I decided to create my own Kelty TN3 Tent review.
There isn’t much reviews on the internet regarding this tent so I thought “hey, somebody has to do it”.
But before we dive into the quality of, all the features and everything else it offers, I want to show you what you get upon ordering first.
I hope you enjoy it and it helps you make the right decision 🙂
What’s in the Box:
- Tent body
- Stargazing fly
- 3 aluminium color-coded poles
- Roll top carry bag
- Stakes
Specs:
- 7’ x 5.8’ floor
- 3.6’ height
- Vertical walls for better livability
- 14-inch aluminum poles promote easy packing
- DAC Pressfit poles – environment-friendly
- Internal storage pockets for valuable items
Design:
The Kelty TN3 Tent is a lightweight and compact tent for the backcountry – with a full mesh roof that’ll make you want to spend more nights under the stars.
The waterproof fully seam taped stargazing fly rolls up and out of the way for unobstructed views.
Should the weather change you can quickly batten down the hatches from the inside of the tent for full coverage protection.
The rain fly features a window on each side for keeping an eye on the conditions and the brow vents help keep condensation at bay.
A door on each side makes it easy to get out in the middle of the night without having to crawl across your sleeping tent mate.
To get you on your way quickly and easily, the entire package fits into this easy-to-pack roll top carry bag.
Construction & Setup:
It is a breeze to set up and only requires one person.
The first setup might take about 5-10 minutes, but when you know what you’re doing it can be pitched in a matter of 2-3 minutes.
Best way to pitch it:
1. Clear the area of sticks, rocks, vegetation and forest duff
2. Unpack the tent and lay out all the items so you can see everything you’re working with
3. Lay out the tent and assemble the color-coded poles
4. At each corner, insert the tip into the Jake’s foot
5. Connect the Kelty Hug clips to the poles. The walls will be near-vertical at this point, bringing the tent to life
6. Add the ridge pole over the top to increase elbow room and head space
7. Toss the rain fly over the top and secure the corners. The color-coded webbing makes it easy to get it right
8. Finally, stake out the vestibules. They are a great spot for stashing your gear out of the way
Weight and Size:
Weight varies depending on how you’re using the tent.
For example some ultralight backpackers leave the rain fly behind and sleep under the stars. But the problem with that is if a sudden storm passes through the night, they’re screwed.
The weight without the rain fly is 5 lbs 3 oz.
So the full weight, including the rain fly is 5 lbs 8 oz.
Believe it or not but this is a pretty good weight considering how easy it is to use and the amount of weather protection it offers.
Ease of Use:
These highly livable yet lightweight tents are built to make a great home on your next camping trip.
It can be pitched within minutes and includes a cube storage bag to make carrying it around a breeze.
A queen size mattress can fit inside this tent at the expense of storage space, but that’s what the vestibules are for anyway 🙂
Negatives/Improvements:
The vestibules are a little too large for the tent.
What I mean:
It throws the balance off when the wind blows it around.
If only there were more staking options, the tent would be much more taught and it wouldn’t move as much in the wind.
And unfortunately the poles only go in one way too.
You might make the simple mistake of placing them upside down, confusing yourself and getting stressed out.
The rain fly and flooring material is thin and flimsy. Now keep in mind, that was done on PURPOSE from the manufacturers.
It is done to save on weight, however, this might be an issue for you if you’re not really keen on a lightweight tent.
The base sizes is 7 feet, so the interior space is even less than that. If you’re 6’2 or taller you’ll have to sleep on an angle for a comfortable sleep.
Value:
Even though it has some negatives (heck, nothing’s perfect), the features, ease of use, simple set up and high protection from the elements are all selling points in my opinion.
It is by no means in the low price bracket so if you’re looking for a cheap tent you may need to check these instead.
In saying that, the Kelty TN3 Tent is hands down worth the money.
It has lots of features, it’s lightweight, has near-vertical walls and combats the elements very well.
Great job Kelty, you’ve done it again!
Get Yours on Amazon.com!
Kelty TN 3 Tent - Gear Review
-
Design
-
Construction & Setup
-
Weight
-
Ease of Use
-
Value
The Good
- VERY high quality & durable
- Easy to set up
- Lots of ventilation
- Has a mesh roof for stargazing
The Not So Good
- The large vestibules throw the balance off in the wind
- Poles assemble one way only
- Rain fly and floor is thin (to save weight)
- A little too small for tall people
Leave a comment below if you found this post helpful 🙂
Kelty TN 3 Tent - Gear Review
-
Design
-
Construction & Setup
-
Weight
-
Ease of Use
-
Value
The Good
- VERY high quality & durable
- Easy to set up
- Lots of ventilation
- Has a mesh roof for stargazing
The Not So Good
- The large vestibules throw the balance off in the wind
- Poles assemble one way only
- Rain fly and floor is thin (to save weight)
- A little too small for tall people
The tn3 tent would be perfect for me and my son to go on our first camping trip, although it’s a 3 man tent we would like to have a bit more room to stretch out.
One question though, what is a Jake’s foot?
Good call, buddy. The base size is only 7 feet so if you’re anything over 6 feet you’ll probably have to sleep on an angle or you’ll be touching the walls. A Jake’s foot is a corner anchor system, a place where the grommets sits into.
Hey Brandon,
Great review! My wife and I love to go camping and we’ve never had a tent with the mesh top to see through. That sounds really cool, I like the idea of being able to see the stars while I’m falling asleep. It sounds like it would bring you so much closer to nature than most tents do. This is getting added to my list of gear to buy, which seems to never end haha. Thanks for the review.
Haha, not a problem at all Matt. It’s good to see couples getting out and enjoying mother nature how it should be enjoyed. Keep doing your thing and you will create countless memories no one can take from you!
I purchased the TN3 for backpacking and can attest to its lightweight and ease of pitching. My wife and I can actually seperate the items (fly and inner and poles) across two packs to minimize weight. The TN3 easily fits two adults but I’m 6’ tall and my head and toes barely clear the walls at each end. My one complaint is that you cannot put the tent up without putting the fly on last so if it’s pouring rain the inner WILL get wet.
Damn, that is a big con isn’t it. Well thanks for sharing your experiences with this tent.