This Kelty Radiant 2 Tent: This Review Shows Why It's a Winner
Kelty Radiant 2 (5 out of 5)
This tent has more than ample ventilation on the sides and the top so you can adjust which flap you want open according to which way the wind is blowing. The Radiant 2 is exceptional at retaining heat. On a winter climbing expedition we set it up on deep snow at a relatively high altitude of 8000 ft on a night that got down to about 6 degrees and it was remarkably warm in that tent although I’ll add that it was a windless night.
One of the best things to point out in this Kelty Radiant 2 Tent review is the overall design which features two doors and two vestibules. Therefore, each person has their own way out and plenty of space in the vestibule outside the doors to stow whatever gear you don’t need in the tent with you.
It’s even possible to fire up a small stove within the vestibule to cook a meal or get that pivotal cup of coffee ready. Moreover, there is plenty of room on the inside and all those vents can double as places to stow miscellaneous articles. There is no loft to stow gear however, which can be convenient and there’s only one loop to hang stuff from the roof.
The Set Up
The three pole design is color coordinated so you know which holes the two longer poles and the one shorter pole need to be placed in and slid through the sleeves (which are vaulted for effective ventilation between tent and fly). If you mess this up the first time when there’s a severe storm rolling in you’re bound to never forget how to do it right. It’s a relatively quick and easy set up.
With three poles you want to be careful not to set up your guy wires too tautly so that you strain the door seems. And that’s another point worthy of noting; it only comes with 2 guy strings for securing it so you’ll want some additional cord to secure it. Of course, it comes with plenty of metal stakes too, if you don’t mind carrying that extra (albeit small but it does add up on the long hauls) weight on a trip.
Another great feature is Kelty’s patented system for securing the poles to the fly and the tent which is called FlyBoy technology. This system works easily by manipulating a pinching device and sliding it to a secure position when the two layers are wrapped around the pole.
Noiseless zippers are also a plus. The floor seems strong enough but it hasn’t been field tested for all that long as of yet. When I wrote this I found that there were prices averaging around $200 so do your research to find the best price. It’s one of the best 2 person tents on the market.
This model is so well designed that telling the difference between 3 and 4 season tents is difficult. I took it out in the middle of winter and was extremely pleased with how well it performed and how it kept me comfortable and even toasty. While a 4 season tent will boast a stronger design with heavier materials to withstand really intense winds and snowfalls, it is usually a lot heavier to carry on your pack. But this tent wasn’t much heavier than the 3 season REI dome model which served me so well for nearly ten years. I highly recommend it.
Here are some of the specifications:
Stuffed Size: Diameter: 8" / 20cm, Length: 26" / 66cm
Total Weight: 8lb 10oz / 3.91kg
Length: 88" / 224cm, Width: 63" / 165cm, Height: 42" / 107cm
Sources:
Kelty.com
