Good four season tent for under $200?

DerekH

DerekH

Handsome According to my Mother
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Anyone know of a good four season tent for under $200? We went camping this last weekend and I bout froze my nerps off. Would like to not have to pay an arm and a leg, but understand sometimes you gotta pay for the good stuff if you want it to work. So, with that in mind, is there a decent four season tent out there for under $200?

Thanks,

Derek
 
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I've slept in my msr hubba hubba in 20 below. It's a 3 season but I like good airflow and ventilation. I think I paid $150 some years ago. Of course you'll need a good bag and pad ;)
 
Eureka Timberline will run you around $200.00. Great well built relatively inexpensive 4 season tent.

But then again a decent 3 season tent will work fine too. As long as you get enough people in the tent you'll be warm enough in most locales, Ive used a three season tent in Vermont with a -30 sleeping bag.

Where are you planning to use it?
 
jaymeister99 said:
Eureka Timberline will run you around $200.00. Great well built relatively inexpensive 4 season tent.

But then again a decent 3 season tent will work fine too. As long as you get enough people in the tent you'll be warm enough in most locales, Ive used a three season tent in Vermont with a -30 sleeping bag.

Where are you planning to use it?
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I had been looking at a number of the different Eureka products. I had also been looking at some of the tents by Alps Mountaineering. Any experience with those?

Mostly I will be out in Southern WV. Our Troop went last weekend and had a really good time, and I didn't get too cold, but I certainly wouldn't have been upset at being warmer.
 
Kelty makes a lot of great equipment. I have several of their packs, and a 2 season tent. Great stuff, but I haven't priced them in awhile, because I have yet to wear anything out...
 
DerekH said:
I had been looking at a number of the different Eureka products. I had also been looking at some of the tents by Alps Mountaineering. Any experience with those?

Mostly I will be out in Southern WV. Our Troop went last weekend and had a really good time, and I didn't get too cold, but I certainly wouldn't have been upset at being warmer.
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I haven't used Alps Mountaineering, dont know much about em. But the Timberlines are used quite a bit in Scouting. My old Troop had the same Timberline 4 tents for 8 years. I don't know why we got new tents because the Timberlines were still in good shape! When I was a Scouting Professional in Vermont the council used Timberlines for the Jamborees. I know a lot of other councils (in colder locales) use em too.
 
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Many three seasons will do fine. You may have to watch for condensation, and depending on the design, blown snow can get between the body and rainfly, then thru the vents.
 
A lot of the stuff that says 3.5 season will work fairly well. Much of the Eureka stuff can be buttoned up pretty tight to keep them warmer. The true 4 season stuff is usually more like expedition rated gear, and heavy/expensive. I have had 8" of snow on a cheap dome tent and it did fine, though I would choose the right shape if you were planning on snow. If you were worried about significantly more than 12", I might start looking to the real 4 season stuff.
 
Tents don't really insulate so much as cut the wind. A warmer bag and foam pad might be your answer?
 
imaginefj said:
Tents don't really insulate so much as cut the wind. A warmer bag and foam pad might be your answer?
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You got it. :thumbup:

I have a NorthFace(Rock22) that has mesh walls ... the fly has two vestibules that stake down real close to the ground. It has great ventilation and still blocks the wind well. I've woke up in the morning in tents that aren't ventilated well and everything ... including me, was covered in ice crystals. It's pretty at first until it melts.;) I also use a Thermarest Trailcomfort self inflating pad. It is a mid-thickness pad but still insulates well.
 
Derek,

Where are you at in WV? Colder temps shouldn't be a problem for just about any tent, as long as your sleeping system (bag and pad) is up to snuff. Two things though that would be helpful to know, do you need a tent that is compact and light enough for backpacking and how many folks do you need to sleep. Most backpacking tents are sized tight, to keep weight and bulk down.

I've got an MSR Hubba Hubba and was out a month ago with 20 degree lows and stayed warm. But it wouldn't be my first choice if I was expecting heavy snow.

