Kelty 2 Tent - 2-Person, 3-Season

The reason I got this was after seeing a review in backpacker magazine that rated this as the winner against many other brands. After years of use I agree their recommendation.
Like all tents...they rate them for number of people as if everyone is very small....or stack them like sardines. As a 1 person tent this is outstanding although have used it for a few backpacking trips with my Boy Scout son where we shared the tent....and one of us carried the rain fly and the other the tent and we shared poles and footprint. We usually lived in this for a long weekend but we have used solo for week plus long trips. Frankly I like this original version more than the newer version...mainly due to the lighter weight. It comes with a gear attic with is handy for light gear. Never had an issue with condensation as long as you pulled out and staked the rain fly so to maximize air.

I have owned this for about 7 years and have NEVER had a drop of water in the tent even during deluge rain storms. The trick is to get some seam seal and go over the 4 corner nylon anchor points and the seams.

I liked this tent so much that one year later I bought the identical version but in 4 person size. That doesn't add a lot of weight and does give more than enough room for two people and all their gear. That 4 person tent has become my favorite for everything except for one person backpacking. For two we use the bigger version and split it between us also. Generally we used this at least one long weekend for three seasons every month with 2 or 3 week long trips every year. No broken poles or plastic hooks that connect the fabric to the poles. We have 4 other tents including a 4 person ultra heavy duty expedition Winter tent. The best part of the Salida tents is the poles which are strong yet light and easy to setup. That heavy duty Winter tent uses pole sleeves that you have to thread the poles through (PITA). The Salida uses plastic hooks to quickly connect to the poles so you can easily do it in the dark or heavy wind...no threading through sleeves. And it goes up quickly. It is self standing....which was useful two years ago after we setup the troop tents and than found out we were in the wrong camp spot. My son and I were able to pickup the entire tent and rainfly and move it 200' to the right spot without taking it apart. Both have a small vestibule that is just large enough for some gear but not overly spacious. Here is a tip to make a tent last for years....I use a foot print under the tent (not included) AND another light weight one inside the tent to save wear and tear on the floor. One of my tents is over 40 years old and has seen a lot of use so figure those two pieces of protection is the secret

The Salida 2 is an excellent backpacking tent. I purchased one several years ago for backcountry elk hunting. My son has decided to join me in the hunt so I just purchased one for him. Easy to set up and take down. I would recommend this tent and purchasing one from Sierra.

The Salida 2 is an excellent backpacking tent. I purchased one several years ago for backcountry elk hunting. My son has decided to join me in the hunt so I just purchased one for him. Easy to set up and take down. I would recommend this tent and purchasing one from Sierra.

I have the newer version; the tent is the same except for the colors.
Lightweight, not ultralight. Weight savings come not from delicate lightweight materials but from it having one door and no vents. The lack of vents requires guying the tent out to prevent moisture from collecting on the walls and transfering to the tents mesh body and dripping into the tent; the back wall is prone to this problem.
I'd recommend adding guylines and stakes. I carry 8 stakes and 7 lines. 5 stakes for the body and tent vestibule and 3 more for guylines. I attach 3 lines on each end of the tent (2 for stability and 1 for the fly) and attach all 3 lines to a single stake. Make sure to attach all the velcro pole attachments to the poles before guying out the poles.
A great tent for a couple. Can be split between the two to lessen the carry weight and save pack space.

I got two of these tents for a recent trip to Kentucky Red River Gorge for spring break. They are a breeze to set up and they are not overly heavy. The price was right and they are the "starter set" gear I purchased for my boys for their first backpacking tents. Both boys are 6'3 and 220 and 240 lbs and they fit in these tents just fine. I did not get the footprint and probably should before another use. We had rain every night and they did not get wet. We did however have significant dew because there was just so much moisture in the air and in the ground I really don't think there was any way to not have dampness. In the morning the floors were damp and the walls of the tent itself were damp. I am pretty new to all things camping/backpacking so I am not sure if an aftermarket waterproofing product would cure that problem or if it is just the nature of things in the great outdoors. I intend to research this prior to future use however. For the price I couldn't be happier. The quality appears to be good as the zippers worked well and as I said set up was a breeze. We had assembled them once in the middle of the living room prior to our trip and set up the first night at 10 pm with the light of head lamps and had no issues whatsoever.