I need a tent recommendation.

Not only is a 4 season typically not ventilated as well, it is also typically heavier and more expensive. Heavier poles, more poles, etc. I have had 6 inches of snow on a standard park model tent w/ no problems. I expect that 4 season tents are the ticket for heavy snowloads, or extreme winds. If those are not an issue, than there are quite likely 3 or 3+ season tents that will do as well w/ less weight and less expense, and sometimes more comfort.

The only reason I mention it is because it is easier to save weight when you buy gear than it is to replace it w/ lighter weight stuff later.
 
chris in mo said:
I have a Kelty Teton 2 which I picked up for a great price locally. I have been very happy with the tent. Easy set up, secure tent that has shed rain and wind well and plenty of room for 1 plus a pack. A snug fit for 2.
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+1 on a snug fit! It would have to be a very good friend for me to share. Mine fits great for just me.
 
I have an Alps Mountaineering Mystique 2.0. I got it 4 years ago at a End of Summer sale for about $80. Been using it ever since. Works great! Here's a picture of mine from a campout about 2 weeks ago:

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Having the 2 entrances and vestibules is nice. It's not free standing though, needs to be staked down which isn't a problem for most places I like to camp. But if I'm ever physicly able to some back packing again, I'd like to have the Kelty Teton 2 free standing tent. Lots of the backpacking I used to do was in slick rock country where it can be hard to find a place to stake a tent down.

Heber
 
A new contestant enters the arena...

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/equipment-tents/solo-12.html

Though this one is much lighter 2.5lb, it's not nearly as rugged as the Eureka (33d fly vs 75d).

I was speaking to a fellow who had a lot of hands on experience with a variety of tents and outdoor gear (from doing geological surveying in Labrador and working in the camping section of sir).

Said he ended up having to fix 4 MEC tents for other people last time he was in the field, that combined with reviewers complaining about snapped poles (why no aluminum poles on a $300+tent 4season tent?) puts MEC out of the equation. He recommended the Mountain Hardware foremost, but that was way out of my budget. He suggested that that Eureka, while being heavier, ought to last 20 years, which sounds good to me.

The only reason I mention it is because it is easier to save weight when you buy gear than it is to replace it w/ lighter weight stuff later.
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conversely, it's easier to carry an extra pound or two than replace your gear with stuff thats suitable for the season. ;)

I'm still leaning towards the Eureka, I want something that will last a really long time, that I wont need to replace due to wear&tear or changing requirements.
 
A friend and I have spent several weeks altogether in a Eureka Apex 2-person tent. It's under five pounds, I think, simple, and it has stood up to some very good weather. Small hail, lots of wind, snow, etc. It has never leaked. We do get a bit of condensation inside the tent sometimes, and the fly is usually pretty wet in the morning if it's cold. But we've done a lot with that tent, and my friend bought it for under 100 bucks.
 
I spent a lot of time in a Eureka Apex 2XTC plus tent this summer. I wouldnt really want to be in one this fall, they have 2 mesh walls that dont zip up so theyre pretty drafty. Even in July (up north at Lynn Lake) the tent was freezing at night, I know most of the burden of keeping warm is on the sleeping bag, but the screen walls didnt help.
 
Spent a few 20-degree F nights in that tent and I didn't think it was too bad. But, to each his own. My primary use for a tent is protection from high winds and precipitation. Up your way I guess a sturdier tent would help, but I'm not sure there is any 5-pound tent that will do much in the way of insulation.
 
Dont get me wrong, I dont expect a tent to insulate me, I just want it to be able to keep the wind out better.

At the time I didnt have a very warm sleeping bag, dont know the rating but it certainly wasnt meant for the winter. it gets pretty cold at night up north, but I was fully bundled up with long johns, pants, wool socks, 2 shirts and a touque and still freezing my balls off... in july.
 
Also we had a lot of broken poles with the Apex tents, there's a whole shelf of damaged poles in the warehouse where I was. In my particular case one of the pole sections started splitting lengthwise, a quick fix with tape but a problem none the less.
 
sketchbag said:
A new contestant enters the arena...

http://www.thenorthface.com/catalog/sc-gear/equipment-tents/solo-12.html

Though this one is much lighter 2.5lb, it's not nearly as rugged as the Eureka (33d fly vs 75d).
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That's a single wall tent, so you can expect lots of condensation problems with it. Check out the reviews at REI.


He recommended the Mountain Hardware foremost, but that was way out of my budget. He suggested that that Eureka, while being heavier, ought to last 20 years, which sounds good to me.
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You can buy several different MH tents for under $300, but none of them are 4 season.

This looks like a good buy to me. It has mesh, but it's not an all mesh body. It's heavier but it has a lot more room and it has a nice big vestibule, which is one of my pet peeves. Most vestibules are worthless.

sketchbag said:
Dont get me wrong, I dont expect a tent to insulate me, I just want it to be able to keep the wind out better.

At the time I didnt have a very warm sleeping bag, dont know the rating but it certainly wasnt meant for the winter. it gets pretty cold at night up north, but I was fully bundled up with long johns, pants, wool socks, 2 shirts and a touque and still freezing my balls off... in july.
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I've spent several nights below freezing in a 3 season tent and never felt the mesh was a liability. As long as the fly can be pulled down low to the ground the wind isn't much of a problem. A good warm sleeping bag is much more important than the design of the tent, unless you're spending a lot of time at altitude or subfreezing temps IMHO.
 
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