Kelty

Discovery Basecamp 6

Kelty Discovery Basecamp 6

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Overall

#103 in

Camping Tents

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Sentiment score90% positive
9
0
1

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No summary available.

Last updated: Jun 18, 2026

Reddit Reviews

Reddit IconAdventurous_Bad588
5 months ago

I would go with Kelly based purely on experience with both brands

Reddit IconFree_Sun1877
5 months ago

Agree with the brand. Kelty seems a little more heavy duty, and the fly is larger on the Kelty than the Coleman, even if it doesn't go to the ground.

Reddit Iconknuckles-and-claws
5 months ago

I wouldn't buy either of them due to the lack of a fly that goes to the ground. That's not what you asked, so Kelty is my pick based on my experience with their brand.

Reddit IconLong_Audience4403
7 months ago

I spent the summer with my family of 4 in a Kelty Discovery Element 6 that I got with a big discount (google coupon codes and wait for sales) and really liked it. Big enough for us and gear (and dogs sometimes!) and easy peasy to set up and take down.

11 months ago

I have the discovery element 6 and just took it on a 3 week long camping road trip where we broke down every morning and moved somewhere new. Setup and takedown of the tent was the easiest part of the whole process. All of this said above is spot on - it's user friendly, quick to set up and easy to jam back in the bag without complicated folding. I do agree that the floor is thin, so maybe both the footprint and a tarp inside to protect from digging.

9 months ago

I have the kelty discovery element 6, which looks like it's the same tent as the Far out but without the roll back option for the rainfly, which is sick and which I wish I'd known about when I bought mine! I love the E6, it's roomy and easy to set up and take down. We went on a 3.5 week trip where we moved almost every night this summer so it was CRUCIAL. The fly and corners are color coded so you know what goes where. The bag is also a game changer - I can jam the thing into the bag and zip it without CAREFULLY folding it just so so it'll fit in the bag, which has not been my experience with Coleman.

4 months ago

I have the 6 person and it's pretty big, we camped in ours for a month plus some weekends this summer and it was the easiest part of setting up camp.

23 days ago

I also love kelty tents. SO easy to set up and take down and jam back in the bag, but if OP wants bigger than 6P I don't think Kelty is the answer. We (family of 4, kids 7+11) spent the summer last year in a 6P Kelty Discovery Element and love it.

2 months ago

I have a discovery element 6 that I used on a month long trip last summer where we moved almost every night. It was my favorite piece of gear. Easy to set up and take down, roomy, no issues with it. I didn't get one of the dark ones because I was worried about baking!

11 months ago

I love my kelty discovery basecamp. It's dumb easy/quick to set up - two poles and everything is color coded (rain fly yellow straps are the front and clip into the yellow clips). I just used it on a road trip where we set up and broke down every night and it was honestly the easiest part of that situation. We have the 6, it's a good budget quick tent! We comfortably slept 2 adults and 2 kids on air mats with room for bags at the bottom.

4 months ago

How long is a long trip, and what are the concerns of failing? Most tents can last a good long time without issue. Make sure you are thinking about takedown time as well, just because it's fast up doesn't mean it'll be fast down as well. We did a month last summer plus a bunch of weekends in a Kelty tent, which I could set up and take down on my own in under 5 mins. Two poles, color coded, didn't cost me one zillion dollars, easy to get back into the bag without folding it perfectly. I think you're overthinking this.

24 days ago

Also kelty tents come in these great shark mouth bags so you can jam the tent back in without perfectly folding it to fit.

Reddit IconNotyouravgSkinny
5 months ago

The kelty will be the better tent. Fabric and pole construction are going to be somewhat higher quality. Design is also more capable of handling inclement weather. I would check into other models/brands though. $100-$150 more would put you in a tent that will be miles above these two. These are entry level, fair weather, weekender tents but will get you started.

Reddit Iconplantgirl987
5 months ago

I’ve got the Kelty. I wish the rain fly went all the way to the ground to make a vestibule, but for mild weather camping, the tent is awesome. And even in a persistent drizzle for several days, it did stay mostly dry with just a bit toward the bottom getting a bit wet.

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