The Kelty All Inn 2 – two person tent is a spacious, lightweight, well-ventilated, three season shelter suitable for backpacking, car camping, music festivals, and backyard stargazing snuggle sessions.
Historically, “two person” backpacking tents have tended to be too small to comfortably accommodate two people, but the All Inn 2 from Kelty has proven itself spacious enough for two sleeping adults and a sprawled out midsize dog at the foot of the bed. I measured it: 42“ head room at tallest, 52” wide at widest, and 84“ (7 feet) long.
Tent Weight
Despite feeling bigger than expected, the Kelty All Inn 2 weighs in at only 3lbs 9oz (1610g) and packs down easily into its midsized stuff sack. I use the optional tent footprint as well, and when rolled up with the tent and rainfly the whole bundle fits easily into the included stuff sack. The extra-wide opening on the stuff sack — Kelty’s “shark mouth” system — makes it notably easier to get the rolled-up tent inside.
This tent is also very easy to set up by oneself. Most of the poles are attached to one another, taking all the guesswork out of which pole goes where. I never read the instructions and had no trouble setting it up in about 10 minutes the first time, about 5 minutes after I got good at it.
Layout
The ceiling and walls of the tent itself are almost entirely mesh, guaranteeing great ventilation. The small mesh pockets at the head of the tent are perfect for placing reading lights overhead. The combination of double doors at the front and side of the tent is well thought out. The side door opens underneath the rain fly where there is enough room to store a backpack or two or prepare food if the weather is too nasty to venture out.
I appreciate the color scheme of this tent. It has enough touches of bright orange to be located in an emergency but the predominant colors are neutral: the rain fly is mostly a mellow shade of grey and the tent and ground tarp are a pleasing dark blue. I also appreciate the convenient strings attached to the stakes, which makes pulling them out of the ground a lot easier than it would be otherwise.
I think its worth mentioning that the stakes must be sunk in good dirt for proper setup. The side walls and rain fly need to be staked down to take on their ideal forms and functions. This is not ideal for quick setup (ie, without stakes) or setup in rocky soil or on rock slabs where stakes cannot be properly set.
Kelty All Inn 2 Tent Pros & Cons
Pros:
- Spacious enough for two adults
- Lightweight and easy to pack
- Great ventilation and double doors
Cons:
- Stakes needed for proper setup
- Plastic components prone to damage
- Not ideal for quick setup without stakes
Overall Impression
It also must be mentioned that the Kelty All Inn 2 ($279.95) — like many lightweight backpacking tents — incorporates plastic components in crucial areas, notably at the head and foot connections atop the tent and in the length adjustment mechanisms for the fly lines. I haven’t broken any of these plastic components, but they seem susceptible to the ravages of severe weather, excited pets, and careless people. Kelty seems to have found the balance between light weight and durability, but take care when and where you set this tent up because while it is well designed and filled with functional features, it is far from indestructible.
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