I took the Krypton 2 on two 2-night trips, at the Manistee River Trail and Nordhouse Dunes in Michigan. I also spent a night in my backyard, to test my seam-sealing job.

The Manistee River/North Country Trail loop is about 20 miles (32 km), with some elevation changes but nothing really challenging. The temperature was moderate, about 75 F (24 C) for the high, and 45 F (7 C) for the low on that trip. Since the trip was more or less an 'overnighter' the extra weight of the Krypton didn't bother me at all, especially considering I had brought fresh fruit and other food that is heavier than my fare for long trips. The first night was spent at an established campground (along the Manistee River portion of the trail) just off the parking lot. It was a bit challenging setting the tent up for the first time in the dark, but with the help of the Xcursion lantern, we managed to get it pitched in a fair amount of time. The second night we spent at a campsite on the North Country Trail that a couple had shown my brother and I last year when we were hiking the same loop.

Both campsites were pretty much packed dirt, though I managed to pound in the stakes well enough with a rock. Since there was no rain in the forecast, I left both of the 'windows' open a bit, and unzipped the top of the vestibules a little for ventilation. On both nights there was a little condensation inside the rainfly, but I managed to dry it off well enough with my pack towel. I don't know how well the ventilation would work if I had to "batten down the hatches" during a rainstorm, but I pretty much completely close up any tent when heavy rain is expected.

At Nordhouse Dunes, my brother and I hiked about 4 miles (6 km) each day. Again, since it was a short trip with very low mileage the additional weight of a 4-season tent didn't bother me at all. The highs were around 60 F (16 C) and the lows around 35 F (2 C), and on the windy side, as we were right off Lake Michigan. The first night we camped in a somewhat protected 'bowl' between the dunes. Considering I used the stakes provided and not sand/snow stakes, the tent and vestibules held up pretty well, with only the vestibule that we used for our packs (which bore the worst of what wind did make it through) slumping somewhat during the night.

Our original plan had been to pitch camp and dayhike to the lighthouse in the neighboring Luddington State Park. With a *very* bright full moon reflecting off the dunes we got little sleep the first night, and decided to explore some of the 'interior' trails and set up camp at an appropriate location where we might get some shade at night. The vestibules did a little bit better the second night, since we were a little more protected from the wind.

Since the weather was a bit chilly, I didn't leave the windows or vestibules open for ventilation, and both mornings the inside of the rainfly had a good amount of condensation. I wiped off what I could, the first morning, and the rest dried after a little while of being hung out on a tree at our new campsite. The next day I dried off the rainfly as best I could, but when I got home and stretched out the rainfly in the basement, I found that I had taken quite a bit of sand (stuck to the condensation of the rainfly) home with me.

During what is probably the last rainstorm of the season, I pitched the Krypton 2 in my backyard to test my seam-sealing job. Since the inside of the rainfly is taped and I had only noticed the water leaking in at the locations where the hook and loop fasteners are located (to secure the rainfly to the pole), I applied seam-seal only to those four areas. The night was unseasonably warm for mid-November, only dropping down to 42 F (5.6 C). It rained through the late afternoon and into the night, ranging from a drizzle to a moderately heavy thunderstorm. When all was said and done, about 2.3" (5.8 cm) of rain came down on the tent, most of it when I was inside trying to get some sleep.

The next morning I found out that I'll have to perform round two of seam sealing, since two of the four areas I had identified earlier still had some seepage. I also found out that the guy flaps (below the "X" printed on the rainfly, and pointed out in the picture below) had started to seep. The water had leaked through the rainfly, but none actually entered the tent. On this night, there didn't appear to be any condensation.

I'm impressed with the Krypton so far. I would've been hesitant to try the Nordhouse Dunes trip in Mid-October with only a 3-season tent (before now I was a "warm weather" backpacker), but the Krypton held up well, and between the tent and our 20 F (-6.7 C) rated bags, we were pretty snug and warm.

The head and foot end doors are a big improvement over the side-exit doors I'm used to, and like I anticipated it's easier to get in and out of the tent since I'm not trying to crawl out over my own pack (two packs fit neatly into one vestibule). The gear-loft type loop did work well for hanging my small LED lamp from, and was in about the perfect spot for me to read while laying down (stomach-side to the ground).

The thing I like most about the Krypton 2 is the interior volume. For me, the extra headroom provided by the additional poles is worth the weight on shorter trips. For anything more than three, maybe four nights in fair weather I'd probably take my 3-season tent to cut weight. But for shorter trips (or if we go on a road trip and car camp without the tent that could sleep eight people) the Krypton 2 is coming with me because of the extra volume and the door layout that is more convenient.

For the Long Term phase of the test, I plan to brave the snow of my backyard and possibly a night or two at a state park or forest.

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > Coleman Exponent Krypton 2 Tent > Becki Stacy > Field Report