I have a similar tent to the Clark which was a prior model called the microlite. I bought the on sale for $100 through an REI special marked down from $150. It has been a great tent for nine years.I have used it in the high deserts of Arizona where I grew up to the interior of Alaska where I now live. I Have used in on quite a few trails for backpacking both in Alaska and Arizona. I am very pleased with it and it carries very nicely on the trail. I was very impresed with how fast it sets up which can be under two minutes, even in the wind. It has plenty of room, even if you are tall, I am 6'3" and sleep comfortably. It also is capable of two as long as both are not excessively tall. Gear space is adequate for the weight and it does well in the rain and some unexpected snow. Condensation is not a major problem and it does dry out quickly. I have used much higher priced products in similar conditions and not found any great advantages for the price. I have used kelty products for years and am very satisfied with their equipment and prices. For the money this tent is a good deal for any backpacker on a budget and you will not be unsatisfied with the performance. Mine has lasted me nine years and still in use.

Customer Service

Service has been good, but I have not had any real problems. Other Kelty products in the past have had efficient service.

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Eureka, Mountain Hardwear, North Face

I purchased the Kelty Clark after extensive research and field trials. The tent offers the solo hiker a good balance between weight and livable space. I have the 2002 model which has more mesh than the older models. This helped give good ventilation and kept condensation to a minimum even in my part of the country where humidity runs in the 80 to 90 percent range with high temps for weeks. Set-up was easy even on my first try. Hard driven rain is no match for the Clark although some flapping is heard in high winds. The key is a good, tight pitch with guying as recomended by the manufacture. Over all I'm very pleased.

Customer Service

None needed all summer after more than 30 nights of trail use.

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North Face Canyonlands & Roadrunner 2, Dana's A-Tarp

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I bought this tent as an alternative to a bivy, since it is only a pound or two more. On paper, it is as good or better than many tents of the same configuration. I particularly like its higher sit-up height. On my first outing to Mineral King, the rear hoop pole broke on the first night. It simply was too tight. I got by with repairs, only because the weather was mild. The tent sleeve was shredded by the broken pole. The poles are simply the wrong size. They would be impossible to set up in any kind of cold weather, or with gloves. Kelty repaired (as opposed to replaced) the tent at no charge, but also with no comment. I have cut an inch off both poles and will be heading out to MT Charleston in Nevada to give it another try. I feel that this tent COULD NOT have been field tested. I was disappointed when they fixed it for me, because it was then impossible to justify buying another tent by another company (probably Sierra Design) to replace it. As a result of my experience with this tent, I will not buy another Kelty product. I would recommend a similar design, but one with clips, as opposed to sleeves for the poles.

Customer Service

The tent was repaired, with no comment, apology or inquiry. Postage was not refunded. I felt the company was indifferent to a problem which I see from other reviewers is consistent with this tent, b

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Sierra Design Cosmos CD, 2-man tent

Nice tent. I'm 6'3" and 240 lbs. 2 people..........yeah right. Still a great tent. Has weathered 3 severe thunderstorms and a real gusty cold night in South Carolina. No leaks no worries. I did notice some condensation one very cool night in South Carolina. But not enough to worry about. Yep the stakes bend *VERY* easy. Packs nice and small good bang for the bucks.

Now get off of your computer and enjoy the great outdoors!!!

