User Review: Mountain Hardwear Kiva

Mountain Hardwear Kiva
Above: The current Kiva, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed July 5, 2006 by Charity

Rating: rated 5 of 5 stars
Design: all season expedition tee-pee
Sleeps: 5
Ease of Setup: Medium
Weight: 6 lbs with pole and footprint
Price Paid: Forgot

I use this tent whenever there is more than two of us going backpacking, whatever the weather. You just can't beat the shelter capacity for the weight ... not even with bivvies or with ultralight tarp tents. Divide 6 lbs between four people and it's simply the lightest, toughest shelter you can get.

I use mine with the footprint and I sewed 10 inches of mosquito mesh around the edge to keep out the bugs. At first it's weird not completely sealing out the elements and the critters but we've never had any creepy crawly visitors, not even in the buggiest places like the Zion Narrows (spider heaven).

A couple of tips on pitching: make sure (except in the dead of winter) that there is a little room between the edge of the tent and the ground (extend the center pole a little higher than you think you should, and don't crank the corners all the way down the ground). The vent at the top is not enough to eliminate condensation from 4+ people sleeping inside and breathing. A lot of people think that the tent leaks but it's actually the condensation from pitching it like you're afraid of a bug or a mouse getting inside the tent.

Another tip: bring a small packtowel to wipe down the walls once in a while if you spend a lot of time inside it. It's a small trade-off for the incredible weight savings and relative bombproofness of this shelter. I've used it in howling wind, driving rain, blowing snow, as well as in perfect warm summer weather and it's a great shelter. You just have to adjust how you pitch it for various conditions.

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