I've been around the Eureka tents (timberline) quite a bit and they are certainly sturdy, but if I was looking at Eureka, I think I would lean towards this one: http://store.eurekatent.com/products/364738/Forte_SQ_2XT_Tent It had a good review in backpacker magazine last year.

I know this isn't a "tent" per say, but I've really been considering one of these Appy Trails Mark V tents: http://www.appytrails.com/at_four_man.html

Good luck, if you need anything and are by Gassaway just let me know!

Brandon
 
My Eureka Timberline Outfitter 6 is in that price range. It offers a lot of room, excellent performance, and is easy to put up/take down.
Timberline.jpg
 
I think a better sleeping bag and pad might be the answer. Camping in the Smokies in cold weather, I often do one or more of the following: wear a toboggan and fresh wool socks to bed,eat a snickers before going to bed, put a "shake 'em up" heat pack in the foot of my bag. I use a 3-season tent in the winter.
 
a four season tent is meant to withstand wind and snow loads- that's how it differs from a "three season" tent

a MLD Duomid (or other pyramid tents by other manufacturers-Oware, Golite, Black Diamond, etc) should do the trick- the big plus is it works great as a three season tent as well w/ the addition of an inner tent (or other form of bug protection)- it's meant to setup w/ trekking poles, if you don't use them they sell a lightweight pole

http://www.mountainlaureldesigns.com/shop/product_info.php?cPath=35&products_id=105
 
I think that the biggest problem, or rather the weak link in my setup, was that I have a really crappy sleeping bag. I have some others I am looking at the are rated for much lower, and I think that should do it. I have an Alps Mountaineering 2" sleeping pad that worked really well, and was very comfortable, and I was hoping the rest of their gear might be decent as well. Here is the tent I am heavily considering, mainly because it looks to be able to be adjusted as far as the venting goes. Alps Mountaineering Vertex 2

Like I said, I wasn't uncomfortably cold, just wouldn't have minded being warmer, and I think like you guys are a saying a better sleeping bag would do me better. Thankfully I don't need to worry about weight too much since we usually are able to drive where we are going. It was a lot of fun, which I don't think it would have been had I been freezing, but it was educational in that I need to rethink some of my gear choices and upgrade in a few key areas.

Location-wise we are around the Beckley area for most of our campouts.
 
DerekH said:
I think that the biggest problem, or rather the weak link in my setup, was that I have a really crappy sleeping bag. I have some others I am looking at the are rated for much lower, and I think that should do it. I have an Alps Mountaineering 2" sleeping pad that worked really well, and was very comfortable, and I was hoping the rest of their gear might be decent as well. Here is the tent I am heavily considering, mainly because it looks to be able to be adjusted as far as the venting goes. Alps Mountaineering Vertex 2

Like I said, I wasn't uncomfortably cold, just wouldn't have minded being warmer, and I think like you guys are a saying a better sleeping bag would do me better. Thankfully I don't need to worry about weight too much since we usually are able to drive where we are going. It was a lot of fun, which I don't think it would have been had I been freezing, but it was educational in that I need to rethink some of my gear choices and upgrade in a few key areas.

Location-wise we are around the Beckley area for most of our campouts.
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Are you planning to buy a few of these for your Troop or just one for yourself? This looks like it would be good for a camping/backpacking tent. But IMO a little too tight for me. Would rather have a 4+ man tent for camping. If backpacking I get the smallest and lightest I can get.

As for a sleeping bag, I got a few different bags. But for winter camping I got a -30 heavy coleman bag, and a fleece liner. Add an extra -10 degrees to the manufacturers rating to give a real idea of the temp you will be comfortable. Its not that expensive, and damm heavy. But for camping I always say you don't need an expensive bag. Spending big $$$ on a camping sleeping bag is a complete waste of money.

If you will use it backpacking too then thats a different story, go light with a good bag.
 
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