Kelty Teton 4 Four Person Tent

… with two kids, in a jungle in southern Madagascar.

We stayed dry. It rained torrentially for 11 days straight- and not a drop of water got inside the tent. Amazing! On dewy mornings, there was quite a bit of condensation on the bottom walls, but the air circulation through the mesh roof is excellent and the condensation lasts only an hour or so once the sun’s up. We left our boots in the vestibule every night, and they were always dry in the morning, even after a gale.

The tent holds up well in strong winds. It was difficult to sleep through gales, though, because the vestibule does flap in very strong winds.

Malaria is a problem in the area we camped in, so I was concerned about the netting and whether mosquitoes could bite through the light fabric. I need not have worried. We used the vestibule as an `air lock’. Not one creepy crawly or mosquito got inside the tent over the course of a month.

I wouldn’t call this a four-person tent. It’s perfect for an adult and two small kids- I could fit my backpacker’s cot, two air mattresses for the kids, and a month’s worth of gear inside. You could fit four sleeping bags inside, head to tail like sardines, with no gear, but that’s no way to live.

The tent’s very easy to set up and take down; it takes 5-10 minutes for an adult, or 10-15 minutes with a ten year old helping you. I like the fly buckles on each corner of the tent, but wish Kelty had included an extra plastic buckle. We lost one the first time we set up the tent, and now have to knot the strap to hold the fly down.

The tent’s very light, too- great for backpacking.

It’s the best 3-season tent I’ve ever owned.

Rating: 5 / 5