Big Tents: Kelty Parthenon 8

May 9th, 2014 • BY Erinn Morgan

When it comes to tents, is bigger always better?

I think so, but I have a preschooler in tow along with her gargantuan supply of gear, toys, clothing, and warm fuzzies. Well, and maybe a few extra outfit changes of my own and the occasional air mattress and real pillows for optimal comfort. What can I say? I love the outdoors and am all for camping but glamping is firmly embedded in my DNA.

I like to stand up in a tent, stretch out, have space to move about when it’s time to move indoors after a day of adventuring. My husband, on the other hand, is a seasoned backpacker and solo car camping traveler who thinks a tent should be no bigger than the amount of room we all three require to squeeze in and sleep.

Which is exactly why he grumbled while setting up the Kelty Parthenon 8 Tent ($629.95) on a recent camping trip to Fruita, Colo. To his credit, the tent barely fit into the allotted gravel tent area in our site at the James Robb State Park Campground. And, it was a towering comparison to the other meager tents marking the other sites populated by a wealth of dirt-covered mountain bikers.

But, I saw his attitude shift slightly when we all hopped inside this luxurious structure and there was more than enough room for us and all of our gear—plus a game of hopscotch. With over 143 square feet of floor space and a huge 28.7 square foot vestibule, the Kelty Parthenon Tent delivered tons of space and nearly vertical walls with an 80-inch peak height, meaning we could all stand up comfortably. The 8 in this tent’s name means it’s designed to easily fit (and sleep) eight people. It also comes with a divider wall crafted of tent material—spot on for privacy, especially if you have older kids who want space of their own.

The Kelty Parthenon Tent also has a handy vestibule with twin zipper tracks that enable it to transform into a full awning for protection from the sun or rain.

Colorado’s omnipresent spring winds put this tent to the true test during our camping trip. The forecast, which called for 20 mph winds all night with gusts of up to 35 mph, was dead on—but while the Parthenon flapped and swayed all night long, it never bowed or flattened or required any nighttime maintenance. In the morning, just one guy rope was pulled from the ground but the tent remained fully intact.

On a similarly wind-plagued camping trip the previous spring in Moab, Utah, another big tent we tested completely flattened down on top of us and the poles bent beyond repair. We retreated to a hotel that night in Moab and when we returned to our campsite in the morning, the entire tent had flipped upside down (along with all our gear).

So, from our vantage point, if you’re in the market for a more luxurious camping experience—and a big, sturdy, comfortable tent—the Kelty Parthenon 8 is a slam dunk.

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