In this day and age, there are a wide range of different tents to choose from, while a lot of them simply don’t perform as good as the product descriptions claim them to.
So in my Kelty Tempest 2 Person Tent review I will be debunking every detail about it, all the online reviews, then coming up with my own final conclusion regarding it.
Keep in mind – this review is based on the NEWEST version of the tent, as the old ones are not being made anymore.
Good For 1 Person But Not 2
-
Functionality
-
Waterproof
-
Strength
-
Value
Summary:
This tent definitely gets the basics right – no doubt about it, but the vestibules are too small and can only fit a pair of boots.
Furthermore, there will be nowhere to store your gear other than inside the main tent area, which will only work if you aren’t camping with anyone else. This means that it’s a good solo tent and not really a 2-person tent, unless you take the car for extra storage.
 Pros |
 Cons |
|
|
Specs
Product name: Kelty Tempest 2 Person Tent
Cheapest place to buy: Amazon.com
Color: Blue/Grey
Sleeps: 2
Season: 3
Minimum Weight: 4.9 pounds
Packed Weight: 5.4 pounds
Center Height: 3.5 feet
Floor Size: 7.3 x 4.5 feet
Floor Area: 33.3 Sq. ft
Packed Dimensions: 8 x 24 inches
Gear Loft Included: No
Footprint Included: No
Product Overview
This tent has been built with simplicity in mind, but good enough to perform how any other tent should.
The manufacturers of the Kelty Tempest 2 Person Tent claim that it works best for backpacking but does a great job for car camping as well.
It’s wide and long enough for 2 people, while it’s a 3-season tent so it can be used in the spring, summer, or fall.
It also has a freestanding design. This simply means that it can be pitched without the stakes.
Furthermore, Kelty have added a few good features that are worth mentioning.
Features That Stick Out The Most
Rain Fly/Vestibule – This tent contains a full-coverage rain fly, meaning it comes all the way to the ground to provide great protection from the rain and wind.
Not only that, but it provides a [waterproof] place for you to store your gear out of the elements.
Internal Storage Pockets – A lot of tents are being released with these types of storage areas. However, a lot of people still wonder about them, so I thought I should mention that it does
D-Door Entry – Camping with 2 people can be a pain if you have 1 door – I know, but at least it offers a very large door, making entry and exit a breeze
Wrapped Fiberglass Poles – What’s better than normal fiberglass poles? Wrapped ones obviously. I’m super glad that Kelty have included them on this tent, providing a sturdy construction that can stand strong in high winds
Taped Seams – The seams have all been taped from factory. This means they are all “water tight”, allowing the floor and walls to keep water out even in a downpour
Color-Coded Clips – Not many manufacturers use this feature, and their customers are suffering as a result. Color-coded clips just make pitching the tent SO much easier. Even newbies can pitch the tent in a fast amount of time!
What I Like
Vestibule – I love convenience, so I have always been a fan of rain flies that create a storage compartment for your equipment. This is hands down one of my favorite features that it offers.
Simple Setup – Due to the color-coded poles that it offers, this is a breeze to pitch. Pretty much ANYONE can pitch it without running into any problems
What I Don’t Like
Tiny Vestibule – The vestibule isn’t overly roomy or anything, as it ONLY has enough space for a pair of boots or 2, but at least it does serve its purpose…I guess.
Who Should Use This Tent?
It is a 2-person tent and really only has enough room to house 2 people WITHOUT gear.
Because the vestibule room is tiny and only has enough room to fit a pair of boots, you will either have to camp by yourself if you wish to have your gear in the tent with you, or take the car so you can have a camping buddy while you store all your items in the vehicle.
The choice is definitely yours and entirely up to you.
But many people have found this tent to work as a great solo tent since they can bring their equipment inside with them.
Where To Get The Kelty Tempest 2 Person Tent
You can get one from Amazon.com.
It’s just a matter of checking the current price and making a final decision based on your findings.
But the reason why I chose Amazon is because they have a 30-day return policy.
Get a full refund if you want to, with no questions asked, while all repairs will also be free of charge.
Do I Recommend This Tent To Anyone?
Well, everyone is different and so is everyone’s needs.
So the real question is, what do you plan on using it for?
If you want to go backpacking and have someone else sleep in the tent with you, it will be a no-go. There is just not enough room in the vestibule area to hold all of your equipment.
However, if you are going backpacking and EVERYONE has their own tent, then this could definitely work for you because you can put your items in the tent.
So if you really want to have someone in the tent with you, you need to have a vehicle to put your items in because there’s not going to be enough room inside the tent or the vestibule to store your gear.
Similar Tents
The Kelty Tempest 2 Tent only has 1 door while being slightly too heavy for my liking, so it’s not really my cup of tea. If you want a tent with much more convenience, the Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Tent actually has 2 doors as well as being a little lighter. A much better choice in my honest opinion.
The ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 2 Tent is another great alternative worth considering. This one has 2 LARGE vestibules and 2 doors. So if you want to go backpacking with another person, you can actually take all your equipment with you and store it away in the vestibules.
Final Opinion
This tent definitely has its own pros and cons, but personally I don’t like how there are 3 for each one, when the pros should heavily outweigh the cons, and they simply do not.
There are much better alternatives for a tent at this price, and I have already mentioned them above.
So in my honest opinion, this tent works, but that is it.
There are too many cons and not enough pros.
I hope you found this review helpful.
Click here to get the Kelty Tempest 2 Tent for yourself, or check out my review on the ALPS Mountaineering Taurus 2.
Otherwise comment below your thoughts, opinions, and questions 🙂
Cheers!
-Brandon
Camping Mastery
Good For 1 Person But Not 2
-
Functionality
-
Waterproof
-
Strength
-
Value
Summary:
This tent definitely gets the basics right – no doubt about it, but the vestibules are too small and can only fit a pair of boots.
Furthermore, there will be nowhere to store your gear other than inside the main tent area, which will only work if you aren’t camping with anyone else. This means that it’s a good solo tent and not really a 2-person tent, unless you take the car for extra storage.
Do you know when they Tempest 2 switched to the smaller vestibule? I have a opportunity to buy a new in box Tempest for cheap. The colors look like the orginal in your pictures but the image on the box looks like itmay be the smaller rainfly. Thanks for any help. Your review made me paise before immediately grabbing this “deal”.
Hello Katy. At the time of writing this article (June, 2017), all of the older vestibules had been sold out and they weren’t creating new ones. There’s a good chance it is one of the new vestibules, sadly.