Kelty for overall quality

by Jim and Beamer
(Salt Lake City, Utah)

For what it costs to stay at a motel you can own this 2010 upgraded Kelty Trail Dome 6 tent and enjoy many camping trips. Unlike the blue and white of the older Trail Dome this current model is a colorful white with orange and brown trim. You should note that difference for some will sell you an older version while claiming it is the essentially the same, except for the colors. More importantly, either model will accommodate you and in a pinch up to three friends for a camping experience. This “6-Person” tent is an ideal 3-season ventilated tent for the campground, but it is not for six average people - unless you are willing to cram them. But, then leave your other gear outside, including those slippers you want to bring along.

Kelty's two-door Trail Dome 6 Tent is one of the best values you'll find in quality camping tent designs. Like the smaller Trail Dome it is well ventilated, but this larger version also has sturdy aluminum brow poles and two doors instead of one.

After a long ride to the campground you have to look forward to getting out the ground cover or footprint and then pitching the tent. It has been made easy, even for the shorter person. A simple pole design and clip and sleeve construction makes the Trail Dome a snap to pitch. It is freestanding, which makes it easy to set up and fine-tune the placement to avoid rocks and uneven surfaces, especially if it has attached a Kelty footprint.

While the fly contains four “guyout points” there is little direction for the placement of the guy lines for optimum value in moderate wind, unlike directions given with Eureka tents. With the longer sleeve design there should not be the hang-up on the clips for shorter persons to navigate while placing the fly over the tent body.

If you are looking for a drawback, it might be that the Trail Dome 6 does not have a vestibule. But for car camping, you will probably put most of your gear inside your vehicle, especially when you are in bear country where it will be required. And there is some likely slight leakage when the rain is combined with wind because the brows do not cover the doors adequately. Unlike tents with vestibules, Kelty's new Trail Dome offers exceptional ventilation with its mesh ceiling that works exceedingly on those warm summer nights. The mesh ceiling offers incredible breathability and a view of the stars - when not using the included rain fly.

1800 mm coated watertight walls and taped floor seams do keep the moisture from wreaking havoc on you in the middle of the night and you never worry about condensation because of the exceptional ventilation.

You can cram a headlamp, a book, and other items in the internal storage pockets. Great for family camping, there is plenty of interior storage space. If you need even more storage, rig up your “gear hammock” to the Trail Dome's loft loops. But forget that extra space if you want to cram in five or six people for sleeping; it just won’t do.

The two DAC 14.5 mm Pressfit poles are structurally rugged but slightly heavier than the ultra-refined tent poles that you usually find on higher priced tents. The DA17 pre-bent poles are made of proprietary aluminum alloy designed by DAC specifically for tents, which provides a large diameter pole with high stiffness, strength and durability at an affordable price.

The “clip” construction provides great fly separation and increased air movement, while making it easier to set-up your tent, but offers less strength than full-length sleeves in the older Trail Dome tents. One of the improvements for 2010 takes care of that problem because the sleeves have been lengthened. Three clips connecting to the poles on each of the four sides are color-coded so set-up is easy and quick in low light conditions.

Above the doors, both front and back, next to mesh window you'll find grommet attachments on the upper clips for the shorter aluminum 8.5 mm brow poles that help keep rain from seeping inside the tent door whenever it's open. This apparently is a refinement for 2010 because the tent clips also serve as fasteners for the brow poles, but they no longer are free standing but part of the sleeves. This is perhaps one of the drawbacks of not having a vestibule but the 2010 offerings have been modified by the rounded doorway, with wide flaps covering the ultra silent zippers to keep out any water. It also lessens the tensions that were on the older brow clips.

As for tears in the tent fabrics, I experienced this firsthand in a recent camping experience when my new 2009 Trail Dome 6 had a disastrous seam tear in the mesh and fabric, with tearing continuing down the body for about 28 inches, when we returned from a hike. While the brow pole had been very tight fit I hadn’t forced anything, but obviously it was enough to cause a tear in the 68 Denier nylon fabric. This probably has been corrected in the 2010 model, with the change to a 70D polyester fabric from the nylon one, but that remains to be seen.

If you insist on a Kelty tent, it seems that Backcountry Edge is a good place to look. If you're looking to pick one up at the lowest possible price wait until they go on clearance in the late summer to early fall. Don't wait too long though; you know how fast clearance items can sell.
American Recreational Products, a subsidiary of Kellwood Company and part of its Other Soft Goods segment, makes outdoor gear including tents, backpacks, sleeping bags, outdoor clothing, and related camping accessories. Brand names include Kelty, Sierra Designs, and Slumberjack.

I've also heard of some people having problems with refunds and or warranty issues with their Kelty tent. My suggestion, if you still feel you have to have one, is to buy it at Backcountry Edge because they will probably be your best bet as far as warranty work or returns go. Had it not been the work of Taylor Eshleman of Backcountry Edge I would still be trying to get my older Trail Dome 6 tent replaced or repaired by Kelty.

All Kelty tents come with a limited lifetime warranty that states “the materials and workmanship will be free from defects for the life of the product.” A warranty is a guarantee that states a product is reliable; free from known defects and that the seller will repair or replace any defective parts that should later be discovered. In the event that if a tent fails to meet those warranty terms, or that the product is not reliable and free from defects, the repair, replacement or the return of monies paid should be within a reasonable time frame. When that promise made is broken, i.e., your tent is defective or is not as should be expected by a reasonable purchaser, a breach of that warranty has occurred. While it is actionable, it should at least be reported to the Federal Trade Commission and the Better Business Bureau.

Dealing with Kelty direct should be avoided at all costs and if you feel that you must have a Kelty product it is best to work with someone like Backcountry Edge, REI, Altrec, Sunny Sports, Mountain Sports or Cabela’s. They will intercede with Kelty or even make repairs themselves. But, unlike dealing direct with Kelty, the process won’t take eight weeks, and a lot of headaches, to attain satisfaction.

If you end up getting a "cheap tent" (cheap until you have to buy another to replace it, or listen to your partner complain for the entire trip) make sure to pick up some seam sealant like McNett’s so your seams are "sealed" although there may be waterproof taping. Even with good tents like Kelty’s they sometimes have small pinholes where you can see the light shining through. Also if you have a leak around the door, check the zipper first as it can be a problem.

But then I have also seen campers string a tarp between trees or even drape it over the top of the tent to make sure that the rain does not affect the camping experience. I can't say I recommend this but I guess it worked for them in a pinch, particularly if one was just starting a camping trip in a cheap tent.