Tent for year round camping

[Waytec]

My wife and I have decided that we are not going to get a Tent trailer for next year. the main resin we were looking at one was for a heater. We will get a Good tent, heater, a shelter tent (the ones you can put a picnic table under) to get out of the rain/snow (I did get snowed on the last week of June this year) and I will build a trailer to hall all the gear.

I am looking for feed back on a good winter tent.

I went camping about 8 times this past summer and got to around 0 C or colder each night in the mountains. So I think a winter tent will work best. most summer tents now are 95% mesh and that won't work worth a crap for keeping heat in. I am now vehicle based so I am thinking 4 person tent will be the best for us.

I do live in Canada so RAE is not a possibility and I have real issue with MEC's quality over the last several years.

Please help the last tent I bout was about 10years ago in is was a North Face Telus 23 and I am still using it. It is very small because at the time I purchased it I manly backpacked and canoed. I know the materials and construction methods have changed.

What works? what does not? this is the start of my research, the more info the bettor.

[mrchips]

I found any good quality tent was good for all season camping, but found a Thermarest mattress to be of the most important. Sleep well and insulates you from the cold ground, you can also clip them 2 together to make a larger mattress, for a couple. I have the Dreamtime and it is awesome,

http://cascadedesigns.com/therm-a-re...amtime/product

[BC-Luc]

A truly awesome camping mattress is the Downmats. Check'em out. Not cheap, but, the most confortable camping mattress I've ever slept on.

[Waytec]

I second the Therm-a-Resr we have Luxury Camps and really good quality sleeping bags. Mine is going to be replaced next year as well I have just worn it out.

[dumolebob]

Here is a site worth looking at for tents and stuff. They are amazinglyu expensive, but the people who own them swear by them! Be sure to check out the various forums. It reminds me a lot of this board but with out the motorheads (like me and you). A fine way to spend an evening as these folks are A V I D!

http://www.kifaru.net/
and
Forums: http://www.kifaruforums.net/

[paulj]

I'm not sure you should think of a tent 'holding the heat in'. None have air tight insulated walls. While summer (3 season) tents have large areas of mesh to save weight and maximize ventillation, the fabric of 4 season tents isn't much heavier. In a double wall tent the body is a light breathable fabric. That should do a better job than mesh at keeping blowing snow out, but do much about heat loss.

The main thing that 4 season tents add is strength in the poles, to better handle snow and wind loads.

Besides the Kifaru tepees with wood heater, I'd look at some of the European style tunnel tents (such as Hilleberg).

[just eric]

How much are you looking to spend?
How tall are you?
Freestanding or hoop style?

There are plenty of good quality winter use tents available, even for Canadians

If money is not an issue I would definitely look at the Hilleberg Nallo GT
http://estore.websitepros.com/176479...-GT/Detail.bok
They aren't cheap but they have been field tested around the world and have received rave reviews.

For a little less money I would look at the north face VE-25 or the Mountain Hardware Trango 2 or 3. I have personally spent many a night in China at over 15,000 feet in a Mountain Hardware Annapurna (a lighter discontinued version of the Trango) and it worked flawlessly.

When looking for a solid winter tent I would consider the following:
-Pole diameter and material, this is not a place to skimp. While the ultralght carbon poles are nice for light and fast backpacking, they have no place in your winter tent.
-Taped seems.
-Steepness of walls (for shedding snow).
-Inside height, you will likely be spending a good deal of time inside during storms and you want as much head room as possible.

Good luck and have fun.

[mrlocksmith]

If you still want a trailer you can try

www.haultent.com (It has a furnace option)

I use these sleeping bags they are great. Lots of down with a vapor barrier and a down filled air matteress. I get the best nights sleep in my bag.

http://www.warmlite.com/bags_In.htm

Warning the web site has some nudity as the owners promote a Naturalist lifestyle.

AS for a tent, I am switching from an RTT to a Oztent so that I may utilize the screen room to stand in and warm the tent a bit with a MrHeater while getting dressed.

HTH

Mark

[Waytec]

I am a larger man 6'2'' 52 shoulder and on the heavy set working on it though, My wife is 4'10'' and 100lbs soaking wet. In the tent I would like to be able to kneel at least. and not need 4 men and a boy to set it up.

I have been looking at Mountain Hard Ware tents. I am liking them, I was planning on spending around $500 CND but am willing to stretch it for quality.

[adrenaline503]

Trangos by MH hands down. My wife and I have the Trango 2 and have been in down to 4 degrees in the Grand Canyon. Its sets up easily, is super stable in high winds and has 2 vestibules. We also used it over the summer and if open the vents ans crack the vestibules you get ample air flow. They use these on Denali and Rainier and on the lower camps on Everest. It has solid panels that zip over the doors and roof vents so if you get caught in a dust storm (like we did in Utah) you just zip it up. The same goes for spindrift in the snow. I look forward to using it this winter in the Cascades just so see what it can take. If you want any more info let me know.