Description
Astoundingly affordable, the Kelty Grand Mesa 2 Tent proves that you don’t need anything fancy to go backpacking. This small 2 person tent is about as simple as it gets, but because it’s not doing anything fancy, it actually only weighs four pounds, which is less than most tents in the $200-$300 price range. Love the value. Price: $149 Weight: 4 lbs, 1 oz Material: Coated 68D Polyester Interior: 30.0 ft² | Vestibule : 6 ft² | Area/Pound : 8.8 ft² Peak Height: 43″ Pros: Very affordable. Decent headroom. Easy set up. Cons: Single door, single vestibule. Heavy (for backpacking). Construction & Features Kelty is a classic outdoor brand with a storied history, and they’ve been making reliable x-frame designs for decades. This one is covered in 68d polyester rain fly and floor, which is definitely more durable than average, but also heavy. Unlike the other small 2 person tents on our list, Grand Mesa saves weight and production costs by only designing in a single door and vestibule. We’ll admit this is a big sacrifice in user-friendliness, but it is still tolerable and won’t have a major impact on most trips. We would definitely prefer a tent with more vestibule room if we knew it would be raining. Considering a $30 upgrade to the REI Trailmade 2 for a small 2 person tent with two doors and two vestibules. Despite cost cuttings, Grand Mesa actually has a pretty high ceiling. 43″ peak height is a taller than average, though some of the perceived livability is lost by the sloping side walls. No pre-bent poles. No spreader bar. Verdict Honestly though, we’re kind of surprised how good this small 2 person tent is considering it only costs for $150. It’s surprisingly above average in a number of ways, and we think Grand Mesa will get the job done best if you want to start backpacking for the lowest possible price.
