In my Kelty Gunnison 4.3 review, I will be providing everything that I find regarding this tent.
Do you need to do additional weatherproofing, is it worth the price, and does it perform as good as they claim it to on the product page?
Since manufacturers aren’t completely honest about the performance of their tents, I review them and find the true quality, and this review is no different.
To discover if the Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent is a good choice or a waste of money, keep reading to find out the truth.
| Functionality
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Waterproof
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Strength
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My Final Rating
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| With so many bells and whistles, it offers all the features you will ever need in a 4 person tent, especially at this price! | Can keep a heavy downpour out very easily due to the amount of waterproofing features that it offers | A great product indeed! Kelty have outdone themselves with this tent. It is likely to last up to 10 years if you’re a seasonal camper | I RARELY praise tents, but I was so surprised at how well this one performs! It has exceeded my expectations by a long shot. Well done Kelty 😀 |
 The Good |
 The Bad |
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Summary: The Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent looks like one of those tents that CAN be good, but you don’t know if it will actually perform as good as the manufacturers are claiming it to. Well, Kelty have surprised me with this one. As it offers as much features that you will ever need in a 4 person tent and still has the ability to keep the rain out while standing strong in high winds. The video below shows you how quick and easy it is to set up.
Specifications
Product name: Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent
Cheapest Place To Buy: Amazon.com
Color: Grey
Size: 4-person
Rating: 3-season
Minimum Weight: 7 lbs 4 oz
Packaged Weight: 8 lbs 15 oz
Center Height: 4.5 ft
Floor Size: 7.3 ft (L) x 8.3 ft (W)
Floor Area: 61 Sq. ft
Vestibule Area: 17.5 + 9.25 sq ft
Packed Size: 14 x 18 inches
Footprint Included: Yes
Product Overview
This tent is designed to fit 4 people and contains 2 doors. The full-coverage rain fly creates 2 vestibule rooms, offering extra space to place your gear.
It consists of a freestanding design, a 2 pole hubbed system, shockcorded aluminium poles, and Kelty’s Hug pole clips. These features make this tent capable of being pitched in a fast and easy manner – every single time.
The clips are all color-coded to make it even easier, while the Jake’s Foot pole attachment system makes it very reliable at combating the elements, allowing it to stay standing in strong winds.
This tent offers a roll top Tent Cube storage bag. Basically, it compacts down to a small, flat package to help you save space in your backpack.
The Cube Storage Bag
A footprint is ALSO included in the purchase, so there’s no need to use a tarp under it.
This footprint will protect the bottom of your tent (the floor) so it will last for many years and camping trips to come.
The zippers are “noiseless”, so you won’t wake your sleeping buddy up in the middle of the night either.
Entry and Exit
There are two extremely large “D” doors on each side of the tent. These D-shaped doors create a much easier entry and exit, especially if you’re a little bigger than the average person.
Furthermore, you won’t need to climb over your camping buddy when you need to get up in the middle of the night.
Storage
The rain fly creates two vestibule areas. This where you put your gear (backpacks, shoes, jacket, etc).
One of the vestibule areas provide an “awning”, due to the double zipper design.
This means that a piece of the rain fly can be lifted and held in place by two trekking poles, overall increasing ventilation and offering extra shade while you sit outside the tent.
The Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Awning
However, the other side of the tent contains a normal vestibule area, which is used to store gear only.
A gear loft is also included in the purchase, as well as mesh storage pockets AND door pockets.
This is so you have somewhere to store your equipment that you want to keep inside the tent (such as your flashlight, lighter, cellphone, etc).
Ventilation
Your main source of ventilation is obviously on the body of the tent. It has a nice design to go along with it as well. The ventilation consists of mesh material to stop condensation building up inside the tent.
The Ventilation – Mesh Doors And Walls
The mesh is on the sides of the tent and both of the doors as well.
There are also adjustable vents located on the rain fly, making sure you get as much fresh air coming into the tent as possible. This is so you can keep the air flow circulating in light rain!
Weatherproofing
The entire tent has been thoroughly weatherproofed from the manufacturers.
This means that the seams (rain fly and floor – which has been described as tough and durable) have all been sealed from factory, giving the best protection against the rain, especially from underneath the tent!
This typical rain fly that it offers stretches right out and to the ground as well, protecting you from the elements a lot better than if it was just stopping halfway.
To keep you even more safe, Kelty have gone the extra mile to give this tent the Kelty’s Arc Edge feature. This lifts the seams up off the ground, preventing all the moisture from seeping through and into the tent.
What I Like About The Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent
Personally, I like how much floor space that it offers. I don’t like feeling cramped if I don’t have to. So a good-sized tent is what I’m always looking for.
Not only that, but the awning was another feature that caught my eye. You don’t see many smaller tents offering this great add-on, and when you do, they are usually much more expensive.
But mostly, and because it’s rare to find, but the FOOTPRINT is included in the purchase!
Nobody likes spending more money for an item that they just purchased, so I like that this will help with that problem tremendously.
What I Don’t Like
I can already tell that the weight is going to be an issue for backpackers. But if you mostly go camping, like me, then you’ll have no issues with how much it weighs anyway.
