October 26, 2021 |  By Morgan Tilton

To find the most steadfast 4-season tents, we tested builds while hunting and ski mountaineering across the country from the treelines of volcanoes to the high-alpine Rockies. Here are our top choices for year-round tents.

Outdoorsy folks who need shelter in unpredictable and potentially savage conditions should opt for the most substantial, enduring tents. While 4-season tents don’t offer the dreamy ventilation or streamlined weight you need for bikepacking along the Kokopelli Trail, they are a security shield for rough or wintry precipitation — which could land any time at high altitude.

For that reason, a range of recreationists heading to remote camps seek the muscle of a 4-season tent, from hunters to mountaineers, alpine climbers, and backcountry skiers. While these tents aren’t typically ideal for summertime trips, they’re usable any time of the year and are especially gold in rain or snowstorms.

If you’re not sure where to start, jump down to our buyer’s guide and FAQ at the bottom of the page before scrolling through the top picks for 4-season tents. If you’re looking for other overnight options for less fierce weather, check out the best backpacking tents.

The freestanding Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 Tent ($700) is an ideal choice for a lengthy, month-long expedition when you have no idea what Mother Nature will throw at you. The design is robust and provides pockets galore, which is a stellar feature for long durations in the field. The entire length of the walls is decorated with broad mesh storage pockets — a total of 11 high-volume hammocks.

For a two-person tent, this layout is generous with ample head, foot, and side space to protect everything from ski boots to ropes or camera gear. For a ski mountaineering trip, our team found the setup was easy and intuitive thanks in part to the color-coded poles, rainfly, and canopy. Everything from the buckles to the zippers is stout enough to withstand burly weather.

The fly can face in either direction across the tent if you need to swap the orientation to better deal with gusts. And the fly connects to poles via gated clips, which are a bit finicky and not totally straightforward. The materials are beefy, including the 70-denier nylon-taffeta floor.

The guy-out spots are placed 18 to 24 inches above the ground around the entire tent’s perimeter. While this is a 4-season tent, we found the build to be excessive in volume and weight for a typical summer backpacking trip but bomber for intense winter conditions.

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One feature that sets apart the freestanding MSR Remote 2 Two-Person Mountaineering Tent ($700) is the lofty overhead space. When we tested this tent on a ski mountaineering mission, we were impressed with the tent’s roomy ceiling.

While organizing gear and changing layers, it was easy to sit upright or move around and get dressed in a flat-footed crouched position without feeling cramped or head-bumping the roof. We also appreciated the large storage area for gear in one of the vestibules, which features additional loops to hang items.

To exit or enter each vestibule, there’s a side door, so half of the space remains shielded from the weather. Each door’s zipper is double-enforced with Velcro, which is a nice touch but tough to maneuver one-handed. We also liked that the fly featured four vents with snow flaps, which provide ventilation and help reduce condensation while keeping out spindrift.

Likewise, the upper portion of each door features a mesh or fully open window for cross-ventilation. The color-coded pole clips made the tent setup quick. The bathtub floor is waterproof and durable. And the rainfly is a 68-denier ripstop polyester fabric treated for waterproofness.

We haven’t experienced harsh winds or heavy snowfall in this tent, but the construction is protective, warm, and strong. This tent seems both burly and capable for harsh conditions.

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The Stone Glacier Skyscraper 2P ($595) is constructed to barricade gust-filled storms and blizzards. This solid two-person tent is a great choice for backpackers and hunters who need protection year-round from snow and sunshine, especially in cooler, drier conditions. We found the ventilation system is effective, enabling this abode to be comfortable in the summer, and the tent hardly wavered in 50mph winds.

The 20-denier ripstop nylon floor felt tenacious, and the modular design makes the arrangement versatile. Overnighters can set up the full body and rainfly or save weight by using the fly and lightweight footprint.

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To maximize your rig’s real estate and ease of camp setup on a road trip, check out the Thule Tepui Explorer Kukenam 3 Tent ($1,900). One of the top-of-the-line details of this three-person tent is the high-density foam mattress, which is a comfortable, plush way to stay overnight outdoors.

