. The mesh upper also means you can stargaze the night away without the fly on.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - with mesh over the majority of the upper part of the tent, both...
With mesh over the majority of the upper part of the tent, both ventilation and sky views abound.
Credit: Berkshire

Ease of Setup


With the obvious exception of the instant tent we tested (the Caddis Rapid 6), the Camp Dome 4 is about as easy to set up as they come. Two poles that each go caddy-corner, crossing in the middle. Attach a few clips to fill out the tent, and that's it. We did find the clips to be a little sticky, compared to some of the other tents we tested, but not enough to truly be a problem, or to diminish our experience with the Camp Dome. It's also entirely possible that the hooks loosen up a bit with more use. The fly is equally straightforward. One pole runs across the top from one door-side to the other and snugs into an easy to fit pocket on either side, creating the small awnings above the doors.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - your standard two-pole, criss-cross design. the camp dome is an easy...
Your standard two-pole, criss-cross design. The Camp Dome is an easy up.
Credit: Berkshire

Packed Size


Like any tent in this category, a grain of salt has to be taken when considering packed size. The REI Camp Dome 4 is not an ultralight backpacking tent, designed to cover the entire Pacific Crest Trail in one shot. That said, we actually did think novice backpackers could use this tent on short overnights. At a little over eight pounds, it's certainly not a featherweight, but split between even two people it would be wholly manageable.

For most people, the packed size of the Camp Dome will be perfectly adequate. It's a fairly standard cylindrical shape when packed and can easily be carried from your car to wherever you choose to set it up. Even walk-in sites won't have you gasping for air and throwing out your back hauling this tent. We appreciated that REI made the storage bag a little larger than absolutely necessary.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - the camp dome packs down slightly larger than the rei half dome 4...
The Camp Dome packs down slightly larger than the REI Half Dome 4 Plus, but is still completely manageable in its storage bag over relatively short distances.
Credit: Berkshire

Workmanship


REI makes a quality product and stands behind it with a solid warranty and repair department. The Camp Dome 4 is proof of this. We were impressed with the girth and sturdiness of the poles. Having bent more than enough tent poles over the years, these should hold up well for a number of years. The polyester floors are also notably thick, meaning you shouldn't have to worry about any jagged pebbles creating unwanted ventilation in the bottom of your tent.

rei co-op camp dome 4 - the clips on the camp dome require a little more oomph to connect...
The clips on the Camp Dome require a little more oomph to connect and disconnect than the higher-end REI Half Dome 4 Plus.
Credit: Berkshire

If we had to make one nit-picky complaint, the hooks that connect the tent to the poles were a little tougher to connect than the Camp Dome's close comrade, the REI Half Dome 4 Plus. Not massively difficult or in any way a deal-breaker, but certainly something we noticed.

All in all, while this isn't a top-of-the-line tent, it's far from being flimsy and poorly made.

Value


This is the Camp Dome 4's bread and butter. It's a quality tent, well-built, at a very manageable price. It's not a fancy tent. You're not likely to elicit oohs and aahs from other campers, but you're also entirely likely to be comfortable and happy, and isn't that the point? In the world of “you get what you pay for,” you'll get plenty for what you pay for the Camp Dome.

Conclusion


The REI Camp Dome 4 is a simple, effective tent that isn't going to let you down in the vast majority of conditions, and comes at a price that proves you don't have to spend more money to have more fun.

Wes Berkshire