best 4 season hiking tent?

sirus3810

Im looking for a good winter hiking tent. There is no such thing as a light weight winter tent though like there is for summer time. Does anyone camp in cold climates and what do you recommend?

Answer
Best is an opinion. 4 Season tents verses 3 season verses just a tarp or a hammock debates occur annually. Aficionados like their system of camping gear (as another poster already shared) and adapt it to the seasons rather than spending the bucks to get gear actually made for cold heavy snow climates, why is that? cost for one and a semper fi attitude is another.

4 season co-notates handling heavy rains, snow loads and high winds. That requires stronger materials to build it and with that comes heavier weight and a higher price. So "best" for you will be something that fits your budget and meets your weight criteria. Top sellers are what gets a "best" rating quite often, also reviews from reputable sources like Backpacker magazine or REI an international retailer of outdoor gear.

So read the reviews is my best suggestion as people who have tried out the product know best. Next is rent the gear some places rent out the gear why spend several hundred for one trip in new gear? and you can try before you decide to buy. Do you really need a 4 season when a 3 or even a 2 will do? perhaps winter camping won't be your thing after spending a weekend out in it so having rented it you are not out all that cash.

Next is Semper Fi make do with what you got.. As another poster already shared you can often make a 2-3 season work well for your needs even the hammock camper or the tarp man figures out ways to stay warm dry and cozy in their gear year round. It's all about insulation, tent location, and diet.

My self I have several different ones but the REI Half dome 2 has been my go to backpacker tent for years. Southern Calif. does not have the winter blizzards back easts gets but a good winter storm is always a possibility. I have started a trip on 90* sunny weather day only to get snowed on in the same night and the tent has never failed me.
http://www.rei.com/product/845478/rei-half-dome-2-tent

would this be a 4 season tent?

timberratt

http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-SWISSGEAR-HIKING-CAMPING-BACKPACKING-TENT-2-PERSON_W0QQitemZ160300702279QQcmdZViewItemQQssPageNameZRSS:B:SRCH:US:101

Answer
Yes it is a 4 season tent, your question should be is this a good 4 season tent....I wouldn't want to get caught in the rain inside that thing. Check out tent reviews and different tent prices at the 2 links provided. Dont forget you get what you pay for. What kind of warranty does that company have? at backcountry.com its no questions asked return for an exchange or your money back. I get all my gear there

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3 season tent work in November?

hannahbann

I understand that a 3 season tent is for spring,summer, and fall, but I will be camping in the desert around the 25 of Nov and I have a 3 season tent and cannot afford to buy another tent...would the 3 season tent work?? I used it in the desert and it stood up to 50mph winds...or would it be to cold?? could I make some modifications to it?? I honestly cannot afford another one.

Answer
Typically the difference between a 3 season and a 4 season tent is the 4 season tent can carry a snow load. The other difference might be a larger vestibule for transitioning from snow to dry tent. Don't think either of these will be an issue in November in the desert. Besides winter doesn't start till December 22.

35 years of backpacking experience, more than a 1,000 nights in the back country.

Is this a good tent for the money?

Q. 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.

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What is a good, relatively inexpensive tent to buy?

tents for camping 4 seasons image

fraucarlso

I am not really planning on backpacking so I am more interesting in a one or two person tent that can withstand all weather possibilities. I know the best tents tend to be expensive but I would like to find the best one at the lowest price. So can you tell me which tents are best for what I want and if they are expensive or not? Thanks! :)

Answer
To be clear, Coleman tents leak just as much as most other manufacturers, but they will replace/repair the tent if you send it in. For the price, they are good tents and you can pick up something that will work for around $50.

For my money though, you can upgrade to an REI tent for about $100. Their Camp Dome 2 is a tried and true tent. It's well built and they will also work with you if there is a manufacturing defect. If you go to their website, the tent has been reviewed by over 100 people and received very positive remarks.

http://www.rei.com/product/731378

Lastly, if you buy from REI, if you try the tent out and decide you don't like it, you can usually return or exchange it as long as you didn't damage it.

Most tents are for 3 season use. A 4 season tent is designed to hold up the weight of snow during winter. If you aren't planning to use it during the winter, or it doesn't snow in your area, a 3 season tent is all you need.

Do I really have to buy a four-season camping tent?

Tracy

I am planning to have my very first winter camping next month. I heard some people said that a four-season camping tent is necessary for a winter camping. I purchased a camping tent this summer and it's a three-season camping tent. I think it's OK because I will use my sleeping bag. Do I really have to buy a four-season camping tent?

Answer
The major differences between a 3 season and a 4 season tent are that the winter rated tents are designed to be able to support or shed a heavy snow load without the frame breaking or the tent collapsing. They also tend to have the rainfly system designed to maintain a more reliable space between the fly and inner tent wall to minimize condensation and having the fly press on the tent due to a build up of snow. Winter rated tents tend to have smaller window and ventilation areas and will more often have an exterior vestibule arrangement to block wind and to give you a place to leave snowy gear outside the sleeping area or to cook on the ground but out of the wind during storms.

Unless you expect heavy snow loads or severe blizzards and extended bivouacs, a good quality (not discount store) 3 season tent can be perfectly adequate for winter camping. I have winter camped many times with 3 season tents, in fact, probably more often than with my 4-season ones (though I own several tents of each type). If your tent pitches tight so that the fly doesn't blow around and snap in the wind and has strong poles and a vestibule or good fly overhang over the door, you will most likely be fine in it.

For winter camping in snow I always carry a microfiber towel to wipe condensation off the inside of the tent walls at night and before I get out of my bag in the morning.

Be certain you have stakes that will work in the ground conditions you will encounter. Fat plastic stakes will not work on frozen ground -- get the thin metal ones that twist in. If you will be camping in deep snowpack, you will want to be able to make "dead man" anchors by attaching the guy lines and corner staking tabs to buried stuff sacks that you fill with snow or rocks or tying your guy lines to buried branches. You will probably need to stake the tent more solidly than in warmer weather due to the higher potential for wind. Nothing is worse than watching your dome tent bounce down the mountain and out of sight over a cliff (hasn't happened to me but I've seen it happen to others).

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