The water-resistant construction is a polyester-cotton mixed with a 600-denier ripstop fabric treated to barricade mold and ultraviolet damage. The mesh skylights are a nice touch when the fly isn’t needed.

Note: Check with your roof rack manufacturer to make sure the construction matches the weight capacity of the tent.

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Have you ever slept in your wide-open truck bed and wished for a bit more privacy? The Rightline Gear Truck Tent ($190) is a nice upgrade. This two-person floor-free tent balloons over an open truck bed, where it’s secured via heavy-duty straps and nylon buckles that won’t damage the rig’s finish.

The face fabric is 2,000mm polyurethane with taped seams to barricade moisture. We give a thumbs-up to the color-coded poles and pole pockets, which help streamline setup and takedown. Worried you’ll miss views of the stars? There’s a sky view vent, too.

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We found the burly construction of the freestanding KUIU Storm Star 2 Person Tent ($600) is built for fierce weather conditions. We tested this shelter on the top of Berthoud Pass in Colorado during a spring storm. Thanks to the high-tension design and sound engineering, the structure hardly budged under gusts and shed heavy snow well.

The durable floor and tub are constructed with 40-denier ripstop nylon, and the shape is asymmetric to provide extra width at the tent’s head. The waterproof rating of the rainfly is 3,000 mm and the floor is 5,000 mm. We also like the interior webbing loops to help hang gear.

Another dependable, lightweight, freestanding four-season abode is the Big Agnes Shield 3 ($800). This construction excels in mountaineering trips and against super-windy conditions. The three-layer material is a robust waterproof-breathable nylon with fully taped seams.

Setup is relatively quick and easy, and the tent comes with 10 lightweight stakes burly enough to use as deadman anchors to secure your mountain slope casa. We like that the design has a weather-viewing window and a second window featuring a mesh or complete closure option.

The stake-out loops are oversized, so the hook can be stabilized with a ski, ice axe, or pole. We also dig the interior attachment loops for hanging various items to dry, light up the tent, or provide quick access.

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The Nemo Equipment Kunai 3-4-Season Backpacking Tent ($700) is a solid freestanding choice for a broad range of conditions from hot, humid environments to rain, high wind, or snowy blasts. Setting up the tent was super quick.

For summer and fall backpacking trips, this build is light, strong, and a top pick. For a long mountaineering expedition, it’s a friendly weight for carrying up a mountain but wouldn’t be our first pick for a 2-foot dump or hunkering down in an ongoing blizzard.

That said, we were impressed with the six passive vents around the fly. Inside, there are seven mesh pockets of varying sizes to help organize accessories. A ceiling zippered mesh window provides airflow, as do two side mesh windows and a mesh window on the door. The canopy is a 20-denier nylon ripstop fabric and the floor is even tougher, with a 30-denier rating.

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For more than a decade, the Hilleberg Allak 2 ($1,095) has served mountaineers, paddlers, peak baggers, and backpackers alike. This super-popular tent still ranks high for good reason. The dome structure is freestanding yet strong beneath a load of winter’s fury, due in part to the crossover design of the three tent poles.

A lightweight and well-ventilated build means this tent serves recreationists year-round, even when they need warm-weather comfort. The exterior fabric, Kerlon 1200, is a 30-denier high-tenacity ripstop nylon that’s silicone-coated on each side for extra strength.

The floor is a 70-denier fabric that’s highly puncture- and abrasion-resistant. And the 30-denier interior is durable and water-repellent.

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If the whole crew wants to take home outdoors, consider the Crua Outdoors Crua Loj ($2,399). The Loj accommodates up to six people overnight with insulated walls that block light and sound. Beyond the footprint, the interior carpet keeps the room even more comfortable and cozy when the temperatures drop.

Thanks to the tunnel design, this large habitat is super stable in wind. The laminated polyester-cotton material is flame-retardant and shields rain and snow. The porch and awning create a protected spot to relax between outdoor jaunts, and three doors make exit and entry easy with a group.

