Incredible tent. I have spent days in the rain with it and has never leaked. Some condensation, but nothing unusual. I am pretty picky about my equipment and searched endelessly for a quality, lightweight tent.

It is solidly manufactured and well designed.

Only beef I have are the cheap tents stakes and that the fabric stretches when wet casuing the the fly and tent to touch - wetness.

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Hudson Trail Outfitters Tent called the Shennandoah. Greattent, just too large for solo trips.

Incredible tent. I have spent days in the rain with it and has never leaked. Some condensation, but nothing unusual. I am pretty picky about my equipment and searched endelessly for a quality, lightweight tent.

It is solidly manufactured and well designed.

Only beef I have are the cheap tents stakes and that the fabric stretches when wet casuing the the fly and tent to touch - wetness.

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Hudson Trail Outfitters Shennandoah tent - also a great tent, but larger.

I love my Zen. I can use it on solo trips thanks to the 4 lb. 3 oz weight (1998 version, the newer version is 4 lb. 10 oz.). Or I can use it as a two person tent and still be comfortable. The stakes are a little weak, but you can replace them with Kelty's better ones. While you do have to stake it out no matter what, with a little foresight in regards to time and weather, this is never a problem. I love mine.

A great tent. Setup is easy and fast and the tent will keep you reasonably dry. This is only a 3 season tent and is advertised as such so if you camp where it gets chilly at night make sure your sleeping bag is up to the task since this tent is ventilated well. Light and packs well. Great value for money.

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I just purchased this tent and I am very pleased with it. Theres room inside for me and another person or me and all my gear. I was in thunderstorm the first night high winds and stayed warm and dry and on the second nite another storm with freezing rain. The entire tent (the rain fly actually) was covered with a half inch layer of ice which i had to pound off to get out but once again i was dry and it held up to the weight of the ice and the high winds with no problem. The 99 model has clear windows in the fly which are great. You can't beat this tent for quality and function for $150.

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I've been pretty happy with this tent - great price for what you get. I'd have to agree on the cheap tent stakes, though... not very useful on really hardpacked/dried out ground. As the tent is designed, you _have_ to have it staked, though - it won't free stand which makes it rough when camping in places with really hard ground/granite. I guess you've gotta take the (heavier) dome tent on those trips! But it packs down nice and small and is barely noticeable at a bit under 5 lbs.

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The North Face - Peregrine

I bought this tent because of it's relatively low weight and cost. It was used in the High Sierra in last August with excellent results. It weathered high winds and a two inch rain and hail storm with no problems whatsoever. The only thing I don't like about the tent is that the length of the side walls seems a bit short causing the tent bottom at the ends of tent to rise up. This manufacturing defect(?) affects floor space to a small degree. A positive aspect of this problem is that it keeps side wall/floor seams above the ground by approximately one inch.

I bought this tent for simple backpacking and bike touring based on its weight, area, and price. I was really surprised, however, at its performance in the mountains. I have used it climbing in Colorado (surviving 9 straight nights of thunderstorms and high winds), and for a real test I took it to Peru on a climb up Huascaran (6,768 meters) in winter. It fit three climbers (with some gear) easily and lived up to the challenge of the winds and light snow . While it was cold in the tent, we were fine once in our sleeping bags. The bottom line is, it performs well beyond its price tag and claims, and well worth the money. Toss the stakes and get some sturdier ones, they are way too flimsy.

My son and I chose the Kelty Zen based on weight and size. We have used it on multiple backpacking trips including 12 days in the rain at the Philmont Scout Ranch. It came trhough snug and dry. It is a tight squeeze for two good sized guys but certainly livable. The only weak point is the no-see-um in the side walls is a bit delicate. Overall a hell of a bargain for the price and it packs very small.

I used the Kelty Zen on a Bicycle Tour last Summer and on shorter overnight bike trips. It's lightweight, ease of set-up and roominess makes for an ideal Bicycle Touring shelter. For the money, this is a well contructed and durable tent.

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