Kelty Gunnison 4.1 Tent 4-Person 3-Season Review

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(More customer reviews)Let's face it - buying a tent is like buying a house; unless you build it yourself, you are never going to get exactly what you want. That having been said, the Kelty Gunnison 4.1 4-person tent is pretty close to exactly what I wanted, and a great tent.
Packed up: The G-4.1 is at the large end of what you want for backpacking. Packed up, it measures approximately 8"x28" and weighs about 8.5 pounds, so it's going to take up a lot of room either in your pack or (more likely) strapped on the outside of your pack. But if you can hack it, that's really a pretty light weight for a tent this size. On the otherhand, it's a perfect size/wieght for car camping, if not on the small end of that spectrum.
Included in the package are (1) the tent; (2) two super lightweight aluminum poles; (3) rain fly; and (10) lightweight tent stakes with tie down lines.
Set up: This is where the G-4.1 is truly spectacular. When I got the tent, I quickly glanced at the directions for set up and decided to do a test run in my living room. If you want to do this too, make sure you have a BIG living room and lots of room to manuever the poles, cause they are REALLY long and I was constantly knocking over books and pictures. Anyway, I unrolled the tent and put it on the floor. I then put the poles together -- each pole breaks down into several smaller segments that are permanently linked together so you can't lose them. As you can see from the photos of this tent, the poles criss-cross at the apex of the tent, forming a big X from which the tent is suspended. Kelty uses a "clip" system in which the poles simply click into plastic brackets, rather than you having to thread them through anything. Each end of the pole is then fit into an anchor at the bottom corners of the tent. The rain fly was also extremly easy to put on, with the anchors for the poles also doubling as the anchors for the rain fly. The bottom line, folks, is that I think this tent took me all of about three minutes to set up. I was truly amazed at how easy it was. The best way I can describe it is that the G-4.1 is totally intuitive in the set up -- you look at the parts and you can just see how they fit together. Really an awesome design job.
I just took this tent camping for the first time last weekend and set it up in very quickly fading light conditions. I had the whole thing set up and staked down -- footprint, tent, rain fly -- in a little over 10 minutes.
One thing I would recommend is that you grab six (6) little caribiners to attach the rain fly lines to the tent. They don't come with clips and you have to tie them on otherwise. Also, make sure the fly is in as little contact with the tent as possible to prevent moisture buildup from condensation. If you have the fly on properly, this is not a problem because the design of the fly and tent take care of that for you. Also, get the foot print or a tarp for underneath.
Tent Features: The G-4.1 has a lot of really great features. First, it has a circular zip door on each side. This may not sound like a great innovation at first, but think back to your camping experiences and having to climb over people to get into the tent. Second, the G-4.1 is extremely well ventilated. There are large mesh sections of the walls, in the doors, on the top of the tent so that air flows freely through. Third, the G-4 has great visibility if you don't need to have the fly on. The afore-mentioned mesh sections let you see the stars. Fourth, the floor design keeps the bottom seams off of the floor, which will keep you dry. Fifth, there are little "gear" bags on two sides of the tent, to stash your glasses or a flashlight. Sixth, there are clips on the ceiling from which one may hang extra gear bags and the tent comes with a "shelf" that you can tie up there -- very handy for a light or for other stuff. Seventh, the rain fly creates dual vestibules in which your extra gear can be stored and, since you have two doors, both vestibules are easily accessible.
Tent Construction: Along with the "bathtub" seams, this tent is very well put together. Tape stiching at important junctures, double stiching all around, and a good, taut, solid feel to the tent. The floor material is good for soft ground, but I'd recommend the foot print just to be on the safe side. The fly fits on like a glove and provides for some ventilation as well. This is a solid tent, and once you get it set up (and assuming you put the stakes in the ground), it's not going anywhere.
Size: I think we all know that "4-person" in tent-speak really means "4 people no larger than 5'8" and 160 pounds, maximum." The G-4.1 holds true to this convention. I'm 6'2" and I barely fit in this tent the way people are suggested to lie in it (head to toe across the short side), and I don't fit in with a sleeping bag. I had my wife (5'6") and my 6-year old and 2-year old also get in the tent at the same time. Thinking to the future, the G-4.1 will be comfortable for three of us but too tight for all four of us. If we all four go camping, I'd bring a 2-man tent for the kids and keep all the gear in the G-4.1 with the adults. But if you have three or less people, this thing is spacious and feels that way.
I love this tent. Buy it!

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Kelty's Gunnison 4.1 4-Person 3-Season Tent loves anything from starlit summer evenings to wet autumn backpacking trips. Kelty placed the Gunnison's mesh panels strategically, providing ventilation, decreased condensation, which keeps you from feeling like you're spending the night in a cave. Even in the dark, it's easy to secure the aluminum DAC Pressfit poles to the individual clips for set-up, and the Swivel Hub System increases stability and ease of set up. Configured with two doors and two vestibules, the Gunnison 4.1 Tent's floorplan maximizes the available living space. Other features include taped seams to keep water out and internal storage pockets to help organize essentials. Kelty also added a gear loft, putting your treats, iPod, or prophylactics close at hand while you stargaze.Product Features
Material: [Fly] 75D Polyester Taffeta w/ 1800mm coating; [Floor] 70D Nylon Taffeta w/ 1800mm coating;
Freestanding: Yes
Poles: 2
Pole Material: DAC FeatherLite NSL 7001 Aluminum
Doors: 2
Clip / Sleeve: Clip
Floor Space: 100 x 82in (254 x 208cm), 57sq ft
Interior Height: 46in (117cm)
Vestibule Space: [Per vestibule] 15.6sq ft (x2)
Packed Size: 28 x 8in (71 x 20cm)
Seam Sealed: Yes, critical seams taped
Ventilation: Mesh top
Weight: 7lb 7oz (3397g)
Recommended Use: 3-season camping
Manufacturer Warranty: Lifetime

Bathtub Floor: Yes
Ventilation: Fly vents, side wall vents, mesh ceiling
Interior Storage: Internal storage pockets
Packed Size: 8 x 28"
Weight: [packaged] 8 lbs 11 oz, [minimum] 8 lbs
Recommended Use: Base camp, car camping
Warranty: Lifetime
Country of Origin: China

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