Bonus: Tent users noted that condensation was not an issue.

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The burliest four-season tents are constructed to withstand brutal winds, shed heavy snowpack or rain, and comfortably store gear in a protected cubby. The tradeoff? These designs can often retain summertime warmth and humidity.

Year-round tents are protective across variable and tough conditions, but they’re not the most airy for hotter days or nights. Also, the high-end construction requires beefier material that sports a bigger bill than most three-season builds.

All options considered, these heavier-set tents are a dependable choice for mountaineers, expeditionists, and other seasoned outdoor travelers who want a dependable structure any day of the year that provides protection in the harshest elements.

Tents are typically built for three-season or four-season conditions. A three-season tent will suffice if you plan on using your tent across the spring, summer, and fall.

The infrastructure of a three-season tent can handle rain and light snow. Usually, these builds are not ideal for heavy snow, super-high winds, or vicious storms — like the blizzard conditions you might face while ski mountaineering. A four-season tent is a better choice for full-on winter, the weight of snow, and strong winds.

A spectrum of designs exists within the four-season tent category. For instance, our lineup here includes year-round tents for vehicles from truck beds to rooftops. Folks often seek four-season tents for backpacking and hunting in inclement weather in the winter, along alpine routes, or during the shoulder seasons.

People need four-season shelters for mountaineering, with or without skis, or winter backcountry trips. Some of these tents are better suited above or below treeline, while others are perfect for polar exploration.

Mountaineering tents are often streamlined and constructed with a single wall to save weight and easily move camp day to day on a long, challenging expedition. In contrast, a basecamp tent is roomier and weighs more.

Basecamp tents are a comfortable choice for a shorter haul to a lower point where adventurers need to spend time acclimating to altitude or waiting for a safe weather window. Most of these designs are double-walled to help enhance ventilation and prevent condensation, and a broad range of capacities exist to house large groups or a ton of gear.

Tunnel tents can withstand brutal wind — think 70 mph — better than dome or wedge-style tents, which can hit a limit of around 50 mph. But tunnel tents are not freestanding.

Folks aiming for lighter weight four-season tents can invest in a one- or two-person design. Three- and four-person tents are a common choice, too, while some four-season basecamp options are large enough to fit big groups of six or more people.

Your ideal tent capacity depends on the number of campers, their overall size, and how much equipment you need to store inside the tent or vestibule. Brands generally categorize their tents based on the number of people, but the dimensions — length, width, height, and vestibule size — vary from tent to tent.

The tent’s peak height, which is where the tent is the tallest, also differs between each model. It’s nice to have a generous height in a four-season tent when the weather turns south and you really need to hunker down.

Get out your tape measure as you research. If you’re tall or wide, pay extra attention to the width and length of the tent dimensions as well as the area of your sleeping pad. And consider how much storage space you’ll want for gear. It’s also a good idea to visit a local retailer where the tent can be set up for you to check out in person.

You’ll want to consider whether one or two doors are more functional for you. Two doors can be helpful for each sleeper to have their own exit and entry or to access gear organized in multiple vestibules. But, eliminating a door can cut weight and cost.

To help protect equipment, four-season tents have one or two zipper-enclosed vestibule doors — but not all vestibules are created equal. They each have a unique volume, height, and shape.

Some vestibule entries include a double door like on the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 Tent or interior loops to hang items like in the MSR Remote 2 Two-Person Mountaineering Tent. The Remote 2 also features a storm flap along the bottom and a ventilation window along the top, which are strategic additions.

Compare your body and sleeping pad measurements to the tent’s width and length. If your expedition requires a lot of gear, it can be nice — or necessary — to have extra room to bring cargo inside the cabin. Otherwise, the vestibule can be a great spot to leave the pack or boots. The foyer is also a good place to cook over a compact, portable stove if you’re stuck in the tent due to hair-raising weather.

