Kelty Ballarat 4 Person Tent

If you want an incredibly affordable yet reliable and easy to use outdoor shelter, this Kelty Ballarat 4 Person Tent is for you. This tent is compact and light enough even to be carried on the trail, and you have Kelty’s lifetime warranty. 

Key features & benefits

What this is about

So here you have the smaller tent in the series of two that includes also a 6-person version. The tent is practically identical to their Discovery Basecamp 4 tent and I am puzzled with the fact that they launched it under a different name. 

This is a very simple dome-shaped structure supported with two main X-crossed poles and one additional brim pole that creates a small awning. Here it is show without the fly so you can understand what you have:

It can be described as fully freestanding, so you can set it up practically everywhere. Even with the fly on, you can move this tent and rotate as you wish.

This is because the fly attaches to the tent’s base in the corners, and there is no vestibule. So you have an easy access, but observe that this means no storage space for gear.

The door & window

There is only one door here, this may not look optimal for a tent of 4, but the door is large and it will do the job. Note that there is a window on its upper part, it is with mesh and with a zippered panel.

So you can have views from the tent, and you can keep it with the mesh most of the time because it is protected under the awning.

Materials

The poles: You have them three, and this is a fiberglass. This material is normal to have with such budget friendly tents.

Note that it comes with Kelty’s Quick Corners design used in many of their new tents. The picture below shows, what this is about; you have deep narrow pockets where you put the ends of poles.

The fabric: You have a 68D polyester used everywhere, the same on the walls, on the floor, and on the fly. The waterproof rating is 1200 mm, and this will be enough for almost any situation. The mesh areas are a fine No-See-Um type.

The tent comes with four internal storage pockets for organization, and with pre-attached guylines.

The carry bag is what they describe as a Shark-Mouth design, so it is easy to pack-up, see how it looks:

Ventilation

There is plenty of mesh on the canopy so vapor can always escape. There are no vents on the fly, but this is where the front brim pole and the awning play a role. The fly is high here so vapor can easily escape. 

There are no floor vents either, but you do not need them. You have seen that the taffeta walls are low on the side, the mesh goes close to the ground. On the other hand, the fly does not go to the ground so you can easily have air circulation underneath the fly.

Who is it for

Regarding the capacity, the tent is officially for 4 people. The floor dimensions are such that you can indeed put 4 sleeping pads on the floor, but the area of 52.7 ft² (4.9 m²) is not really a camping castle.

So I see it best suited for up to three people, it may work for parents with a kid, and it is also ideal for couples.

Regarding seasons & climate, they describe it as a 3-season tent and this is indeed so. Of course you would not want to use it in a very cold environment, but this is where your sleeping gear plays a role in any case.

The structure is low profile, the peak height is only 58 inches (147 cm), and it is very aerodynamic. So the tent can take a lot even with such a partial coverage fly.

Regarding the weight, the tent can be described as lightweight, see the numbers below. When packed it is very compact, so this is why I think it may be used even on the trail if the users share the weight.

Regarding the price, it is simply unbelievable, so this is Kelty again at its best.

Specifications

• Type: dome tent.
• Official capacity: 4 people.
• Weight: 8 lb 8 oz  (3.86 kg).
• Minimum weight: 7 lb 8 oz (3.4 kg).
• Dimensions (L x W): 97 x 79 in (246 x 201 cm).
• Area: 52.7 ft² (4.9 m²).
• Packed size: 23 x 6 x 6 in (58 x 15 x 15 cm).
• Peak height: 58 in (147 cm).
• Warranty: lifetime Kelty warranty.

Final thoughts & rating

Below you can see how I rate it against my usual rating criteria so that you can easily compare it with other items of this type:

Kelty Ballarat 4 Person Tent

8.3

Area per person

7.6/10

Weight

8.6/10

Packed size

8.8/10

Protection

8.5/10

Features

8.2/10

Pros

• Great price.
• Very light.
• Compact.
• Easy to use.

Cons

• Small for 4 users.

BEST PLACEs TO BUY

Kelty

Moosejaw

Bass Pro Shops

Cabelas

For more options, please check under the category Tents for 4 People. Check in particular this unique Naturehike MG Hexagonal Yurt Camping Tent with its easy to use hub frame design.

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