Many 4-season tents are overkill for mild winter conditions, and in those cases a decently strong (but slightly less bombproof) tent will do. Enter the treeline” category, and our top pick MSR Access 2. The double-wall Access provides more protection than a 3-season model (with less mesh and a sturdier pole structure), but its 4-pound 1-ounce build is significantly lighter than most comparable options here. Accordingly, these tents are much stronger than their 3-season counterparts with less mesh, more substantial canopies and rainflies, tougher pole structures, and a whole host of features designed for winter use. A 4-season tent is a lot heavier being that it’s made to withstand colder weather conditions, but there are many of these tents that are just as strong that are half as heavy. Generally, a 4-season tent will provide you with more protection from the elements when the weather is harsh, wind, rain, or snow, and in many cases, they are heavier than other tents. Up-to-date pricing and reviews for four season tents on the market can be found at the tent adviser website.
My Initial Thought: Best for cold winter backcountry skiing and camping, snow conditions will not keep you from enjoying your trip inside this warm spacious lightweight and strong tent. It has a 4-pole design for exceptional structural stability, making it dependable for camping in any weathe r. For further durability, it features a 30D high-tenacity polyester rainfly that’s lightweight and strong, as well as adjustable vents that provide your sleeping space with cross-flow ventilation to release condensation. To help you get the ball rolling on an unforgettable cold-weather camping experience, we’ve gathered the best 4-season tents for winter.
Choosing our favorite 4-season tent was no easy task, but Mountain Hardwear deftly balances it all with their time-tested Trango 2. This tent knows bad weather as well as any other, with a burly, double-wall design and fly that connects not only to the poles but also to the body of the tent for added security in high winds. Waterproof tents get their weather protection through a quality, seam-sealed rain fly and floor. Featuring a full-coverage StormShield rain fly, this top-rated 4-season tent prevents both the rain and snow, so you can go camping whenever you want, no matter what the weather is, without hurting your back on the trip up (or draining your bank account too much!).
Four-season tents have the structure and architecture to withstand colder temperatures, strong winds, and the weight of snow. So you realize that such a structure is the closest to what you could call a 4-season tent and it is definitely more suitable for cold weather camping than many other tents on the market. This Lair 8 is a true winter tent built for extreme weather conditions, with two waterproof layers and the best quality DAC aluminum poles.
If you instead will spend time camping in cold, potentially stormy weather this season, and want a strong, reliable home – a 4-season tent will serve you well. All 4 season tents are designed with snowy and windy conditions in mind and we compared them across the spectrum of common uses: alpine climbing, bivy tent climbing, snow camping, multiday ski-touring, and expedition climbing. Each are “two-wall” tents: the tent body, which includes some mesh material on the walls for maximum ventilation, plus a waterproof fly cover that goes over the body for protection against rain and provides more insulation.
3 season tents are built to withstand the typical conditions associated with backpacking: rain, wind, light hail and some cold weather. The four-season tent in the winter will keep you warm and give you the protection you need to have an enjoyable time camping during the cold days the winter can bring. When talking about 4-season tents winter camping comes to mind, because it’s the only season that a regular tent isn’t generally made to stand up to. But some people may use their Marmot Thor more during other parts of the year.
4-season tents on the other hand are designed to be strong and maintain much heavier loads, both from snow on the top, and from wind on the side. The primary downside of this design is they are harder and more time consuming to set up; you can also accidentally puncture a tent wall or floor if you’re not careful while erecting it. The other disadvantage is if the weather is super stormy, it’s harder to not get some snow or rain inside as the door needs to be open while you pitch it. Black Diamond is the primary company using this design in all of their single-wall tents, though it used to be more popular. The other great features that you won’t want to miss in this tent include the easy one-person set up design, outer tent fly, as well as a robust tent floor sheet, free-standing poles, mesh windows and two vestibules.
