Kelty - Grand Mesa 2P

Sleeping pad: get an inflatable that rolls up/compresses. I currently have a Klymit Static V. Thermarest also makes good ones, they only need to be a few cm to make a nice pad. Hammock/net, with a tarp for rain: I did this for 6 months through Central America. It’s not ideal on the back to be shaped like a banana all night. I managed but it was not the best sleep. Maybe slightly better for shorter people (I’m 183cm) ? Also a hammock is COLD without a pad and blankets especially on the back as it is just thin fabric (I used a Grand Trunk hammock, very compact and strong). Bag: if you stick to warmer areas, I still recommend a 0C /32F bag or thereabouts. Better to be too warm than too cold. Can always open it up if too hot. Tent: mine is the Kelty Grand Mesa 2. We used it in firefighting so it’s pretty tough and was good in rain as long as it wasn’t a flooded area.

Kelty is a good brand for entry level stuff. It won’t be the lightest or flashiest, but it’s pretty decent and a clear step above big box or Amazon junk brands. The Grand Mesa 2 might meet your needs. $140 USD; a little searching around shows it at some EU distributors for like €197.  I’m admittedly not very familiar with the brands or the market in the EU, so a few more general thoughts: - Aluminum poles are probably worth it (vs fiberglass or pop-up stuff) - A footprint is helpful but often pricey. A cheap tarp works well if you’re not hiking far. Plastic sheeting works fine if you are.  - Look for a tent with a rain fly that fully covers the tent. It’ll be sweatier but a lot more waterproof.  - Sometimes backpacking tents (as compared to camping tents) are trying so hard to be light that they’re made from fragile material — narrow gauge poles, super thin fabric, tiny zippers, etc. This is even more of a problem with cheap backpacking tents. You might find a cheap camping tent that’s only, say, 500g heavier than a cheap backpacking tent, but it may be hundreds of Euro cheaper and last longer.  - Buying upgraded stakes is worth it. I like the ones that are shaped like either a V or a Mercedes sign when you look down the shaft. 

Go with a Kelty to keep the weight down. There are better things to spend those ounces on.

Kelty Grand Mesa 2, maybe not the absolute best for backpacking but a great budget option & very easy set up and pack up (i can't say for sure if you will be able to do it under 5 minutes but I'm a slow mover)

My wife and I were in the same boat as you. I had been rocking my cheap Kelty grand mesa 2 one door/one vestibule tent for years and we kept using it while we built up her gear. Sure it’s snug but it added to the experience. Plenty of great memories stargazing together with the fly off, riding out crazy thunderstorms, or nudging each other awake when we heard wildlife at night. We’ve recently upgraded to a lighter three person tent (marmot tungsten UL 3) but I wouldn’t trade those first handful of years getting sharing that smaller tent while getting her into backpacking. And our sleep setup is basic. Two sleeping pads and two sleeping bags. She steals the covers at home as it is, so I don’t think we could share a quilt or zip our bags together. Also, if you’re strapped for space with the vestibule, put your rain cover on your pack and lean it up against a tree. Been doing that for years and never have gotten it wet even in the worst rain storm.

The $170 OneTigres is the 1p tent. The 2p OneTigres tent is $200. As a couple others have stated, a four season tent won't really keep you a whole lot warmer. It's made to withstand heavy snow load. Is that something you know you're really going to need? You can get a quality 3-season 2p tent for less than 5lbs and less than $200 pretty easily. I'd look at the Naturehike Cloud-Up 2p or the Kelty Grand Mesa 2p.

I rock the Kelty Gand Mesa 2. it's light and easy to put up and down. 2 people fit just right in there with gear at the feet. Keep the vents open as much as you can with a mouth breathing lab, that's for sure. There are larger/similar models too.

We have a kelty two person backpacking tent and two single backpacking mats that click together if you want to sleep side by side. we typically use our own sleeping bags but we do have a two person one that can also zip off into two individuals. She carries the tent and I carry all the food/water and cooking supplies to even up the weight.

I have a kelty 2 person with doors and rainfly vestibules to the ground on both sides. You can each stow your pack outside your respective doors. Easier for nighttime pee trips too.

I also have a very similar kelty 2p tent. It has been my backpacking tent for probably 15 years now. In 2007 it was pretty light and I was constantly being teased for my tiny little tent. It’s a good tent, it’s even a good backpacking tent, it’s just not up to par with modern ultralight but that can be ok. I’m willing to bet that tent is like $100. So for the price I think it has its place. I actually bought myself a Nemo hornet to replace it this year. My son will be inheriting this one until he saves up his own $500 to get something more fashionable.

