Are 4 season tents needed for mid-season (October-early November)

[Cornbread]

I bought a Marmot Halo 6 person tent for Montana this Fall. I think it will be fine. Take a look at that one. I also bought a Crua 3-person insulated insert to fit inside the Marmot if it gets really cold. Ya pump up the Crua with an air pump and it's insulated. It will still give us room (only me and a buddy) room to sleep in the Crua inside the Marmot and our gear just inside the Marmot. The Crua is smaller than the Marmot. Danny has one of those canvas wall tents, but God, those things weigh a ton. I also have an extra 12'x12' heavy duty plastic tarp.

 

[yakimanoob]

hunts in the mountains? Would a 3-season or 3+ season tent be suitable or do you really need to go 4 season in case you get hit by a snowstorm?

I'm not interested in a tipi tent and I know a lot of folks on here recommend but that I like being in a tent and I find they are more resistant to bugs

So much depends on what area you're talking about and what kind of weather you're wanting to withstand. Plus, whether the marketing team decides to put a 3, 3+, or 4 on the product has very little correlation with the actual capabilities of the tent, as it is impossible to capture the various variables (wind-worthiness, warmth, snow load capacity, etc) in a single number.

If you're in the continental US, I seriously doubt you will ever find the limits of the SG Skyscraper or its OEM version, the Slingfin Crossbow. I have the Crossbow (mesh version) and have used it many times way above the treeline on mountaineering trips and let me tell you: it is worth every penny and every ounce. I've also used it on a late October deer hunt where I got hit with about 4" of heavy snow and ice and it handled it without breaking a sweat.

Honestly, I would ignore the "season" scale and do your research on the individual tent designs (and +1 for Slingfin's website articles on wind and snow worthiness and silicone fabrics).

 

[yakimanoob]

I bought a Marmot Halo 6 person tent for Montana this Fall. I think it will be fine. Take a look at that one. I also bought a Crua 3-person insulated insert to fit inside the Marmot if it gets really cold. Ya pump up the Crua with an air pump and it's insulated. It will still give us room (only me and a buddy) room to sleep in the Crua inside the Marmot and our gear just inside the Marmot. The Crua is smaller than the Marmot. Danny has one of those canvas wall tents, but God, those things weigh a ton. I also have an extra 12'x12' heavy duty plastic tarp.

I have to say the Marmot Halo 6 (nevermind the Crua insert) is a VERY different idea than I was thinking when I read the OP.

That said, I have the Halo 6 and FREAKING LOVE IT. It's our roadtrip and car-camping tent. In fact, we just got home from an 8 day, 2000+ mile motorcycle trip and camped 4 nights with the Halo. Marmot built that sucker like a mountaineering basecamp tent, but for some reason doesn't market it that way.

It will stand up to anything the continental US can throw at it, that's for sure.

 

[glass eye]

Rain is more of a threat than snow.
Snow would actually help to insulate your tent whereas rain will just get everything wet.

 

[glass eye]

During heavy rain even the best sealed tents will get wet and work its way inside. I suggest a lightweight tarp to cover the tent, even though the tent has a rainfly.

 

[blueridge]

Rain is more of a threat than snow.
Snow would actually help to insulate your tent whereas rain will just get everything wet.

This ^. As long as you wake up every hour and knock the snow off, you should be fine with a quality 3-season in most snow conditions. And a tarp would be extremely beneficial. Freezing rain may be a different story.

This was mid-Oct in the Bridger-Tetons. The day before was 75 and beautiful, as was 4 days later. Was pretty cozy.

 

[mxracer317]

Torn between the Hilleberg Nallo vs Stone Glacier Sky Scraper. Thoughts?

Look at SlingFin (they make Stone Glacier tents as well). Tons of information on their site. Read carefully the comments on what has happened to many of our once-esteemed "name" tents. Sold to VCs and beancounters. And their comments on fabrics. Silicone coatings vs polyurethane, etc.

And, obv, Hilleberg, our esteemed host's favorite. And rightly so. Never compromised on anything, and as the daughter of the founder is CEO, likely never will.

And, look at it this way: what are you spending on a hotel room in a resort area with views to come nowhere near close to a backcountry camp? One trip and a $1000 tent is paid for; the next 10 years are free. That's how we always looked at it. Even factor in the best pads and bags, and you're still way ahead.

Buy once, cry once.

