Winter Tents – Things to Consider Before You Choose One
Written by Post on October 15th, 2009 in Travel & Leisure.
Quality winter tents (also called 4 season tents) are designed to shield you from wind, cold and forms of precipitation while providing ventilation.
Before I get into some factors of 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 – it will 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 camping tent you buy 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’ll be backpacking, you want to buy a lightweight tent so you can easily carry it around.
Winter camping 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 definitely 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 make it easier to locate those handy items when you need them.
With the right know-how, equipment and a quality 4 season tent, you’ll be comfortable despite the weather conditions.
Terrence Banks operates an online tent store. Shop from a variety of dome tents and 3 season tents