My Kelty 2p is barely big enough for 2 people. My partner and I were pressing up against the edges of the tent, causing the tent to push up against the rain fly and transfer all the condensation inside ☹️. It's now my solo / backpacking tent and we use a 4 person for car camping lol.

Same. I carried a Kelty 2P tent and we had a joke about it that it was a portable mansion in the forest. It really wasn't THAT big or THAT heavy. It's very close to OP's choice in terms of size and weight. I'm a tall guy with long limbs and I very much appreciated the extra room it gave me even if it was on the heavier side.

Haha it's funny how that works. I guess back then everyone was carrying something similar to a Coleman 2P which are "dome" tents. I love my Kelty, it's certainly not lightweight but it's a damn good tent that I never had issues with.

Kelty has a great 2 person backpacking tent and it isn’t crazy expensive. Years ago my scout troop stumbled on cheap Walmart backpacking tents (probably ozark brand?) and they were great as an entry level tent and around $20 at the time - if you can find a Coleman exponent backpacking tent they are great too. I’m not they even make them anymore- the “exponent” was Coleman’s high end stuff and they had much better sleeping bags and tents under that brand

I have a kelty 2 person and it’s more than enough for myself and a dog or two

I use a kelty 3 man for car camping- it’s light and plenty of room for gear and myself and enough room for the get times my wife came camping. and I like it enough that I got the 2p backpack version. It also probably way und your budget number

I’ve had a kelty two man tent for nearly 25 years. Use it a couple times every year with one being in sub zero winter weather. Only thing that has failed on it is the stuff sack

Survived in a Kelty 2p for years with a spouse , but the day I upgraded to a big Agnes copper spur hvUL3....there is no going back. About 6? Or 8? Years in. Pricey, so make sure it's a hobby you will stick with . But with the hotel fly, man there is room for packs and to take the near 5yo on his first bigger trip soon. Dog, whatever! Big Agnes has an awesome shape even in their 2p, more height with the square shape so it feels a lot less crowded. The weight/size difference between most 2 and 3p is negligible.

I do have the green one. I prefer that more than the red white & blue version. I didn’t have any issues with the Kelty tent. I upgraded the stakes to the red ones you get at REI. I did a 5 1/2 week trip over 10 years ago visiting national parks & monuments throughout Colorado, Arizona & Utah. It rained in Flagstaff after setting up the tent & it kept me dry. I didn’t have problems with the fiberglass poles but I haven’t used that tent since 2019. My ex had a 4p Colman tent and I realized like having the space since I decided to upgrade to a cot & better pad. The last time I used the Kelty tent, I was using a double klymit pad & it had a few inches of floor space left. Ozark was iffy. I got a 10 or 12 person one for spray painting a diy projects. It kept things dry but not clean so I gave up & went back to rolling paint inside. Sold the tent right away on our local fb swap pages. I looked at marmots tents over 10 years ago when I first looking for a 2p one. I ended up with the Kelty one since it was new at a gear consignment store, cheaper than the REI ones & they were thrown in the footprint for free. Marmots were so expensive & there was one at a REI garage sale but since I didn’t know how to put a tent up, I passed the on buying it. Just happen to see the Limestone was a decent price on Campsaver. I still haven’t had a chance to set it up in the backyard or even open up the bag. I’ll be doing that next weekend to make sure all the parts are there since I have 2 weekends of camping next month.

I own Kelty, North Face and Marmot backpacking tents, and can attest to their durability, ease of use and agreeable weight. I've used them both in the backcountry as well as when going car camping.

This depends upon your specific requirements: If your intention is portable 2-person tent that doesn't take up much room and weight isn't much of a concern, get a Kelty. They're nice budget friendly backpacking tents. Big Agnes is good if you want to save weight. But they are expensive and only worth it if you plan to backpack as a hobby. Backpacking and prepping are completely separate topics. You're not hiking your way out of a disaster. First, with most disasters, you will never leave your house. Or even if you do have to evacuate, you will go from your house to another house or apartment. You are not camping in the woods. You are definitely not hiking far. Hiking 10 miles a day would put you in the top 10%. And that's on a good trail, with good weather, and without worrying about being tracked. And more important, you know that every week you will be able to get re-supplied. If you want to be prepared to live on the road after a disaster so that you are not dependent upon a government shelter, then prepare your vehicle instead. My current favorite setup would be a compact SUV pulling a teardrop camping trailer. This provides plenty of room for 1-2 people including all of the supplies you need. You can put solar panels on top of the SUV and teardrop so that you will have plenty of off-grid power. And you will sleep a lot more comfortably.