REI Co-op Half Dome 3 Review

The REI Half Dome 3 is one of the few tents we've found that truly can accommodate its advertised person capacity. While this won't win any awards for its weight, we found this tent to be a durable and comfortable companion for a variety of backpacking adventures.

Comfort

This was one of our favorite metrics for the REI Half Dome 3, featuring ample space for three backpackers and even a bit of extra clothing or gear. When compared to the competition, this model came in towards the front of the pack and should be put on your finals list if comfort is a priority.

At 43.7 square feet, the REI Half Dome 3 is among the most spacious tents in this review's lineup. We utilized a variety of sleeping pad and sleeping bag combinations, and found this model to fit even puffier sleeping bags during cold weather. It offers two doors and two vestibules that were generously sized, and offers enough room to keep gear and hiking footwear out of the elements.

Many of the three person tents we've tested over the years required us to sleep head to toe in order to squeeze all three campers inside, but the Half Dome 3 fits three even with heads and feet all on the same side. If you're planning to log weeks in this tent, we still might recommend going to an even larger tent for the sake of comfort, but we advise going up in sleeping capacity for any camping crew on a longer adventure.

Weather Resistance

Besides the most intense wind and rain storms, the REI Half Dome 3 is a tent our team was able to trust and rely upon to keep them protected. While we might steer you towards another shelter if you're anticipating particularly rough weather, the Half Dome 3 came in above average in the lineup.

The floor and lower walls of the REI Half Dome 3 are made with 75 denier polyester taffeta, while the rain fly uses 40 denier ripstop nylon, making for a fairly decent level of protection against precipitation. The skeleton pole system utilizes one large pole system across the entire tent, making the Half Dome 3 a particularly sturdy model that can fight against windy nights, and the guy lines located in each corner can further reinforce the tent so you can sleep more comfortably. Additionally, REI uses substantially less mesh in the body of the tent, improving its overall scores in this metric.

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Space to Weight Ratio

As much as we loved the sleeping capacity of the REI Half Dome 3, it is unfortunately also very heavy. This caused the space to weight ratio to be one of the lowest scores in the review's lineup.

The REI Half Dome 3 boasts an interior space of 43.7 square feet, making it one of the most spacious interiors we've yet tested in a backpacking tent. However, at a total weight of 7.1 pounds, it lands at 6.15 square feet per pound, which is substantially heavier than most of the tents we've tested, and it doesn't pack down small. Fortunately, a team of three will be able to spread the weight of this hefty tent out across each person, but if weight is a priority, just bear in mind there are much lighter tents available.

Ease of Use

If you want a user-friendly camping experience, the REI Half Dome 3 should be put on your contenders list. REI has become a champion in creating intuitive products, and the Half Dome 3 is no different. The skeleton pole system isn't the absolute simplest design out there, but it's sturdy and after your first time with the tent, the pole system won't likely be an issue.

One of our favorite aspects of the REI Half Dome 3 is the included footprint, which can be left attached to the floor of the tent body. This made for a quicker setup and spared us from having to manicure our prospective camp as much. The Half Dome series also uses one of the best stuff sacks we've seen, with a wide-mouth opening that can be easily cinched down with a long drawstring, making this one of the easiest tents to pack. This tent also offers well-made pockets and door retainers that we used daily in the field.

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Construction Quality

As already shared, the REI Half Dome 3 includes a robust footprint, which helped it perform above average when using rougher campsites. REI was also generous with the tent pole construction, using thicker diameter aluminum and more robust plastic at the pole joints. Ultimately, the Half Dome 3 earned an above average score in our lineup.

Unlike several of the lighter weight tents, the tent body of the REI Half Dome 3 uses less mesh, with 75 denier polyester taffeta making up a large portion of the body. This, plus the added footprint, made the Half Dome 3 a noticeably robust tent that stood out against the competition. The fly, however, was a bit lighter than some of the heavy weight tents we tested, with a 40 denier ripstop nylon build. We didn't tear or poke holes in this fly throughout testing, but other models utilized 75 denier fabrics in the fly. Besides a few models that were designed to withstand much more intense weather outside of winter, the Half Dome 3 is a dependable shelter as long as you aren't pushing beyond its intended uses.

Should You Buy the REI Half Dome 3?

If you're needing a 3-person tent that's truly comfortable for a group of three, the REI Half Dome 3 is worth serious consideration. It's a well-designed and thoughtfully made shelter from REI and will likely last you a long time with proper care. If you're the sort of backpacker who counts every ounce or gram going into your bag, you might want to look for something lighter, but it's hard to beat the interior square footage of the Half Dome 3.

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