Kelty Blockhouse Privacy Shelter
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The Kelty Blockhouse privacy shelter creates an ideal out-of-sight space for a camp toilet (sold separately), changing clothes, or showering off after a long hike.
Shop similar products- 4 steel leg poles and center hub create a stable structure
- Floor with built-in drains rolls out of the way when being used as a shower
- Steel hook for hanging a shower bag (sold separately); external tube entry port
- Side wall pocket; 2 ceiling pockets
- Sling-style carrying bag offers over-the-shoulder comfort
Imported.
View all Kelty Camp Showers| Best Use | Camping |
|---|---|
| Material(s) | Unavailable |
| Frame Construction | Steel |
| Dimensions | 86 x 46 x 46 inches |
| Weight | 13 lbs. 10 oz. |
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Heavy duty poles, good car camping
Garage sale item returned due to difficulty setting up. For the solo set up I’ll give you my method. I’m 5’6” and can just reach the top attachment point. To make the rain fly easier I put it on before attaching the poles to the bottom. Once the fly is on the poles go in nicely as long at none of the clips are on the poles. You will want quite a bit of space to set this up in. The windmill picture in the directions is the best way to lay the poles, but it takes up a lot of room. I suppose one could wait to connect the legs all together if space was an issue.
Will likely break during setup
I highly suggest avoiding this product and recommend REI stop carrying it. If people are having good luck with it, then it sounds like their quality assurance is lacking because it's hit or miss if you get the right parts for the dimension of this tent. When putting together the poles with the center plastic piece, it is very clear that attempting to draw the legs in with the base of the tent will shatter the center plastic piece or bend the poles beyond repair. This thing was manufactured with too wide angles that splay the legs out beyond the angle of its tensile strength (see the other 1 star reviews). In other words, you will destroy it trying to get the feet in place. I imagine it would shatter in colder weather. If you are really set on buying this thing, put two legs on the plastic piece in diagonal positions so it lays flat and then compare the distance between the end of the legs with the diagonal length of the base of the tent. If it is close, you should be fine, but if it is not, take it back and buy a different brand. You don't want to put so much stress on it that any amount of flex caused by weather or clumsiness will cause it to break. Look at the other low star reviews and make your decision.
Gigantic and heavy but with tons of features
Check the size before buying! This thing is humongous! We put it together inside the house to check it out, and it was close to touching the ceiling, and we have high ceilings... It's at least 50% bigger than we thought from looking at the pictures. you could easily have 2 people showering at the same time inside, three if they are very good friends. It is also very heavy (Actually heavier than our 6 person tent!) and is not easy to assemble. I'm 5'7" and had to stand on a chair to hang the center hook of the tent at the apex of the structure. I really want to like it because it has a ton of features that are well designed and it's relatively cheap, but I'm not sure it's worth having to deal with its ridiculous size and weight...
Huge Sucess
Alright guys listen up. I bought this primarily for my wife. Little did I know how much I would enjoy having this shelter/shower tent. Set up was a breeze and the construction is heavy duty. I also bought a PETT toilet which is an AWESOME addition to the tent. The convenience of having a place to go right by the tent at night is worth every penny. We had a lot of people in our campground inquire about it. After a long Labor Day weekend at the lake, being able to come back to camp, and take shower and change sure makes you feel a lot better. This will make our camping trips a lot more enjoyable!
Well made, plenty of room to move around
Bought this to pack in my vintage camper and got a chance to use it when my home's plumbing needed significant repair. Set this up in my private side yard and used with my Helio solar shower. Easy to erect with just one person, nice tarp bottom that could be rolled up and out of the way, interior pockets useful for holding toiletries, lots of space to turn around with arms up and good quality zippers and a little drying line just outside the zipper door. I love the window to let in the light and see the nature around you at the same time (also lets you keep an eye out for approaching bears).
More work than I want
This enclosure is made of high quality materials, but when we did a test setup in the yard, we found that it was difficult to set up, even with two of us working together. The steel poles wandered off the pins: get one inserted and two escaped. When we took it down, one of the poles refused to fully collapse into its original position. We decided that despite its positives, it was more work to erect than it was worth. On the plus side, the tent material is high quality, and the detachable floor allowed it to be used or not used as the ground conditions and personal preference allowed. I've known campers who like these quite a bit, and more power to them. Not for us.
Just what I was looking for!
I'd been searching over a year for a nice looking good quality privacy shelter to take camping. Finally came across this one on REI's web site and knew immediately this was the one. When it arrived it was even better than I expected. Great color and excellent design and quality. At first I was a bit surprised by the weight of the poles. They are much heavier than your average tent pole, but they need to be strong if they're going to support the weight of a camp shower. I hung a 5 gallon shower bag with about 3 gallons of water and it was no problem. I would have had a tough time lifting any more water up high to hang it, but I don't have any reason to think the shelter wouldn't have supported a full bag. So far I've taken it on 2 trips for a total of 7 nights and it has fared well in both heavy rain and wind. The floor, which detaches on one side and can be rolled away, is a great feature. It also has some small pockets inside for your soap and shampoo and a small clothes line outside for hanging towels. No trouble setting it up by myself. It's tall, so you may want to do most of the setup with the shelter lying down and then tip it upright when you're ready to stake it down. Really happy with this shelter and was so glad to be able to purchase it through REI.
Great design
I love this tent. I use it for a bathroom, shower and changing. It's fairly easy to put together and is very sturdy. It has a lot of great pockets for storing soap and clothing (though the 2 big clothing pockets may be a little tall for some, I'm 5'9). It also has a handy cord for hanging towels outside of the tent. Very happy with this purchase.
Great idea, need some QC
Received as a Christmas gift. 3/4 of the way through step 2 of the instructions, the plastic hub piece exploded into 4 pieces. As others have noted, it's hard to set up, precision on the poles is lacking, and design seems to put excessive stress on the structure. I'll be returning and trying a different model.
Essential for old guys
At age 63, I need a private space next to my campsite for my cassette toilet. I read many reviews and decided to go with the Kelty Blockhouse despite some of the negative reviewers. I’m very happy with my decision because of the size and quality and strength of the Kelty product. At first I was not able to set up the Blockhouse by myself; but after a few set up and take downs, I was able to set up in 5 minutes on my own. It’s all about the tension of the poles in their place. The top cap that holds the poles was initially difficult to remove in the breakdown, but I found if I wiggled the pole back and forth it would release. I also, just leave the cap on one pole for storage. The tent pegs and guy-wires are needed to secure the tent when winds gust. Now I love having a close place for those midnight bathroom stops. It sure beats a 150 yard stroll in the dark to the campground commode. I also was able to hoist a water bag for a shower. The Blockhouse is designed to suspend up to 5 gallons of water, which is a lot for an outdoor shower. (I’m now looking to purchase a solar shower bag.) It is great to have a large space to shower, a place for my towel, soaps, and wipes, and a line to dry my towel. I was able to keep the cassette toilet in the corner so it did not get wet. The Kelty Blockhouse is now a camping essential for me. It’s heavy duty, but that’s why I like it.