1:17 p.m. on September 24, 2007 (EDT)
Need Winter Tent
I need to find a good winter tent for Camping in the snow to go snowboarding. It's for my boyfriend for his birthday. We typically camp in the snow in upstate Vermont December 25-Jan 3rd. I don't know too much about tents but can't afford more than $250 at the most. Any suggestions?
Lara
3:01 p.m. on September 24, 2007 (EDT)
Re: Need Winter Tent
For $250 there aren't many options
REI has one called the Arete ASL 2 tent that is a 4 season tent that can withstand snow.
11:53 a.m. on September 25, 2007 (EDT)
Bill S
OGBO
Joined: Mar 14, 2001
Posts: 2516
Re: Need Winter Tent
As Jeff says, there are essentially no choices in the $250 range for a snowcamping tent. You say upstate Vermont over Christmas. My experience camping there at that time of year was that a full-on expedition tent was necessary, which cost double or more what you have budgeted. There is a difference between even the 4-season class of tent that Jeff mentions and a full expedition tent. At that time of year in that area, you can get big dumps of snow, as you no doubt are aware. So the tent needs to be able to support a heavy snow load. Proven tents that can do that are made by Sierra Designs (probably the least expensive), Mountain Hardwear, North Face, Bibler/Black Diamond, Hilleberg, Marmot, Integral Designs, and a very few others.
12:27 p.m. on September 25, 2007 (EDT)
howler
Junior Member
Joined: Aug 17, 2007
Posts: 14
Re: Need Winter Tent
I was lucky enough to test the REI Arete ASL tent. It is not considered a true 4-season tent. The ASL stands for All Season Lightweight. I was very impressed with the tent... roomy for 2 people, great ventilation, very light weight. It kept the winds and snow at bay while above timberline in Colorado very late last fall. However, it is not a true expedition tent. It was designed for folks who need a tent that can handle 3+ seasons but not expeditions. It will handle some snow loading.
1:07 p.m. on September 26, 2007 (EDT)
rambler
Full Member
Joined: Sep 26, 2007
Posts: 62
Re: Need Winter Tent
Golite Hex 3. It is a tight fit for three, but I have used this in winter in NE below ridgeline.
11:10 p.m. on September 26, 2007 (EDT)
Tom D
Moderator
Joined: Aug 10, 2002
Posts: 760
Re: Need Winter Tent
How would you feel about getting something off eBay? I have seen a fair number of good quality winter tents there at decent prices. I bought one myself for about half what it would been at retail.
The trick is knowing what you are looking at. A lot of the stuff there is cheap junk. If you aren't sure about brands, ask here if you see something; someone may know about it.
I looked around a bit online. Campmor (www.campmor.com) has a Sierra Design Omega on sale for $230. It is a 3-4 convertible, but it has a dome design and a vestibule. I have seen this tent set up in a store and almost bought one myself. It's only a 3 pole design, so it's not really for really bad weather (big storm kind of stuff) that you don't want to be out in anyway, but for other than that, it looks okay. Maybe someone here knows more about it.
You can also look into renting a tent from REI if you have one nearby. Some have winter tents as rentals.
You say you've been camping up there before. What did you have then for a tent?
