Winter tents and shelters for mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry snowboarding excursions have to be stronger and wind-worthy for tenting in uncovered windy terrain that’s topic to heavy snow masses. Some are single-walled since they’re solely supposed for winter use when insect safety will not be wanted. Our desire is for light-weight four-season tents and tarp shelters as a result of nobody desires to lug a heavy tent all day when climbing a peak, snowshoeing, or backcountry snowboarding if it’s avoidable.
1. Black Diamond First Light 2P Tent
The Black Diamond First Light is a light-weight 2-person single-wall tent. Weighing simply 3 lbs 1 oz (seam-sealed), it’s made with NanoShield single-wall material and has a 70-denier polyester ground. It has a entrance door and a small rear window, with zippered mesh panels at each ends to supply air flow and spindrift safety. Crossed inner poles make setup quick and simple and supply a robust construction able to withstanding excessive winds and snow masses. Seam sealing is really useful. A separate entrance vestibule can be out there. Read our First Light Review.
The MSR Access 2 is a two-person, double-wall tent that weighs 3 lbs 10 oz. It has two doorways and two vestibules that present wonderful livability and equipment storage, with a freestanding pole structure so you’ll be able to set it up shortly, even on snow. A central help body and carbon fiber tent poles present a robust construction for snow loading whereas remaining light-weight. The strong inside tent is breathable however offered enhanced wind safety to maintain you heat on chilly winter nights.
The Black Diamond Beta Light is a bombproof ultralight tarp tricked out for snow journey. Newly up to date, it incorporates a seam-taped no-stretch polyester fly and an insect-proof mesh skirt, enabling four-season use. It requires two trekking/ski poles to arrange and is guyed so you’ll be able to anchor it with skis, poles, shovel handles, or ices axes. Weighing 23 oz, its steep partitions shed snow, wind, and rain with out blinking an eye fixed.
The NEMO Kunai 2 is a double-walled four-season tent that weighs 3 lbs 14 oz. It has a strong, breathable inside tent for larger heat, with massive pass-through vents that present wonderful airflow. An aggressive forehead pole over the entrance door offers extra clearance contained in the entrance vestibule, which offers a sheltered entrance and damp gear storage. The Kunai 2 is appropriate for year-round use, which is an added bonus.
The Marmot Hammer is a wedge-shaped, two-person, single-wall tent (4 lbs 6 oz) that’s just like the BlackDiamond FirstLight, however has higher air flow choices. In addition to a entrance and rear vent, there are two facet vents close to the entrance of the tent, the place your head is prone to be positioned to assist vent water vapor out of your breath and cut back inner condensation. The Hammer additionally has facet guylines that may be adjusted from inside the tent, so you’ll be able to tighten them with out having to go outdoors, an actual luxurious in nasty climate. A entrance vestibule can be out there.
The Sierra Designs Convert 2 is a freestanding 2-person tent with a entrance door and non-compulsory vestibule. The three-pole building could be very sturdy and storm-worthy however the tent is made with light-weight supplies to save lots of weight. The inside tent is spacious with loads of room for inner gear storage and has good air flow because of a mesh rear window and screened entrance door. Weighing 4 lbs 2 oz, the Convert 2 may also be arrange fly first in wet climate to maintain the inside tent dry. An add-on vestibule can be out there for added gear storage. Read our Convert 3 evaluation.
The Mountain Laurel Designs SuperMid is a single wall, floorless pyramid tarp with a sq. 9’2″ x 9’2″ footprint with a peak peak of 69″. Pyramid tarps are bombproof in wind so long as they’re securely anchored with deadmen in winter. Weighing 26 oz, the SuperMid can sleep as much as 4 individuals or it may be arrange as a protected group kitchen. It has one outsized peak vent for air flow, a middle door zip, and 16 guylines together with 8 perimeter guylines outfitted with linelocs. It will be pitched with two ski/trekking poles, lashed collectively. While it’s out there in DCF, we advocate getting the silnylon mannequin as a result of snow slides off it higher.
The Black Diamond HelloLight 2 is a single-wall tent with excellent air flow. An air tunnel contained in the roof of the tent helps pull out moisture whereas the tent’s freestanding structure makes it straightforward to arrange nearly anyplace. While it’s sized for 2 individuals we predict it’s much more comfy for one, with house to your gear inside. It has a facet door (a separate vestibule is offered) and a half-sized rear window. Weighing 3 lbs 12 oz, the HelloLight 2 is made with Sil/PU coated polyester which doesn’t sag or stretch when it will get moist and is absolutely waterproof and manufacturing facility seam-taped. For two individuals, we favor the HelloLight 3 which has two doorways. Vestibules are additionally out there for each fashions and considerably enhance livability and equipment storage. Read our HelloLight 2 Review.
