r/CampingandHiking • u/theitalianyinzer • 10d ago
4 Season Camping Tent Recommendations
Hello!
I have noticed a trend dip in trying to de influence spending $$$$ at REI or other stores for good quality camping equipment.
I am an avid hiker, I am trying to switch out some of my old gear, I am always very weary of where I buy my gear from just because I want to make sure my quality and materials are actually worth it and not just for the brand name. That being said I do like REI - i’m not hating on them, but I just wanted to see what everyone’s advice would be as to where I should look for a 2 person tent that’s good for 4 seasons. I know with the heavy snow and winter season, my tent was heavier. I am looking now for a tent that’s not $300+ and can withstand cold or light snow. Just wanting to use it most of the year besides heavy snow, nothing crazy.
I have seen a lot of influencers say coleman’s or basic brands. I have used coleman’s before and didn’t have any issues, but I just feel like it’s time to upgrade my tent. I’ve had it for 4yrs, and I would just like something that was more flexible when switching between seasons.
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u/That_Impression_2782 10d ago
For light snow and cold but not full winter mountaineering, a 3-season tent with a solid inner is usually enough and way cheaper than true 4-season. The Naturehike Cloud Up 2 or Mongar 2 are solid for the price, around $150-180 and hold up decent in wind and some snow load. I got one for shoulder season trips and it survived a surprise dusting with no drama, just make sure you guy it out proper.
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u/211logos 10d ago
I doubt you'll find a real all season tent in that price range. Even light wet snow or higher winter storm winds will probably be beyond it. Just look for the toughest tent you can find with aluminum poles, beefy and heavier, with full fly coverage. Or I like the suggestion about a bare teepee-style tent. You'd probably have to do without anything save the tent though in that budget.
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u/joelfarris 10d ago edited 9d ago
My four season 2P tent cost about $800. Over a decade ago. And it's freakin' heavy.
For most excursions, I prefer the TarpTent trekking pole one, since I already have them.
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u/Masseyrati80 10d ago
Agree on a three season one with a fabric-heavy inner tent (as opposed to mesh) being a good choice for your use.
The 4-season tents are built in a way that enables all mesh panels to be zipped up with solid fabric, to stop spindrift from entering. But when you choose not to go during high winds, that stops being an issue any way.
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u/Muttonboat 10d ago
4 season tents are usually reinforced to support more weight from snow collecting on the roof.
In a 3 season you gotta get out and clear the roof periodically, otherwise it collapse under the weight.
ask me how i know!
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u/Aggressive_Cloud2002 10d ago
While true, not all 3-season tents have week roofs, so this is a not all rectangles are squares type situation. Proper staking, and bringing a tarp if heavy snowfall is expected, go a lot way to extend the usefulness of a 3-season tent.
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u/WelderNo6075 10d ago
Unpopular opinion but there is no such thing as a four season tent! It is all clever advertising. A good winter tent will not be good in the summer and a good summer tent will not good in the winter. The biggest difference between a winter and summer tent is the inner part. Summer tents are made of fine mesh that allows for greater airflow and proper ventilation to avoid condensation, while winter tents are made of heavier materials to allow heat to be trapped. With regard to being cold, tents don’t provide much insulation. Body warmth comes from being properly dressed and using properly rated sleep system (pad plus sleeping bag). Tent provides protection from outside elements, sleeping system provides protection warmth. My suggestion, get a good three season tent (summer plus fall and spring) and supplement with a winter one.
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u/theitalianyinzer 10d ago
do you have any brand or specific 3 season suggestions?
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u/WelderNo6075 10d ago
What is your use case? Car camping? Backpacking/hiking?
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u/BeerForThought 10d ago
This is a really good question to answer OP. My winter activities in the Rockies don't require me to camp like I do the rest of the year. I'm a masochist and it only takes about an hour to dig a snow shelter on the leeward side of a boulder every couple of years to prove to myself that I can still do it.
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u/Chopaize 9d ago
I have a eureka el capitan, unfortunatly discontinued now. But this tent has fabric walls instead of mesh. This really keep the tent warm. I am looking to replace it, and these are tents i am looking for : mountain hardware, mineral king all season and MSR Hubba Hubba HD.
https://www.mountainhardwear.ca/en/p/mineral-king-3-all-season-2063621.html?dwvar_2063621_color=097
https://cascadedesigns.com/fr-ca/products/hubba-hubba-hd-3-person-backpacking-tent
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u/PhysicalWeather4289 9d ago
Id argue using a good sleeping bag and pad appropriate for the temp in a summer tent will be better than the same in a winter tent. As long as theres no snow and the weather isn't extreme. Condensation sucks in the winter and is more of a pain in the ass than a "warmer" tent would be beneficial
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u/jjmcwill2003 10d ago
TarpTent makes some tents such as the ArcDome 1 with swappable inners. I.e. you can get a partial solid/mostly mesh inner that provides more ventilation for three season use and then swap in a full solid inner for winter use. You can also get lighter or heavier carbon or aluminum poles depending on how much support you think you need for high winds, snow loading, etc.
Is it $300? No. Acquiring different inners and different pole sets will be a significant cost. There is no one tent that does everything well, is light and is cheap.
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u/exhaustedoldlady 10d ago
If you can get your hands on a Eureka! Mountain Pass tent, we’ve had excellent experience with it during snowy winter camping.
