Tents

L

learnme

Joined
Oct 30, 2009
Messages
116
Hi all, I am looking for a good 3/4 season tent. I want it to have a nice roomy vestibule, as light as can be, made for 2 but can sardine it with 3, option to be free standing for pitching on rock faces and not free standing. I REALLY NEED HELP TO FIND THIS> thanx
 
If you search through the Eureka! catalog you too may find it. While admittedly not the lightest on the market I have found my Timberline 2 bomb-proof for over 20 years and still going strong. You would probably want to move up to the Timberline 4. If snow or excessive wind is in your plans you might want to look at one of the geodesic models instead. Good Luck in your search.
 
I really think that REI tents are some of the best bargains on the market. I love mine for backpacking. You'll find that you can either get a 2-3 season tent or a 4 season. There's also a huge price disparity between the two. Where and when are you camping? Are you camping or backpacking?
 
Agreed. I got good service out of a 3-season REI Trail Dome. It stood up to some pretty wicked weather on Alaska wilderness raft trips.

DancesWithKnives
 
True. Some four-season tents may also take longer to set up. In addition, they may have a bit less ventilation than you'd ideally want for warm summers. I have a 4-man, 4-season Cabela's XPG tent that is great for rafting or 4WD camping in rough conditions. I bought it after seeing how well my pal's 2-3 man model of the same tent held up through four really nasty wind/rain storms off the Bering Sea. They are very strong and reasonably priced but not light and a bit slower to set than many 3-season tents.

Unless you seriously need a 4-season tent or weight/cost don't matter, consider getting a quality 3-season.

DancesWithKnives
 
DWK2 said:
...Unless you seriously need a 4-season tent or weight/cost don't matter, consider getting a quality 3-season.

DancesWithKnives
Click to expand...

I agree with that statement. The reason I asked when and where you're planning on using your tent is that most people I know who think they "need" an expedition quality 4 season tent really don't. I've used my 3 season tent in snow and ice and been fine with it. Now it wasn't below zero and I wasn't dealing with extreme winds which in my mind is when you really need a 4 season tent.

Now that I live in northern iowa where the temps can easily drop below zero and the wind is ferocious I'm considering getting a good 4 season tent. It would serve me during an emergency or any winter trips here or in wisconsin or the UP. My REI half-dome 3 season would still be my go to tent for most of the year though.
 
TLR said:
I really think that REI tents are some of the best bargains on the market. I love mine for backpacking. You'll find that you can either get a 2-3 season tent or a 4 season. There's also a huge price disparity between the two. Where and when are you camping? Are you camping or backpacking?
Click to expand...

from what i have read REI, Padagonia, North FAce are all made in the same factory.. ill second the REI tents as value vs the dollar.... however i do have a north face tent i have had it for years. i went through one hard hard storm in the mtns of NC and it rained 6 inches in 5hrs. it was insane! mudslides all around and etc. want to know what happened to the tent?? a 3 inch puddle of water in the corner of my tent. damn fine tent there bud!

Mtn Hardware makes some top of the line stuff too
 
I've read about Stephenson over the years because of their vapor barrier philosophy. Very interesting products. And I like their ta-ta friendly catalog.;)

DancesWithKnives
 
Whichever brand you buy, know this:

If it's listed as a 2-person tent, you won't get three people in it.

Unless you got bunk sleeping pads.
 
There are a couple Eureka Mountain Pass tents that are exactly what you are looking for. I have a 2 man that was the prior model, and I bought it as a 3.5 season tent for 2 w/ vestibule and free(ish) standing. If the new blue model is similar, you're good to go.

Mine weighs 6 lbs or so all out, though I do have Ti stakes for it, which saves 4 oz or so. It can be zipped up real tight with no drafts, or opened up pretty good. The vestibules need stakes, but the main body of the tent doesn't. If you couldn't tie it out at all, it would work, but not as well, because the outer wall would lay against the body, and you would have no vestibules.
 
Try a Golite Shangri La 3

It has no vestibule, but if you have 2 in there you can fit all your gear in and if you don't use a floor you can even cook in there using a small alcohol stove.

To have 3 in it you really need to string it over a tree with the loop provided and some paracord but for 2 you can set it up using a trail pole with the metal extension they give you.


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If it's cold we leave the floor and bug netting at home and just use a tyvek floor
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Check out Tarptent for American-cottage-made ingenuity and light weight. Not many free-standing -- but that's an opportunity to learn new skills with rocks and sticks and cordage.
 
Yeah, wonder what is up with that.

Hey stbob, as the OP asked in 2009, he will either be very wet and cold or he 'might' have bought a tent by now.

PFFFFhhhh.....!
 
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