Since 1952, Kelty has been doing their best to provide gear for anyone looking to experience the outdoors. Functional, no frills designs and great prices are what they are all about. Their philosophy isn’t changing this year, but the level of products they offer is. Sleeping bags and tents are both getting big upgrades while staying within the Kelty concept of giving everyone access to the woods.
Their booth was swarming with people the first two days at Outdoor Retailer, and with good reason. A gang of supermen and women were giving their best attempt at pumping up a huge six person tent. Yes, I said pumping up a tent. The Mach 6 Airpitch tent employs a hand pump for setup. Instead of traditional poles, the tents (which come in Mach 6 and Mach 4 models) use inflatable Airpoles for structure. This is a camping mansion that sets up in less than a minute. The crowds were gathered around the Kelty booth, each person taking their turn to “pitch” the Mach 6 while being timed. The big winner collected a cool G for their efforts. When it’s inflated, the Mach 6 contains two separate, removable sleep rooms (49 square feet apiece), and a central gear area (38 square feet). This frontcountry chalet is not only a roomy place to lay your head, but your go to hang out area when the weather turns ugly. Kelty’s thought is, if you spend less time setting up your camp, you’ll have more time to play in the outdoors.
Mounted on a quiet wall away from the inflatable tent craziness were perhaps the biggest improvement to Kelty’s camping equipment: sleeping bags. DriDown is the latest craze for campers, and Kelty isn’t sitting on the sidelines. The Ignite DriDown bags are 600 fill hydrophobic comfort sacks. The 0 degree version is just over 2 lbs, and the 20 degree bag comes in at 1 lb 6 oz. Kelty’s pricing will be pocket friendly, so anyone who wants to give the DriDown technology a try can do it without breaking the bank. Even though the Airpitch tent is pretty damn cool, I thought these new bags were the secret superstars of the booth.
Tents and sleeping bags are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Kelty’s new and improved gear. Basecamp furniture, kitchen supplies, lighting solutions, airpads and even a pack to haul your toddler around in are all a part of their continuing tradition. I’ve tested a decent array of Kelty gear and I can tell you this: it won’t always be the fanciest item on the shelf, but it will work every time you take it out. Can you really ask for more than that? Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go practice my pump technique…I’m not missing out on that G-bar next season!