REI Co-op Groundbreaker 2 Tent Review

In this REI Co-op Groundbreaker 2 Tent review you can read about a simple freestanding easy to use camping tent with fiberglass poles and a great price tag.

Key features & benefits

Overview

This REI Groundbreaker 2 Tent is a very typical dome-style tent with all the good and the bad features related to such a type. The picture below shows how it looks without the fly.

The tent is fully freestanding and this holds even after you attach its partial coverage fly. This means you can rotate it and move it around in the camp before you stake it down and secure it.

The tent is low profile with its 40 inches (102 cm) peak height. You have one door only, but this is quite enough for its overall size. Note that there is a short ridge pole that raises the fly above the door so this makes getting in and out easier.

The door is with a mesh window on the upper part, and you have yet another similar window on the rear side. Both windows have also a zippered panel for protection.

Ventilation

You have seen in the picture above that there is plenty of mesh on the canopy, and the two windows are partly protected with the fly, so you can keep them with mesh only most of the time. The fly is such that you do not need vents on it.

But the lower portion of the tent is completely closed and there is no floor vent here. It is necessary when you have to keep the door closed. You can compare this to the MOON LENCE Camping Tent 2 Person Dome built in a similar style but with a floor vent on the rear side.

Materials

The poles: You have the two mentioned main poles that create the X-crossed frame, plus a short ridge pole. This is a fiberglass material, you cannot expect more in such a budget tent.

The fabric: They do not provide any information about the waterproof rating of this tent, so this is quite disappointing. They only write this is a polyester.

Other features

• There are 4 steel stakes in the package.
• 2 Guylines are included.
• There are a couple of pockets on the walls, one is shown below.
• A lantern hook is available, see the picture.

Who is it for

Size-wise, the official capacity is 2 people and for this you have a floor area of 31.8 ft² (2.96 m²). So the tent can accommodate two pads on the floor, but note its sloped canopy so there is not much volume inside.

Seasons-wise & climate-wise, this is a tent for summer camping or for two seasons maximum, and for places without much rain or winds. 

Weight-wise, the tent can be described as lightweight with its 4 lb 13 oz (2.18 kg). The minimum trail weight is 3 pounds 14 ounces (1.76 kg). But there are much lighter options if you need a tent to carry in the pack, check these lightweight 2 person backpacking tents.

The packed size is (L x D) 22 x 7.5 inches (56 x 19 cm). So it is a bit bulky for its overall size. This is why I see it as a camping tent, and the same you can see also at the manufacturer’s site.

Specifications

• Official capacity: 2 people.
• Weight: 4 lb 13 oz (2.18 kg).
• Dimensions: 88 x 52 in (224 x 132 cm).
• Floor area: 31.8 ft² (2.96 m²).
• Packed size (L x D): 22 x 7.5 in (56 x 19 cm).
• Peak height: 40 in (102 cm).
• Poles: fiberglass.

Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons

Please see how I rate this tent against my standard set of criteria:

REI Co-op Groundbreaker 2 Tent

7.4

Area per person

7.3/10

Weight

8.3/10

Packed size

6.9/10

Protection

7.1/10

Features

7.5/10

Pros

• Lightweight.
• Easy to use.
• Great price.

Cons

• Bulky.
• A bit small for 2 people.
• No floor vents.

But from REI

For more options in this capacity group please check in the category Tents for 2 people. You might want to compare this tent to the Kelty Offsite 2 Person Tent built in the same style.

Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have questions or comments, there is a comment box below. Have a nice day.