REI Co-op Trailmade 2 Review

One of the least expensive backpacking tents we've tested, the Trailmade 2 is a straightforward throwback that focuses on all things functional. We appreciate that foregoing bells and whistles saves us money, which is especially important for newer backpackers who have a long list of trail-ready gear to acquire.

Performance Comparison

Comfort

To gauge each tent's comfort, we measure its floor space and headroom, check for vents that increase airflow, and see how many places there are to stash gear.

The Trailmade earns only average scores in this metric. In comparison to most tents in the test, which offer at least four sizable pockets, this one provides only two, measuring just 5 x 13 inches each. And there are no internal loops to hang extra lines for additional organization. You'll have to keep most of your stuff outside, in the 19 square feet of vestibule space.

The Trailmade also lacks headroom. To set this tent up, you cross two identical poles in an X pattern and then hook the tent body to them. Almost all the other tents in our lineup also include a crossbar that rests horizontally across the top of the tent, holding the walls apart and creating much more space to sit up. Without it, the tent feels comparatively cramped.

The floor space is fairly generous, though. At 87 inches long, there is space to put some gear at your feet, depending on your height. The 50-inch width works for two sleepers, but it is intimate. With two people exhaling humid air all night, opening the two vents at the top of the fly is nice. Held open by struts, they let warm, moist air escape the shelter, even in a storm.

Weather Resistance

The Trailmade is a 3-season tent and isn't meant for use in the winter when the weight of snow could be too much for the poles to hold. So we tested its performance in the rain and wind.

The simple, two-pole structure doesn't give the Trailmade much strength against the wind. Four guyline points on the fly attach to the tent poles with a hook and loop strap. These provide some extra support in blustery weather, but the four paracord guylines that come with the tent do not arrive attached to it. You'll have to remember to do so before you head out into the hills.

This tent fairs better in the rain, where the sturdy coated polyester rainfly repelled water for three days during our testing period. We didn't notice any moisture on the underside of the fly or on the floor, even after pitching it on wet grass. The included footprint puts two layers of poly-nylon fabric between you and the wet ground; just be sure water doesn't funnel into it and fill up like a kiddie pool.

Space to Weight Ratio

To help us understand how much space you get per pound you carry, we measured each tent's square footage and the square footage where you have enough headroom to sit up straight. Then, we divided both numbers by how much the tent weighs. This provided us with some idea of what you're getting for your hard work.

While the Trailmade has an impressive 30.2 square feet of floor space, that works out to only 5.4 square feet a pound due to its hefty 5.7-pound pack weight. The best tents in the test offer 10 to 12 square feet of space per pound, though their fabric is often much thinner and requires more care.

When you look at how much headroom you get per pound, the results are even worse — a scant 0.9 square feet per pound. One of our favorite tents provides over 6.5. If you're spending less time in the tent, though, this shouldn't be too much of an issue.

Ease of Use

To compare how easy these tents are to use, we timed their setup and takedown and took note of how easy it was to enter and exit and how well features like toggles, zippers, and pockets worked.

With its straightforward design, the Trailmade is a cinch to set up. The poles, tent, and fly are all symmetrical, so keeping everything oriented correctly is easy. Just put the end of the poles in the corners of the tent, clip on the tent, toss the fly over, and fasten it down. Deconstructing the setup is similarly simple. In fact, it took us less time to set this tent up than nearly any other in the test.

Daily use is also pleasantly effortless. It only takes one hand to open the doors on the fly and the tent, and all the included features are pretty obvious. When it's raining, there isn't enough room to duck under the fly as you open the inner door, but that's a pretty minor complaint.

Construction Quality

We inspected the fabric, poles, zippers, and stakes of the Trailmade 2 to determine how sturdily it's built, which indicates how long it might last. The results are promising.

The footprint, tub bottom on the tent, and the rainfly are all made of relatively thick polyester and nylon fabric that showed no signs of wear and tear when we scraped it with the end of a paperclip (and none too gently). We could slide the metal clip between the seams, but we weren't able to pull them or bunch the fabric.

The tent stakes are thick, simple hooks. This kind of old-school design has served us well in the past, and we expect it will here as well. The aluminum poles seem hardy and have fewer complexities and weak points to worry about.

Should You Buy the REI Co-op Trailmade 2?

Experienced backpackers or those planning to head out more than a few dozen miles will probably want a lighter-weight tent with more structural rigidity to withstand unexpected storms. For those who car camp and want to take their tent into the backcountry on occasion, those new to backpacking who aren't sure how much they'll like it, or those who don't mind a heavier pack and don't intend to go far, this tent is an excellent value option.

What Other Backpacking Tents Should You Consider?

The Kelty Late Start 2 is another spacious and likable budget backpacking tent. It didn't perform as well in our rain tests, though, so we wouldn't recommend it for any kind of wet weather. If you're willing to invest in a tent that is likely to serve your needs longer, the REI Co-op Half Dome SL 2+ weighs less than five pounds and is a more comfortable tent with much more headroom.