Hiking

10 Best Lightweight Winter Tents and Shelters

November 23, 2022

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Winter tents and shelters for mountaineering, winter backpacking, and backcountry snowboarding excursions must be stronger and wind-worthy for tenting in uncovered windy terrain that’s topic to heavy snow hundreds. Some are single-walled since they’re solely supposed for winter use when insect safety is just not wanted. Our desire is for light-weight four-season tents and tarp shelters as a result of nobody desires to lug a heavy tent all day when climbing a peak, snowshoeing, or backcountry snowboarding if it’s avoidable.

1. Black Diamond First Light 2P Tent

The Black Diamond First Light is a light-weight 2-person single-wall tent. Weighing simply 3 lbs 1 oz (seam-sealed), it’s made with NanoShield single-wall material and has a 70-denier polyester ground. It has a entrance door and a small rear window, with zippered mesh panels at each ends to offer air flow and spindrift safety. Crossed inner poles make setup quick and simple and supply a robust construction able to withstanding excessive winds and snow hundreds. Seam sealing is advisable. A separate entrance vestibule can be out there. Read our First Light Review.

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Black Diamond | Amazon

2. MSR Access 2

The MSR Access 2 is a two-person, double-wall tent that weighs 3 lbs 10 oz. It has two doorways and two vestibules that present wonderful livability and equipment storage, with a freestanding pole structure so you possibly can set it up rapidly, even on snow. A central help body and carbon fiber tent poles present a robust construction for snow loading whereas remaining light-weight. The stable interior tent is breathable however offered enhanced wind safety to maintain you heat on chilly winter nights.

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MSR

3. Black Diamond Beta Light 2P

The Black Diamond Beta Light is a bombproof ultralight tarp tricked out for snow journey. Newly up to date, it encompasses a seam-taped no-stretch polyester fly and an insect-proof mesh skirt, enabling four-season use. It requires two trekking/ski poles to arrange and is guyed so you possibly can anchor it with skis, poles, shovel handles, or ices axes. Weighing 23 oz, its steep partitions shed snow, wind, and rain with out blinking an eye fixed.

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Black Diamond

4. NEMO Kunai 2

The NEMO Kunai 2 is a double-walled four-season tent that weighs 3 lbs 14 oz. It has a stable, breathable interior tent for better heat, with massive pass-through vents that present wonderful airflow. An aggressive forehead pole over the entrance door gives further clearance contained in the entrance vestibule, which gives a sheltered entrance and damp gear storage. The Kunai 2 is appropriate for year-round use, which is an added bonus.

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NEMO | Amazon

5. Marmot Hammer 2

The Marmot Hammer is a wedge-shaped, two-person, single-wall tent (4 lbs 6 oz) that’s just like the BlackDiamond FirstLight, however has higher air flow choices. In addition to a entrance and rear vent, there are two aspect vents close to the entrance of the tent, the place your head is prone to be positioned to assist vent water vapor out of your breath and cut back inner condensation. The Hammer additionally has aspect guylines that may be adjusted from inside the tent, so you possibly can tighten them with out having to go exterior, an actual luxurious in nasty climate. A entrance vestibule can be out there.

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Marmot

6. Sierra Designs Convert 2

The Sierra Designs Convert 2 is a freestanding 2-person tent with a entrance door and non-compulsory vestibule. The three-pole development may be very sturdy and storm-worthy however the tent is made with light-weight supplies to save lots of weight. The interior tent is spacious with loads of room for inner gear storage and has good air flow because of a mesh rear window and screened entrance door. Weighing 4 lbs 2 oz, the Convert 2 may also be arrange fly first in wet climate to maintain the interior tent dry. An add-on vestibule can be out there for extra gear storage. Read our Convert 3 overview.

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Sierra Designs | Amazon

7. Mountain Laurel Designs SuperMid

The Mountain Laurel Designs SuperMid is a single wall, floorless pyramid tarp with a sq. 9’2″ x 9’2″ footprint with a peak peak of 69″. Pyramid tarps are bombproof in wind so long as they’re securely anchored with deadmen in winter. Weighing 26 oz, the SuperMid can sleep as much as 4 individuals or it may be arrange as a protected group kitchen. It has one outsized peak vent for air flow, a middle door zip, and 16 guylines together with 8 perimeter guylines outfitted with linelocs. It may be pitched with two ski/trekking poles, lashed collectively. While it’s out there in DCF, we suggest getting the silnylon mannequin as a result of snow slides off it higher.

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Mountain Laurel Designs

8. Black Diamond HelloLight 2

The Black Diamond HelloLight 2 is a single-wall tent with superb air flow. An air tunnel contained in the roof of the tent helps pull out moisture whereas the tent’s freestanding structure makes it simple to arrange nearly anyplace. While it’s sized for 2 individuals we expect it’s much more comfy for one, with area in your gear inside. It has a aspect door (a separate vestibule is offered) and a half-sized rear window. Weighing 3 lbs 12 oz, the HelloLight 2 is made with Sil/PU coated polyester which doesn’t sag or stretch when it will get moist and is absolutely waterproof and manufacturing facility seam-taped. For two individuals, we want the HelloLight 3 which has two doorways. Vestibules are additionally out there for each fashions and considerably enhance livability and equipment storage. Read our HelloLight 2 Review.

