I'm having trouble picking out a new winter tent for my wife & I. I currently have an old Mountain Hardwear Light Wedge 3, which is a palace, & works reasonably well in bad weather since I added pullouts 2/3 of the way up, but it weighs over 7lbs & takes up too much pack space. The 4-season tents are too heavy, so I expect to get a strong 3-season tent. I have ended up in severe winter storms in the mountains, so a little extra weight for a strong tent is ok. I don't trust manufacturer's claimed size spec's, so it would need to be generously spec'd or have reports of real measurements.
Requirements in order of importance:
1. Fit 2 people. >40" of floor width, prefer >50". Ability to sit up. I am 6' tall. I don't mind bumping the ends as long as there is no risk of wetting my bag. My wife loves our big tent.
2. Wind resistance / security. I don't mind if it takes extra guy lines. The more tie-out points the better, especially in the middle of panels & up high.
3. Snow resistance. More convex is preferable to minimize collapse. No mesh close to the ground to prevent spindrift entry & reduce drafts.
4. Light weight. Prefer <4lb.
Not required: Freestanding, 2 doors.
I don't trust pole hubs. Am I just paranoid? They seem less durable & hard to deal with if something breaks. You could splint a broken pole, but how would you deal with a bad hub?
I really like the design of the Mtn HW Skyledge / Marmot Limelight / REI half dome (old version)/ BA Lone Spring: a standard dome with 2 full-length crossing poles, plus a spreader bar. This design is strong, simple, roomy, & wind resistant. Unfortunately, all offerings I've found like this are too heavy except the Skyledge. The Skyledge seems decent. The plastic connectors seem delicate, but the real killer is that the size specs are false. I set one up in the store & there was several inches of overlap between two 20" pads so it is too small. Does anyone make a light, 2-person tent like this? The 3P version is 5lb (& still has those plastic connectors).
Big Agnes makes several light tents, but none of them seem strong enough for winter. There are reports online about them being delicate (broken hubs, ripped floors). They are concave, although they do have decent pullouts which would help with this. The Slater looks tempting: good size, light, no mesh, extra pullouts. It just doesn't seem strong enough (hubs, minimal poles, & a concave shape). Has anyone used this or the similar Fly Creek in severe conditions?
I have a Tarptent Squall 2, which was great for mild conditions until the fabric lost it's waterproofing. None of the Tarptents look good to me for winter though.
Tunnel tents seem ok, but they don't seem to be distributed in the US.
Thanks.
