Kelty Late Start 2 Tent Review (Bought & Tested!)
This is my review of my Kelty Late Start 2-Person Tent.
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Quick Summary
If you’re looking for a 2-person tent that’s not only inexpensive, but performs well in the summer, the Kelty Late Start 2 is a decent option.
RELATED: Best Budget Backpacking Tents, Best Tents Under $200
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Check out the Kelty Late Start 2:
1. In the Box
Out of the box, this is what I got:
- Carry bag
- Instructions
- Rainfly (with 4 pre-attached guylines)
- Tent body
- Poles x 2
- Pole repair splint
- Stakes x 10
2. Set Up & Pack Away
The entire setup is pretty straight-forward, here’s how:
- Lay tent body on the ground.
- Stake down the 4 corners.
- Secure the 2 pre-bent poles into the Quick Corner sleeves.
- Secure the 9 pole clips.
- Secure color-coded rainfly buckles.
- Stake the vestibule and back vent.
- Guy-out the 4 guylines.
For more details, I have a separate video with loads of instructions and tips to help you set up your tent more easily.
Altogether, the entire setup takes only about 5.25 minutes. The pack away takes slightly longer – 6 minutes.
3. Peak Height
The peak height inside the Kelty Late Start 2 is 41.5 inches.
4. Base Area
Here are all the base area dimensions you might need:
- Length: 87.5 inches
- Head width: 52.5 inches
- Foot width: 44 inches
- Base area: 29.3 square feet
5. Pad Sizing
Now, here’s my Exped MegaMat Duo – it fit quite nicely, with quite a bit of leftover space.
Pro-Tip: If you want to fit 25-inch pads or wider, it will not fit because the foot of the tent is too short (foot width is only 44in).
6. Vestibule
The Kelty Late Start 2 comes with just 1 vestibule, and here are all the dimensions:
- Width: 25.5 inches
- Length: 87.5 inches
- Area of vestibule: 7.7 sq. ft.
Each vestibule has 2 zippers, not branded, but they’re pretty smooth.
7. Door
Under the vestibule, you’ll find the single door of the tent.
To keep the door opened, there’s a toggle by the side. This door has 2 zippers (non-branded as well, but very snag-free).
8. Storage
Here are the storage options in the Kelty Late Start 2:
- Pockets: 3 (2 x rectangle at the bottom: 9 x 7 inches, 1 x trapezoid at the top: 13 x 7 inches)
- Loops: 5
9. Seam Taping
Here are all the seams that are taped:
- All rainfly seams
- All flooring seams (corners, across the floor, etc.)
- Gaps in tent body that aren’t covered by rainfly
10. Tub Floor
The Kelty Late Start 2 also has a tub floor that runs all around the entire tent with minimal seams on it.
11. Rainfly
Moving onto rainfly protection, it’s a full-coverage rainfly, extending almost all the way to the ground.
What I didn’t like about this rainfly though, is that it cannot be pulled away at the widths of the tent, only the lengths (where the vestibules are).
12. Rain Test
I put the Kelty Late Start 2 through several rain tests:
- 1 hour light rain: No leaks
- 1 hour moderate rain: No leaks
- 1 hour heavy rain: No leaks, but rainfly was getting slightly damp
13. Guylines
The Kelty Late Start 2 comes with 4 main guylines for wind protection.
14. Mesh
This is what the Kelty Late Start 2 looks like without its rainfly:
15. Materials
Here are all the materials of the Kelty Late Start 2:
- Flooring: 68D polyester
- Rainfly: 68D polyester
- Poles: Aluminum
- Mesh: Micro mesh
- Guylines: Shockcord (with tensioner)
- Stakes: Shepherd-hook stakes
16. Portability
Here are the packed dimensions of the 2-person Kelty Late Start:
- Packed size: 18 x 8.5 x 7 in
- Pole length: 14 inches
As for weight, here’s a breakdown of all the components:
- Poles: 19.9oz
- Stakes: 5.8oz (for 10)
- Rainfly: 23.9oz
- Tent body: 26.9oz
- Carry bag: 1.4oz
- Total: 77.9oz/4.87lbs/2.21kg
17. Pros, Cons, Recommendation
Now, what are the pros and cons, and would I recommend the Kelty Late Start 2?
Pro #1 – Very inexpensive
I liked how affordable this tent is, especially at the price point that I paid during Amazon’s Black Friday sale.
Pro #2 – Lifetime warranty
And you even get a limited lifetime warranty.
Pro #3 – Easy setup process
The entire tent took only about 5 minutes to set up; it’s faster than most other 2-person tents.
Pro #4 – Insane amount of mesh
This is a perfect budget tent for summer, with loads of almost transparent mesh on all four sides of the tent.
Pro #5 – Overall good quality
There are no loose threads, the seam taping is perfect, you get all sorts of little details like guyline pockets.
Con #1 – Waterproofing is not premium
While the waterproofing is better than budget tents like Coleman, it’s not as good as more premium brands like REI and The North Face. Here’s the breakdown:
| Brand | Rain Test |
|---|---|
| REI / The North Face | >12 hours |
| Kelty | ~2 hours |
| Coleman | <1 hour |
How long each brand’s tents can survive under heavy rain.
Recommendation #1
My recommendation is that without extra waterproofing, the Kelty Late Start 2 is great for the occasional heavy rain, but not persistent downpours.
Con #2 – Needs more vents
There are no extra vents in the rainfly or the tent body, which really limits ventilation on rainy days.
Con #3 – 1 door & 1 vestibule only
There’s also only 1 door and 1 vestibule. Most two-person tents come with 2 doors and 2 vestibules.
Con #4 – Not a very roomy tent
This tent has only a very simple 2-pole structure (with no extra ridge pole), so you don’t get as much headroom inside.
Recommendation #2
Overall, if you’re looking for a tent that’s not only inexpensive, but performs decently, the Kelty Late Start 2 is great. It’s a no-frills functional tent, but don’t expect premium quality.
18. Bonus – MUST Read!
I know this because I tested the Kelty against 7 other similar tents, check out my best budget backpacking tents article to find out.
Or, check out the Kelty Late Start 2:
