Sportsman's Warehouse Kelty Ashcroft 2 Person Tent
Skip until Kelty reveals water-repellent coating chemistry, waterproof tents commonly use PFAS.
Polyester fabric with undisclosed water-repellent coating. Kelty makes no public statement about PFAS content or water-repellent coating chemistry, and many tent makers still rely on PFAS-based water-repellent coating.
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Material
Polyester tent fabric with water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) 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.
PFAS
Kelty does not disclose whether the Ashcroft 2 uses PFAS-based fluorocarbon water-repellent coating or fluorine-free alternatives. Polyester tents commonly use legacy PFAS chemistry. Minimal direct ingestion risk, but off-gassing in humid or warm conditions and leaching into soil/water at end-of-life are plausible.
Source, ATSDR ↗Coating degradation and durability
What’s reassuring
Microplastics
Polyester fabric does not shed microplastics under normal camping use (no washing, heat, or abrasion sufficient to fragment fibers). This hazard is relevant to apparel, not structural tents.
Source, EPA ↗Off-gassing of tent fabric or adhesives
No documented cases of VOC or formaldehyde off-gassing from Kelty Ashcroft tents. Polyester and seam-seal glues used in budget camping tents are stable in well-ventilated tent environments. Smell on opening is typically residual manufacturing odor, not a chemical hazard marker.
Seam-seal leachables in wet conditions
Seam sealants used in tent construction are not documented to leach toxic compounds under normal camping conditions. Risk rises only if sealant is ingested directly or if tents sit submerged for extended periods, which is not typical use.
The full breakdown
What it's made of and why it matters
The Ashcroft 2 uses polyester fabric with a water-repellent coating (water-repellent coating) coating applied to shed water without creating a full waterproof barrier that would trap condensation. Polyester itself is stable and non-leaching under normal use. The water-repellent coating chemistry, whether fluorocarbon-based (PFAS), fluorine-free, or paraffin, is not disclosed by Kelty or Sportsman's Warehouse. This coating degrades gradually with washing and UV exposure, requiring periodic reapplication or acceptance of reduced water shedding.
The brand's record and disclosure
Kelty has not publicly disclosed water-repellent coating chemistry for the Ashcroft line or taken a firm stance against PFAS-based water repellents. The company does not advertise PFAS-free or fluorocarbon-free certifications for this model. Industry-wide, tent manufacturers have been slow to adopt transparent labeling on water-repellent coating coatings, and Kelty follows this pattern. No recalls or contamination incidents are on record for this specific tent model.
How it compares in its category
Most budget-to-mid-range camping tents (including Kelty's competitors like Coleman and REI Co-op) use polyester with undisclosed water-repellent coating coatings. Higher-end brands (Big Agnes, Nemo) occasionally publish water-repellent chemistry or offer fluorine-free alternatives, but transparency is rare industry-wide. The Ashcroft 2 is typical for its price point in offering no special disclosure advantage or disadvantage. Tent fabric durability and seam-seal integrity matter more to performance than water-repellent coating chemistry.
If you buy it
Minimize skin contact with the outer fabric during setup and teardown, especially in wet conditions when water-repellent coating is most mobilized. Avoid washing the tent frequently; brush off dirt and rinse gently with plain water when needed. Store it dry and away from direct heat (not in hot car trunks for extended periods). Expect to refresh the water-repellent coating every 2-3 years with commercial reapplication products; research the chemistry of any aftermarket coating you apply. Replace the tent if fabric tears, seams fail, or mold grows despite drying after use.
What we don’t know
- Basis
- Model estimate, 42% 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.