Agreed. Torn between the Hilleberg Nallo vs Stone Glacier Sky Scraper. Thoughts?

 

[ammo]

You don't need a 4 season. We hunt a mega-mid in CO in alpine (tepee, one pole, no floor) and have used it in snow, rain, cold. Have a good sleeping bag and don't drag a giant tent all over hill and dale.

 

[44hunter45]

During heavy rain even the best sealed tents will get wet and work its way inside. I suggest a lightweight tarp to cover the tent, even though the tent has a rainfly.

Tarp yes!

This ^. As long as you wake up every hour and knock the snow off, you should be fine with a quality 3-season in most snow conditions. And a tarp would be extremely beneficial. Freezing rain may be a different story.

Freezing rain needs to be respected, and a tarp will protect you.

Never had actual freezing rain. On a road trip years ago we rolled into an Oregon state campground at 11 PM. All the spaces were taken so, we pitched up in the dark on a spot of lawn. We did not know we were in the path of the automatic sprinklers. Our tent got coated in ice during the night and it was scary as hell getting out in the morning. I don't suppose it was airtight, but four of us plus a puppy in there breathing all the oxygen would have been a mystery for the the investigators if we had died. Thankfully, no sleeps late with a puppy in their tent.

 

[hank4elk]

I got caught in an Aug. snow storm in the Sierras once. Woke up to 2 feet of snow and no fly on the tent. Melted in 2 hours.

Never put up a tent without a fly since. I have a Kelty Gunnison 2.0 for solo packing/camping and an old dome for the truck camp. Both get the flys and usually a pack tarp for extra.
Been the only camp left in the Gila in Oct. when everyone else heads for the few motels...soaked.

 

[2rocky]

Poles that can handle a wet snow are the advantage to a 4 Season tent....

 

[yakimanoob]

Torn between the Hilleberg Nallo vs Stone Glacier Sky Scraper. Thoughts?

SG Skyscraper / Slingfin Crossbow no question. It's (a little) lighter and (a lot) cheaper, and it will put up with anything the Cascades can throw at it.

If you want to chase caribou around in the Brooks Range, maybe consider the Nallo, but honestly even then I'd bring my Crossbow and never worry about it.

 

[yakimanoob]

You don't need a 4 season. We hunt a mega-mid in CO in alpine (tepee, one pole, no floor) and have used it in snow, rain, cold. Have a good sleeping bag and don't drag a giant tent all over hill and dale.


View attachment 238539View attachment 238538

This!

My wife and I have the Beta Light (we had the old two-color version and we recently got the new all-blue version). Properly set up, the Megamid / Beta Light shelters are bomber.

Beta Light on Mt Adams last month:

 

[ammo]

This!

My wife and I have the Beta Light (we had the old two-color version and we recently got the new all-blue version). Properly set up, the Megamid / Beta Light shelters are bomber.

do you have the bug/floor portion? sometimes we bust that out when we're feelin 'fancy' (or like, there's actually a lot of bugs lol) but never for hunting.

 

[yakimanoob]

do you have the bug/floor portion? sometimes we bust that out when we're feelin 'fancy' (or like, there's actually a lot of bugs lol) but never for hunting.

We don't. The new version comes with bug mesh sewn in to the bottom of it - it works great, for better or worse (you have to trade some ventilation/condensation performance for bug protection when you sew it on to the bottom...).

 

[mxracer317]

SG Skyscraper / Slingfin Crossbow no question. It's (a little) lighter and (a lot) cheaper, and it will put up with anything the Cascades can throw at it.

If you want to chase caribou around in the Brooks Range, maybe consider the Nallo, but honestly even then I'd bring my Crossbow and never worry about it.

I’m trying to find one to buy! They’re sold out everywhere.

 

[7mm-08]

Lots of 3 season tents are out there in October and November.

 

[brymoore]

Torn between the Hilleberg Nallo vs Stone Glacier Sky Scraper. Thoughts?

Agreed. Torn between the Hilleberg Nallo vs Stone Glacier Sky Scraper. Thoughts?

Love my Nallo. It’s bomb proof and worth the extra carry weight.

 

[mxracer317]

Love my Nallo. It’s bomb proof and worth the extra carry weight.

Is that the 2,3 or 4 & GT model?

 

[brymoore]

Is that the 2,3 or 4 & GT model?

3 gt