I was browsing a site on the net and came accross a tent that seemed to meet my specs… It was a 3 man about 9 lbs and had screen windows that had covers you could zip on. The covers were what interested me as it extended the season
I lost the site and don’t know which tent it was , make etc.
Anyone know of a tent like this?
Thanks
Look for a winter tent?
I have 5 tents and only my winter tent has cloth that zips over the screens from the inside. If you search for a winter tent you may find it.
Mountain Hardware
Hammerhead 3 is an excellent tent that all the mesh zips shut.
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Product.aspx?top=1830&prod=3408&cat=1854&viewAll=False
except that Hammerhead
is a three season tent with some of the tent body being mesh…the fly covers it.
All except one of my tents have nylon doors as well as screens and some are summer and some are winter tent. And MSR Hubba Hubba is really a summer tent. My SD Meteor Light has complete nylon doors.
My Trango 3.1 is a true winter tent. Save for the doors and vent hole (which also have nylon covers ) there is no mesh used in the tent body whatsoever.
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Product.aspx?top=1830&prod=3416&cat=1852&viewAll=False
Having nylon doors does make a tent warmer but does not in and of by itself make a winter tent.
I’m not sure they…
have your tent, but Campmor.com has a wide selection of various manufacture, and decent prices.
Take a look at REM as well.
When I lived and camped in snow country, I used a Eureka! Timberline2 with a front and a back vestibule attached.
I’m sure there are better on the market now, but it worked well for me. Low volume of space to heat, easy to regulate air flow.
In warmer months, I didn’t use the vestibules at all.
The things are still being sold after all these years, must be others like them too.
T
3-4 season tents
most 3 & 4 season tents have inside window covers. usually any tent that the rain fly doesn’t cover the window, will prbably have inside window flaps. Easy to help vent tent in cooler weather. (eureka,marmont),just to name a couple. Hope this helps.
MC
What I know about tents…
The one you’re looking for sounds like a the Sierra Designs Alpha 3 convertible…
http://sierradesigns.com/tents.display.php?id=656
I’d stay away from Mountain Hardware tents, their poles seem to be undergoing some growing pains, and snap for no known reason. They need to work out the kinks still. Too bad, because the Trangos are super tents otherwise.
If price were no option and I was camping in nasty weather, I’d get a Hillberg, seriously nice tents and easy to set up, tons of room in the vestibule. http://estore.websitepros.com/1764795/-strse-52/Hilleberg-Nammatj-2-GT/Detail.bok
I’ve had very good luck with a MSR Hubba Hubba, which I spent three months living in under damp, rainy conditions in temps from the mid 40’s and up. Super well designed little tent that did very well, wish I had gotten the solid walled Hubba Hubba HP. Sucks having sand blowing through the mesh on your tent in the middle of the night, and waking up in a sandbox. That little tent was in wind that would drag anchors, yet the tent was still fine, didn’t rip break or tear. Just reinforce the anchor and get back in.
The advantage of a mountaineering style tent is it does better in the wind, and if set up correctly, doesn’t generate as much noise as a flapping three season might. A three season tent can be something of a chillie place to wait out a storm on a beach, as wind just blows right on through.
I think it would be cool if a manufacturer would build a Sea Kayak specific tent. Lots of mountaineering and backbacking tents on the market, why no kayak specific tent? Something with a ridiculous bathtub floor for when you misread the tides or rain turns your tent site to swamp. A nice large vestibule for taking off and putting on rain gear when its nasty outside, and that you could cook in if need be. Also a nice large door to make it easy to get in and out for us people who spend so much time sitting on our butts. A larger sized tent for the spacious beaches, and so if you’re waiting out bad weather you’re not cramped with other people in there? A pretty bomber build, but with good ventilation. Maybe an attached fly setup for taking down and setting up in the rain, so you don’t get the body too wet, and makes it easier and faster to set up solo? Lots of guy line tie points to reinforce for windy conditions?
Many good tents
There are lots on the market these days. Many have the zip-close mosquito net door you’re looking for and there are quite a few that don’t have a lot of netting that will lose heat in colder conditions. I like the Timberlines that were previously mentioned. They set up really fast once you’re used to them. I don’t know where you live, how much you might want to winter camp, or how cold it might get for your extended season usage. Many places a Timberline 2 or 4 would be just fine.
I wouldn’t really call them a winter tent though. I like canvas when it gets really cold. Weight is less important if you can use a sled, breath-ability is more important if your breath will condense and freeze on the inside walls and “snow” on you when you wake up and move. I have an old 12X12 canvas umbrella tent that I use a cat heater in and it is pretty nice BUT A friend of mine has one of these rigs (the Expedition 4, I believe) with the folding wood stove and it is truly excellent.
http://www.snowtrekkertents.com/wintertents.html
You could sit in that thing through all those long winter nights cooking up eggs and bacon in your long johns reading the newspaper if you wanted. Pop out a couple times a day to ski, snowshoe, hike, cut wood, whatever and have a cozy place to come in to after. Nicest cold weather rig I’ve ever seen.
We dont know if the OP
– Last Updated: Oct-22-09 9:21 PM EST –
wanted a winter tent for cold camping..brrr, I got my Trango for Barrenlands camping
or a hot tent for winter camping. So far I dont see the stove factoring in..
Except in MY budget.. Somewhere I am finding money for a Snowtrekker Shortwall..
OP is simply delighted in finding a tent with less mesh than usual.
