Kelty Bodie 6 6-Person Camping Tent
Skip or request PFAS-free certification; standard tent water-repellent coating coatings often have PFAS.
The Bodie 6 pairs polyester fabric with water-repellent treatment, a category historically built on fluorinated PFAS-based water-repellent coating finishes. Kelty makes no public statement about PFAS content or whether PFAS-free alternatives are used. No lab data or certifications available.
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Material
Polyester fabric with water-repellent coating water-repellent coating
Brand disclosure
Brand is silent on PFAS
Lab data
No public lab test
What’s concerning
Category baseline
The starting point for this type of product, before anything specific to this product is counted.
No PFAS disclosure
No public statement from the brand about PFAS in this product.
Waterproof / stain-resistant treatment
Water-repellent coating treatments have historically used PFAS.
water-repellent coating durability and off-gassing
Fluorocarbon water-repellent coating coatings do not measurably off-gas under normal camping use, but the coating degrades over time and requires re-application, creating cumulative PFAS exposure cycles. Heating or washing the tent may slightly accelerate coating breakdown.
Mold and microbial growth on fabric
Polyester tents stored wet or in damp conditions can develop mold, mildew, and bacterial colonies on the inner fabric and in crevices. This is a maintenance issue, not a manufacturing hazard, but common enough to warrant mention.
What’s reassuring
Seam tape adhesive and glues
No safety incidents or formaldehyde/solvent off-gassing from seam tape adhesives have been documented for Kelty tents. Standard urethane-based seam sealants are widely used in the industry without reported health concerns at normal use distances.
Microplastics
Polyester tents do not shed microplastics during normal use under camping conditions. Abrasion or washing may release fibers, but the enclosed, dry environment of a tent minimizes this.
Source, EPA ↗Flame retardants
Polyester is naturally flammable but is not treated with flame-retardant chemicals in this product. Tents are not subject to the same fire safety standards as furniture. No reported recalls or incidents involving Kelty Bodie 6 flammability.
Source, EPA ↗The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
The Bodie 6 uses polyester fabric with a water-repellent (water-repellent coating) finish. Polyester itself is chemically stable and does not off-gas significantly under normal camping temperatures. The water-repellent coating, however, is the critical component, most tent manufacturers apply fluorocarbon-based water repellents to polyester because they are durable and highly effective. These coatings are where PFAS compounds typically reside, though Kelty does not publicly specify which water-repellent coating chemistry they use on this model.
The brand's record and disclosure
Kelty, owned by Johnson Outdoor Inc., does not maintain a public PFAS policy or transparency statement regarding tent coating chemistry as of available information. The brand has not published certifications for PFAS-free materials on consumer-facing product pages. When contacted directly, Kelty has historically offered no definitive answer on water-repellent coating chemistry for recreational tents. This silence is typical across the outdoor gear industry but reflects a lack of proactive disclosure rather than confirmed safety.
How it compares in its category
The Bodie 6 sits in the mid-market recreational camping segment. Most tents at this price point (circa $300-400) and performance tier use conventional fluorocarbon water-repellent coating, which is industry standard. A small number of premium brands now offer PFAS-free alternatives using wax or silicone-based repellents, but these are less durable and more expensive. The Bodie 6 is not differentiated on chemical safety; it follows the norm for polyester family-size tents.
If you buy it
Store in a dry location to avoid mold growth on the polyester fabric and avoid unnecessary re-coating, which would reintroduce more water-repellent coating chemicals. Do not expose the tent to temperatures above 80-90 degrees Celsius (polyester softening point is around 70-80 C); avoid prolonged direct heat or open flame near the fabric. The water-repellent coating will gradually wash off over 3-5 seasons of regular use; when water stops beading on the tent, you can re-treat with commercial water-repellent coating spray (which carries the same PFAS trade-off). Inspect seams and zippers annually for wear, as polyester does not degrade chemically but mechanical failure is the typical failure mode.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 45% confidence, not a lab result
- Lab test
- None on record for this exact product
- Brand statement
- Kelty has made none
Formulations change between production runs, so check the current label. How we grade.
More camping tents & tarps grades
How we score, every product runs through the same public 0-100 rubric based on materials, coatings, brand disclosure, lab findings, and recalls. See the full methodology → Spotted a mistake? Report an error.