Have used the Kelty Gunnison tents for years but on my last one the skylights on the rain fly separated. Sent it back and they "repaired" it. This September being as rainy as it was, naturally both sides leaked again.
Shame on me for not testing better before the trip.

That being said, what do you recommend ?
We prefer the 4 man style for comfort and use it almost exclusively for our BWCA trips.

Big Agnes and Marmot are two top brands to consider. REI branded tents are reasonably priced alternatives.

I've really liked my Mountainsmith Equinox 4 tents. Certainly a lesser expensive option that Marmot and Big Agnes, but for the price, they are fairly lightweight, have full rainfly protection, and are great for 2 people and gear. Been through some really strong winds and storms, so I am very confident in them. I also purchased a Mountainsmith Conifer 5 for car camping, which is a taller tent with a HUGE vestibule area. I would consider taking this to the BW for 3 or 4 people if I wanted only one tent along instead of the two smaller tents, although it may be heavier than the weight of the two Equinox together.

My son has a Gunnison and same thing happened with the clear "window" separated during use. He used duct tape as a temporary fix, but the tent was only a couple of years old. I think that other than that, he likes it.

Tomster

Probably one of the closest in design and materials would be a Alps Lynx 4. 2 pole rectangular layout with polyester and aluminum construction, low price range with heavier materials.

I have never owned a Kelty but have used 3 Alps (Vertex/Aries/Mystique), and liked them for the price, materials, durability, and configuration.

butthead

More info on ALPS - Our Scout Troop has used the Alps Taurus 4 man tents for "Patrol" check out tents for several years and they actually have held up really well given the abuses of younger Scouts. Alps sells the Taurus model in several different sizes and either a two pole fiberglass or aluminum option (aluminum = more expensive but lighter) and they offer an outfitter grade of this same style tent made with even more durable material. I personally own an Outfitter model and really like it. We have camped in many really hard rain storms and have not had any issues with water in these tents - I can't say enough about how dry they have been over the years. The Taurus model has full rain fly with two vestibules and two entry doors. They are very simple to assembly and disassemble and at a good price point. There are other higher end brands out there for sure, but for us these have worked very well and seeing the results of using them at least 8-10 outings a year, and a LOT of storms, over the last 4 years I have nothing to report that would be a negative. We did have a couple of Kelty tents in the past and they were good tents for sure, but these have been as good if not better and I don't feel like we made a bad choice in our decision to purchase these tents. We are in the planning stages now to bring two to three "crews" up to the Gunflint next June for for a week in the BWCAW and the Alps tents will be coming with us for sure! Good luck finding your next shelter! If you are involved in Scouting you can register at Hikerdirect.com and take advantage of some really great discounts - another reason we like Alps!

Get one without a skylight; seems like an obvious weak point with dubious value. I did not see mention of skylights on the new ones on Kelty site, but I don't know . . . ? Maybe they had enough problems they discontinued . . . ?

quote butthead: "Probably one of the closest in design and materials would be a Alps Lynx 4. 2 pole rectangular layout with polyester and aluminum construction, low price range with heavier materials.


I have never owned a Kelty but have used 3 Alps (Vertex/Aries/Mystique), and liked them for the price, materials, durability, and configuration.


butthead"

I have 3 Alps Lynx, 1, 2, and 4 person. I like 'em all, set up is super easy. If you have time the 4 shows up a lot on Woot or Steep&Cheap, places like that, for 99 bucks. Diana and Maxx sleep in there just fine on a queen airbed, with a small area left for me on the floor.

What about the Tarptent ones? I like the new one which is a 3 man and great for sleeping 2 plus gear. Very light weight and it packs small too.