Even though there’s ventilation from the mesh material, it doesn’t give you the ability to stargaze in the warmer months since your views are VERY limited.
You can’t get full views of the night sky, nor panoramic views of the outside world, simply because the mesh material is on (roughly) 30% of the tent only.
Who Should Buy This Tent?
If you’re passed the “beginner” stage and want a tent that’s more advanced, then you’ll enjoy the benefits and features that the Kelty Gunnison 4.3 offers.
Even if you are still a beginner and you just want a tent that’s high quality and going to last a long time, then by all means try this one out.
If you want to take it backpacking, I highly suggest you split the weight up between 2-3 people.
You can then go an excursion into the wilderness with a strong and durable backpack but without the extra stress on your shoulders.
Best Place To Buy?
I prefer to shop at Amazon.com for the simple fact that they offer a bunch of great add-ons to make your purchase completely stress-free.
How Do They Do It?
When you buy an item from Amazon, you get a 30-day return policy, an extremely fast delivery, a discounted price, and even free delivery if you’re located in the United States.
Furthermore, they are very trustworthy and reliable on all their orders – guaranteed!
Check The Price Of This Tent
Do I Recommend The Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent?
I can give that an easy YES!
The amount of features and strength that it offers, as well as the great weatherproofing abilities, makes it stand out from its competitors by A LOT.
It isn’t “extremely” expensive, so it tends to lean more towards the affordable price range.
For those reasons, and obviously because the pros completely smash the cons, I will have to say the Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent is definitely recommended!
A Big Thumbs Up For This Tent
Alternative Tent
If you want a tent that allows you to have full panoramic views and the ability to see the starry night sky with the rain fly off, then the Kelty Grand Mesa 4 Tent would be a much better choice for you.
Or, if you want another 4 person tent that is MUCH cheaper, it just doesn’t offer as much features that the Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent offers, but it gets the job done remarkably well (especially in bad weather), then read my review on the ALPS Mountaineering Meramac 4 Tent.
My Final Opinion
This tent truly exceeded my expectations, and that’s with no exaggeration either.
With most tents, 99% of the time they have a hidden flaw, and I ALWAYS find out what it is. Yet, there was really nothing BIG that I could find wrong with this one – a true flawless tent in my honest opinion.
YES, there are some cons, but they are very minor and do not interfere with how the tent actually performs in the wild or how long it will last.
Due to the free footprint (that’s included) to protect your investment and the 30-day money-back guarantee, makes this tent a no-brainer. What an amazing tent, Kelty – Well done!
The Kelty Gunnison 4.3 Tent is highly recommended!
Whoa, great thorough review! Most times I’ve gone camping, I’ve had pretty abysmal tent experiences. Dirt and water gets in, there isn’t enough padding between you and the ground, or it’s just awful to assemble. I don’t think I’ve ever used a tent with two doors, and by the way this seems like a no-brainer feature for any multi-person tent, because who really likes climbing over someone in the middle of the night, on your way back from peeing in the woods! 🙂
Thank you for the kind words, Penelope!
Sounds like you’ve been camping with some really bad tents. In this day and age, it’s much easier to find a decent product since there’s a lot of good reviews on the internet. Or, you can just read my reviews, since I provide honest and unbiased opinions on all of them 🙂
And believe it or not, but tents with 2 doors are becoming more and more popular, making it much easier for 2 people to camp in them without interrupting the other person, especially in the middle of the night – as you so bluntly put it…Lol.
Thanks for the comment,
Brandon
Love your review of this Kelty tent. I just signed up for a hike of mount Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia. The team maybe looking for a tent for the night and may consider this. A bit concern about the weight though but I will send this review to them as I am not the decision maker. Thanks for putting up this post
Thank you, HT. That’s great that you found it helpful.
And I agree, the weight isn’t the best, but all the features make this one of the best 4 person tents I’ve reviewed so far. As long as you decide to split the weight up between 2 of you, then it shouldn’t be an issue.
Cheers,
Brandon
Hi Brandon, I love camping as well! So, when I came across your website I thought this is a pretty cool site to have camping accessories reviews. Thanks for this review on the kelty gunnison 4.3. This sounds like a pretty cool tent to invest in. I like how it goes down so flat to fit in a cube storage bag. I have always had trouble packing a tent back up neatly lol… I never saw this size tent to have 2 doors too so, I like the fact of 2 doors also. Thanks for this cool site, I will be bookmarking it.
I agree! A lot of tents can NOT fit in the carry case that’s included in the purchase. And that’s why the cube storage bag caught my eye when I saw it. I’m glad you found my review helpful, and thanks for the comment 😀
Take care,
Brandon
Amazing review! I feel like I’ve learned more from this article than I would in weeks with the tent itself. Impressive!
The heavier weight isn’t an issue for me, since I don’t backpack, and all the other features more than make up for it.
Great tent, great article!
Cheers, Whitney.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated 🙂 I agree, the highly beneficial features outweigh the small con of being slightly heavier than usual. But it is definitely well worth it in the end.
