Winter camping tents??

[jacob_dbu]

What about the Tarptent Cloudburst tunnel tent?

[3PinGrin]

those msr access tents suck. bad durability and bad ventilation too.

Good to know, my Hubba NX had great ventilation but definitely very light materials and didn't put it through long term use. For the price of the MSR tents you can definitely get something way more bomber.

[Toadman]

IDK, that just doesn't seem like fun. Igloo building is a lost art.

[SKIP IN7RO]

Igloo maker
https://grandshelters.com/icebox-igloo-products/

[tgapp]

Igloo maker
https://grandshelters.com/icebox-igloo-products/

i think igloos make sense for truly long term stays in harsh environments, but they are impractical otherwise.

What about the Tarptent Cloudburst tunnel tent?

i've never used a cloudburst but i have used and owned a stratospire and a double rainbow. both of those tents are marketed as 3-4 season tents, which i think is pretty much horseshit. even in it's strongest configuration, the stratospire wasn't exactly confidence inspiring even in moderate (sustained 35mph) winds - i barely slept all night out of free of my whole shelter just up and ripping away. generally tarptents have lighter denier fabrics (lighter than even the hilleberg yellow line). i would take a cloudburst to tree line, but not above. also, i am really dubious of any tent whose ventilation cannot be hard shut - ie, mesh that does not have a solid backing which can be battoned down - the MSR access tents are that way, and it just sucks when you have blowing snow gusts and a rainfly that isn't floor to floor coverage. wind's gonna get in.

to contrast that, i've taken my hilleberg jannu into some pretty harsh places and haven't flinched - here is my wife and i camped out in the icelantic highlands (hrafntinnusker), after a storm that had sustained 55mph winds (with an anemometer ~50 feet from our tent) and gusts to 90. after a somewhat stressful pitch, we hunkered in and spent the night watching netflix, getting drunk on icelantic birch schnapps, and having a grand old time. woke up that morning to a literal line of asian tourists all wanting to take a picture with our tent (they had stayed in a bunk house close by).


if you want bomber your choices (IMHO) are pretty much hillebergs, trangos, a small smattering of other tents (thors, which i have owned and loved - they're strong and heavy as shit), hillebergs, hillebergs, and oh, uh, did i mention hillebergs? i know they're expensive as shit but they will also last a lifetime and they're worth every penny.

[rod9301]

I have a scarp 1 and it's absolutely bomber in the winter. Wind, snow whatever.

I also have the stratospire2, and it's also hi bomber in the winter, but a little too big, when you have limited space
I know that in wind it's pretty noisy, but it will withstand 109km per hour winds, I've done it.

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[tgapp]

I have a scarp 1 and it's absolutely bomber in the winter. Wind, snow whatever.

I also have the stratospire2, and it's also hi bomber in the winter, but a little too big, when you have limited space
I know that in wind it's pretty noisy, but it will withstand 109km per hour winds, I've done it.

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in fairness the stratospire never failed, just made a ton of noise in sustained wind. was pretty scary to sleep in.

i still think though, those tents are more like 3+ season tents, or maybe "4 season below tree line tents" (like the msr access). the scarp looks strong though.

[apocequip307]

I’ve spent a bunch of time in the north face 25, a mega mid, and most recently the Rab E-Vent single wall model. Mega mid is great. It’s the lightest way to sleep 3+ people and has served me well for traverses with a light pack. It’s a bit loud in the wind without a perfect pitch and often feels a bit chillier without being enclosed and not having a floor to keep you dry. the north face ve25 is bomber and roomy, a good one tent sleep/cook solution but super heavy. The Rab has been sweet. As a one person shelter it is plenty roomy and cozy, the event works MUCH better in rain and with condensation than a first light or comparable. It’s a tight 2 person (maybe the three person model would be better suited). A mega mid and a single wall seems like a good two tent system, bring both for heavier/base camp outings- then decide which to bring on lighter outings based on how bad the forcast is, how many people, etc

[Crow]

I recently bought a tent for similar use case and settled on the Black Diamond Bibler Ahwahnee. Single construction wall but big double doors with mesh and awning give decent ventilation. It is a bit heavy/bulky but I won't be using for super long slogs. Design is a dated but the pitch is bomber, this thing feels sturdy. I've only used it in fall weather so far, can't attest to winter performance yet. I'm excited to put it through its paces this year though.