The tent’s 4-season rating stands up well to winter elements thanks to a PU-coated floor that fights moisture and durable DAC poles to maintain structure and stability. With burlier builds designed to withstand stronger winds and snow , we’ve highlighted three tents that have better waterproofing than three-season models. 4-season tents are more robust, heavier, and more durable than standard backpacking tents , and designed to withstand heavy wind, rain and snow.
In terms of tent pole quality, 4-season tents will have stronger (and heavier) poles that can withstand big gusts of wind. For these reasons, many 4-season tents are made with heavy fabric (70D Nylon Taffeta with a quality coating) to stand up to the rigors of sunlight (which is stronger at higher altitudes due to the fact that there is less atmosphere to filter its rays), high winds, and driving snow and rain. 4-season tents weigh more than their 3-season counterparts due to heavier and more durable fabrics, stronger poles, and beefier zippers.
Time to start gearing up for winter camping , and we’ve selected the best four-season tents to help you out. The tent’s six-pole design fights off wind while the polyurethane-coated rain fly and floor repel rain and snow. However, you may find that while standard tents do OK in the winter, there is a noticeable difference in the level of protection provided by a solid four-season tent — especially when it comes to heavy snow.
Winter tents use larger-diameter aluminum poles (10 millimeters versus 8.5 for most three-season models), which add strength, but are still relatively light, and retain flexibility in extreme cold. These four-season mountaineering tents with strong structural designs that protect you from the harshest of backcountry conditions. For snow camping, however, you’ll want to look out for a tent with a bathtub floor.” Such tents have floors with high sides to help keep moisture from snow and rain away from you and your gear.
Keeping you cool in summer and warm in winter, this incredible tent from BaiYouDa is one of the best 4-season tents if you enough camping in all four seasons, no matter what the weather! Built mainly with stronger, more durable materials and fabric, four-season tents are normally dome shaped (igloos were designed like that for a reason), and feature steep angled sides to prevent snow from accumulating on the top. Four-season tents are engineered to withstand extreme weather conditions, common in winter and found at higher elevations.
So all these are cold weather tents for family camping, and they are very different in design, now how to choose. Note that the poles are fiberglass , so although the structure looks stable and strong, this tent is not for snow conditions. I have no doubts that this is a true 4-season tent that performs equally good in warm conditions as well as in cold weather situations.
The poles are strong aluminum and the waterproof rating is in the range 1800 mm and 3000 mm. The inner tent under the shell is with all closed areas so you have a complete protection. This MSR tent is more than just a tent for cold weather, this is a tent built specifically for extreme winter conditions and expeditions, incredibly strong but also incredibly expensive. This is a great tent for 4-season use and it is equally good for a warm-weather camping and for winter use.
Cold weather tents for 3-season camping, perhaps better to call them cool weather tents. But choosing a four-season tent that will be used in cold weather and/or deep snow may require a lot more thought and comparison shopping. They have features that may benefit you in winter: less mesh to let in blowing snow, a heavier rainfly that will add strength, and a more substantial bathtub floor.
Basically, if you will camp in the winter, or winter conditions up in the big mountains, you need a strong 4-season tent. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a 4-season tent for ski touring or snowshoeing, the Fortress provides the extra strength you need for mild winter conditions. For mountaineering 4-season tents, you’re not going to find a better balance of weight, strength, and livability than the Black Diamond Eldorado Earning top ranks at Switchback Travel (#1 Single Wall, #2 Overall), Outdoor Gear Lab (#1 All-Around Alpine, #2 Overall), and Business Insider (#1 4-Season Backpacking), the Black Diamond Eldorado is one seriously impressive piece of gear.
Internal poles are found in lighter weight tents that you usually have to set up from the inside; this is the lightest design because the body of the tent itself is supporting poles. (The tents at left are deformed or broken.) The Tarra has four 10.25mm DAC Featherlite NSL Green poles, the strongest available, and a silynon fly fabric with a 40 pound tear strength. DAC Featherlite NSL Green Poles are some of the best available aluminum poles found in mainstream tents, with a few smaller manufacturers using Easton poles (which might be slightly stronger for their weight).
