Winter tents and shelters for mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry skiing tours need to be stronger for camping in exposed windy terrain that is subject to snow loads. Our preference is for lightweight tents and tarp shelters because no one wants to lug a heavy tent all day when climbing a peak, snowshoeing, or backcountry skiing if it’s avoidable. What follows are our recommendations for winter tents and shelters that can handle moderate (3-4 season) snow loads and wind while being lightweight enough to carry comfortably in a backpack.
Make / Model | Structural | Min Weight |
---|---|---|
Hyperlite Mtn Gear UltaMid 2 | Trekking Pole | 1 lb 3.1 oz |
MLD SuperMid | Trekking Pole | 1 lbs 10 oz |
Tarptent Scarp 1 | Freestanding | 3 lbs 0.5 oz |
KUIU Mountain Star 2 | Freestanding | 3 lbs 1 oz |
Black Diamond FirstLight 2 | Freestanding | 3 lbs 1 oz |
Samaya 2.5 | Freestanding | 3 lb 7.4 oz |
MSR Access 2 | Freestanding | 3 lbs 10 oz |
NEMO Kunai 2 | Freestanding | 3 lbs 14 oz |
SlingFin CrossBow 2 | Freestanding | 4 lbs 6.2 oz |
Big Agnes Copper Spur Expedition HV 2 | Freestanding | 4 lbs 10 oz |
1. Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2
2. Mountain Laurel Designs SuperMid
3. Tarptent Scarp 1
4. KUIU Mountain Star 2
5. Black Diamond FirstLight 2P Tent
6. Samaya 2.5 Blue
7. MSR Access 2
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8. NEMO Kunai 2
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9. SlingFin CrossBow 2 Four Season
10. Big Agnes Copper Spur Expedition HV 2
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Winter Tent and Shelter Selection Guide
When evaluating winter tents and tarp shelters, it helps to research the climate conditions, particularly snow loads and wind speeds, you expect to use the tent in, as this will inform the degree of tent pole strength and ventilation required.
Tent or Tarp?
Tents are almost always heavier than tarps, but they offer a lot more comfort and protection because they have floors. They can also be much easier to set up if they’re freestanding so you can get out of the weather quickly and change into dry clothes. While tarps are substantially lighter, they can take a while to set up since you have to freeze your guy-out points in place in snow, a process known as sintering. This can take 20-30 minutes, during which time you’ll get much colder. You have to decide which option is better for your needs.
Pole Architecture
Many winter tents have several crossed poles, anchored inside or outside the tent walls. Exterior poles that are anchored in sleeves are much stronger than poles that connect to an inner tent using clips or velcro tabs. They’re much more wind-resistant and capable of withstanding heavier snow loads. For tarps, most require one or two poles to set up, although ones with high ceilings may require that you lash two trekking poles together, usually with a flexible ski strap, to attain the proper height.
Guy Out Points
It’s important to secure your tent or tarp to the snow when you set it up so it doesn’t blow away and so the walls don’t collapse under wind pressure. Winter tents typically come with gear loops instead of guylines for this purpose so you can use gear to anchor your tent, like skis, poles, ice axes, etc. If you use snow stakes, it’s important to freeze these in place by packing snow all around them and letting it harden. If there’s no snow on the ground, you’ll have a very hard time pounding regular tent stakes into the frozen ground. When this happens, you’ll quickly realize the advantage of using a freestanding tent.
Ventilation
It is important to minimize and reduce internal condensation. This is achieved by keeping tent door(s) open when feasible, through peak and side vents, and in some cases through the use of breathable wall fabrics. You can never have too much ventilation in a winter tent or shelter because you’re sleeping on top of water, frozen water. Look for tent doors that have mesh screens backing them, as this lets you keep a door open at night for ventilation but blocks snow from blowing into the tent.
