How To Buy A Winter Tent

Good winter tents (also known as four season tents) are made to effectively shelter you from wind, cold and precipitation while providing sufficient 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 trap heat and don’t have the ventilation to keep you cool (unless it’s a lightweight 4 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’re a backpacker, you probably know that you should 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 look at before you buy your 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 purchasing 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 carbon fiber or aluminum 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 maneuver inside your tent without smashing anything.

If you have two or more rooms, one space can act as your “foyer” for storing boots, wet outerwear, etc.

Storage pockets will also help make it easy to locate handy items that you might need.

Armed with a good 4 season tent, equipment and the right know-how, you’ll be comfortable despite the weather conditions.

Terrence Banks operates a tent store. Shop from a variety of dome tents and 3 season tents