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Black Diamond

9. SlingFin CrossBow 2 Four Season

The SlingFin CrossBow 2 Four Season is a light-weight two-person tent designed to be used in excessive winter climate. Weighing 4 lbs 6.2 oz, it has a breathable nylon cover that protects its occupants towards spindrift and wind whereas holding condensation to a minimal. Poles sleeves, which SlingFin calls a WebTruss assist to distribute snow hundreds throughout a bigger floor space and are a lot stronger than clip model tents. The pole construction may be additional strengthened with trekking poles or ski poles utilizing SlingFin’s outrigger pole system. Two massive vestibules and quite a few inner pockets present best-in-class livability, whereas door vents present unrestricted cross-tent airflow for wonderful condensation administration with out sacrificing climate safety. Read our CrossBow 2 Review.

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SlingFin

10. Tarptent Scarp 1

The Tarptent Scarp 1 is a spacious, double-wall tent with two aspect vestibule doorways. While it’s designed for one individual, it’s in truth extensive sufficient to suit two. Weighing 48.25 ounces, the Scarp comes with a single arched tent pole and may be pitched fly first earlier than the interior tent. The interior is offered in mesh or stable material. Additional cross poles may be hooked up in windy circumstances. The corners are supported with quick carbon fiber struts in order that they stand vertically. Read our Scarp 1 overview.

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Tarptent

Winter Tent and Shelter Selection Guide

When evaluating winter tents and tarp shelters, it helps to analysis the local weather circumstances, notably snow hundreds and wind speeds, you count on to make use of the tent in, as this can inform the diploma of tent pole power and air flow required.

Tent or Tarp?

Tents are nearly at all times heavier than tarps, however they provide much more consolation and safety as a result of they’ve flooring. They may also be a lot simpler to arrange in the event that they’re freestanding so you may get out of the climate rapidly and alter into dry garments. While tarps are considerably lighter, they’ll take some time to arrange since it’s important to freeze your guy-out factors in place in snow, a course of often known as sintering. This can take 20-Half-hour, throughout which era you’ll get a lot colder. You must resolve which possibility is healthier in your wants.

Pole Architecture

Many winter tents have a number of crossed poles, anchored inside or exterior the tent partitions. Exterior poles which might be anchored in sleeves are a lot stronger than poles that connect with an interior tent utilizing clips or velcro tabs. They’re rather more wind resistant and able to withstanding heavier snow hundreds. For tarps, most require one or two poles to arrange, though ones with excessive ceilings could require that you simply lash two trekking poles collectively, often with a versatile ski strap, to realize the correct peak.

Guy Out Points

It’s essential to safe your tent or tarp to the snow while you set it up so it doesn’t blow away and so the partitions don’t collapse below wind stress. Winter tents usually include gear loops as a substitute of guylines for this function so you need to use gear to anchor your tent, like skis, poles, ice axes, and so on. If you employ snow stakes, it’s essential to freeze these in place by packing snow throughout them and letting it harden. If there’s no snow on the bottom, you’ll have a really exhausting time pounding common tent stakes into the frozen floor.

Ventilation

It is essential to reduce and cut back inner condensation. This is achieved by holding tent door(s) open when possible, by means of peak and aspect vents, and in some circumstances by means of using breathable wall materials. You can by no means have an excessive amount of air flow in a winter tent or shelter since you’re sleeping on prime of water, frozen water. Look for tent doorways which have mesh screens backing them, as this allows you to maintain a door open at night time for air flow however blocks snow from blowing into the tent.

Interior Space

Winter tents designed for top alpine mountaineering are sometimes cramped as a result of weight financial savings are so essential when it’s important to climb many 1000’s of toes to succeed in your vacation spot. When choosing a winter tent be real looking about your size and width necessities, notably when selecting a two-person wedge-style tent, as livability may be compromised. Consider buying an add-on vestibule if out there as a result of they make a superb “gear room” so that you can retailer moist or snow-covered gear or to cook dinner and soften snow below (with correct air flow to stop carbon monoxide poisoning) if it’s important to wait out a storm.

Number of Doors

Tents designed to carry two occupants are extra comfy and handy to make use of if they’ve two doorways and vestibules as a result of you possibly can come and go with out waking your tent associate. Dome-style tents usually present better coated vestibule storage, which might make a big distinction in livability.

Floorless Shelters

Winter tarps should not have flooring with a view to save weight. Most individuals dig into the snow with an avalanche shovel to create “furniture” for sleeping or sitting and to extend the quantity of usable area below the tarp. Some individuals, even reduce out the flooring of their freestanding tents, together with the Black Diamond First Light, for a similar function, as a result of 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 higher down the perimeters of silnylon and polyester shelters as a result of they’re slicker, lowering the burden of snow loading on the tent poles/ski poles holding up your tent or tarp. In addition, DCF tarps are a lot bulkier to pack making them much less fascinating in winter when backpack area is at such a premium.

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