How To Choose A Winter Tent

Good four season tents (also called winter tents) are made to effectively protect you from wind, cold and forms of precipitation while enabling sufficient 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 camping 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're a backpacker, you probably know that you should buy a lightweight tent that you can easily carry around.

Winter camping tents are designed to withstand extreme temperatures, but here are three factors to look at before you buy your tent...

Size Is Important

Winter campers spend lots of time inside their tents as compared to summer campers. For this reason you really 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 of high-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 about in your tent without crushing anything.

If you have two or three rooms, one space can act as your "foyer" for storing boots, wet outerwear, etc.

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 runs an online tent store. Shop from a variety of winter tents and 3 season tents