For a week on the Arkansas River, Cypress (5) and Oren (2) spent every afternoon playing in the shade of the REI Co-op Westward 6’s front vestibule. Our family of four slept in it right down by the water, with great weather the whole time. It’s a tall six-person tent with a big, pole-supported vestibule and a partial rainfly that breathes really well. The trade-offs: it’s a fair-weather tent, and setup is fiddly.
Take me back to the family tent full guide
Best family tent for warm, dry trips
REI Co-op Westward 6
A great summer campground tent. Pick something else for rainy country.
Capacity: 6 | Floor: 80.83 sq ft | Vestibule: 35.08 sq ft | Peak height: 77 in | Packaged weight: 19 lb 10 oz
Good for: Families who camp mostly in hot, dry summer weather and want a shaded place for kids and gear.
Skip if: You mostly camp in bad weather, like the Pacific Northwest. Get something with a full fly.
Is the Westward 6 waterproof?
In moderate rain, yes. The canopy wall held up fine where the fly doesn’t cover it. But because the fly is partial, we’d trust it less in a heavy, heavy downpour or several days of rain. We mostly tested it in dry conditions, and that’s where it shines.
Where we tested the Westward 6
Our most recent trip, and one of the most fun, was a week along the Arkansas River. We got a spot right by the river with plenty of room, which this tent needs. Our family of four slept in it: Cypress (5) and Oren (2) in the middle, parents on the edges.
It’s been through the same mix of conditions as the rest of our testing, but mostly dry ones. In strong Colorado sun, if you’re out in it all day, you’ll get cooked. The vestibule gave Cypress and Oren a shady spot to play.
Westward 6 features that actually stood out
The vestibule is the big thing. It holds gear, it makes shade, and it doubles as a play area. For kids, that’s the whole story.
Ventilation is the other win. The partial fly breathes great, which helps a lot in hot weather and with condensation. Because there’s less fly fabric, it doesn’t flop around as much in high wind, and the enclosed pole sleeves help too. It handles high winds really well. We’d love to see a kickstand vent or two in the fly for even more airflow.
What doesn’t work on the Westward 6
Setup is a pain. The fly is huge, and getting all that material oriented is hard. It’s color-coded, but two of the poles are nearly the same color, so it’s tough to tell the brow pole from the vestibule pole. We bent one by putting them in backwards. It still works fine, but it bent surprisingly easily.
We’ve always pitched it solo, but we’d make it a two-person job. Clearer instructions and easier-to-see color coding on those two poles would help a lot.
How to care for the Westward 6
REI says to never machine-wash or machine-dry a tent. Clean it by hand with a soft sponge, cold water, and a mild, non-detergent soap, and skip bleach and harsh household cleaners. Dry it completely after every trip, and if you have to pack it up wet, set it up at home to dry right away. Store it loosely in a breathable bag somewhere cool and dry, not in a basement, attic, or car trunk.
Tent care tip: Dry summer trips leave a lot of dust on all that fabric. A leaf blower clears it in a minute, and keeping it clean matters because dirt holds moisture against the tent.
Does the Westward 6 pack down?
It’s a pain to pack down: a ton of material and a lot of poles to break down. It does fit back in its wide-mouth carry bag, and the wide opening makes it easy to load, but the bag doesn’t keep everything tight, so it gets sloppy in the car.
Westward 6 sizing guide
For us, the Westward is luxurious for two, comfy for three to four, and manageable for five to six. One of us is 6’2″ and can stand up in the center, with less headroom toward the side walls. The 120 x 97 inch floor plus the vestibule gives a family of four plenty of room.
Who is the Westward 6 best for?
The Westward is for families who camp in summer and want a big, breathable tent with a shaded porch. It’s a great summer campground tent. If you camp somewhere wet, the partial fly is the wrong trade-off.
Pro tip: Make setup a two-person job, and sort out the brow pole and vestibule pole before you start threading.
How the Westward 6 compares to other family camping tents
| REI Co-op Westward 6 | The North Face Wawona 6 | REI Co-op Base Camp 6 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | $549 | $585 | $569 |
| Floor area | 80.83 sq ft | 75.7 sq ft | 84 sq ft |
| Vestibule area | 35.08 sq ft | 44.7 sq ft | 27 + 17 sq ft |
| Peak height | 77 in | 76 in | 74 in |
| Packaged weight | 19 lb 10 oz | 19 lb 6.4 oz | 20 lb 11.5 oz |
| Rainfly | Partial | Partial | Full |
| Footprint included | No | No | No |
| Overall rating | 4.3/5.0 | 4.8/5.0 | 4.5/5.0 |
Ben Dawson
I'm Ben Dawson: dad of two, former full-time van liver, and co-author of three Falcon Guides, including Hiking with Kids: Glacier and Waterton Lakes National Parks. I've worked in outdoor media for more than a decade, and I've been testing gear with Roxy since 2017 as a gear reviewer and analyst. These days most of my testing happens with a kid on my back or a tent full of them. I've carried and hiked with my kids more miles than I can count, from Canada to Mexico and plenty of places in between. My rule is pretty simple: if the kid is uncomfortable, or you are, nobody's having a good time out there. I tell you what works, what doesn't, and who it's actually for.
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