Kelty Grand Mesa 2

Another fine Kelty product. Again, this was my first tent after my new-found interest. Kelty has another fine product that did not break the bank. My very first night out with this tent it rained all night long. I laid inside the tent with my son, the whole time waiting to feel a drop of rain, but I never did. The tent worked great, and it hasn’t let me down any of the other many times that I have used it.

Downfalls / Things I’ve learned from this tent:

1. Weight. This tent is a little on the heavy side when compared to some of the other lighter-weight tents available, However, these lighter options are much more expensive.

2. Size. While size cannot be held against the tent since it was listed when I bought it, it is something that I have learned to look into more when considering a tent. A good thing I have learned to do is to use some tape and tape out the dimensions on the floor and then try it out.

3. Entry. This tent features a front entry. While this is not to bad, side entry doors would make getting in and out much easier. Take into consideration though, if the tent will be shared, a door on each side is recommended here to keep someone from crawling over you to get out.

4. Vestibule. This vestibule is small, but my wife and I have fit both out packs and our shoes under it while camping on the AT last September. Typically vestibules are slightly larger on tents with side doors.

While I have come to learn about these things while using this tent, I cannot complain about any of them. Like I said, this tent has been great, for what it is. Would definitely recommend (if you are 5’10″ or less). You can read my full review here.