Kelty - Grand Mesa 2P

So I don't have this Kelty but I bought a Kelty Grand Mesa 2 person in March 2017 (only know this because of my Amazon history) for $63. I bought it while I was in grad school with intentions of upgrading once I graduated and had real adult money. It's now October 2024, have had the tent for 7.5 years, and have spent countless nights in that tent. It's a rough estimation but I probably have spent about 250 nights in that tent which is close to 30 nights per year which is on the low end of how much I camp throughout the season. The tent's been with me to the Washington state, Colorado, Appalachia, and every spot you could think of in Michigan. It has completely surpassed my expectations and I still have no reason to replace it as my go to tent for when I'm on my own. Would highly recommend a Kelty for a beginner tent, especially for the price point.

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.

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)

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.

I am not the OP. I have a couple different Keltys brand tents in my quiver. 1p, 2p and 3p. Plus a 9p I use for hunting. I like them and those tents handle whatever I throw at them.

We have a cheap 6 person Coleman blackout for 2 of us and we go full glamp with a full foam folding mattress too. The front "porch" leaks a bit as do the corners at the seams...but that was when it full on poured for 2 days straight. We still had one of the driest tents that trip and other people ended up crashing with us at night since their tents flooded. A friend of mine does a 20' canvas bell she got second hand. She does a huge air mattress, brings sets of drawers, the works. She runs a propane heater too. I highly recommend indulging in space and "luxury" for car camping. In contrast, I use a little Kelty 2 person with camping pads when I'm by myself with the dog. Total opposite than on group trips.

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.

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

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.