Interior Space
Winter tents designed for high alpine mountaineering are often cramped because weight savings are so critical when you have to climb many thousands of feet to reach your destination. When selecting a winter tent be realistic about your length and width requirements, particularly when choosing a two-person wedge-style tent, as livability can be compromised. Consider purchasing an add-on vestibule if available because they make a good “gear room” for you to store wet or snow-covered gear or to cook and melt snow under (with proper ventilation to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning) if you have to wait out a storm.
Number of Doors
Tents designed to hold two occupants are more comfortable and convenient to use if they have two doors and vestibules because you can come and go without waking your tent partner. Dome-style tents often provide greater covered vestibule storage, which can make a significant difference in livability.
Floorless Shelters
Winter tarps do not have floors in order to save weight. Most people dig into the snow with an avalanche shovel to create “furniture” for sleeping or sitting and to increase the amount of usable space under the tarp. Some people, even cut out the floors in their freestanding tents, including the Black Diamond FirstLight, for the same purpose, because it vastly improves livability.
DCF (Dyneema) Tents and Tarps
While tarp shelters made with DCF (Dyneema Composite Fabrics) are lighter-weight than ones made with silnylon or polyester, snow slides better down the sides of silnylon and polyester shelters because they are slicker, reducing the weight of snow loading on the tent poles/ski poles holding up your tent or tarp. In addition, DCF tarps are much bulkier to pack making them less desirable in winter when backpack space is at such a premium.
Love your reviews , curious on you opinions of the durston x-mid 2 solid and the sierra design convert 2 both on the lower price range especially when the convert is on sale.
In terms of winter, it really is nice to have a freestanding tent so you don’t have to fart around with sinterig stakes or trying to pound them into frozen ground. The convert 2 is a nice tent (I’ve reviewed the 3). Haven’t used the Durston 2 but I suspect its also good, but if you’re going to use a trekking pole tent you mght as well just leave the inner at home and dig a pit under the fly. Check out the BD Betalight 2 tarp. It’s another good winter option.
Very good point about the free standing tent, that is why I keep reading your site thank you.
Surprised NorthFace and Mountain Hardware are not represented in your list.
Most of their products are too heavy.
Yeah, how about the Mountain Hardwear Outpost 2? I am strongly considering it as it is on sale for $233 before tax at REI right now, whereas my prior top choice, Slingfin Crossbow, is $720. Outpost 2 comes in just over 5 lbs and has burlier fabric. 10D fly and 20D floor on the Slingfin seems perilously thin for an alpine tent..
And Phil I hear you on farting around with a trekking pole tent on snow, it suuuuucks. I used a Durston XMid 2 on my Rainier summit last year and the fussiness was insane. Digging a giant platform and spending hours fiddling (and it still wasn’t a taut pitch) counteracted the weight savings for me.
I think you have that price wrong. I still like the BD Firstlight the best if you can find one. You can lighten it up even further by cutting the floor out. :-)
Phil: there was a typo, the Outpost is $343 after an additional 30% off and before tax. However, I think I’m inclined to pay double for the Slingfin for saving an lb for sure but more importantly for a door on each side instead of front and back and the smarter ventilation design tweaks. I also just like supporting gear nerds like the Slingfin crew.
As far as the Firstlight, I’ve heard they royally suck in the PNW if there’s any precip and it’s not super cold. I think a double wall tent is a necessity here.
The firstlight would suck in rain. Yep. But its an excellent tent for snow.
Easton kilo tent and vaude seamless tent good makes
The Kilo is not made anymore. I once reviewed it and it wasn’t a good tent in snow. Just bloody awful.
Great reviews any thoughts on the sea to summit telos tr2 plus? It has similar specs to the Msr. Thanks again for having a fantastic site!!
https://sectionhiker.com/sea-to-summit-telos-tr2-two-person-tent-review/
The ceiling leaks.
Wow thanks for the quick update! I was hoping you would be out in the woods testing more stuff!! Seriously though I and am sure everyone else is extremely thankful and jealous of all the work you do, please keep it ip