The SlingFin CrossBow 2 Four Season is a light-weight two-person tent designed to be used in excessive winter climate. Weighing 4 lbs 6.2 oz, it has a breathable nylon cover that protects its occupants in opposition to spindrift and wind whereas preserving condensation to a minimal. Poles sleeves, which SlingFin calls a WebTruss assist to distribute snow masses throughout a bigger floor space and are a lot stronger than clip model tents. The pole construction will be additional strengthened with trekking poles or ski poles utilizing SlingFin’s outrigger pole system. Two massive vestibules and quite a few inner pockets present best-in-class livability, whereas door vents present unrestricted cross-tent airflow for wonderful condensation administration with out sacrificing climate safety. Read our CrossBow 2 Review.
The Tarptent Scarp 1 is a spacious, double-wall tent with two facet vestibule doorways. While it’s designed for one individual, it’s in truth large sufficient to suit two. Weighing 48.25 ounces, the Scarp comes with a single arched tent pole and will be pitched fly first earlier than the inside tent. The inside is offered in mesh or strong material. Additional cross poles will be hooked up in windy situations. The corners are supported with brief carbon fiber struts in order that they stand vertically. Read our Scarp 1 evaluation.
When evaluating winter tents and tarp shelters, it helps to analysis the local weather situations, notably snow masses and wind speeds, you anticipate to make use of the tent in, as this may inform the diploma of tent pole power and air flow required.
Tent or Tarp?
Tents are nearly all the time heavier than tarps, however they provide much more consolation and safety as a result of they’ve flooring. They may also be a lot simpler to arrange in the event that they’re freestanding so you may get out of the climate shortly and alter into dry garments. While tarps are considerably lighter, they’ll take some time to arrange since you need to freeze your guy-out factors in place in snow, a course of referred to as sintering. This can take 20-Half-hour, throughout which period you’ll get a lot colder. You should determine which choice is best to your wants.
Pole Architecture
Many winter tents have a number of crossed poles, anchored inside or outdoors the tent partitions. Exterior poles which can be anchored in sleeves are a lot stronger than poles that hook up with an inside tent utilizing clips or velcro tabs. They’re way more wind resistant and able to withstanding heavier snow masses. For tarps, most require one or two poles to arrange, though ones with excessive ceilings could require that you simply lash two trekking poles collectively, normally with a versatile ski strap, to achieve the right peak.
Guy Out Points
It’s essential to safe your tent or tarp to the snow once you set it up so it doesn’t blow away and so the partitions don’t collapse beneath wind stress. Winter tents sometimes include gear loops as an alternative of guylines for this function so you need to use gear to anchor your tent, like skis, poles, ice axes, and so on. If you utilize snow stakes, it’s essential to freeze these in place by packing snow throughout them and letting it harden. If there’s no snow on the bottom, you’ll have a really laborious time pounding common tent stakes into the frozen floor.
Ventilation
It is essential to reduce and cut back inner condensation. This is achieved by preserving tent door(s) open when possible, via peak and facet vents, and in some circumstances via the usage of breathable wall materials. You can by no means have an excessive amount of air flow in a winter tent or shelter since you’re sleeping on high of water, frozen water. Look for tent doorways which have mesh screens backing them, as this allows you to hold a door open at evening for air flow however blocks snow from blowing into the tent.
Interior Space
Winter tents designed for top alpine mountaineering are sometimes cramped as a result of weight financial savings are so essential when you need to climb many 1000’s of ft to achieve your vacation spot. When choosing a winter tent be lifelike about your size and width necessities, notably when selecting a two-person wedge-style tent, as livability will be compromised. Consider buying an add-on vestibule if out there as a result of they make an excellent “gear room” so that you can retailer moist or snow-covered gear or to cook dinner and soften snow beneath (with correct air flow to stop carbon monoxide poisoning) if you need to wait out a storm.
Number of Doors
Tents designed to carry two occupants are extra comfy and handy to make use of if they’ve two doorways and vestibules as a result of you’ll be able to come and go with out waking your tent associate. Dome-style tents typically present larger lined vestibule storage, which may make a major distinction in livability.
Floorless Shelters
Winter tarps shouldn’t have flooring so as to save weight. Most individuals dig into the snow with an avalanche shovel to create “furniture” for sleeping or sitting and to extend the quantity of usable house beneath the tarp. Some individuals, even reduce out the flooring of their freestanding tents, together with the Black Diamond First Light, for a similar function, as a result of it vastly improves livability.
DCF (Dyneema) Tents and Tarps
While tarp shelters made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabrics) are lighter-weight than ones made with silnylon or polyester, snow slides higher down the edges of silnylon and polyester shelters as a result of they’re slicker, lowering the load of snow loading on the tent poles/ski poles holding up your tent or tarp. In addition, DCF tarps are a lot bulkier to pack making them much less fascinating in winter when backpack house is at such a premium.
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