We assessed each 4 season tent based on its weather resistance (looking at how it stood up to heavy snow loading, winds, and rain), its weight, packed size, durability, livability, adaptability, versatility across climates and applications, and features. It’s above average in its interior floor space, and the short cross poles increase headroom, allowing it to feel slightly larger than most bivy tents. By design, 4-season tents are heavier and stronger than the normal 3-season tent variety.
From tropical downpours to winter whiteouts, these tents are designed to perform and protect in all seasons and conditions. I do not want to hike in the alps in the winter when there is a lot of snow (if 4 season means that to you) I would need a tent which is wind resistant and waterproof because that is the kind of weather I am expecting when it gets bad. As a general rule of thumb, if you’re not camping in the cold, snow or constant high winds (gusts of 30+ mph) a 3 season tent should be the way to go. They’re lighter, cheaper, easier to use, and provide plenty of protection for most users.
4 season tents are designed to handle everything else: Snow loads, high winds, harsh winters and even blowing sand. Even though the lighter 4-season tents are more expensive, and are strong, many people feel that a heavier tent would naturally stand up better against heavy winds. If you are planning on camping during different seasons during the year, a four-season tent will be your best investment as it will save you money rather than buying multiple tents for the year and will offer you protection.
But do not let this make you think that in the summer you will be warmer than in a regular tent, as four-season tents are constructed to have great ventilation to ensure in the summer months that you are able to get the breeze inside your tent and cool you down, while at the same time offering you the protection you need from the sun and rain. Lots of 4-season tents come with a rain fly. This four season tent is compact and easy to set up and also provides you with full protection no matter the terrain or weather you will find yourself in. It is also quite affordable and fits up to three people comfortably.
Not only is the tent waterproof but it also comes with a protective fly for extra protection against rain or snow. If you do more summer than winter camping in a 4-season tent, then you have no choice but to keep it ventilated nicely, because these tents are made to handle the winter months, and tend to hold more heat inside than other tents. This buying guide of four-season tents has been put together to show you the best researched and reviewed four-season tents to keep you camping all year long, no matter the weather or season.
For you to use this tent in the rainy season, the rainfly is coated with 1800 mm waterproof rating while the floor has 3000 mm rating. In the summer, this is not an issue because rain falls right off the tent, but in the winter snow can pile up and add a lot of weight to the top of a tent (snow weighs a lot more than you would think!) During a long night of wet heavy snowfall, enough weight can accumulate to potentially crush some tents. The thicker support poles and walls, as well as the aerodynamic construction that cold-weather tents employ, combine to withstand far more punishment than the average two-person dome tent.
My Initial Thought: This is a 4-season freestanding dome tent that is available in 1, 2 and 3 person size and designed to withstand heavy rain and some snow. The minimum weight including the tent rainfly and poles is 3 lb 10 oz while the total package weight is 4 lb 1 oz. A compact carry size of 18 inches by 6 inches x 6 inches will be the unit packed down ready for transport. Durable strong multi-hub aluminum poles with weatherproof shock cord mean you will have this tent up in no time, a simple flick of the poles is all that’s needed sometimes, this is a well-designed tent.
This list contains some of the best 4 season tents designed for serious alpine expeditions, most are also suitable for more relaxing 3-season camping with the option of winter security. This 4-Season tent by Hilleberg is constructed from Kerlon 1800 fabric and has a self-supporting dome design stabilized with sturdy 10 mm poles. Boasting all-season construction, the Hillberg Jannu 4-Season tent is a terrific choice for winter camping thanks to its Kerlon 1200 outer fabric and self-supporting dome design. Be sure to visit tent adviser for the best four season tents on the market to buy.
With a polyurethane port window that’s cold-crack tested to -60°F successfully, The North Face’s Mountain 25 4-season tent for winter will protect you while you get some shut-eye in the beautiful backcountry It features no-stretch Kevlar guy-lines with glow-in-the-dark zip pulls, a fully taped nylon bucket floor, high-low venting, and dual doors with a front vestibule.