Kelty - Discovery Element 4
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Reddit Reviews:
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Last updated: Jan 5, 2026 Scoring
Liked most:
1924
560
"I even washed them accidentally and still worked perfectly fine afterwards."
"Been using them for about four years working out in my gym, and cycling daily (45+ minutes on a bicycle outdoors)."
"They last absolutely forever (I know 1980s models still in daily use)"
413
25
"the white one is on sale on Amazon for about $350 which is a steal"
"I'm on my second one in 7 years"
"I would say that the investment was more than worthwhile."
129
5
"I was hesitant about the instant part of it having not used one before, but I love it. I can put it up/take it down by myself"
"Coleman is stupid easy to set up ... this is so easy and takes a lot of stress away ... It’s easy ... You don’t have to think about it."
"Goes up super fast"
2
2
"are comfortable for everything down to below freezing"
"will keep you dry"
1
1
"You can get replacement and repair parts"
Disliked most:
36
21
"Im camping now in a Coleman 4 person tent. 1 is comfy, 2 is cramped. 4 if we were midgets."
"I find that you basically have to halve the number of people advertised to fit in a tent to get a comfortable experience with space for gear and to be sleeping without being up against the side walls (which can cause moisture to transfer inside of the tent). ... my Coleman rent that is advertised as a 6 person tent but sleeps three plus gear better than it fits 6 sardines."
"Door is only on one side, which makes it hard to use 2 cots (6 person)."
0
3
"Kelty, is it half covered in mesh, it is horrible in summer and it cannot stand winter."
"Would I take it in a thinderstorm or high altitude, no."
"I did wish the material would be polyester or sil-poly like a Durston tent, but I think I can live with it since I don't camp in much rain or in very hot/cold climates."
2
9
"The pole design means they are under twist pressure, and after I'd replaced the third set of poles I decided to go inflatable. ... and the poles kept breaking."
"It was a great tent up until the fiberglass pole snapped on a trip last year."
"Personally snapped a three season tent on rainier from the wind a few seasons ago. Granted it was a big Agnes tiger wall."
6
1
"we got SOAKED through the thin floor"
0
1
"6 or 7 years ago a pole broke so I emailed Kelty about a replacement. Slow response, no offer of help. They couldn't even tell me the length I should buy."
"Then I found out they had been bought out by exxel outdoors, LLC . So read into this what you want buy it was another buy out where service tanked."
Kelty all day every day in that price range. Discovery Element 4 and it's footprint is well under budget and gets you to a little more comfortable size for storing your gear. If you're backpacking or otherwise prioritizing size/weight the Discovery Trail 2 or Grand Mesa 2 would work as well.
r/camping • Buying a Tent ->I like the Walmart brand Ozark Trail. We have had a smaller tent from them for quite a while (it does leak now but we set up a tarp over it). Our nicer Kelty tent tore and the zipper broke. They’ll fix them for you but I lose the receipt :( Since you’re new I’d go on the less expensive side first.
r/camping • Complete camping beginner needs help picking a tent ->I've had my Kelty for about 12 years now and it has never failed to perform to my highest expectations. I highly recommend them.
r/CampingGear • What brands or types of tents should I be looking to get? ->We loved our Ozark Trail tent! Set out on a cross country camping trip with a brand new Kelty that we spent a pretty penny on. A week in, a pole broke in the wind and we got SOAKED through the thin floor. Went to a Walmart, picked up an Ozark Trail, and left the Kelty in a dumpster. Never looked back on that decision.
r/camping • Ozark Trail Tent Experience? ->Go with the Kelty version of this same tent instead, better quality and price difference right now isn't much at all with the sales they are running
r/CampingGear • Slumberjack daybreak 6p ->https://www.steepandcheap.com/kelty-discovery-element-4-tent-4-person-3-season I have this tent. A pole did snap but Kelty warranty replaced it. I think it may have been a fluke, there was 4 straight days of rain. I had a mishap with it (my fault this time) so I just replaced it for $80 shipped. Most of our scouts have Kelty tents. We're in the southeast. Nothing wrong with Coleman either though. Perhaps better for you actually. They dont have a full rainfly so you'll get more condensation on that single wall - not a huge issue. They're pretty bullet proof though and the thick tent floor is nice, no need for a footprint tarp.
r/CampingGear • Camping tents for Teens ->I used the same Kelty tent for 30 years. Replaced many components in that time. 6 or 7 years ago a pole broke so I emailed Kelty about a replacement. Slow response, no offer of help. They couldn't even tell me the length I should buy. Far cry from my previous experiences with them. Then I found out they had been bought out by exxel outdoors, LLC . So read into this what you want buy it was another buy out where service tanked. exxel has a bunch of other brands they've bought; Kelty, KB Tactical, UD, Sierra Designs, HEX, Slumberjack, Wenzel & SJK. Not sure how service/quality with the other brands has fared. ANNND, I'm also a side sleeper and bought a DeepSleep SOLO MAT SELF-INFLATING CAMPING BED $179.99 to use on my cot. It's 5" thick and has air + foam. Totally love this mat.
r/CampingGear • Labor Day Sale Tent Choice ->Well if you want advice on a tent I could probably try to help you out! Just took a quick pass through the tent options and I’d recommend the core 4 person instant tent for $150 just because they’re already an established tent making brand with great reviews. I personally own a 4 person kelty tent and the quality is really good imo and they’re easy to setup. Some of the kelty tents have these sleeves that the bottom of the poles go into and it makes solo setup a breeze. My issue with instant tents like the one you mentioned, the gazelle t4, etc. is that they’re heavy and they don’t get very compact. But if you have both storage space and space in your vehicle go for it.
r/CampingGear • Does anyone have experience with Bass Pro Shops tents? ->Kelty is always a solid bet. Good quality many choices Helleberg tents will last forever. But the price is high. Many other quality suggestions are listed from others too. Good luck and have fun!
r/WildernessBackpacking • Tent help ->If you can get them, Kelty is a great tent for the dollar
r/camping • New to camping interested in getting a tent. Good first tent? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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