Never seen one
with removable covers. My brother has this one.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0024840&navCount=1&parentId=cat602107&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat20075-cat602107&parentType=index&indexId=cat602107&rid=
for winter camping. It works so well with their heater in 0F conditions they had to turn the heat to low.
Never seen one
with removable covers. My brother has this one.
http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/templates/pod/horizontal-pod.jsp?id=0024840&navCount=1&parentId=cat602107&masterpathid=&navAction=push&cmCat=MainCatcat20075-cat602107&parentType=index&indexId=cat602107&rid=
for winter camping. It works so well with their heater in 0F conditions they had to turn the heat to low.
Extended the season?
Your reasoning for a tent is confusing to me.
Is it for backpacking? Kayaking? Car camping?
For kayaking or backpacking:
First of all you won’t hike very far with an extra nine pounds of tent in your backpack. You want to look for the lightest possible tent and a tent with the smallest possible packable footprint. - this will make it fit into kayak’s bulkheads.
Then you want to get a tent that can withstand heavy snowfall…or a tent that does not accumulate snow on the top. Heavy snow will break almost any tent poles.
Tent is to sleep in so you don’t necessarily need any windows althought it is helpful to have a vestibule to store wet packs, boots and anything that could create condensation inside the sleeping quarters.
The tent needs to be dry and windproof but canvas or nylon it makes no difference in the winter. It’s going to be cold as hell. You need protection from the wind (tent) but most importantly you need a very warm sleeping bag and a thicker foam mattress. (i.e. insulation from the cold)
There are so many variables here. I don’t even know where to begin.
Here’s a nice tent
that can change how you think about tenting. You really have to see this line of tents in person to appreciate the quality. You will have a 4 season tent with this one.
http://www.neptunemountaineering.com/neptune/product.asp?s_id=0&prod_name=Hilleberg+Nammatj+3+GT+Tent&pf_id=PAAAAAPBCEINKDEN&dept_id=3089
Its a long URL so you might need to copy and paste.
yep but arent we making
some assumptions about the OP intent?
Or is it like someone left the party and no one noticed…and the conversation is taking a life of its own…
"Anyone know of a tent like this?"
Can’t say that I do, but I can offer another good option to consider.
Big Agnes tents
BA has a couple tents that sound like what you are looking for.
http://www.bigagnes.com/
I just bought the Big House 6 and hope to get out next weekend.
Tom
Picking A Tent To Meet Your Needs
From your comments I get the feeling that you are looking for a three person tent which is a three season tent capable of converting to a winter tent. You don’t seem to be particularly worried about weight as 9+ pound tents for 2-3 people these days average about 5.5 pounds. You did not mention expense in your statement. That is a key element in your pick, as well as the degree of use the tent will get in difficult conditions.
My 50+ years of backpacking, mountaineering, and river running and teaching Outdoor Living have allowed me to test out many types of tents under a variety of conditions. You have heard about a number of tents from posters above and their preferences.
The Timberline 2 & 4 is the oldest exsisting designed tent still on the market. It’s one primary advantage is its durability. Horse backers, hunters, and scout troops love them because they hold up and don’t have complicated pole systems. They lack the headroom, quietness, and self standing characteristics of dome tents. They run around $129. to $219.
The Hubba Hubba has become one of the top three 3 Season tents on the market. It is self standing and has good stability in rain storms. It is quiet and relatively easy to put up. The 3 person model weighs around 5.5 pounds. Cost range is in the $225-$300.
The Hilleberg Series of tents are top of the line single wall mountaineering tents in the hoop style. They are very stable and easy to put up. Problem is they are also the highest priced tents out there at $500-$650.
The Tango 2 & 3 are mountaineering dome tents. They are in the heavier weight level even for mountain tents at 9. pounds +. They cost in the $400+ area.
My personal favorite three man tents which are convertible types are:
l. Sierra Designs -Alpha Dome 7.7 pounds $259.
2. Kelty -Gunnison 3 6.8 pounds $229.
If you want an all weather bullet proof tent for all bad weather condition and long wear pick the North Face VE 25 3 man mountaineering tent at 9.11 ounces. It costs a huge $550. but will last for your lifetime and is guaranteed to not leak, withstand the worse snow, wind, and rain conditions. and have reasonable ventilation.
Good luck on finding the tent that fits your needs.
Happy Paddling!
Tent use
I canoe. My present tent is a Eureka 3 man at 6 + lbs. Great tent, holding up well. I was reading an article on the tent, that I can’t recall the name of, and they were saying that it was quite warm with the wind covers zipped on. Without, it had good ventilation. I wouldn’t mind a little more warm in spring and fall. I don’t winter camp nor do I intend to use a tent heater.
I recall the price was twixt 300-400$'s
4 Season Tent
Check out
Eureka Four Season Tents including Eureka Expedition Tents - Eureka K-2XT and Eureka Alpenlite 2XT
Eureka Alpenlite 2XT – $194.95
I have the Eureka K-2 XT – $319.95 I use this even though the weight is around 11 Lb 12 oz, I carry this in my kayak for Winter kayak campouts in extreme weather.
In the past I have used even 3 season cheaper tents using warm mummy bags with mummy bag warm fleece liners and have never had a problem.
Would be helpful to know how you will be using the tent. Every thing I buy is used while kayaking year round.
The K-2 XT is used on Mt Everest.
Their are a lot of good tents out there, you just have to pick one that will fit your needs and budget.
tent
Look at the REI Cirque or the Arete they are light 4 season tents. I have a Cirque 2 and love it.