tent confusion ...

[copythat]

ok, there are "3-season" tents (lots of mesh=not good for cold/wind of winter???) and then there are "4-season" tents ... (very little mesh=not great for the hots and humids of summer???)

my confusion ... are 4-season tents really 4th-season (winter-only) tents that you'd want to avoid the other 3 seasons? or are they ok as 3-season shelter as long as the middle season is winter? HOW MANY TENTS DO I HAVE TO OWN?

if i could figure this out on my own, i already would have. i promise.

your experience/comments?

(hammock-hangers sing in unison on the count of three ...)

[Whiskyjo]

I use my 3 season tent year around. The two 3 season tents that I use are SD Clip 2 and REI,s Quarter dome that works fine in the winter but,, If heavy wet snow is falling you have to knock it off the side walls every couple of hours so it won't cave in on you.

[FanaticFringer]

ok, there are "3-season" tents (lots of mesh=not good for cold/wind of winter???) and then there are "4-season" tents ... (very little mesh=not great for the hots and humids of summer???)

my confusion ... are 4-season tents really 4th-season (winter-only) tents that you'd want to avoid the other 3 seasons? or are they ok as 3-season shelter as long as the middle season is winter? HOW MANY TENTS DO I HAVE TO OWN?

if i could figure this out on my own, i already would have. i promise.

your experience/comments?

(hammock-hangers sing in unison on the count of three ...)

"Oh how I love to swing in me hammock all nightly long.....la da da da.......:D

[FanaticFringer]

Sing along with me Neo......la da da da de da da da..........

[Jim Adams]

the main difference between 3 and 4 season tents are the strength to withstand high wind and snow load. most of the time this is accomplished with additional poles which although stronger is also heavier. 4 season tents can be made to breath better with the use of venting and opening the fly up alittle and 3 season can be kept warmer by keeping the fly closed up. unless you regularly tent in heavy snowload or high wind areas, a good 3 season tent will work fine.
geek

[Frolicking Dinosaurs]

As geek says; unless you plan to camp in heavy snow, high winds or really extreme temps; a 3 season tent should serve you well.

[Two Speed]

the main difference between 3 and 4 season tents are the strength to withstand high wind and snow load. . . Site selection can have a huge impact on whether or not you're going to be comfortable through the night. If you insist on camping in exposed areas during the winter expect high winds. IMHO the skilled camper selects his site with
expected weather conditions
features and strengths of his/her gear
the limitations of his/her gear
in mind. If you've got a NF VE-25 you're probably set to camp anywhere you can find room for that sucker. If you're using a tarp I suggest considering exposure to wind as more of an issue.

Just my $0.02

[Ramble~On]

Copythat...my two cents is the gear makers have you right where they want you...thinking that you "need" more than one tent.

A "four season" tent might be a good choice if you plan to use it the majority of the time in winter or for mountaineering and by that I mean above 8,000 feet.

Snow load..... I have found that I do not want a tent that allows for heavy snow load as even with a small vent....a great amount of snow on the tent
makes for CO2 buildup and condensation...so in heavy snow I shake the tent or clear the snow once in a while.....and how I dream of having such an opportunity again! anyway, any tent talking about "snowload" as a feature is probably more tent than the average backpacker would ever need or want.
A quality, properly pitched three season tent in my opinion is all you'd need unless you plan on doing serious high elevation, winter camping.

[Hammerhead]

"Oh how I love to swing in me hammock all nightly long.....la da da da.......:D

My favorite song! :D

[Okie Dokie]

Gotta agree that unless you're into winter mountaineering a 3-season tent will handle all your tenting needs...I carried a Kelty Windfoil Breeze on my '91 thru and never regretted it...features a full-coverage rainfly (snugs to 1 inch off the ground and is at least 6 inches away from the floor and any tent wall, so water can't even splash in) and has a ''conestoga" shape (think low-slung cigar shape) which sheds wind, rain, and snow like magic...it's totally mesh except for the floor, but the full coverage rainfly keeps the winter winds from whipping in on you, and the thing breathes like a dream...never got cold in it, never got wet, never had condensation problems regardless of the humidity...I spent 14 hours in it once in more or less continuous rain and not a drop got in....I doubt if that specific model is available anymore, but surely there are some like it out there...

