A close look at two tents buyers cross-shop. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Kelty Late Start 4P | Sierra Designs Meteor Storm 4P | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 75✓ | 74 |
| Capacity | 4 | 4 |
| Packed weight | 103.0 oz | 94.4 oz✓ |
| Floor area | 55 sq ft | 55 sq ft |
| Space-to-weight | 8.5 /lb | 9.3 /lb✓ |
| Peak height | 56 in✓ | 46 in |
| Doors | 1 | 2✓ |
| Vestibules | 1 | 2✓ |
| Price | $240✓ | $260 |
| Type | Backpacking | Backpacking |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Late Start 4P in blue, Meteor Storm 4P in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full tent comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
Put the Kelty Late Start 4P next to the Sierra Designs Meteor Storm 4P and the trade-offs are clear. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Late Start 4P is taller (56 vs 46 in peak) and $20 cheaper. The Meteor Storm 4P is 9 oz lighter, better space-to-weight, and more doors (2 vs 1). Their GearScores land within a couple of points (75 vs 74), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Late Start 4P if you care most about headroom and price, which makes it the better call for comfort and room to move. Pick the Meteor Storm 4P if low weight and space-to-weight matter more to you, or you are focused on counting grams on long miles.
The Sierra Designs Meteor Storm 4P. It is 9 oz lighter than the Late Start 4P.
The Kelty Late Start 4P. It is taller (56 vs 46 in peak) than the Meteor Storm 4P.
They are nearly tied at 75 and 74 on the default algorithm, so re-weight the score to your own priorities to break the tie.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Late Start 4P for headroom, or the Meteor Storm 4P for low weight. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.