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I bought this tent almost a year ago, in preparation for a 2 month backpacking/whitewater canoeing trip in the woods of Maine and Vermont. I was looking at buying this tent anyways, given its light weight and decent size, when I found it on sale at REI for $99. I had gone there only intending on climbing in and getting a feel for the Clark, but I walked out of there with one under my arm. I also had the foresight to buy some extra stakes for it: 4 Moss Groundhogs and another 4 DAC Featherlights, anodized gold. I experimented with the stakes included with the tent, and discovered that with a decent amount of effort, I could bend them (this isn't really a knock against Kelty, the stakes were much better than I've seen on much more expensive tents, but no manufacturer seems to be willing to ship high-quality OEM stakes with their tents.
I got home and was pleasantly surprised that I was able to set the tent up on my lawn in about 3 minutes, first time, without looking at the directions. I did the sprinkler/garden hose test I do with all my new tents (leave a sprinkler on it for most of the day, and give it the occasional blast with a garden hose, aiming in particular at the seams. It weathered the storm well, and the factory-sealed seams only let in a few drops of water, which was pretty impressive.
Over the course of the past year I've used this tent for about 30 nights in total, a combination of backpacking and expedition canoeing, and it's served exactly the purpose I bought it for- it gives me a dry place to sleep, with plenty of room for thrashing around, and without a lot of setup to worry about. The hoop-style design of the tent makes staking necessary, but that's never been a problem- if the stakes won't go in, get some rocks and wrap the guy lines around those, or around roots. The main advantages of the hoop design, besides the light weight, is the way it shakes off the wind and rain (its very aerodynamic when set facing into the wind, and the lack of seams means less things to fail.
Other reviewers on this site, as well as Kelty themselves, have said that this tent can fit two people in a pinch. This is true, but those two would either have to be very small, or VERY comfortable together (wink, wink). I personally don't even keep any stuff inside the tent except a pair of boots and a water bottle in the vestibule (and that's all you're going to get in there, trust me), and a headlamp in a side pocket. For those vestibule freaks out there, this will be a hard transition, but just quit complaining, throw a trash bag over your pack and lean it against a tree.
Ventilation is fairly good, with mesh panels running down the sides, and a vent at the top of the door. The best strategy is to strap the vesibule down tight, but leave the bottom of the vestibule door open a little (it's a two-way zipper), and leave the door on the body of the tent open a little at the top. This has gotten me through some sweltering, rainy Maine nights just fine.
I can't write a review about this tent without talking stakes- without them, this tent would be a bad, oversized bivy sack. The stock stakes on this tent are decent, oversized aluminum jobs, not bad, but great stakes are too cheap to justify not getting them. The DAC Featherlights look exactly like the Kelty stakes, save for the gold anodizing, which is surprisingly durable. They are made of 6061 aluminum, which is considerably more durable and stiff than whatever the Kelty stakes are made of. The real stars, though are the Moss Groundhogs, beautiful red-anodized stakes, with a Y-shaped cross section. They are made of 7074 aluminum, and that, along with the unique, I-beam style cross-section, make them just about indestructable. I've pounded these stake with rocks, hammers, an iron pan, and (amusingly enough) the heel of a hiking boot. They absolutely refuse to bend, and when encountering rocks on their trip down into the earth, more often than not, they break them. After using these stakes, I ended up going out and buying a dozen more (at $2 apiece) for my other two tents.
Overall, the Kelty Clark is a lightweight, inexpensive solo tent, and a far better bargain than others in it's category. It gives nothing up to overpriced copies such as the SD Light Year or MH Solitude. Kelty's been making the Clark for quite a while now, and it continues to be one of their best products, weathering the hype of the times with simple, functional performance and a price any Subaru-driving, Ramen-eating backcountry bum could love.

Customer Service

None needed

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-SD Light Year (borrowed a friend's for a 4-day trip)
-Walrus Micro Swift (feels like I'm in a body bag, bivys have more wiggle room than this)
-Eureka Backcountry
-TNF Cumulus

Recently took this tent with me to Big Bend while hiking the Dodson trail. Both my wife (about 5'6) and I (6'1) managed to fit inside, although it was a rather snug fit. Set up is easy except that the smaller rear side pole can be very difficult to slide into it's fitting. The nights out at Big Bend were extremely windy and the rainfly would flap around heavily, even so it wasn't much of a problem if you tied it down. The tent could get a little stuffy with the rainfly on, but opening the vent hood can help a great deal with that, especially if there is a breeze. Overall, this is a great solo tent, but I don't recommend using it with more than one person even if you are extremely close.

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Sleeps 1 and gear fine could sleep two if ya have to. The day I bought mine set up in living room and broke rear pole. Both poles fit very very tight. After had Kelty replace pole with no problem I used a tubing cutter and cut an inch off both poles fit fine now. Tent stakes bend to easy, I sent away and bought a set of titanium stakes. Withstands rain fine but set up in 3 inch deep water and seams leaked. Normally ya wouldn't set your tent up in these conditions but wanted to see how waterproof this tent is. A bit noisy in windy conditions.
Vestibule a bit small. One thing I look for in a single person tent is that I can sit up and you can with this tent,your head might hit top mesh if tent isn't tight or your tall I am 5'10" and can change inside also. This tent is hoop style tent not freestanding. All an all excellent solo tent for the money and weight. The only thing I would change is make door screen mesh so could see out.

Customer Service

I broke a pole and when called Kelty they were excellent replaced with no questions

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Kelty Zen

This is a nice lightweight tent that can comfortably accomodate one person. I don't know how two people would fit in it. There is only room for one sleeping pad. There is enough room to sit up in and their is enough room to cram a pack in if necessary. It is a little tricky getting in. Going in feet first helps. I have not noticed any condensation problems and I live in a humid area. I have been lucky enough not to test it's water proofness, but the polyester fly looks like it is more than capable.

Customer Service

Kelty customer service is great.

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This tent is the best that I have ever used! Although it says it is made for only one person, it is easily spacious enough for two. Also, it has a vestibule for storing gear; this may be a little small, but is still effectivley stores one backback. The ease of set up makes this a great buy for anyone who gets tired after a 20+ mile day of backpacking. It is really light and compact which is always a plus. I have a friend who's pole broke on the third or fourth time out, but I have not had this problem. However, I have found that the steaks bend too easily and are to hard to pound into rocky ground. The ceiling of the tent is not netted so you can't view stars at nigh from inside the tent, but o'well. Overall a great tent.

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Many different styles of tents: dome, A frame, etc.

The Kelty Clark is a roomy tent that packs light and sets up in a snap. I have had mine for over a year and take it with me on every trek I take. But camper beware, make sure to tie out all guide lines, because during high winds if you fail to do so the tent may shake like a kite in the wind.

Customer Service

The bang for your buck

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