Kelty Wireless 2
Summary
Price At Time Of Writing | £94.95
Our Overall Rating | 80 out of 100
Pros - Comfortable and durable
Cons - Heavy and gathers condensation
Overall - Great, durable tent for the price
Technical Specifications
Packed Size - 56x15cm
Weight - 3.31kg
Sleeping Size - 2.7sqm
Our Analysis & Ratings
If you’re looking for a three-season tent, the Kelty Wireless 2 is a two-person tent that’s quite comfortable and has some good features for the price. While it’s not a backpacking tent due to its weight, it offers durability and warmth in varied conditions, with its price being a great draw for many campers.
Comfort - With a door on either side, you can easily get out of the tent if one is blocked by gear or your companion is at the other. It also means there’s plenty of room to store your gear while keeping the inside nice and roomy, and with its floor area of 2.7sqm, it nicely fits two people. With the walls being quite straight, it also feels roomy, which makes a big difference.
Construction - The Kelty Wireless 2 has two doors, each with its own vestibule. It comes with an EZ-Zip vestibule, as well, which is quite smooth to open and close. It’s a poled tend, with three fibreglass poles — these are strong but definitely bulk up the weight. They slip into sleeves rather than hook onto grommets, making it quite durable during the wind. As for the material of the tent itself, the walls, fly and floor are made from 1200mm 68D Polyester, with the walls having a 40D no-see-um mesh, which, again, is heavy but will last you a long time.
Features - The vestibule zips have fully taped seams, helping keep water at bay when it rains. It would be good if it had more airflow points, though, as the doors need to be opened to cool it down when the fly is on but you can take the fly off and watch the stars on a nice night (the poles obstruct the view a bit), which will cool you down. Inside the tent, there’s an area to hold a small light and loops to set up a clothesline. There are two large pockets halfway up the tent, which is great for when you’re setting up inside — but not so much if you’re lying down.
Size/Weight - It sets up incredibly fast (once you get used to it so make sure to skim the instructions before heading out) and packs away easily into a new Shark Mouth duffel. The duffel is easy to carry with its cross-body strap and it’s easy to put up with just one person. The footprint, though, is a bit of a pain as it connects weirdly, making it fiddly to connect and disconnect, and it's smaller than the tent floor. It’s also not the smallest of tents, nor the lightest at 3.31kg.
Versatility - Being a three-season tent, the Kelty Wireless 2 handles rain and wind decently well with no leaks coming inside, but while the fly adds insulation in colder temperatures, it means it’s not the most breathable of tents in warm weather and makes it prone to gathering condensation, even when there’s no rain. It’s not a light tent, either, so it’s not one you would take backpacking, where weight counts.
Overall - For the price, the Kelty Wireless 2 is a great option, giving reasonable comfort for two on multi-day trips.
