Kelty - Rumpus 6

We got the Kelty Rumpus 6, and the footprint. It’s been great for the most part. There is a minor annoyance with the zipper on the front door where it pulls oddly. As long as you are careful it’s perfectly workable. The rain fly covers everything which is nice for the most part. I’d love to try to sleep in it without the rain fly because it’s basically a screen ceiling which would be great for looking at the stars. But it’s always been raining or going to hit the dew point so we’ve used the rain fly every time. We have had a small hole, but I’m certain that was user error while trying to pack up during a lull in a thunderstorm. (Which it handled beautifully. Just dry everything when you get home.) we probably had 30+ mph winds, and a good 3-4 inches of rain on our last trip.

2 of us and a dog. We have a kelty rumpus 6 and it’s perfect for us. Plenty of room for two cots and our stuff, the vestibule fits two chairs so when the weather is not great we can stay dry. Also car camping so the weight isn’t an issue. Tent is easy set up and very comfortable without the rainfly if weather permits. With the rainfly it’s still ventilated but does heat up in direct sun. We’ve camped all seasons with it in Texas and Arkansas. Can’t say anything about snow camping, but we did camp in sub-freezing temperatures and did just fine.

My spouse and I have the Kelty Rumpus 6. Plenty roomy for both of us, all our stuff, plus space. Spouse is 6’3” and can stand up without issue, and not touch the walls when lying down. The vestibule is great for keeping a chair or two and taking off shoes/putting on coats. We camped for a week by lake ouchita and it was lovely and we never felt cramped or crowded in the tent.

Kelty Rumpus 6 I'm 6'3" and I can stand in the middle without hitting my head. There's room inside for our 2 cots and a nightstand between us.

I have the Kelty Rumpus & love it

Car camping? Standard, common, REI or Kelty, 6p dome. Watch for sales. Cheap blue tarp for ground wetness. Old door mat in vestibule. It’ll last 10-20 years Make sure the rainfly reaches the ground. No toupees!

Look at Kelty. I have a 6-person tent from them. I use it for car camping. You can stand. Really affordable. No problems. Like $120-$150 or something.

Also look at Kelty. That’s what I have.

I got a Kelty 6p tent for $90 on this website called steep and cheap a couple weeks ago. Retail it’s $180 at REI

I bought a kelty 6 person tent for a music festival for like $289. Incredible tent. I don't think I could afford REI prices.

For under $200 *and* weather resistant, I'd say that Alps Mountaineering and Kelty are your best bets. Close runner up would be Eureka. I have an Alps Mountaineering that I bought 13 or 14 years ago and it is great, though ventilation leaves a bit to be desired (I use it mainly early spring and late fall). I used to have a 6 person Kelty that I gave to a friend when he wanted to start taking his kids camping. Both do/did well in the rain.

Both are solid tents. FWIW I have an older model Kelty 6P and it is amazing on rain and wind.

I'll be honest, I've used REI rents and also had good luck with Kelty and I know others have had good luck with Nemo and MSR. You get what you pay for though. So will a Coleman or Ozark Trails tent get you through the weekend? Baring really bad weather, I'd say the likelihood is high (I've known plenty of folks to bring them car camping and been perfectly happy with performance). Will it last multiple seasons? Likelihood is lower. If OP can afford it, I'd buy a decent 2-person tent and then not worry about replacing it for a good long time (with proper TLC).

Kelty tents usually exceed my expectations for the price.

I have a Kelty, an Alps, a North Face, a REI, a Magellan and one from Bass Pro (I can’t remember the name). All are for different situations. Kelty is a great brand. Just realize you are entering a world where you are going to wake up and ask “Do I need another tent?” and the answer is always yes. Applies to backpacks as well :)

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.

I've had a Coleman Sundome and a similar Coleman Long's Peak. Both had premature (Sundome in year 3) door zipper failure. I just bought a very similar design Kelty and the quality of the materials is noticeably better.

Kelty, but double your budget.

I really like Kelty. They seem to have a recent issue with their fiberglass poles though. One of mine broke when it shouldn't have and I found other people reporting the same issue. The Late Start has AL poles and looks like a great option for a 4 person tent.

I just got a Kelty, it seems amazing for the $

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!

Kelty makes great tents for the money

Get a Kelty, way higher quality and will keep you dry

Love my Kelty for car camping. Zippers on the cheap models are frustrating and get stuck a lot.

Seconding this comment. My first tent was an ozark lasted me almost a decade, upgraded to a nicer Kelty eventually but still have the ozark pop up. Great stuff for the price highly reccomend

The windows started peeling on my kelty tent - I sent it in and they repaired it (and the stretched out elastic in my poles) for free just FYI

I had a relatively cheap Kelty tent that held up very well in storms solely because the fly covered the whole tent.

I've been rocking a kelty tent for 6 years now. I bought it when I first was getting into backpacking and I have used it since. It's a bit heavy comapared to UL tents but I think it is a great tent to start out with. I keep telling myself I am going to buy a new lighter tent, but the kelty has been great.