Four season tent advice

I really like a single-wall pyramid in winter.  If you need more ventilation, just pitch it a bit off the ground or leave the door a bit open – there aren’t going to be any mosquitos.  Pyramids are great in high winds, shed snow as well as any shape and being bottomless, you can dig into the snow base to create standing-height walkways, sleeping platforms, tables to eat at, bookshelves, etc.  And they’re very light for the people / area you get under cover.

My Black Diamond MegaLite is UL while there are some other SUL options available.  Still 4 people sheltered for 2 pounds 10 ounces is pretty good.  $250 to $300 street price.  It’s worked well for us in the Aleutians, a famously tiny place.

+1 On the pyramid. Excellent Winter shelter, the roomier the better. I’ve used a MLD Duomid in the past, currently use the HMG Ultamid. Happy with both, I would recommend either. If properly motivated I could get a pyramid setup in about a minute and I prefer this design in inclement weather. From what I understand, Helleberg makes great tents aswell, albeit heavier due to design.

It really depends on your comfort level. If your experience thus far is with pole designed tents during warmer weather, and you are comfortable with that design, thats ok go with that. Hilleberg, or Black Diamond would be my suggestions.  If you are familiar with single wall tents or are looking at saving bit of weight, then you’ll be just fine with a pyramid. There are pros and cons to each. Condensation happens in all tents, so I wouldn’t worry about it too much, its apart of the experience. Its more important you are satisfied with your overall decision and that you enjoy your outdoor experience.

I’ve been reasonably satisfied with a Black Diamond Firstlight 2-person for solo snowshoe and cross-country ski trips in Montana (no mountaineering either, just fairly mellow travel into beautiful places and setting up a camp). It’s lightweight enough and for one person it has plenty of room to bring in gear and avoid touching the sides (condensation is not a problem, per se, but it’s not a solution either). Has handled significant snow loads (6-8 inches overnight) with no issues.

It’s definitely not ultralight, but I like the ease of set up and the weight penalty is worth it for me. Other than the weight, it has left little to be desired for the conditions I’ve used it in — generally fair-weather (at least for Northern Rockies winter weather) and as a solo tent.

I would look at the Seek Outside Silvertip as it has a sod cloth which can be easily rolled up or pinned down to prevent spindrift.

Speaking of sod cloths, also take a look at the MSR Twin Sisters.  It retails for $400, But you can get it now at REI for $225 if you combine the discount with the coupon.

Josh K

You dont say where you are going or what kind of weather you are camping in.  I for example was VERY interested in the many waterproof breathable single wall tents such as the BD First light but after reading maybe two dozen reviews and thinking about where I was going to camp, I ruled such shelters out.  I camp below tree level in the central Sierra Nevada as far south as Yosemite and as far north as Lassen and Shasta. There is always a possibility of rain during the winter at those elevations and from all I read, the single wall WPB fabrics do not hold up well in sustained rain.

And I can say from all reports, the worst snow camping is to camp in the rain. “-))

My first purchase was a Hilleberg Atko. But that was overkill and too much weight to carry for a two or thee night trip when I had a good forecast for expected weather. So like others above, I use a mid when I expect reasonable weather.  Five minutes to stamp out a platform, twenty minutes to let the snow sinter up, 5 minutes to stake it out, and another 5 to 10 minute to sculpt a sleeping platform. What could be better? But as said above, you need to be comfortable with the more open tarp experience.

I carry the Akto when I expect more wind and snow fall.  If I have a buddy, I carry 1/2 a BigAgnes 4 season tent

Cheers

the worst snow camping is to camp in the rain. “-))
And how!
I remember one time when we were camped on snow but late at night it started to rain – warm rain! The water running off the roof started melting the snow under the poles. The whole tent started to sink and the snow pegs got loose in their holes for the same reason. Difficult.

Cheers

My nastiest night camping in winter was setting up camp in a cold rain and waking up to a 1/4″ layer of ice on everything and two inches of snow on top of that.  The ice was stuck to everything and I about froze packing up.  I was planning on spending another night out, but I did 20+ miles that next day and hiked out.

Four seasons can mean different things to different people.  For really extreme conditions a tent like the Hilleberg is a great choice, but I’m not sure you’d be happy with one in warmer temps if you planning on using the shelter year round.   I like pyramid shelters and for the conditions you describe I might go with a a MLD Duomid or Duomid XL especially if you can get a solid inner for one.  I’ve had my Duomid in 40mph winds, torrential rain, and up to about 4″ of snow and it never faltered.  I really like my X-Mid too, but I’m not sure how well it holds up in extreme conditions.