Kelty Pavilion Tent - 6-Person, 3-Season

Bought tent for car camping w/pre-schooler instead of using excellent North Face VE-24 Mountaineering Tent. Have not tested tent in the field but have set it up in the backyard; found it easy to set up and is virtually free-standing (except for fly) - will need to be staked for high winds. I can't speak to the tents longevity or effectiveness against rain but I think that the tent will fit our needs.

Let me first state that I have not used this tent yet but wanted to give a little feedback if you were in the market for a new tent. I put this tent up in the back yard with my wife and had very little problems doing so. It was up in about 15 minutes. Kelty knows what they are doing. Instructions are not very necessary. Everything from the tent body, rain fly and flaps were obviously designed for ease. The tent is very well constructed and it seems storm-proof. The interior space is huge and well ventilated. The vestibule is large enough for a decent amount of gear. For the size, this tent is not overly heavy and well worth the price with STP.

It is HUGE. The fly is a bit goofy, but it sets up fairly easily for as large as it is, and with three main polls that are all the same it's a lot easier than some of the other large family tents. My only real beef would be with the pull down shades on the vestibule: the one over the door really does not fit well and is too floppy, I might be able to play with it a bit next time we set it up, but it will probably take some elbow grease to make me happy with it. We are switching to "car camping" with a growing family and I have had a hard time swallowing the size and weight increase from my easily packable dome, but it is a necessary evil. The kids love the weird screen tent area in front. Pros: size and venting (which are also the only real cons): my first thought when I put it up was Bahia Honda with the whole family. The white on top seems to cut the heat a lot. Stability: I had it in about 25 mph winds with just standard spikes and the thing did not move, one weakness might be horizontal rain because of all the venting--but if you are car camping bring an extra tarp or two and you'd be fine. This tent would be a bit cool in norther climates in spring or late fall b/c of the lower vents and air flow.