Inside, four-season tents usually have mesh pockets along the wall to store items like a phone or headlamp. Again, these features are not universal. The Remote 2 only has two mesh pockets, while the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 Tent has more than 10 pouches that line the walls and ceiling.

Generally, lighter tents don’t have as many storage compartments as heavier tent designs. Another nice touch is interior loops for hanging a clothesline, carabiners, or to clip a lantern.

A dwelling’s weight hinges on the materials, size, and whether the walls are single or double. Most four-season tent specs include a trail or minimal weight and a packaged weight — the former doesn’t include stakes, guylines, or stuff sacks. (We highlight the minimal weight of the products listed in this guide.)

One of the lightest four-season tents on the market is the Hilleberg Akto 1 Tent for a single person, tapping in at 3.75 pounds. By comparison, the Hilleberg Allak 2 is 6 pounds 3 ounces.

The sizes and weights of the tents in our guide widely vary. The heaviest option is a basecamp tent with room for six adults that weighs 202 pounds. Our lightest choice is the Stone Glacier Skyscraper 2P, which is only 4 pounds 12.8 ounces. Weight is most crucial if you’ll be hauling your tent for consecutive days and want to minimize the heft of your load.

Regardless of weight, you’ll need to select a tent that delivers the protection and features you need — like two doors, the capacity for three people, or a large vestibule. Generally, the lighter a tent is, the less headroom there is. But cutting ounces isn’t as important as being adequately protected in the conditions where you plan to go.

If you’re picking a four-season rooftop tent that will be stationary, the weight matters less but needs to be within your manufacturer’s roof rack requirements.

The nemesis of four-season tents is the challenge of providing excellent ventilation. While ultralight tents often feature walls constructed of mesh, storm doors that furl back, or no walls at all for airflow, four-season tents don’t. These structures feature minimal windows to optimize structural protection and warmth in wind, rain, and heavy snow.

Walls constructed of mesh decrease the overall temperature inside the tent, so the majority of four-season tent walls are solid fabric. Simultaneously, if you’re posted up inside your tent for a bout of stormy weather, you’ll want good ventilation to minimize indoor frost and moisture.

Well-designed four-season tents have integrated passive ventilation ports or windows in the tent and rainfly. These vents can keep out snow while minimizing condensation, so the inside of the tent doesn’t feel clammy. The MSR Remote 2 Two-Person Mountaineering Tent fly features four vents with snow flaps, which provide ventilation and help reduce condensation while keeping out spindrift.

A handful of basecamp tent designs deviate from this closed-wall rule, like the Crua Outdoors Crua Loj, which has four large side windows and three doors.

Tents are either single-wall or double-wall designs. Single-wall tents are lighter weight, nonbreathable, waterproof, and don’t include a rainfly. They typically don’t offer as much storage for gear.

A double-wall tent actually contains two items: a breathable tent paired with a waterproof rainfly. The setup usually offers vestibule space to stash equipment.

The kit weighs more and requires more time to set up compared to a single-wall tent. Single-wall tents are less breathable and produce more condensation but can be worthwhile for light, fast, difficult mountaineering missions where minimal weight is preferred.

A price tag is usually reflected in the balance of the materials’ durability and weight. Ultralight, strong materials often cost more than heavier fabrics. The KUIU Storm Star 2 Person Tent ($600) is constructed with a 40-denier ripstop nylon tub and floor and a 30-denier tent body that’s has a DWR (durable water-repellent) coating. The tent is 29.5 square feet and weighs 5 pounds 5.2 ounces.

In contrast, the Big Agnes Shield 3 ($800) is 39 square feet but only weighs 5 pounds 3 ounces. The tent is constructed with ultralight waterproof-breathable nylon and a polyurethane-coated floor.

On the other hand, the 3-person Nemo Equipment Kunai 3-4 Season Backpacking Tent ($700) weighs the same as the Shield 3, costs $100 less, and is slightly smaller. The Kunai’s canopy is a 20-denier nylon ripstop fabric, and the floor is rated at 30-denier that’s 3,000 mm with a 1,200mm fly.

