Pancake Ef
I'm deciding if I should get this tent. I will use it for vacations/camping/hiking/hunting etc. It will be used in the rain, snow, daylight, etc.
It seems like it's everything I want, but the price is so low for a 4 season tent, which is why i'm asking.
Link: http://www.amazon.com/Alpinismo-Season-Tent-Aluminum-Poles/dp/B003ZZHS84/ref=lh_ni_t
Would something like this be better?
http://www.amazon.com/Mountaineering-Person-Aluminum-Backpacker-5-Feet/dp/B0036R8K10/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1338326296&sr=8-2
Someone else said that 3 season tents can make it through 4 season weather..
Answer
Do yourself a favor and stop shopping for tents on Amazon. Buy your books and records there but NOT camping gear.
Go to the Campmor site and limit yourself to the brands they sell.
What distinguishes 4 season tents from 3 season is that they have better wind resistance, have a roof design that will not collapse under a load of snow or ice and usually have vestibules that allow external storage of gear plus a sheltered area to cook in during bad weather. If you are not planning to camp out in the snow, a 3 season will work fine.
PS If you are just one of those stubborn people who is going to keep posting the same question until somebody agrees with you, please stop wasting our time and just buy the thing. Then when it doesn't quite work out like you hoped, don;t say we didn't warn you.
Do yourself a favor and stop shopping for tents on Amazon. Buy your books and records there but NOT camping gear.
Go to the Campmor site and limit yourself to the brands they sell.
What distinguishes 4 season tents from 3 season is that they have better wind resistance, have a roof design that will not collapse under a load of snow or ice and usually have vestibules that allow external storage of gear plus a sheltered area to cook in during bad weather. If you are not planning to camp out in the snow, a 3 season will work fine.
PS If you are just one of those stubborn people who is going to keep posting the same question until somebody agrees with you, please stop wasting our time and just buy the thing. Then when it doesn't quite work out like you hoped, don;t say we didn't warn you.
BEST BELOW ZERO SURVIVALIST TENT??
MAKEMYHOTD
I'm looking for a super emergency bug out tent.
Something that would allow six people to cook and use a portable propane heater within it.
Something that could handle minus 30 degrees temperatures.
We have had a number of blackouts, storms etc etc..
I need something a city boy can put up in a hurry.
Answer
I too, question why a "city boy" needs a tent in an emergency. Any exposed fabric shelter is never going to offer more protection from severe cold than the most basic solid structure, even a shack or garage. I fail to see what low temperature "emergency" would drive you and 6 friends to flee to a tent rather than to stay in place in whatever structure you live or work in.
In fact, the only non-permanent shelter that would be superior in low temperatures would be a snow cave or Inuit style igloo, where the thickness of snow would block wind and insulate. You can learn to build one but it takes several people a few hours to construct one.
I used to winter camp a lot and have slept in tents down to minus 20 dead air temperature. It's a challenge. I have a two-man double walled tent that pitches tautly with a 4" air gap between the attached non-waterproof fly -- it also has a catenary cut so that, properly pitched, it sheds wind well in storm conditions. I used it for Alpine mountaineering and we kept warm in it due to the small volume and having down sleeping bags with about 10 inches of loft. It was a fairly effective arrangement, but not one I would endure given any other options. In fact, a 2-gallon water jug inside the tent froze solid overnight, which tells you how paltry a couple layers of nylon is against sub-zero weather. Unfortunately, that tent model has not been in production for 20 some years (Cannondale Aroostook). There are other competent mountaineering tents, but they are for brute survival and none is "warm" or spacious enough for 6-way partying.
