Winter Tent for the PNW

I think it would be better to say you want a lightweight single wall mountaineering tent. They’ll do fine in winter, but a Hilleberg would be ideal. If you use it a few times a year it will be worth it.

Someone is selling a MHW Direkt 2 on NWH and CC for a good deal. The water resistance is questionable so stick to cold weather. Also, you’ll want to be under 6ft and ideally you’ll be sleeping alone.

Otherwise I would opt for the Eldorado. Not a lot of Firstlight users in the wet and warm PNW.

Any reason the TarpTent scarp 1 isn’t on the list? It’s what I’ve been using in PNW for winter ski trips. It has enough room for me and my dog.

Josh,

Beyond above treeline use, do you have any other parameters?

Fwiw: I’ve been using a two-door Eldorado since the 90’s, and it has many features which are still very hard to improve upon. For two people: it’s very strong & durable, has great ventilation, and can be set up very quickly and securely once you’ve practiced it a few times. Once the poles are in, it’s rather drum-tight, and doesn’t require 8 million stakes to make it bombproof. The Toddtex also works very well at moisture management in both cold/winter and hot/humid environments, and doesn’t take on any noticeable weight when wet. I’ve also been using a pair of carbon fiber poles over the past couple years to shave 6 ounces, yet I’d be leery about using them in heavy wind & snow.

But in 2017 standards, there are many great choices out there to consider (Tarptent, Hilleberg, etc…), and I’d never consider using the Eldorado for solo use due to it’s weight. Moreover, the 2017 Eldorado still has the floor pole snap “deficiency” which my mid 90’s model has. BD really should have dealt with that when they acquired Bibler – now 20 years ago. It’s like Todd Bibler’s tent designs are all stuck in a time capsule. Perhaps it was the “agreement” that BD made to Todd back when they bought em. So they certainly work very well for their intended purpose, but I believe there’s always room for innovation and  improvement.

Hey guys,

Thanks for all of the input!

I ended up finding a slightly used Hilleberg Nallo 2 for a decent price so decided I would go with that.

It gives me a little more versatility than a single skin tent like the Black Diamonds. I think it also gives me a little more margin for error while I build my winter skills.

Thanks,

Josh

Congrats on your choice!

My winter camping is almost exclusively Hilleberg. Single-walled tents are too cold for me. Hilleberg has terrific support and warranty. The tent material is coated with silicone so it won’t delaminate like polyurethane coatings.