Kelty - Late Start 2

I know many will be against this option or hate on it but dude... ive been using the Kelty late start 2 for the last year and a half.... absolutely love everything about this tent and have had zero issues with it at all and i dont even use a footprint! Gets the job done quick and easy and is light enough but not the lightest. I am not an ultralight guy but if you have the space for it in or on your pack, dont sleep on this option, sleep in it!

I've had the Kelty Late Start for a few years. Not the lightest but roomy enough and tall enough. Decent quality tent that was priced right for me.

Just used this last night for an impromptu winter camp out. Definitely Not a 4 season tent but it did well enough. I use it a bunch over the summer, it's small enough to take on a small hike and is budget friendly too.

If you end up not getting/wanting it repaired. I can personally recommend the Kelty Late Start. I have the 2-person variant but they make several sizes. By far the simplest/quickest setup of any tent I've used/owned. I'm on my third or fourth-ish camping season with it and it has held up wonderfully. No fancy bells or whistles as far as features, but I put a premium on simplicity and reliability when it comes to my camping stuff. I can elaborate a little more if you're considering it. Good luck!

Go for the Core tent if you're a stand up in the tent & move around type. You'll like it. We got our big one pretty muddy and it was a heavy pain to clean. Hubby can stand & likes to bring a chair in. I like a smaller dome tent. I love my Kelty Late Start. The pole pockets and clips are great. I will never purchase another tent with sleeves for the poles to slide through (looking at you Coleman). Do you have any plans to backpack with the Scout Troop? Or are you exclusively car camping? Many scout camps require you to walk in your gear from a common parking area. If that's the case, having a wagon is key if you want to keep your large tent.

Ease of setup, breathability, durability, reliability The Kelty Late Start will probably be my next tent. - the sleeves that the poles slip into are awesome. Someone should have thought of that decades ago. - AL poles makes it easier to cart to a site - mostly mesh body, this is key for summer in SE USA - your region may change this - kelty has a solid rep - full rainfly means it'll take on storms better and have less condensation inside I don't care about how many pockets or whatever else it has. A 4 person is the biggest we use regularly. I have had bigger tents but they're just whatever I find an amazing deal on.

Where do you camp, what is the weather like? Generally Kelty or Alps Mountaineerimg tents are the budget tents that are a step up from Coleman. Two layer (separate body and rainfly) are most forgiving. Full rainfly (covers the whole body) is best. More mesh in the body for hot and humid. Less mesh for colder climates.

Yeah the marketing is so bad. There are 3 season tents that are better suited for colder climates but they aren't advertised like that. So weird. In the south, I recommend Kelty tents a lot because their 2 layer tents have almost-full mesh bodies. I notice that people in the northern US swear by Alps Mountaineering tents... their bodies happen to have a lot less mesh in the body. They're like 3.5 season tents, lol (but they'd be bad in the south).

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 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.

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.

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.