View Full Version : Kelty Gunnison and Footprint
Newbie here. I have read a lot where many of you just use your rainfly and a footprint. Can that configuration be done with basically any tent's rainfly and it's footprint. I just bought a Kelty Gunnison 2 person but not the footprint. Can this tent's rainfly be used in that configuration with it's footprint if I get it? Thanks for your help.
Shiraz-mataz
05-24-2007, 20:27
I also have a Kelty Gunnison 2 and am very happy with it. Until you posted your question it never occured to me to configure the footprint and fly without the tent. My first inclination was that it wouldn't work that way but I wasn't sure so I went outside and set it up in the yard. I was "mostly" right. The footprint/fly only configuration is difficult for two reasons.
First of all, the fly is anchored in place with plastic snap clips in each of the four corners. The fly has the male half of the clip and the tent has the female half. The footprint of course goes beneath it all and is held in place by the tent poles passing through its grommets.
The second problem is that the shock-corded poles rely on the tent for holding them up with its quick clips. The fly is just a covering so if the tent is not there, the poles can flop over.
But when I put my engineer hat on and think how necessity is the mother of invention, if you really want it to work you can simply jury-rig it by tying the tent poles to each other at the peak where they cross and then tying the corners of the fly to the footprint. But out of the box? No, it's not designed to operate without the tent. Hope that helps!
Great tent! I love mine. I have used it several times with varying types of weather. Including two days of fairly heavy rain. Hint: Make sure you secure the velcro flap on the vestiblue as you zip it up. If left to flap, water will penetrate though the zipper. This would be my only complaint about this tent.
Shiraz, thanks for the "field test". That was my suspicion but glad to know it can be done in a round about way.
Dipdog, thanks for your insight as well with the rain.