Reviewed by: Amelia
Price (MSRP): $499
Best Use: Camping
Where to Buy: REI
Testing Location: Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming
Testing Environment: Sunny, rainy, muddy, windy
I sort of think with the birth of Baby M, we hit the “big family status” as far as outdoor families. Proudly, I may add…but we are definitely beyond the “4 person tent”…even with little kiddos.
This summer we had an opportunity to try the Sleep Station 6 from Big Agnes and have fallen in (tent) love. It’s incredibly roomy, even for 6 people, packs up small and, like all Big Agnes tents, rocks as far as the ease of organization of packing AND setting up.
At 18 pounds, it’s definitely a car camping tent….but for the size, it’s more than reasonable to pack.
Updated in 2016, the Sleep Station 6 boasts the following:
-A large door on either end
– A huge vestibule when the rain fly is attached…sort of like a “front porch” (or a nursing station…or playing card station, etc.) The vestibule can also be staked out as a shade.
– 90 sq. feet of floor room
– Head height of 75″
– 38.5 sq. feet of vestibule space
– 5″ x 15″ x 27″ packed size
– 18 lb., 1 oz.
– Fly walls can be rolled up to expose mesh walls for increased ventilation and visibility
– Storm flaps on the vestibule add extra protection from the elements
The Sleep Station 6 uses only 4 poles, color coded to match the tent, so even the initial set-up is very easy. We used it this summer in some pretty serious rain and wind and had absolutely no issues.
Even with a ton of wet gear drying in the vestibule, the ventilation was suburb and we didn’t get “rained on” from the condensation.
There are tons of huge cargo mesh pockets in the tent, which are great for stashing stuff sacks, flashlights, etc. There is a gear loft ($22) you can buy separately, which I can see the value in for sure. With this much head room, there’s room for gear too!
It’s incredible to be able to easily walk around standing straight up, have room for baby gear if needed and trust you’ll stay dry and comfortable. In the photo below, we have the three kids seen, then our double Big Agnes King Solomon (you can just see the edge of it) and then our baby at our head…and there’s obviously room for one more person easily. Granted, our kids are small, but it’s awesome to feel like we had so much space.
A few other ways to set up the vestibule:
What we would change:
– The footprint ($55) does not come with the tent. I think it is a must-buy to prolong the life of the tent and add extra protection. Don’t be tempted to “just use a tarp” – the footprint really makes a huge difference.
– This sounds really lame and lazy, but when the vestibule is closed, you are really reaching for the zipper because it’s so far down. It’s easy to be tempted to just leave it halfway open….which is actually the beauty of this tent. It is SO protected by the vestibule, that even leaving it a little open doesn’t really expose the inner tent much.
The Bottom Line:
An incredible tent for family car camping when you want a little more room for standing, but the added bonus of a generous vestibule too.
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Big Agnes generously provided us this gear in order to facilitate this review. However, as always, the opinions expressed here are completely and honestly our own. A few of these links are affiliates. Thank you so much for clicking through them to make your purchases – it helps offset the cost of this blog in a (VERY VERY) small way!
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