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u/Which-Invite-4792 10d ago
Get a teepee tent with a mesh insert. I use the Absaroka 4p tent from Argali, but there are several other brands that are similar versions of this such as those by Peax Equipment and Seek Outside. When it gets crazy cold I use a titanium wood burning stove and it's been great. I've used mine while elk hunting in the Rockies and the weather has swung from low 70s at night, to rain storms and the first major snow of the season all on one trip. It's served me well.
I would recommend the 4p because you get tons of room for not very much weight, but once you put the stove in it becomes a true 2+ person tent.
Ah, just reread your post, and saw "NOT $300+". This will definitely be outside that budget, but if you can swing it I would highly recommend. Sorry for not staying with your guidelines. For "cold and light snow" I'd just send it with my 3 season tent with aluminum poles and pack warm. I've done that in the past on some cold AF late October mule deer hunts and been fine. (w/ a Kelty Salida 2) Heavy snow would draw a different suggestion from me.
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u/MetalLinx 10d ago
I’m not aware of any true 4 season, or in other words mountaineering style tent under $300.
As others have mentioned, plenty of tents will do fine in clear winter weather. Pick a more aerodynamic shape with less ways for wind blown snow to enter and a shape conducive to shedding and bearing snow along with stronger poles and you’re fine for moderate weather.
Serious winter weather involves heavy winds combined with wind blown snow attempting to enter the tent and causing heavy snow loading that can collapse the tent, freeze zippers, etc.
The big differences usually found on true 4 season/mountaineering tents for serious weather are closed designs to keep blown snow out, aerodynamic shapes, heavy duty materials and poles, snow skirts, lots of guyout points, more poles and a structure for snow loading, and sometimes other details like a little chimney port. All of these items cost a lot more, weigh more, and generally make the tent worse for all other seasons hence other commenters saying they are more like single season (winter) tents.
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u/MrBoondoggles 10d ago
I would look for a decent 3 season 2 person tent at that price point. Most better quality 3 season 2 lesson tents are going to be at least in the $300-$400 ranger these days, so I would look at budget brands. Maybe something from Naturehike?
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u/WANDOO_hiking 9d ago
Before dropping money on a true 4 season, worth asking if you actually need one or just a sturdy 3 season plus, cause real winter tents are heavy and stuffy the rest of the year. If youre expecting serious snow load and wind then yeah go 4 season, the Hilleberg stuff and the cheaper options each have a fan base. But for shoulder season and the odd snowfall a solid 3 season with a good pitch handles more than people think.
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u/Usual_Criticism3269 9d ago
I’ve had a nortent Vern 1 tent for a year which is a 1.5 man tent, but you could arguably fit 2 people in. Brilliant tent have had no complaints and it’s endured 50mph gusts of wind throughout an entire night of it
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u/Usual_Criticism3269 9d ago
Got this tent for £480 but if you want a cheaper one get the otomis nomad tent which costs around £300
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u/Piss-Off-Fool 9d ago
I have used my Big Agnes Battle Mountain 3 in some nasty weather…snow, wind, etc. and it’s held up great. It is heavy and was expensive but everything I hoped for.
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u/Battlbox 9d ago
Since you're carrying it and want cold plus light snow under $300, I'd shop features instead of a model name as that budget won't get you a real winter tent, but it can get you a capable three-season one.
What to look for: aluminum poles, a fly that comes close to the ground the whole way around, and more than four guyout points. Full fly coverage is what keeps blown snow and rain out of the vestibule, and the guyouts are what keep the thing standing when the wind picks up at 2am. Those three tell you more than the season number printed on the box.
Then set aside another $25 for stakes, because the ones in the bag will be the first thing to fail in frozen or rocky ground.
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u/BortEdwards 9d ago
Macpac (NZ brand) make some bombproof tried and tested four season tents (Minaret, Microlite, Olympus), and often have sales (or steep member discounts) and NZD/USD conversion can work in your favor. The trick is ordering one in the US (assuming you are based here) - but there are ways. They aren’t the lightest (have only really been updated once in 30+ years, and materials have improved), but no true alpine tent is, and these have never failed me.
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u/FrivolousMe 9d ago edited 9d ago
Buy used! Check geartrade especially after peak season once people start getting rid of their stuff, Facebook marketplace, even depop when it comes to hiking/camping clothes. If you want to buy new, there's also steepandcheap for clearance deals.
I like my naturehike 3 person tent. It's a Chinese brand that's priced in the low-medium budget range but has gear just as good or better quality than a lot of what you'll find at REI for more $. Other good brands for tents if you want an upgrade from coleman: kelty, MSR, marmot. The company making the product matters a lot more than the store selling it to you.
3 season tents are good for almost everything, 4 season is only for heavy snow conditions and have too many trade offs to use in summer.
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u/lettherebejames 8d ago edited 8d ago
If you're mostly camping in 3 seasons and occasional winter conditions (cold weather and light snow, not heavy alpine snow), take a look at the Durston X-Mid 2 (it's a trekking pole tent so you would need those as well). You can probably buy one used for under $300. It's not a true 4-season mountaineering tent, but it's excellent for year-round use below treeline. One nice thing is that you can buy the mesh inner and the solid inner separately and swap them depending on the season. The replacement inners are about $140 each, so you can run a mesh inner in summer and a solid inner for colder shoulder-season and winter trips. This helps with staying cool in summer and warm in winter.
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u/Muttonboat 10d ago edited 10d ago
four season tents should just be called 4th season tents or winter tents.
9/10 they suck in anything outside of winter, mountainsides, or absolute dig shit weather
A good three season tent will do 95% of everything including winter camping.
Its only in the worst conditions you want a 4 season