Winter tents and shelters for mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry snowboarding excursions should be stronger and hotter for tenting in uncovered windy terrain which may be topic to snow hundreds. We want light-weight tents and tarp shelters as a result of nobody needs to lug a heavy tent all day when climbing a peak, snowshoeing, or backcountry snowboarding if it’s avoidable. What follows are our suggestions for winter tents and shelters that may deal with average snow hundreds and wind whereas being light-weight sufficient to hold comfortably in a backpack.
1. Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear (HMG) UltaMid 2 is an ultralight floorless single-wall pyramid made with Dyneema Composite Materials that has twin peak vents to assist mitigate inside condensation. Weighing simply 1 lb 3.1 oz, it requires two ski/trekking poles (lashed collectively) to arrange and has an oblong footprint that’s 83″ extensive x 107″ lengthy with a peak top of 64″. In case your purpose is to attenuate your gear weight for winter backpacking, mountaineering, or backcountry touring, you may rapidly dig out a sleeping space beneath the UltaMid for a comfortable evening beneath the celebrities.
2. Mountain Laurel Designs SuperMid
The Mountain Laurel Designs (MLD) SuperMid is a single wall, floorless pyramid tarp with a sq. 9’2″ x 9’2″ footprint with a peak top of 69″. Pyramid tarps are bombproof in wind so long as they’re securely anchored with deadmen in winter. Weighing 1 lb 12 ozoz, the SuperMid can sleep as much as 4 folks 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 can be pitched with two ski/trekking poles, lashed collectively.
3. SlingFin Cinder Cone 4P
The SlingFin Cinder Cone 4P is a four-person pyramid tarp that can be utilized for ultralight backpacking and winter tenting. It has a novel venting system that features two drawstring ceiling vents and base venting so you may scale back inside condensation or cook dinner beneath it with out concern of carbon monoxide poisoning (very useful in winter). It additionally comes with pitching guides that just about assure an ideal pyramid form every time you set it up. Weighing 1 lb 11 oz, the Cinder Cone is made with sturdy ripstop Nylon 66 coated with silicone on each side.
4. Durston X-Dome 1+
The Durston X-Dome 1+ is a spacious double-wall freestanding tent. At simply 35 oz (985 g), the X-Dome 1+ units up fly first and has a diagonal ground plan, offering extra coated vestibule house and an extended inside than comparable dome-style tents. Its crossed carbon fiber poles present a really sturdy construction able to holding heavy snow hundreds. The tent is made with 15d excessive tenacity polyester so the fly doesn’t stretch when moist. The fly can be pitched by itself for winter use, dropping the carry weight to 24 oz.
5. KUIU Mountain Star 2
The KUIU Mountain Star is a 2-person freestanding double wall tent 3+ season tent with a really strong-sleeved exterior pole design. It has two doorways and two vestibules in addition to kickstand vents on the ends to cut back any inside condensation. The tent has three poles, which can be found in carbon fiber or aluminum. You can even increase the energy of the vestibule cross pole utilizing trekking poles which is beneficial in excessive winds or heavy snow hundreds. With a built-in rainfly and bathtub model ground, the inside stays protected, even throughout arrange and take down though you can even set it up with out the inside tent to cut back weight.
6. Black Diamond FirstLight 2P Tent
The Black Diamond FirstLight is a light-weight 2-person single-wall tent. Weighing simply 3 lbs 1 oz (seam-sealed), it’s made with NanoShield single-wall cloth 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 inside poles make setup quick and simple and supply a robust construction able to withstanding excessive winds and snow hundreds. Seam sealing is really helpful. A separate entrance vestibule can also be accessible.
Learn our FirstLight Evaluation.
7. Tarptent ArcDome 2 Extremely
The Tarptent ArcDome 2 Extremely is a 3 lb 5.2 ozdouble-wall freestanding dome tent made with UltraTNT, an ultralight waterproof laminate materials in the identical class of supplies as Dyneema DCF. The ArcDome 2 has two doorways and two overhanging vestibules and is a real four-season tent, with the choice of getting a strong inside or a mesh inside tent for higher air flow in hotter climate. The tent has two carbon fiber crossing poles inserted into sleeves, making setup straightforward. As well as, the inside house is offset at a diagonal to supply occupants with extra dwelling house.
