The Kelty Trail Ridge 2 is one of those two people tents that really fits two people. When I think of a two person tent, I generally think it will fit only myself and my gear. If I‘m lucky enough, my dog might fit too. We were able to fit two adults plus gear for 2 days in this tent, and still be comfortable.
At about 6 pounds, the Trail Ridge 2 is very compact. This makes it easy to be split between two people. Putting it together was simple, effortless and quick. Usually tents come with two long separate poles that you can assemble yourself. But it‘s easier if you have someone on the other side of the tent keeping it sturdy. The poles in the Trail Ridge 2 were connected together to make an X. Then the bottoms locked into the tent loops instead of just having a pin. The snaps that connect the fabric of the tent are a little harder to explain. (See image below). They’re much more secure than the one-sided hook that I‘m used to seeing. It also has a ridge pole that connects width-wise across the top of where you lay your head, for extra room.
Since it’s a three season tent, the Trail Ridge 2 comes with a stargazing fly in case it starts to drizzle. Since it‘s the middle of summer, with no chance of rain, we slept without extra cover. It was quite comfortable, and honestly was a nice escape from being in a house. The stargazing fly has waterproof seams and rolls up where you lay your heads. This lets you do as you‘re meant to do while camping, and watch the stars. If it begins to rain, the fly easily unclips and rolls back down. If we had been using the stargazing fly, we could have easily kept our packs just outside of the tent in the vestibule for added room.
Inside the Trail Ridge 2 is a standard gear loft that most tents have to place your small items in, to keep from losing them. But it also has two night light pockets near your head so that you can illuminate the tent once it has gotten dark. You’ll find a door on each side too. This is nice when you have to use the loo in the middle of the night. Tripping over your mate will no longer be a worry.
When it‘s all said and done, the Trail Ridge 2 is as easy to pack away as it was to set up. It comes with a nice carry pack too. The carry bag is big enough that if you mess up a while rolling the tent, you can still fit everything inside. Overall dimensions for the Trail Ridge 2 are 90 x 55 x 43 inches (229 x 140 x 109 cm), which works out to 34 square feet of space. The two vestibules are each ten square feet as well. Walls are 68D polyester with 40D No-See-Um Mesh, and the floor is 68D Polyester, 1800 mm. Not shown is the fly, which is 68D Polyester, 1800 mm.
Overall, I really like the Kelty Trail Ridge 2 for one or two people and recommend that you check it out at www.Kelty.com.
Heather