[tgapp]

I recently bought a tent for similar use case and settled on the Black Diamond Bibler Ahwahnee. Single construction but big double doors with mesh and awning give decent ventilation. It is a bit heavy/bulky but I won't be using for super long slogs. Design is a bit dated but the pitch is bomber, this thing feels study when staked out. I've only used it in fall weather so far, can't attest to winter performance yet. I'm excited to put it through its paces this coming year though

That's a great tent. Toddtex is among the best single skin shelter wall material I've ever used, too - only downside is that it's heavy. Much less condensation than a first light.

That tent will last you a long fucking time. My first four season tent was a Bibler, and that thing was a tank.

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[gaijin]

I think back in the year 2000, if I remember correctly, that Mountain Hardware did a wind test behind jetliners and the Trango won with Sierra Designs a close second withstanding 80+MPH winds. Everything else simply crumbled.

Both of those designs were the absolute best for windy environments. And, I can attest to my Sierra Designs above tree line.

All that said, nobody really chooses to shelter up in a high-wind zone. But we do find ourselves stuck in blizzards with massive snow loads throughout the night quite frequently. Those double-wall structures can withstand a shit-load of weight and force.

Depends on your game. I'd probably want lighter single-wall stuff for Spring touring and double-wall reinforcement for the heart of winter.

Also consider that the fly of the double-wall can be buried at the surface... resulting in a really nice insulation (dead air space) between the fly and the tent that really helps manage moisture for those extended trips.

Got stuck in the Beartooths in Montana once. Went 8 miles in, and a blizzard hit that we didn't anticipate. We were in our tent for 5 days. Never once did I wish it was a single wall. Completely buried.

[tang]

Seconding the BD FirstLight as pretty darn strong for its weight, but tight quarters for sure
I'm always tempted to bring BD Megalight for a hang out area, but so far have only used it for regular summer camping
One goal is to get decent at snow caves this winter, but won't not bring tent until confident at that skill
Saw a kickass igloo in RMNP last spring but man, that takes serious time/effort

[tgapp]

yeah i also want to get better at igloos. until then, tents it is.

first light is awesome for fast and light missions, but it is NOT comfortable at all. i've waited out a few minor storms in one and found them to be claustrophobic with two people+gear.

if you want something similarly sized, but infinitely more comfortable (at the expense of a few pounds) i'd look at a hilleberg unna - it's marketed as a one person tent but it has more room (and is much more comfortable) than a firstlight. i'm bummed i sold that tent. great piece of kit.

[zion zig zag]

yeah i also want to get better at igloos. until then, tents it is.

Tgapp, I'm curious as to when you use your single wall Sierra Designs with stove vs a burlier double wall with no stove? Want to hear your thoughts.

[tgapp]

Tgapp, I'm curious as to when you use your single wall Sierra Designs with stove vs a burlier double wall with no stove? Want to hear your thoughts.

dude the stove is for stupid comfortable trips. like basecamp and skiing for 4-5 days. it's like a mini portable yurt. i can dry out my layers, get warm, get drunk, and have fun. a double walled tent is for SERIOUS MISSIONS, ie, ski mountaineering, objectives, shorter trips, longer hikes, more serious weather, areas above treeline where there is no wood, etc.

always looking for people who want to do dumb hot tent missions with me - red pine/white pine make for great weekends with the hot tent

[BFD]

i a m not tgapp but I would say the single wall wood stove set up would be fun below tree line and when you can count on fair weather. Double walls are for above tree line and when you might see some weather that requires a 4 season tent. Mega mid, tarp tents are not a replacement for a true 4 season tent. As for the igloos. The modified ranger trench are quicker to build and you stay fairly dry building them. They are a better alternative for ski touring when you are moving everyday. See tgapp beat me to it.