8. MSR Entry 2
The MSR Entry 2 is a two-person, double-wall tent that weighs 3 lbs 10 oz. It has two doorways and two vestibules that present glorious livability and equipment storage, with a freestanding pole structure so you may set it up rapidly, even on snow. A central assist body and carbon fiber tent poles present a robust construction for snow loading whereas remaining light-weight. The strong inside tent is breathable however offers enhanced wind safety to maintain you heat on chilly winter nights.
Learn our MSR Entry 1 Evaluation.
9. NEMO Kunai 2
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 glorious 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.
10. SlingFin CrossBow 2 4 Season
The SlingFin CrossBow 2 4 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 maintaining condensation to a minimal. Poles sleeves, which SlingFin calls a WebTruss assist to distribute snow hundreds throughout a bigger floor space and are a lot stronger than clip-style tents. The pole construction might be additional strengthened with trekking poles or ski poles utilizing SlingFin’s outrigger pole system. Two massive vestibules and quite a few inside pockets present best-in-class livability, whereas door vents present unrestricted cross-tent airflow for glorious condensation administration with out sacrificing climate safety.
Learn our CrossBow 2 Evaluation.
4-Season (Winter) Tent and Shelter Choice Information
When evaluating winter tents and tarp shelters, it helps to analysis the local weather circumstances, notably snow hundreds and wind speeds, you anticipate to make use of the tent in, as this may inform the diploma of tent pole energy 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 can be a lot simpler to arrange in the event that they’re freestanding so you will get out of the climate rapidly and alter into dry garments. Whereas tarps are considerably lighter, they will take some time to arrange since you must freeze your guy-out factors in place in snow, a course of referred to as sintering. This will take 20-Half-hour, throughout which period you’ll get a lot colder. It’s important to resolve which choice is best to your wants.
Pole Structure
Many winter tents have a number of crossed poles, anchored inside or exterior the tent partitions. Exterior poles which might be anchored in sleeves are a lot stronger than poles that connect with an inside tent utilizing clips or velcro tabs. They’re way more wind-resistant and able to withstanding heavier snow hundreds. For tarps, most require one or two poles to arrange, though ones with excessive ceilings might require that you simply lash two trekking poles collectively, normally with a versatile ski strap, to realize the right top.
Man Out Factors
It’s vital 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 goal so you should use gear to anchor your tent, like skis, poles, ice axes, and many others. For those who use snow stakes, it’s vital 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 arduous time pounding common tent stakes into the frozen floor. When this occurs, you’ll rapidly understand the benefit of utilizing a freestanding tent.
Air flow
You will need to reduce and scale back inside condensation. That is achieved by maintaining tent door(s) open when possible, by way of peak and facet vents, and in some circumstances by way of using breathable wall materials. You may by no means have an excessive amount of air flow in a winter tent or shelter since you’re sleeping on prime of water, frozen water. Search for tent doorways which have mesh screens backing them, as this allows you to maintain a door open at evening for air flow however blocks snow from blowing into the tent.
Inside Area
Winter tents designed for prime alpine mountaineering are sometimes cramped as a result of weight financial savings are so essential when you must climb many hundreds of toes to succeed in your vacation spot. When deciding on a winter tent be life like about your size and width necessities, notably when selecting a two-person wedge-style tent, as livability might be compromised. Think about buying an add-on vestibule if accessible as a result of they make a superb “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 must wait out a storm.
Variety of Doorways
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 may come and go with out waking your tent associate. Dome-style tents usually present larger coated vestibule storage, which may make a major distinction in livability.
Floorless Shelters
Winter tarps do not need flooring with a purpose to save weight. Most individuals dig into the snow with an avalanche shovel to create “furnishings” for sleeping or sitting and to extend the quantity of usable house beneath the tarp. Some folks, even reduce out the flooring of their freestanding tents, together with the Black Diamond FirstLight, for a similar goal, as a result of it vastly improves livability.
DCF (Dyneema) Tents and Tarps
Whereas tarp shelters made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Materials) 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, decreasing the burden of snow loading on the tent poles/ski poles holding up your tent or tarp. As well as, DCF tarps are a lot bulkier to pack making them much less fascinating in winter when backpack house is at such a premium.
Up to date Dec. 2024
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