Kelty Acadia 4-Person Tent

This is my current tent, and while I prefer a larger tent with room to stand and move, this tent is great for what it is. Well constructed, holds up in storms (though my husband got a few water drops on his head through the rainfly last rain). Still, pretty good on water tightness since we've had standing water around the tent and none came in from below. I used this tent in warmer weather, and ventilation is so-so, less than I expected with so much screen. I often woke up very hot and stuffy, but I'm sure I would appreciate this if camping in this tent in colder weather... waking up hot and stuffy in a tent in warmer weather is pretty common. The zippers are pretty good, smooth, and catch less than most tents I've had. My husband and I could fit two self-inflating camp pads in here along with some clothes/gear. The vestibules on both ends are great for extra storage, and I like the option of entry from either side. What I do not like about the vestibules is that, to get to the zipper and exit from inside the tent, you have to reach way down into a little angled corner by the ground to unzip the vestibule...this is just the way vestibules like this are designed, though... not just this tent and not a big deal...just not my favorite thing and kind of a pain when you're camping in mud. There is a mesh storage pocket inside that I like as a catch-all for my jewelry, keys, etc at the end of the day. I would recommend this tent to a friend.

Haven't had a chance to camp yet but, I did set the tent up to become familiar with it. The only difficulty I had was trying to figure out how and where to put the solid aluminum rod into the rain fly...the instructuins are extremely lacking here, and this set up was very different than most of the arc tents that I've used, having this solid straight rod in the rain fly...I finally just put the fly on without the rod and then was able to find the rod pocket and pockets the tips go into. I was able to get the rod through and the tips in while over the enclosure but that would have been MUCH easier on the ground before it was over the enclosure. So....for anyone reading this....across the top of the rain fly, from door to door, is a narrow tube pocket for the rod to slide into and at each end of is a SMALL, TIGHT, reinforced pocket that each tip is to be pushed into.The tent seems very well constructed though, since the floor material is of no more durable material than the rain fly, it will most certainly need a footprint protector to prolong the life of the tent.I very much like the double entry of this tent since we plan to use it for two so, each can enter/exit without crawling over anyone else:). I do think this was a very good buy for the price!

Updated from 4 to 5 star; updates noted below.I bought this tent because my two person seemed too small for two people and I wanted some extra room for gear. This tent is much larger and has nice height to it, which to me and my purposes, makes a tent seem that much more comfortable. I don't really have a need for four people at this stage and instead was using it for two people plus gear and it seemed to fill that need well. I could see it possibly working comfortably for three, but four would feel a bit like sardines, but also probably possible. All depends on what the need is. I like to have some space between me and the edge of the tent so by putting two in the center on a mat, there is more than a foot or so on all sides, which is nice for that.Setup is easy.Minor Quirks:One side of the rain fly seems to be geared toward being the primary entrance and I have found that getting that vestibule taught (i.e. stretched out as is shown in the Amazon main picture for this product) can be a challenge. Furthermore, the way the stake loops are, if you happen to stake out every stake loop, it is then somewhat difficult to get in and out of the tent. For that reason, I just leave one undone so that I can go in and out of the vestibule area.UPDATE: The most recent time I camped this was not an issue; I am blaming it on user error/impatience.Using the guy lines on the rainfly is a good idea to reduce condensation even if it doesn't rain but I haven't been able to get full separation from the fly and tent, which has resulted in some condensation. Given the shapes of the tent and rainfly, I don't think they can ever really be separated to the point that it wouldn't happen.UPDATE: The most recent time I camped this was not an issue; I will also blame this on user error. I managed to have full separation on the entire tent from the rainfly by ensuring the rainfly was on the tent and aligned appropriately. Also adjusted the guy lines to optimize the way the rainfly was situated.On rain:I haven't had any significant rains but trust the comments of others. It's Kelty, so decent quality. It has nice air circulation but I have wondered if it would be challenging to set up in the rain; since the entire upper of the tent (without the rainfly) is open/netting, you'd either have to set it up under a tarp so that water didn't get into the tent during setup or do so under a solid canopy of trees. I think this issue isn't isolated to this model/brand but seems pronounced on this given the entire upper is netted, opposed to having some areas of material. Like I said - ventilation is great though.UPDATE: I camped in downpours and steady rains and had no issues. I also found a way to perform the takedown underneath the rainfly creatively and, even if it were raining hard, I think I could do it without soaking the interior tent.All that said, I am satisfied with it for the price and it can get the job done repeatedly, those minor quirks aside. If I have further updates after rain that are worth commenting on, I will add.

I've been wanting this tent for a long time, and it arrived today. I am so disappointed. I should have listened to the other poor reviews. I'm a veteran camper and have had many tents, and this is absolutely the lamest rainfly design I've ever seen. It is absolutely true that the pole is 2" too long, and impossible for one small person to fit into the (way not deep enough) pockets. I've also never seen a tent before with so few velcro tabs attaching the fly to the poles. One velcro tab per pole--that's it! Even my cheap tents have three per pole.And who on earth puts not one, but TWO seams in the FLOOR?!?!?The only reason I'm not giving this only one star is that the tent itself sets up quickly with all clips and no sleeves to run poles through.Off now to shop for a different tent...

One pole is damaged.