[zion zig zag]

Copy that. What I assumed.

[seano732]

One word: Nemo.

[MiddleOfNight]

north face ve25. there is a reason they are still making this tent. heavy but if you have 2 or 3 people it is worth it. I would not bother with the footprint to save weight. Two doors, vestibule large enough to cook in and keep gear. another thing is compression sack for stuffing in winter.

+1.

I've used the VE as a basecamp and ABC tent on multiple expeditions - It is a little heavier, but for a BC rig it's worth it. 6 or 8 week expeditions.

I use the Mountain 25 for higher camps, lighter. Have one or two I could sell.

Easy setup even in himalayan storms. Both have been bomb proof.

[tang]

BFD, good point on the trench - way quicker than an igloo or cave. Although not quite as social!
Just use ski & poles over the top, then cover with tarp and snow?
How much does digging a cold sink matter?

[BFD]

BFD, good point on the trench - way quicker than an igloo or cave. Although not quite as social!
Just use ski & poles over the top, then cover with tarp and snow?
How much does digging a cold sink matter?

i found this photo on the internet

this shows how you start. you make your trench by cutting blocks. the blocks should be set aside until it is time for the roof. you want to make the trench around 30" wide and around 2 ft deep depending on snow strength. You are going to sleep perpendicular to the trench. So you scoop out on both sides of the trench an area for your head and feet. Like digging a snow cave. Easier and drier because you can shovel the snow out through the trench. The trench will be the area with headroom to sit up and cook. once you have the foot and head area scooped out you can put on the roof. Take the blocks and place as shown in the photo. You can use your saw to trim them to make a tighter fit. Once the blocks are placed covering the entire trench shovel snow over the structure to seal any leaks. Entry will be through one of the ends which you can seal off with snow block or pack. No need to dig any deeper but having the entry a little deeper makes entry easier.
most important is a good saw and shovel with wide flat blade for cutting and carrying blocks.
These structures are good as they can be built on flat ground like middle of a glacier. If you have lousy snow for the roof blocks often blocks can be quarried out of a drift near by.
I have only had to abandon one once. Another time we woke up in the middle of the night with spindrift blowing in. We made a snow fence out of our skis poles and climbing rope. It worked deposited snow back on the roof.
As for social 3 is the most I have had in one. On the first winter ascent of Logan they had 6 people for over 20 nights sleeping like this.
don't know what happened to the op but that seems like a solid offer from MON.

[bodywhomper]

I have an old windy pass ve25 lookalike. It now has a ve25 fly. In terms of the tent body. What’s the difference between the mountain 25 and ve25?

I’ve used a mtn hardware Trango 3 person and an SD equivalent (I can’t remember the name) in heavy Sierra winter storms. Both performed well for me. I’ve also used a betamid in a Sierra storm, we bailed early after a cold,windy,!and sleepless night.

I wanna get one of those close cell foam floors. That’d be great for basecamp situations where you’re not hauling in a pack.

At marmot “in the day,” there were several alpinist that worked occasionally. All had mixed reviews of single walled tents, like the biblers, based on use. Common point to all their stories is that they were great until that one hellish time.... but they all lived to tell the tail!

[bodywhomper]

I have an old windy pass ve25 lookalike. It now has a ve25 fly. In terms of the tent body. What’s the difference between the mountain 25 and ve25?

Figured it out. Mildly interested in a used ve25 body.

[XXX-er]

Hey I want to get into winter camping and multi-day ski tours and I'm looking for tent recommendations.
I live in interior BC. I'm looking for a 2-3 person tent to use as a base camp. I've read pros/cons of single vs double wall construction but I was wondering if anybody had any personal feedback. Ease of setup is a priority.
Thanks!

https://www.mec.ca/en/product/5061-9...CABEgK_YvD_BwE

mec nunatak , its been around a long time

mec has other 4 season tents, I have the MEC northwind which is no longer available

[tang]

Awesome info BFD, thx again