6 Person Instant Cabin
Core
Fits
27 lb132 × 108 in, 72 in peak
Kelty Discovery Basecamp 6
Floor 106 × 119 in, 68 in peak, no vestibule. Drawn to scale from the maker's listing; the grid is 6 in.
- 6 regular pads0.5 in past the wallDoesn't fit
- A queen air mattressFits
- Two queen air mattresses0.5 in past the wallDoesn't fit
- Two camp cotsFits
Which pads fit
They don't fit side by side: 0.5 in past the wall.
An inch or more to every wall. Sit-up room +22.2 in.
They don't fit side by side: 0.5 in past the wall.
An inch or more to every wall. Sit-up room +11.7 in.
Pads side by side at their listed sizes, with the average man (5 ft 9 in) lying on each. "Tight" is under an inch to a wall or the sloping roof: the fabric gives, but a wet wall wets what touches it. Open it in TentCheck to try your own pads, cots and gear, or read how fits are checked.
Where 6 regular pads fit instead
The lightest 6-person car camping tents where they fit with an inch to every wall.
Where two queen air mattresses fit instead
The lightest car camping tents where they fit with an inch to every wall.
Wawona 8
The North Face
Fits
25 lb 11 oz168 × 96 in, 79.1 in peak
6 Person Instant Cabin
Core
Fits
27 lb132 × 108 in, 72 in peak
9 Person Instant Cabin
Core
Fits
37 lb168 × 108 in, 78 in peak
Headroom
| Roof overhead | Floor | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Anywhere | 87.6 sq ft | 100% |
| 12 in or more | 85.8 sq ft | 98% |
| 24 in or more | 78.5 sq ft | 90% |
| 36 in or more | 66.4 sq ft | 76% |
From the modeled roof, not measured. About 36 in is where an average adult sits up straight on a pad: a 35 in sitting height, plus the pad.
The numbers
| Floor (listed) | 106 × 119 in, 87.6 sq ft |
|---|---|
| Peak | 68 in (5 ft 8 in) |
| Vestibules | None |
| Sleeps (maker) | 6 |
| Packed weight | 222 oz (13 lb 14 oz) |
| Regular pads that fit | 5 with an inch to every wall |
| Sit-up room on a pad, at the peak | +32 in for 35 in sitting height |
| Standing room | 0 sq ft at 5 ft 9 in, 15.4 sq ft at 5 ft 3.5 in |
| Pitched footprint | 106 × 119 in (8 ft 10 in × 9 ft 11 in), floor and vestibules |
| Groundsheet to cut | About 104 × 117 in |
On the campsite
Floor and vestibules together cover 106 × 119 in. On a square tent pad, as campgrounds list them: 8 × 8 ft: doesn't fit; 10 × 10 ft: fits; 12 × 12 ft: fits. Guylines and stakes need more room around that.
For a groundsheet, cut it a little smaller than the floor, about 2 in, so rain running off the fly doesn't collect on it and run under the tent: about 104 × 117 in.
Notes
Floor 106 × 119 in (Kelty lists the length as 106 and the width as 119), 68 in peak, one large D-door and no vestibule. Kelty lists no packed size.
Sources
- Kelty: Discovery Basecamp 6P Tent Checked 2026-10-22
Roof shapes are modeled from the floor, the peak and how the poles hold the walls, not measured. Treat a result within an inch or two as too close to call.