REI Co-op Passage 2 Review

This tent is an all-around solid option; it's easy to pitch and comfortable to sleep in. It offers good protection from the elements and should stand up to years of use. It's a bit on the heavier side, but for short trips and car camping overnights, this model is a top choice. The REI Passage 2 takes the top spot in our scoring and earns best overall for its comfort, easy setup, and weather resistance.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

This tent offers more comfort than most others in our review. Its 88" length accommodates even tall sleepers easily, and its 52" width fits two standard sleeping pads with a little extra space. The vestibules are also each large enough to easily protect a pack and boots. The two side D-doors are an excellent feature as well. They are easy to open and allow for each person to easily enter and exit the tent without disturbing the other. The two doors are oriented in opposite directions, so sleepers are meant to be head-to-toe.

The two side storage pockets are located at opposite corners at the head of each person. Instead of the typical mesh, they are made from an opaque white fabric that diffuses light if you need to use it to hold a lantern. We found that they are large enough to store most of our stuff sacks, socks, gloves, and lights that we needed to keep accessible, but we wish that this tent had an overhead pocket as well. There are gear loops at the top to attach some extra line or hang items that have hooks. The headroom is more than adequate, even for six-foot folks, and two people can both easily sit up at the same time. The tent does taper just a little steeply at the top as a consequence of not having a crossbar to spread out the upper canopy.

The composition and placement of the tent body fabric is nice as well. The mesh canopy makes for excellent open sky viewing if you remove the fly, and the sidewalls are high enough that they provide decent privacy from other people that are sharing the campsite.

Weather Resistance

The Passage 2 offers some decent weather resistance. Though its basic pole design doesn't provide the most rigid structure against the wind, the thick polyester bathtub floor, fly, and footprint offer great protection from precipitation. The fly runs low to the ground as well, so splashback onto the sides of the tent is not a problem. We also appreciate that it includes the guylines already attached; we find that we use them more this way. It comes with four standard guy points, one at each corner.

From the inside of the tent, there are nice condensation management options as well. The fly includes two large vents at the top with kickstands to prop them open. The dual zipper vestibule doors can also be unzipped to create a nice cross breeze and to increase ventilation without having to roll up or unstake any part of the fly.

Ease of Setup

This tent is simple to set up. It has a straightforward X-pole design; stake the corners out, slide the ends of the poles into the grommets at each corner and clip the tent clips to the poles. The fly attaches to each corner with buckle clips and can be tensioned easily. The tent and fly are symmetrical so as long as you line up either tent door with either fly door, the whole thing will pitch properly.

Instead of a hub at the point where the two poles cross, they are connected by a large hook. We did find that using the velcro pole wraps attached to the underside of the fly helped quite a bit in terms of stabilizing the tent and preserving its interior space. Otherwise, the two poles tend to get pinched together by the tension of the fly. All in all, we appreciate how quickly this tent can go up, especially for the days when you roll into camp in the rain.

Durability

We don't have any major concerns about the durability of this tent. The hardware is in line with other models at this price point — that is to say, you sort of get what you pay for, and what you pay for is good enough.

These parts are inexpensive because they are bulky, not because they are fragile. The tent and fly materials, poles, clips, and grommets will all get the job done for years to come. The stakes are certainly basic, and we have bent our fair share of this particular variety over the years, but as far as less durable parts go, these stakes the easiest to replace. One perk of this model is that it comes with a footprint. This not only protects sleepers from a soggy bottom but also keeps the floor from getting worn down from rocks and pierced by debris.

Weight

The weight of this model is what holds it back from being even more awesome. At five pounds, four ounces, it's in the scale-tipper range.

However, so are many of the tents in this review. We think that there is enough to like about the Passage 2 that we wouldn't let just the packed weight hold us back.

Packed Size

Its 8" x 18" packed size also means that it is bulky. If you are planning to take this tent out for a few nights, we certainly recommend splitting the pieces between two people.

But if you are primarily planning to use it for car camping, then the extra bulk is well worth the extra comfort that this tent provides.

Should You Buy the REI Passage 2?

This tent offers exceptional value. It is just about an average price for our budget tent review but performs far above that. It is comfortable, easy to pitch, and stays dry when the rains come. Despite its weight, we think that however, and wherever you choose to use it, it is well worth the money. The included footprint is a real bonus and adds to what is already a good deal. If you are looking for an inexpensive alternative to a wallet-crushing backpacking tent, this budget award winner should be on your shortlist for consideration.

What Other Budget Backpacking Tents Should You Consider?

If you don't mind the extra weight and want even more comfort features and additional headroom to sit up, the top-tier The North Face Stormbreak 2 is a must-try. For those looking for a bargain basement price with strong value, the Bisinna 2 is also worth a look. If you really like the looks of this exact tent but are planning to go solo, you can't go wrong with the REI Co-op Passage 1.