Kelty Wireless 4 Review

Kelty, founded way back in 1952, is a world-renowned producer of high-quality outdoor gear. Despite being best-known for its super-sturdy backpacks, in recent years, Kelty has branched out into the world of camping equipment.

Unsurprisingly, Kelty’s camping gear has taken the marketplace by storm. Its tents have gone down particularly well, and it’s nice to see that Kelty manufactures gear for outdoor enthusiasts with varying budgets.

Here, we’ll review the Kelty Wireless 4, a 4-person tent at the more economical end of the price spectrum. It’s spacious, it’s convenient, and it won’t break the bank either… so what’s the catch? Read on to find out more.

Materials and Durability

All good camping tents should be able to stand up to the challenge of life in the great outdoors, and they should last you a while too. So, let’s start with the basics – what is the Kelty Wireless 4 actually made of?

The rainfly, walls, and floor are all constructed from 68D polyester, which is commonly used for tents thanks to its durable yet lightweight nature – but what does the ‘D’ part mean? D stands for denier, which is how we measure the thickness of the fibers in a fabric. The thicker the fabric, the higher the dernier, and the tougher it is.

Decent camping tents can be built from fabrics with deniers ranging from 68D to 150D. At 68D, this polyester is at the lower end of the spectrum but, for a 3-season tent, it’s definitely sturdy enough for the walls and rainfly.

We’d like to see a slightly thicker floor for added protection from rough terrain, but if you want this added protection you’ll have to pick up the compatible footprint separately. The fiberglass poles used are constructed from fiberglass and, although aluminum poles are generally stronger, they’re still unlikely to break on you.

Overall, this tent may not be made of the highest quality materials we’d expect to see used in premium tents but, for the price, it offers a decent level of durability.

Weather Resistance and Breathability

It may have been designed to provide 3-season protection, but how well will the Kelty Wireless 4 really perform when the weather takes a turn for the worse?

We mentioned that the rainfly, floor, and ground are constructed from 68D polyester, but what didn’t mention is that this fabric has also been coated with polyurethane (more commonly termed just ‘PU’). Polyester is constructed from hydrophobic plastic fibers, it naturally repels water anyway, and when a PU coating is added, the waterproof rating rises pretty well.

Typically, tents with a waterproof rating of less than 1000 mm aren’t considered waterproof at all, while tents of 10,000 would be considered extremely waterproof (and would cost a bomb). With waterproof ratings of 1,200 mm, the rainfly and walls can certainly stand up to some showers, but they might not keep you dry in a monsoon.

The floor itself has a higher rating of 1800 mm, so you’re less likely to get a leak at ground level (unless you pierce the floor). Oh – and the seams are also fully taped to stop any water from working its way in through these potential weak points.

The overall dome structure of the tent provides excellent wind resistance, and there’s plenty of mesh on the main body of the tent to ensure constant airflow on those warmer days (and to let condensation escape at night too).

Overall, for casual 3-season use, this tent offers a decent level of protection – but we don’t recommend using it in stormy conditions, so make sure you check the forecast before you head out.

Convenience

Never underestimate how important convenience is when weighing up a bit of camping gear – there’s nothing worse than investing in a tent only to find you’ll never use it because it’s impossible to get back inside its bag, or the set-up takes you hours every time, or it’s just too bulky to find in the car.

The Wireless 4 is aimed at entry-level campers, so the last thing it should do is put them off camping – but how convenient is it really?

Weighing in at just under 12 lbs, the Kelty Wireless 4 certainly isn’t a backpacking tent, but this is actually pretty light for a four-person tent, so carrying it to and from the car shouldn’t be too much of an ordeal.

What’s more, we love that it comes with a Shark Mouth duffel bag included, which features cross-body straps that not only distribute the weight fantastically but also mean that you can keep your hands free to lock the car door behind you or carry other bits of gear.

It packs down fairly well for a 4-person tent too, especially considering how spacious the interior is (but more on that later), so you shouldn’t have any problems squeezing it in the car or storing it at home.

One of our favorite things about the Kelty Wireless 4 is the super simple set-up – the quick corner technology makes handling the poles a breeze and, as there are only three poles in total, you’ll have the whole tent done in minutes.

Livability

Tents that are nice and portable often come at the price of a small, pokey interior lacking homey touches. So, has Kelty managed to make this tent a home despite not piling on the pounds?

Yepp! This tent does very well in terms of livability. The spacious floorplan can certainly fit four campers, and the center height of just under 5 feet is pretty good too. Our favorite features, however, are the dual doors and vestibules. As well as being perfect for storing muddy gear, they also mean that you can slip in and out of either wise without taking up your fellow campers.

We also love the night light pocket on the ceiling where you can fully insert a flashlight or headlamp (instead of faffing around trying to hang them on a hook). Finally, there are interior pockets too to help you keep things nice and organized.

Value For Money

The Kelty Wireless 4 is one of Kelty’s more economical camping tents, but has this come at the cost of quality?

Nope. Sure, there are more durable tents out there that’ll last you longer and stand up to worse weather but, for a 3-season tent, this remains a fantastic budget option.

It’s super simple to use, you’ll get ample interior space, and you won’t break your back carrying at round either.

Rating

With an overall rating of 90, the Kelty Wireless 4 has performed well against our rating system. It lost a few marks for weather-resistance and durability, as the fabrics used are a little on the thin side and we’d like a slightly higher waterproof rating. It also dropped a mark for value for money because we strongly recommend buying an additional ground tarp, which will add to the overall costs.

However, in terms of convenience and livability, the tent performs exceptionally well.

Verdict

So, all things considered, what do we think of the Kelty Wireless 4?

While it might not stand up to extreme weather, for camping in drier months, this tent is a great economical option. It’s nice to see that while the weight has been kept fairly low, the interior space and homey touches haven’t been compromised.

Furthermore, it’s the perfect tent for entry-level campers who aren’t ready to invest in something technical just yet thanks to its super simple set-up and ultra-convenient carry bag.