[hikerjohnd]

I have only slept in a 4 season tent once - it was February in N Georgia, no snow and I absolutely baked at night. I had issues with the ventalation and never really got it right. It was a NF, but beyond that I could not tell you the model. As a southern hiker, I do not anticipate ever being in a situation where I will need that kind of strength/insulation from my tent so for me, a 3 season tent is the way to go.

[copythat]

that's what i love about this place. get to learn a lot from others' good experience, and get to hear the hammockers sing. (thanks, ff, for that ROUSING rendition of whatever it was.)

thanks for all the replies. i feel much better about my 3-season and not having to spend MORE money i don't have.

[Pokey2006]

As for those singing hammockers...doesn't it get a wee bit cold in a hammock in the winter??? I met quite a few hammockers who complained about being cold with a slight chill in the air, never mind winter. Or perhaps y'all know some good tricks?

[RedneckRye]

4 season is a bit of a misnomer. A four season tent is actually a one season tent - winter. Even then, it is mountain winter - big snowfall, big wind, big weather. Unless your trips require other specailized winter gear (ice boots, hooded down parka, a stove for snow melting, etc) you more than likely don't need a four season tent.

[doodah man]

copythat… There are a ton of tent options out there for both specific use needs and for general use needs. I have a Stephenson 2R that weighs about 2.75 pounds and sleeps two spaciously. I would call it a true 4-season tent as the design keeps it very dry when hot/humid and also protects in winter storms. Perhaps twenty years ago, seven of us were in the Sierras for a January winter trip. All combined, we had 4 tents – a Stephenson 2R, a Stephenson 3R, and 2 ‘others’ (‘others’ were name brand 4-season, but nameless here to protect the guilty). Long story shortened, a hellatious winter storm came through the first night with winds that sounded like a freight train. The two ‘other’ tents’ were literally shredded to pieces. My 2R inherited a third occupant and the 3R inherited a third & fourth occupant. While very cozy, each Stephenson will luckily accommodate one resident above the official capacity assuming no giants. We all made it through the night safe and as comfortable as can be expected in a howling storm. (Would not have wanted to be in a hammock that night!). These Stephenson tents are extremely pricy, but happily I got my Stephenson long ago for much less than the current cost. My experience after more than 20 years of use is that they perform as advertised in all weather conditions.

However, for my planned 2007 AT thru, I will not be taking this faithful old tent as it is too heavy for a long distance solo trip. To save significant weight, I am leaning to one of several options that I am currently evaluating. (SMD Gatewood Cape, Gossamer Gear Spinnshelter, and Dancing Light Tacoma Solo Tarp.) I will have to wait for the winter storms here in So. Cal. to see what works best for me under simulated AT conditions (cold rainy back yard is as close as I can get). As a side note, when backpacking, I typically set up my shelter, but prefer to sleep under the stars unless the weather or bugs forces me inside. doodah-man

[Tipi Walter]

In the old days(60's,70's)tents were sold as tents, period. There were no designations as to 3 season, 4 season, convertible, etc. But like everything else, specialization categories offering near unlimited options has turned the tent market inside out making consumers get on a quick learning curve or blunder into mistaken purchases.

Nearly all current 4 season tents are heavier than similar 3 season models and with the reduction in weight comes a reduction in freedom. Most backpackers carry lightweight shelters, either hammocks or tarps or bivy bags or 3 season tents. Rarely will you see a true 4 season tent set up in the southern appalachians although I've seen Biblers and MSR's set up on mountain tops, too. The freedom to go anywhere, anytime; well, if this is important to you I would seriously consider a 4 season tent. To me, such freedom is what backpacking is all about.

[FanaticFringer]

As for those singing hammockers...doesn't it get a wee bit cold in a hammock in the winter??? I met quite a few hammockers who complained about being cold with a slight chill in the air, never mind winter. Or perhaps y'all know some good tricks?

Went out a few weeks ago on an overniter with my hammock. Low temp was around 35. Winds were howling at 20 -30 mph. I was warm and cozy. Plenty of tricks to get you down to as low as you want to go.

[saimyoji]

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

Free prize to anyone who can locate the topless girls. There are 3. :D

[FanaticFringer]

Thats some pretty funky advertising. Unless it's really a guy with nice pecs.:eek: