3 season or 4 season tent?
- Thread starter Rob
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wvbowhunterinalaska
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As long as no heavy snow accumulation is expected then a 3 season should be fine.
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Bruinbrewin
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LAST EDITED ON May-23-10 AT 09:29AM (MST)[p]I use a Seedhouse 2 and it would work fine for you if you don't expect snow. The weight of the snow tends to make the rainfly come in contact with the mesh which allows moisture to drip inside the tent. if there is a chance of snow I would just carry a siltarp to set up over the tent to keep the snow off
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fatrooster
Long Time Member
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Correct me if I'm wrong but I think Colorado's archery season is in September. But in the high mountains snow is a possibility almost any time of year. You can always expect rain, snow, wind and hot sunny temps at any given time on the same hunt. For me I choose the Hilleberg Atko 4-season 1-man tent. I don't like to take chances with the weather and a wet sleeping bag can spell trouble. fatrooster.
with the possibility weather I ended up going the safer route. I ended up buying the REI Cirque 2 man which they call "extended season". I laid it out at the store and it is a bit tight for 2 but we'll make it work. Its 5 lbs but we'll split the carrying weight. It has 2 doors which was something I wanted if I was going to share it. On top of that you get REI's satisfaction policy which you can't beat. So if I don't like it I'll just take it back.
I considered the Big Agnes tents but I didn't like how the side walls didn't stick out much. Some of the other lighter three season tents were much lighter than the Cirque and the ones that were considerably lighter seemed like they could easily cave in with very little pressure.
Hilleberg is just out of my price range. Looks great though. Thanks for all your input.
I considered the Big Agnes tents but I didn't like how the side walls didn't stick out much. Some of the other lighter three season tents were much lighter than the Cirque and the ones that were considerably lighter seemed like they could easily cave in with very little pressure.
Hilleberg is just out of my price range. Looks great though. Thanks for all your input.
huntfishall1
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I use the same Big Agnes Seedhouse SL2 tent for hunting in the fall out West. I've used it in snow, but you need to be careful like Bruinbrewin stated above. If the rainfly sags and contacts the mesh tent, the condensation can get into the tent and get you and your equipment wet.
Cali4x4
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I live in Colo and my preference is a 4 season tent. If it is decent weather and I am trying to backpack light weight and less bulky I will use the outside fly with a footprint (leave the tent behind). My current 4 season tent weighs slightly over 5 lbs (with footprint) and is bomber-proof. The same tent's fly w/footprint tips the scales at just over 2 lbs.
My fly w/footprint is about as sturdy as many 3 season tents and is as roomy as some 3 person tents due to the extended built-in vestibule area. If you are in your tent for a day or 2 during fowl weather...believe me it is nice to have all the room! There is also plenty of room for you PLUS your bow, pack, and all of your gear.
I couldn't imagine trying to survive 2 or 3 rainy/snowy days...elbo to elbo w/my stinky hunting buddy in some of the dink tents mentioned above!
I have heard rave reviews for the Scarp tents mentioned above. If you like small, super rugged tents they may be just the ticket. If you prefer extra room with bomberproof, super light tents you may want to check out Hilleberg or similar designs. You can likely get by with some of the other tents mentioned above and they are definitely a lot easier on your budget.
My fly w/footprint is about as sturdy as many 3 season tents and is as roomy as some 3 person tents due to the extended built-in vestibule area. If you are in your tent for a day or 2 during fowl weather...believe me it is nice to have all the room! There is also plenty of room for you PLUS your bow, pack, and all of your gear.
I couldn't imagine trying to survive 2 or 3 rainy/snowy days...elbo to elbo w/my stinky hunting buddy in some of the dink tents mentioned above!
I have heard rave reviews for the Scarp tents mentioned above. If you like small, super rugged tents they may be just the ticket. If you prefer extra room with bomberproof, super light tents you may want to check out Hilleberg or similar designs. You can likely get by with some of the other tents mentioned above and they are definitely a lot easier on your budget.
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HardcoreOutdoor
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I have read a couple of positive reviews on this particular Exped tent but based on my inspection of it at the shows I don't think that it is in the same class as the even the lighter Hillebergs in terms of quality and durability.
I just finished an evaluation of the Hilleberg Allak, if there is a better made tent on the market I have not found it. You can find lighter tents which will work well for certain situations and uses but if I absolutely had to depend on a tent and the conditions were unknown or expected to be moderate or worse, Hilleberg would be my only choice.
Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
I just finished an evaluation of the Hilleberg Allak, if there is a better made tent on the market I have not found it. You can find lighter tents which will work well for certain situations and uses but if I absolutely had to depend on a tent and the conditions were unknown or expected to be moderate or worse, Hilleberg would be my only choice.
Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
What do these tents cost?? And how much do they weigh? Im going on a backpack hunt in Idaho and need as much backpacking info I can get. What is everyones opinion of freeze dried food? Is there a brand that is better? Is anywhere online to get a good price on it?
I would have to agree that my Exped Aries is not in the same category as the Hillebergs but mine was 1/2 the price with many of the same features. I am pretty sure the Exped Aries was one of the top ranked tents a year or 2 ago by Backpacker Mag so it can't be too bad? The Aries has performed very well for me and I put it to the test on a 2 1/2 week AK dall sheep hunt with no leaks, rips, etc...and I had rain, snow and 40 mph winds!
The Hilleberg Nallo is a similar design to my Aries and is actually a little lighter in weight and likely a better tent if you can afford it. If you can afford Hilleberg you likely won't find better tents and they will last a lifetime! Go to the Hilleberg website where you can look at all the specs.
The Hilleberg Nallo is a similar design to my Aries and is actually a little lighter in weight and likely a better tent if you can afford it. If you can afford Hilleberg you likely won't find better tents and they will last a lifetime! Go to the Hilleberg website where you can look at all the specs.
cabinfever
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+++1 on the seedhouse sl1 & sl2 models. very light and in 4 seasons of use has shown no wear.
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HardcoreOutdoor
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Cost is not an issue in my evaluations but value is. I believe that Hilleberg offers the best value considering it will last you a long time if you take care of it and most importantly, it will protect when you really need it.
Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
Wade
www.HardcoreOutdoor.com
LAST EDITED ON Jun-27-10 AT 10:06PM (MST)[p]I looked up the pack weight of the Hilleberg Nallo 2 and it is 4 lbs 3 oz. That is one of the lightest 3/4 season tents on the market for "usuable" space!
The hoops can also be used with the Nallo fly (without mesh tent) for ultra-light weight packing. I would go out on a limb and say a Nallo fly plus footprint is just as good or better than many of the tents mentioned above...any you will likely have about 3x the usable floor space. The fly plus footprint will likely tip the scales at around 2 lbs. I've used the fly plus footprint on many early season trips and it works fantastic!
Do yourself a favor and take a look at floor, vestibule, heights, weight specs...and crawl in and compare the Nallo vs some of the other tents mentioned above. The Nallo has verticle rather than angled walls which is why I mentioned "usable" floor space. I crawled in some of the angled tents mentioned above and that was enough to change my mind about that style of tent. I guess they are better than a bivy sac but I'd put my fly + footprint up against any of them in sour weather and I'll have about 3x the room!
I would have to agree 100% with Wade that if $ is not an issue it's pretty tough to beat Hilleberg's! Hillebergs have been used and abused for years and they keep on tick'n!
The hoops can also be used with the Nallo fly (without mesh tent) for ultra-light weight packing. I would go out on a limb and say a Nallo fly plus footprint is just as good or better than many of the tents mentioned above...any you will likely have about 3x the usable floor space. The fly plus footprint will likely tip the scales at around 2 lbs. I've used the fly plus footprint on many early season trips and it works fantastic!
Do yourself a favor and take a look at floor, vestibule, heights, weight specs...and crawl in and compare the Nallo vs some of the other tents mentioned above. The Nallo has verticle rather than angled walls which is why I mentioned "usable" floor space. I crawled in some of the angled tents mentioned above and that was enough to change my mind about that style of tent. I guess they are better than a bivy sac but I'd put my fly + footprint up against any of them in sour weather and I'll have about 3x the room!
I would have to agree 100% with Wade that if $ is not an issue it's pretty tough to beat Hilleberg's! Hillebergs have been used and abused for years and they keep on tick'n!
