Winter Tents – Things to Consider Before You Choose One

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 of the factors of choosing a good winter/four season tent, keep in mind that the usage of a four season tent is not necessarily restricted to winter conditions – they work just fine in good or mild conditions as well. Remember that although you can use your 4 season tent in warm weather, 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 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 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. Some tents are made for 1 or 2 people and others are made to sleep 10 or more. You might even think about 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 with 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 crushing anything.

If you have multiple rooms, you can designate a space for storing boots, your outerwear, and other items.

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

Armed with a good four season tent, equipment and the right know-how, you’ll be comfortable no matter the weather conditions.

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