Winter Tents – Three Things to Consider Before You Buy
A good winter tent (or 4 season tent) is made to provide a shield from wind, cold and forms of precipitation while enabling adequate ventilation.
Before I talk about things to consider before choosing a good winter tent, keep in mind that the usage of a winter/four season tent doesn’t need to be restricted to winter conditions – they work in good or mild conditions as well. Just remember that although you can use your 4 season tent in the summer, many of them bottle up heat and don’t have the ventilation to keep you cool (unless it’s a lightweight four season tent).
Now, the tent you purchase should…
- keep out the cold,
- ventilate well,
- stand up to strong winds,
- brush off heavy snow, and
- ward off all forms of precipitation.
If you’re a backpacker, you probably know that you should buy a lightweight tent that you can easily carry around.
Winter tents are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, but here are three factors to consider before you buy your winter tent…
Size Is Important
Winter campers spend lots of time inside their tents as compared to summer campers. For this reason you really want to choose the right size tent. There are tents small enough for 1 person and large enough to hold 10+. You might even consider buying a tent that is slightly bigger than what you need.
For example, if you need to sleep 3, consider buying a 4 person tent to ensure you’ll have plenty of space.
Strong Frame
The tent poles should be sturdy. The frame should be made of extra strength aluminum or carbon fiber rather than fiberglass or customary aluminum which can easily fracture.
Storage
You want a tent with storage options for your gear. You want to be able to move around inside your tent without smashing anything.
If you have two or more rooms, one space can be your “foyer” for storing boots, wet outerwear, etc.
Storage pockets will also help make it easy to find handy items that you might need.
With the right know-how, equipment and a quality winter tent, you’ll be comfortable no matter what the weather decides to throw at you.
Terrence Banks operates an online tent store. Shop from a variety of dome tents and 3 season tents
