Thanks, lastmanstanding! That is a wild looking design. I'll need one for a pack, but if I go car camping those would work.

As someone else said I would look at 3-4 season tents. True 4 season tents are expensive, heavy, and take a little more to set up.

I have two REI tents one maybe 5-6 years old and the other 3 years old or so. They may not be as strong as they were 20 years ago but they are as good as anything else out there.

Lots of tents are made with lighter material now especially backpacking tents. That material will never hold up like more heavy-duty stuff.

BTW there is never a do everything tent. I have about 4-5 laying around now although I really have just two I use. A backpacking one and a much larger and heavier one for car camping.

quote:

Originally posted by bigeinkcmo:
I'd go and pick out a sleeping bag in person if you have a store nearby. I'm sleeping on a cot nowadays and it might be worth considering a nice Thermarest style pad/similar or a cot. Quite a few options out there. Ours are car camping bunk cots (disc-o-bed) for my family of four. Nice setup but heavy and bulky.

There sure are a ton of options. I'll get to sleeping bags soon, but want to get a new tent first. Thanks to you and everyone else for taking the time to reply.

I use a BA Flying 8 as a basecamp for group (5-6 adults) backcountry ski trips. It’s heavy but breaks down well into 4 packs. Looks complicated but is actually very easy to set up with 2 people. Plenty of space and great in every winter condition.

It’s a little overkill for summer but I’ve done a few car camping based family (2 adults, 3 kids) trips with it.


Presently on sale at REI-

https://www.rei.com/rei-garage...lying-diamond-8-tent

A good pad under the bag is an absolute must have. You’ll freeze without one.

quote:

Originally posted by reflex/deflex 64:
A good pad under the bag is an absolute must have. You’ll freeze without one.

This is absolutely, 100% true.

If it is much below freezing, it really needs to be an insulated pad designed for cold weather, too.

Tents used in the winter are different than tents used for other seasons. Besides being able to withstand stiffer and more persistent winds, the amount of rain and the weight of snow loading all contribute to tents able to handle whatever weather its thrown at it. The flip=side, such tents are heavier because the fabrics used and the coatings are heavier, the pole-sets are bigger and the pole geometry is usually tighter, which means no windows.

If you can find it, TNF Northstar tent (4/6P) is a great all-around tent; its built like a 4-season tent but, without using the heavier materials or coatings. The idea behind the design was for 4-season durability without the weight; Alaskan guide services and remote research camps really like these tents as they easily load into bush planes. The geodesic design will shed all but the heaviest snow loads and it has a FULL rainfly. The 6P is my next purchase.

Marmot Limestone (4/6/8P) is a favorite, the heavy floor and large vestibule is nice. Haven't taken it into the snow but, winter camping is more about mitigating problems so, camp maintenance like snow shedding is a priority.

Spring 2021 inventory will be hitting stores in Feb/Mar so, hold your pennies until the new stuff comes out.

No personal experience, but, White Duck tents seem to get good reviews.
Rod

Thanks for the heads up, corsair. I'll be looking for deals on the old stuff until then. Maybe I'll get luck and catch one on clearance.

Sounds like you have settled on a 3 season tent and weight seems to be important... both would probably be above your budget unless you can find used but I would look at Seek Outside and Kifaru tipi’s. They are floorless, lightweight, US made, and more than capable of handling extreme weather. Bonus is you can add a lightweight titanium wood burning stove and be extremely comfortable in the harshest of weather as long as you keep feeding it wood.

https://americanadventurist.co...ents/rtts-jpg.54408/

Hopefully this comes through..

I've been considering a Springbar tent for a while. They should have a nice one in your price range, and they're made in the USA.
https://springbar.com/