I was in the market for a *cheap* and light 1 man tent and this certainly fits the bill. It's not free standing but still relatively simple to set up. You'll need to get those stakes in. Here in So Cal I don't worry that much about moisture, but this tent as kept me dry in rain. It does get some condensation inside, but not enough to pose a problem with me in my down sleeping bag. Its cramped inside but I guess thats how it goes. Overall I'd recommend this tent if you can find it cheap, otherwise.. I am sure there are better, more modern, options out there.

While I agree with the other reviews here that this tent does get some condensation, I disagree with everything else negative that has been said about this tent. I have had my Dart 1 since 2003. It has been to Denali, Zion, Uintas, Wasatch, among a bunch of other trips to National Forests. I simply have to say that this is not hard to set up, a pole and a shank and 4 steaks and this baby is up. It has a nice vestibule for your gear. The door when entering to sleep is the easiest to zip up of all my tents, and it is so easy to pack and unpack. I look at backpacking as getting out there to see and enjoy some amazing places. I feel you really do not need a tent for more than shelter from the elements, and a place to sleep bug free. My solution to the condensation problem was I Nikwax my sleeping bag and use a foot print. If there is a few drops in there in the morning, I just leave the vestibule door and roof and side vents open in the morning and the heat of the day seems to dry any of that out by mid day. I have even had to sit out a 6 hour rain storm at one location and I just read a book and took a nap and stayed completely dry. Even snowed on us once last season in the Uintas, still dry. If you want 4 star luxury camping, this tent is not for you. Then again, if you are looking for 4 star luxury camping in the outdoors, maybe backpacking is not for you. I would recommend this tent for those who are looking for a minimalist shelter that is bug free.

hard to set up but definitely very light not greatest tent if you like being really dry

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worth what i paid

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The positive reviews of this tent blow my mind! This is a single wall, non-breathable tent. Unless you are camping in an arid locale where it never rains you are going to be miserable in this tent. Doing most of my backpacking in the east, I am not dumb enough to own one of these tents. But I do know tents very well. I had a tent that was 95% screen and regardless how I vented it, the non-breathable sides of the floor always got some condensation buildup when the fly was on. Even though the rest of the tent was bone dry. It’s simple physics. Warmer moist air hits a colder material, if its not breathable, condensation forms. It’s inevitable. And being so small it would be impossible to avoid touching the soaked fabric.

Kelty is notorious for making value-minded products. If you examine the tent closely you will notice the poorly stitched seams, the absence of rip-stop fabric, and the lack of reinforcing. Even for the low price, it is not worth it.

Backpacker magazine gave this tent a score of 2 out of 5. They cited the condensation problem and also pointed out that all the vents leak. The flap over the roof vent will blow open with the slightest breeze and bouncing rain will enter the side vents.

Bottom line: A good lightweight tent if you live in the desert and never see rain. Otherwise, a condensation collector

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My current tents:
Walrus Zoid 1.5
REI Clipper
REI Taj
Moss Titan
Moss Stardome 2

My past tents:
Kelty Vortex 2
Sierra Designs Clip Flashlight
Walrus 360 Mountain
Sierra Designs Meteorlight
The North Face Nebula
REI Mountain 3
The North Face Mountain

this tent sucks

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this extraordinary tent is great for these resons (at least i think so)
its only 2.8pounds
eaisly rolled up
eaisly set up (about 3 min)
small compact size when packed
cool looking desine
all and all i think its a great tent

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kelty is lifetime garenteed

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this is one of the more proper and livible bivy then a tent and is exactly what i wal looking for. this is a great tent if anyone is thinking of buying it i say go for it

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this tent kicks butt
this tent is great i love it i havent been in the snow with it yet but i know it will hold up because i have sleped in it while it got struck by lightning (scary experiance) but the poles acked like ground wires.
and you can fit 2 people on top of each other (if u know what i mean) this is the best tent i have ever have

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some crappy ozark trails 4 person dome (wal-mart brand)

A damp (condensation), cramped experience. Requires being a contortionist to get in and out of (especially troublesome for those 3am trips to take a leak), and the "toe" is so small that, if you don't sleep flat, you'll be bumping up against the tent (meaning your feet get wet and cold). Erecting this tent in an area that is stony or irregularly shaped is difficult because the tent is so long and the stakes provide the shape. If you don't stake it right, or if the rocks that you've weighted the stakes with (because of lack of soil) slip, or the ground is slightly off-kilter, the middle of the tube sags, making it even more claustraphobic. Finally, condensation was terrible, as it often is in single-wall tents. My sleeping pad ended up soaked, as well as the sides of my sleeping bag near the toe as I shifted during the night and hit the sides of the tent. Ventilation is very iffy, I had the toe vent open as well as the two side vents and the vestibule peak vent (did not open the vent directly above me because a light drizzle was possible and going thru the contortionist act in the dark to deal with water dripping on me was not my idea of fun), and still condensation was a problem. Perhaps the cramped "toe" has something to do with that., since with my sleeping bag and me stuffed back there, there was barely any clearance (thus little air movement down the "tube").

Still, I do have to give it four stars for value (it's inexpensive) and three stars overall. If you're not prone to claustraphobia, it will keep the wind, rain, and bugs off of you, and when you're hauling it up and down 2,000 foot ridges, you appreciate the (lack of) weight. The vestibule was huge for this class tent -- big enough to haul my pack and hold my boots, which is better than many competitors' vestibules. It does exactly what it was designed to do -- provide ultra-light basic "survival" shelter for the minimalist who wants something more than a bivvy sack but does not want to move all the way up to a double-wall tent w/full rain fly. You must understand, however, that this implies compromises. Personally, I'm not taking the Dart out again -- I've decided that the extra 1 or 2 pounds more for a double-wall free standing tent such as the Eureka Zephyr is worth the comfort. Others might feel different about the compromises inherent in the Dart's basic goals.

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The only positive thing I can say is it's light weight and pack down size. I have canoed and backpacked with the tent. I got wet when it rained and was hot when it did not. The ventalation was horrible and very inadequate.