Good luck,
Brandon
Oh man, I WISH we had had a nice large tent like this when I was a kid! I used to go on canoe trips with my parents and my brother when I was a kid and the tent was never big enough for all of us to fit comfortably. I’ve gotta say, it looks like tents have come a long way in the last 15 years.
And for me, it’s the little things that companies do that I find REALLY interesting. Like these noiseless zippers! I didn’t even know that was possible! On a side note, do you know if this comes in different colors?
As I keep saying, Nick – with new technology comes better tents for us to use. As they can be created with much higher durability and better features, overall increasing performance and convenience.
And guess what? They’ll only get even better from here on out 🙂 So yes, tents have definitely come a long way!
Noiseless zippers…uhhh…the peacefulness you can experience when hopping out of your tent at midnight, lol. And sorry, they do not come in other colors.
Glad to help.
Cheers,
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
I was planning to buy a tent for us but confused on which brand to choose. I was more inclined towards “Coleman” brand just because of the brand name. Thanks for the detailed post about the “Kelty Gunnison 4.3 tent”. With it’s great benefits, I’m convinced now to try this tent instead of the coleman one. Thank you.
Regards,
Manivannan Y
Coleman are a great brand, but they are best used for casual/family use only, not necessarily for mountain camping or anything of the sort. They focus primarily on usability and affordability, that is it. I’m glad you found a great tent that works for you, and thanks for the comment 🙂
Cheers,
Brandon
Hi Brandon,
Thanks for this review, I was looking for a new tent for camping this summer and I came across this site.
I’m defiantly going to check this one out.
I’m glad you found it helpful, Greg.
And I have no doubts you’ll find it to work exactly as advertised, just like I did inside this review.
Cheers and good luck 🙂
-Brandon
Nice review. Fortunately they are starting to make tents better and better nowadays. I just checked it out and the price is pretty reasonable too.
Exactly my point. And they’re only going to get better and better as the years go by 🙂
Thanks for your comment, Jeff.
Good luck.
Great review Brandon. I’ve always thought a quality tent had to be expensive. Ive had some bad experiences with camping in the past all down to bad quality tents. I will definitely save this page for future reference.
No way. You don’t always have to go expensive.
However, if you want to camp in snow or extremely cold conditions – then yes, you’ll definitely have to invest in an expensive one.
But if you want a tent that will keep you safe from the rain and wind only, then this tent is the right choice.
Okay, so funny story (well not funny at the time, but looking back it is). Last September my husband and I went on a trip to Arizona/Utah, and ended up camping at Monument Valley. It was breathtaking and I would do it again in a heartbeat!! Anyways, our campsite was great by day, but by night, winds starting picking up BAD… come to find out we were in a high wind advisory (out in the middle of the desert, mind you) and we seriously thought our tent was going to blow away lol. He had to scramble to find some heavy rocks to lay over the stakes. We survived the night (lol), and our tent did manage to keep us dry from the moderate rain storm that passed over us in the night, but in the morning we were COVERED in red desert dirt. The wind had picked up the sand and blown it right under the flap and through the mesh. Long story short… I think I would have much preferred this tent, and had we known we would have had such an experience we probably would have done more research and purchased a more weather proof tent. This one looks as if it would have held up much better. Knowing that the flap does well with rain I’d bet it would do pretty well keeping out dirt as well. Great review, could’ve used this last year, but now I have a great tent on my list. Thank you.
It’s NEVER funny at the time, but we can all have a laugh about it afterwards, which is why making memories and having no regrets is ESSENTIAL if you want to be on your deathbed and say “I really did have a great life”.
But at the time of these bad experiences, they really do suck. I’m glad you can laugh it off now though 🙂
Definitely, this tent probably would have held up a lot better than the tent you had. I really couldn’t find much cons or complaints for it, making it almost flawless in my books.
Really good read. Im a person who goes to regular festivals so something like this would be more durable and better for me in the long run!
Indeed it will be. Oftentimes it can rain a lot at festivals, so you need a good tent that will keep you safe when that does happen.
Good luck and thanks for the comment.
This looks like a really great tent. I intend to head off and do some climbing next year with a buddy, and we are looking for something very durable for our base camps, this looks great. only the weight seems a little on the high side? could you recommend anything similar that is a touch lighter? While it only needs to sleep 2 a bit more space would be nice as we don’t want to be on top of each other!
Thanks
Not a problem, Steve. This tent is definitely high quality and durable, but if you’re looking for something much lighter but still having a lot of space, your next best option will have to be the Eureka Midori 2 Tent.
This one is much cheaper and lighter as well, and although it isn’t AS big, it’s still good enough quality for what you intend to use it for.
Thanks for the really informative reviews. This will make my tent buying decision easier. You have given me a look at some of the tents I had not considered. I will have to run this past the powers that be (wife). I will see what I am able to convince her of, with your sites help of course. This is the most informative place I have found.
Well thank you for your kind words, James. I hope you can convince your wife of a great tent to purchase 😛 Send her to my site, I’m sure one of my articles can convince her 🙂
Good luck!