On river trips, I often sleep on my boat. I like falling asleep while looking at the stars, making up constellation names….the sleeping burro, the talking yak, etc.
(Yes, I know I sound ridiculous.)
But during those nights where the clouds are foreboding, or it’s just too cold to sleep under the stars, I pitch a tent. And here’s where the Kelty Salida 2 Tent comes in.
A huge factor in using a tent is the difficulty in setting up a tent. If you pull out five different poles of varying lengths with a packet for instructions, it’s not looking good. The Kelty Salida was easy as pie to set up. There are two poles (the same length thank you very much), and they criss cross like an X to set the tent up. The poles easily slid into the holes on the corners of the tents, almost setting itself up. I particularly enjoyed attaching the poles to the tent by clips, and not cumbersome pole sleeves. Anyone who has ever had a tent with sleeves for the poles will be shaking their head in agreement right now.
The tent was extremely well ventilated, having mesh fabric comprising all of the sides of the tent. This tent would be perfect for sleeping in hot places with lots of mosquitoes. Since it was June and Oregon when I used this tent, I added the rainfly for extra warmth. This is where the 3-season designation comes in with this tent-cool enough for summer, but warm enough for spring and fall.
The interior design of the tent is simple and functional. There were two mesh pockets inside the tent which came in handy for holding my alarm clock. Similarly, the canopy at the top is perfect for putting my Snow Peak Headlamp in, which lightened up my tent at night. No one wants to carry around a heavy tent full of extra (heavy) bells and whistles, and I thought Kelty succeeded in building into the tent what you need, all the while keeping the weight at just around 3 pounds.
I enjoyed the large vestibule area for keeping my pack and shoes out of the tent but underneath rain protection. The door was large and easy to open as well, and the zipper was very durable. I have a tendency to be rough with my equipment, and I felt the tent could live up to my tough treatment.
I’m used to two-door tents, and I had to get used to just one door. This was fine because I was sleeping solo. With someone else midnight bathroom runs might become a rude awakening (for more than one).
Overall the Kelty Salida 2 person tent is a solid choice for folks who either camp occasionally or car camp often. The ease of set-up and the thorough ventilation were the qualities that really sold me on this tent.
The Kelty Salida 2 Tent costs $139.95, and can be bought here on Amazon.