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Excellent tent. As noted in the other reviews, a very simple design and very practical. We''ve used it on the Superior Hiking Trail and in the Grand Canyon, comfortably camping in temps from 23 degrees> 92 degrees. We love the extra room for my wife and I (I''m tall and fit fine) and the attic for storage. It''s not the super lightest (9 lbs 3 oz packed weight with the rainfly and ground cloth), but I can''t fit comfortably in those little two person jobbies. This tent sat almost dead still during a near tornado we encountered... I was amazed how still and steady it was inside. (properly guyed) We really like the fact that there''s a door on each side for midnight trips to the loo, and good, roomy vestibules for each of us. Sets up very easily and quickly.... even withstood an attack by a snapping turtle intent on laying eggs that attempted to climb it. A great, great value.

Customer Service

nothing on the tent-- called Kelty about a problem with belt buckle on my Super Tioga pack.. they immediately mailed me a new one.

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This tent is an exceptional value for the quality. I have used this tent across the country, both in the Appalachian and Rocky Mooountains. The tent has withstood rainstorms in the Smokies without leaking a drop inside. At Colorado Nat'l Monument, the tent took on 50 - 60 mph winds and rain without falter (tent was guyed correctly of course). Coldest weather encountered was approximately 35 degrees overnight at the top of a 12,000' peak in Colorado, and stayed warm inside Slept with feet outside of sleeping bag. In the beginning, had problems with condensation, but after figuring out how to ventilate better, and guy out the fly completely, condensation has not been a problem. Again, no leaks, great resiliance to wind, and very capable of retaining heat if you want it to. Great tent, would consider it more like a 3 and a half season. Only complaint is that the fly cannot be attached directly to the tent like some of the Sierra Designs products, this would be helpful along the roof of the tent.

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Sierra Designs Light Year CD, Various Eureka products.

simple
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This is the cheapest, decent 3 person tent and performs just as well as any decent tent. It is also one of the simplest to set up and has all the amenities of any tent. My friend had a TNF expedition tent and he was struggling with setup/takedown more than twice the time- and he could never get it to look just right. Also, with the large mesh doors and decent construction, the tent vents somewhat well. Angling the doors toward a breeze flushes the interior out quickly. The tent is reasonably light. I can't get over how simple it is- it is a basic design and doesn't look like a cool dome, but many small things make this tent great. The fly almost never touches the tent, there are all sorts of ties and pockets for stuff, the light colored fabric is stimulating, the mesh area is large, the doors can be cinched to the side or the bottom. On the negatives, he shape is somewhat boring and the slider fabric gets 'sticky' when it is wet making the pole removal just slightly trickier-just pull the fabric not the poles. I don't think that a tent can get easier or better performance/price than this.

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TNF-complex, gadgety, gimmicky
Wenzel- boring, droll colours

I agree 100% with the below reviews. I used this tent on a trip though Europe last summer and it was fantastic. I have used it on shorter trips recently and it has never let me down. The easy set up and two doors make it very useable. One gripe: the gear pockets hang down on your head when you are sleeping and make them note useful and infact they are in the way. The gear loft is very useful. I have had a fair amount of condensation buildup on the inside of the fly which "dews" you when you go to unzip, but maybe I can vent better. Inshort I great easy to live with tent that Campmor has for about $180. Oh, one more thing, visit the Azores they are the best!!

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I bought this tent on ebay for about $205 and it's proven itself worthy of every penny. It sets up in no time, and can withstand a monsoon without letting even a drop of water inside. It's also very comfortable and the bright colors make it a much nicer shelter in dark and dreary weather than darker tents. My only complaint is that its little on the heavy side at 7 and a half pounds. Otherwise, a great buy for a tent with more features than other models that sell for a lot more.

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To explain the 3 person size, I bought this tent for 2 people and 2 dogs (and all of us can get grouchy if there's not enough room). It could possibly fit 3 people but you better like each other. It has plenty of room for 2 people and their gear. The vestibules are spacious, but slightly difficult to open when exiting. With the rainfly on, it tends to condensate on the inside slightly but is acceptable. The first time out, this tent was put to the test. Camping in Grayson Highlands State park/MT Rogers NRA we were subjected to 40+ mph winds (1st night) and a suprise early morning thunderstorm that produced 2-3 inch deep pockets of standing water under the floor (2nd night). Under both conditions the tent performed flawlessly.

The design of the Vortex series tents are excellent and include several amenities, such as 2 side doors and 2 vestibules, gear loft, bathtub flooring, gear pockets, and quick connect straps for securing open vestibules and doors separately.

The only drawback (for the unlucky soul which is usually me)is the weight 7+ Ibs. But considering when your backpacking with someone else there are many options for sharing the load.

Considering the price and features, this was a great buy and it is highly recommended.

Customer Service

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I've taken this tent to Peru on a hike to Machu Picchu and to Belize for some rainforest excursions. Overall it was terrific. The tent is very roomy, and the twin vestibules are a great feature, proving plenty of space for large packs, boots, etc. It held up extremely well in some vicious high altitude windstorms in the Andes, and stayed completely dry during some downpours in Belize. The only drawbacks are that it's a bit heavy (although I prefer more space/more weight to cramped and lightweight), and it got a bit stuffy inside on hot days, even with the vestibules open. That said, I'd recommend this tent to anyone looking for a reasonably priced yet durable and feature-loaded 3-season tent.

Customer Service

Terrific. I somehow got a vestibule whose measurements didn't quite correspond with those of the tent. They sent a replacement with no questions asked.

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The best characteristic of the tent is that is very light. The design is good, it is big, three fit in comfortably, and the two entrances and vestibules are broad and comfortable.
The rainfly's waterproofness convinced me completely, but the floor proved not to be waterproof, although the manual says the contrary. During the first serious rain I endured with the tent, a lot of water entered through the floor were the sleeping mats made contact with the ground. Very disappointing!

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Kelty Vortex 3 is a roomy 3 person tent. Sets up in a flash. Fly attaches with 4 clips-very speedy. Vestibules hold lots of gear. Two door system works great. No problems so far with moisture. Excellent value in a sturdy 3 season tent.

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My wife and I picked up a Kelty Vortex 3 (98) for a 3-month bike tour and never regretted our decision. The tent goes up and packs down fast-- the 2 identical length poles and intellgent design make it easy. The two doors mean we don't have to disturb each other for late-night "nature calls," and the two vestibules are roomy enough so we don't have to crawl over our gear to get in and out of the tent. We found it to be really rain-worthy-- it kept us, and our gear, completely dry during some pretty nasty weather. And although the tent flattened and one of the poles warped slightly during a particulary bad windstorm, the roof of a nearby building was ripped off during that storm and some trees were seriously damaged, so it's a testimony to the tent that the "damage" is almost not worth mentioning. (The slightly warped pole worked just fine, by the way, and we used it for the remaining two weeks of the trip, but Kelty replaced it for free.) A little more mesh would be nice for ventilation, but that's almost a quibble given the overall quality of the tent. No zipper problems, no seam problems, no construction or material problems of any kind.

Customer Service

Customer Service is geat. Contacted them about the warped pole, and they were helpful and courteous.