Kelty Late Start 2 Review

Kelty has been around since 1952 and makes a range of outdoor equipment that’s popular among nature lovers from around the world.

Kelty may have its origins in rugged outdoor backpacks, but it now produces a range of camping gear that caters to all budgets, and many of its tents have become instant best-sellers.

Here, we’re going to explore the Kelty Late Start 2, a 3-season tent designed for duos that want a hassle-free camping experience. We’ll also see how it performs in other key departments so that you can weigh up whether this is the tent for you.

Materials and Durability

Life in the outdoors can be tough, and you need gear that’s going to stand up to the challenges it presents. Having a proper shelter for the night is key to your entire camping experience. So, what is the Kelty Late Start 2 actually made of, and can you rely on it in the back and beyond?

The rainfly and the floor are both constructed of 68D polyester – but what does this actually mean? Well, polyester is one of the best materials for tents and is known for being lightweight despite its durability. The plastic fibers that make up the polyester fabric can vary in terms of their thickness, and we measure this using a term called ‘denier’ (or just ‘D’).

The higher the denier, the thicker the fiber, and the more durable the fabric. You’ll find that most polyester caping tents are 68, 75, or 150D, so this tent comes in at the lower end of the durability scale. Plus, the polyester used isn’t ripstop, like you’ll find in higher-end models.

Having said that, polyester is naturally tough, and 68D polyester is more than adequate for an affordable 3-season camping tent – it just won’t last you a lifetime. If you’re worried about the floor not surviving on rough terrain, there’s always the option to purchase the compatible footprint, but this will raise the overall cost.

The inner of the tent is constructed from No-See-Um mesh, which is known for being super strong despite its lightweight.

Moving on to the poles, we were pleased to see that the Late Start 2 features aluminum poles, which are known for being hardier than their fiberglass counterparts despite their lightweight. The NoBendium stakes are also constructed from aluminum, so you’ll be able to use them to pitch up even on tough terrain.

All in all, Kelty has done a decent job at keeping the costs down without skimping on quality. Sure, this tent isn’t going to be your 4-season camping buddy for life, but then again, it’s not supposed to be.

Weather Resistance and Breathability

Okay, so we’ve seen that the Late Start 2 is tough enough to handle life in the great outdoors, but how well will it perform when the bad (or warm) weather hits?

The Kelty Late Start 2 was designed for 3-season use, so we’d expect to see a decent level of weather resistance. The included rainfly provides full coverage of the tent, and the fly and the groundsheet both have a waterproof rating of 1,800 mm.

The 68D polyester fabric they’re both constructed from is naturally water-resistant (because of its hydrophobic plastic fibers), but it’s also been treated with a polyurethane (PU) coating to give it its waterproofness.

Tents with a rating of less than 1,000 mm aren’t generally considered waterproof and, although extreme-weather tents may have a rating of up to 10,000 mm, the Late Start’s rating of 1,800 is respectable for a 3-season tent and will stand up to some rainy weather – but it certainly won’t keep you dry in a monsoon.

It won’t matter how waterproof the fabric is though if your tent has been badly designed. Fortunately, the Kelty Late Start 2 features a bathtub-style floor that stops water from entering at the ground level as well as fully taped seams to stop any drips at these potential weak points.

The dome shape itself is aerodynamic and can handle some breeze, especially if you make use of the guy ropes. The poles shouldn’t snap on you either as they’re very durable – but we still recommend pitching in a sheltered spot if you can.

But what about when things heat up? 3-season tents are suited to those warmer months, so you’d expect a decent amount of airflow. Although the interior is constructed from very breathable mesh, there aren’t any vents on the rainfly… which massively restricts airflow into the tent.

This can make it a little stuffy on warmer days, and limits how much condensation can get out, which can be an issue particularly at night. You can always crack open the vestibule door to let some air in, but if it’s drizzly outside this isn’t ideal.

Overall, for an economical camping tent designed for casual use, the Late Start 2 offers a decent amount of weather protection, but it’s let down by the lack of ventilation on the rainfly.

Convenience

One of the major selling points of the Late Start 2 is how convenient it is thanks to its quick-pitch system, but there’s more to convenience than just the set-up. So, how well does the late start perform in this category overall?

Portability

Weighing in at less than 4 lbs 8 oz, the Kelty Late Start is surprisingly lightweight for an affordable camping tent that hasn’t been marketed as a backpacking tent – you could definitely carry this load between two on a backpacking adventure, making it a very affordable backcountry option.

Similarly, it packs down better than expected to just 16 x 7 inches, and the stuff sack has an extra-wide mouth which makes packing away a breeze.

Set up

Okay, so now for the set-up. The Quick Corner Technology, combined with the fact that there are only two poles, does make setting up very easy – insert one end of a pole into its pocket and you’ll be able to walk around and sort the other end out without it springing out of place. What’s more, the rainfly is color-coded so you can’t go wrong there either.

Once up, the tent is freestanding (until you place the one peg needed for the vestibule), which means that you can move this tent around until you find the perfect spot – great for people that like to act first and think later.

We guess you really can make up for lost time with the Kelty Late Start thanks to its all-around convenience in terms of both portability and set-up.

Livability

Lighter, more affordable tents often reduce weight and cost by cutting down on living space and homey touches, so is this the case with the Late Start 2?

Not really. The pre-bent poles maximize interior space, and the vestibule is spacious enough for any muddy gear. Our main complaint is the fact there’s just one door, and it’s on a long side of the tent – this means that one camper will have to climb over the other if they need to sneak out for a pee in the night, which isn’t ideal.

At least each camper has its own pocket to keep its valuables close, and there’s an overhead pocket too that can be used for light. Plus, we love the pockets on the fly where you can hide leftover guy rope to stop any trips in the dark. And, if you fancy looking at the stars at night, the mesh inner will keep the bugs out while you take off the fly to admire the sky.

Value For Money

All things considered, we think the Late Start 2 is priced about right. It’s an economical tent, but it’s not the cheapest option out there, which is why you get more extra touches and it’s lighter than the cheaper models.

Rating

With an overall rating of 85, the Late Start 2 has performed very well against our rating system.

It dropped a few marks for lack of ventilation on the rainfly and another for the lack of dual doors – but in terms of convenience, it can’t be beaten.

Verdict

It might not be the one for extreme-weather camping but, if you’re after an affordable tent that takes the stress out of 3-season camping, then the Late Start 2 is a great shout. It’s pretty light, it’s super simple to set up, and it can be packed away very easily – it even tries to cut down on guy-rope-related stumbles.