A tent large enough for 6 people doesn't efficiently retain much heat. And I would NEVER use a stove or heating unit of any type in an enclosed tent. The only winter tent arrangement that can safely use a stove for heat is a fireproofed cotton canvas outfitter's wall tent with a built in chimney and unit stove for wood or other combustibles that is designed for safe ventilation. Tentsmith in New England sells these.
http://tentsmiths.com/period-tents-wall-tents.html
But if you are just looking to survive a power outage in weather like we have this week, stay indoors. A tent is better than NO shelter but certainly inferior to any structure with a solid roof and walls. If you have to evacuate to the wilds for some reason in cold weather, take a camper trailer with a propane heater. These are dirt cheap these days since people can no longer afford to pay for the gas to haul them on vacations. We rented a self-contained motorhome for a trip to Arizona last December and there was a freak cold spell where it got down near zero one night. We were toasty warm in the camper with the propane furnace running and all the comforts of home. You can pick up a used camping trailer or motorhome in functional shape that will sleep 6 for under $3,000 these days.
A yurt is a good suggestion for wintering shelter -- my brother has an 18' traditional wood frame and wool felt Mongolian one in his yard as a guest lodge, with a vented pellet stove to warm it. But it took a professional crew an entire day to set it up and it is not really portable. Plus it cost about $10,000. There are some cool geodesic dome tents in virtually every size marketed, but they will still not keep you warm.
Overall you are better off investing in warm sleeping bags and insulated clothing. Plus do some research on safe heating options that won't suffocate or burn you and your crew.
I too, question why a "city boy" needs a tent in an emergency. Any exposed fabric shelter is never going to offer more protection from severe cold than the most basic solid structure, even a shack or garage. I fail to see what low temperature "emergency" would drive you and 6 friends to flee to a tent rather than to stay in place in whatever structure you live or work in.
In fact, the only non-permanent shelter that would be superior in low temperatures would be a snow cave or Inuit style igloo, where the thickness of snow would block wind and insulate. You can learn to build one but it takes several people a few hours to construct one.
I used to winter camp a lot and have slept in tents down to minus 20 dead air temperature. It's a challenge. I have a two-man double walled tent that pitches tautly with a 4" air gap between the attached non-waterproof fly -- it also has a catenary cut so that, properly pitched, it sheds wind well in storm conditions. I used it for Alpine mountaineering and we kept warm in it due to the small volume and having down sleeping bags with about 10 inches of loft. It was a fairly effective arrangement, but not one I would endure given any other options. In fact, a 2-gallon water jug inside the tent froze solid overnight, which tells you how paltry a couple layers of nylon is against sub-zero weather. Unfortunately, that tent model has not been in production for 20 some years (Cannondale Aroostook). There are other competent mountaineering tents, but they are for brute survival and none is "warm" or spacious enough for 6-way partying.
A tent large enough for 6 people doesn't efficiently retain much heat. And I would NEVER use a stove or heating unit of any type in an enclosed tent. The only winter tent arrangement that can safely use a stove for heat is a fireproofed cotton canvas outfitter's wall tent with a built in chimney and unit stove for wood or other combustibles that is designed for safe ventilation. Tentsmith in New England sells these.
http://tentsmiths.com/period-tents-wall-tents.html
But if you are just looking to survive a power outage in weather like we have this week, stay indoors. A tent is better than NO shelter but certainly inferior to any structure with a solid roof and walls. If you have to evacuate to the wilds for some reason in cold weather, take a camper trailer with a propane heater. These are dirt cheap these days since people can no longer afford to pay for the gas to haul them on vacations. We rented a self-contained motorhome for a trip to Arizona last December and there was a freak cold spell where it got down near zero one night. We were toasty warm in the camper with the propane furnace running and all the comforts of home. You can pick up a used camping trailer or motorhome in functional shape that will sleep 6 for under $3,000 these days.
A yurt is a good suggestion for wintering shelter -- my brother has an 18' traditional wood frame and wool felt Mongolian one in his yard as a guest lodge, with a vented pellet stove to warm it. But it took a professional crew an entire day to set it up and it is not really portable. Plus it cost about $10,000. There are some cool geodesic dome tents in virtually every size marketed, but they will still not keep you warm.
Overall you are better off investing in warm sleeping bags and insulated clothing. Plus do some research on safe heating options that won't suffocate or burn you and your crew.
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