In contrast, the Shield’s tent body has a 9,000mm waterproof rating and the floor has a 10,000mm polyurethane coat. Overall, the costlier choice provides more substantial protection in an ongoing storm.

A separate footprint, or groundsheet, isn’t required for an enclosed single-wall tent. Lightweight materials are pretty durable, but they tend to break down if they’re roughly handled. Investing in a lighter weight bundle means the recreationist should be mindful with gear care.

A bathtub floor means the waterproof fabric comprising the floor extends a few inches off the ground and up the tent walls. Often four-season setups have a bathtub floor for extra protection during a weather event.

The material used in tent construction is either inherently waterproof or treated with a DWR coating to block precipitation. If the fabric is treated, it’ll eventually need a refresh, depending on the conditions faced, user care, and volume of use.

The majority of our top four-season tents are freestanding. This type of skeleton takes more time to assemble because the ground needs to offset the stake just right — especially if it’s windy or rainy out.

In contrast, tunnel tents or ultralightweight tents and shelters are nonfreestanding, meaning they don’t include tent poles to be hoisted. Instead, one or two trekking poles plus stakes are used to elevate three-season tents. And four-season tunnel tents need to be staked down extremely well with rocks in summer or grippy stakes in winter.

Many four-season tents have color-coded poles and pole clips or pockets on the canopy and fly. That addition helps recreationists efficiently put up their shelter when time is crucial and they need to get out of the elements. These year-round designs also feature strategically placed guylines, often with reinforced attachment points, and many loops to stake down the tent.

The poles vary from tent to tent. The KUIU Storm Star 2 Person Tent features DAC NFL poles, which are a super-lightweight aluminum alloy blend that’s extra strong and stiff. The Big Agnes Shield 3 has the DAC NSL aluminum poles, which are still lightweight yet slightly stronger.

When you shop for a four-season tent, you should first consider your preferred capacity for your size, any potential partners, and the equipment. Take a close look at each tent’s width, length, height, and volume in the central space and vestibules.

After you determine tent size, consider how far and often you’ll need to haul the shelter and if you’d appreciate fewer pounds versus a larger footprint and room to shuffle gear around or lounge. Another consideration of a four-season tent is how well-ventilated the design is and if it’s suitable for the amount of time you’ll be posted up in your tent.

When you examine the finer features, it’s nice to have interior storage space — pockets and loops — to help organize gear items and apparel.

A three-season tent is generally lightweight and breathable for activities like backpacking in the spring, summer, or fall. These versatile builds provide protection against insects, wind, and rain. Typically these packages have a tent body and a fly, so they’re a double-wall setup.

The weight varies from tent to tent, including a segment that serves ultralight trekkers. To learn more, check out The Best Ultralight Tents, According to Thru-Hikers buyer’s guide.

A four-season tent has more substantial, hardy shapes and materials to block snow, ice, harsh wind, hail, or even rock. As a result, mesh is not commonly featured in the body of the tent in order to maintain warmth and security. However, these tents still need ventilation, which is strategically placed on the main body and fly to help prevent the uncomfortable buildup of condensation inside.

Many four-season tents have one or two vestibules to help protect gear from the elements. Lighter weight models are single-wall for efficiency of setup and ease of travel.

Check the overnight lows and make sure your sleeping bag and pad are rated for the temperature swing. For extra comfort and protection from the cold, you can stack two closed-cell pads or layer a foam pad with an inflatable pad.

Dress in layers and don’t let yourself get too hot or sweat, which will become a downward spiral of getting cold. Keep a warm pair of socks for tent use only to prevent lounging or sleeping in damp socks, which can lead to serious foot health issues.

Make sure to eat a hearty dinner and hydrate well. Before dinner, you can top off with a cup of hot chocolate for calories your body can burn throughout the night. You can also fill a Nalgene bottle with hot water and put it inside your sleeping bag for a boost of warmth.

If you find yourself venturing to high-altitude, alpine, or remote environments in the shoulder seasons or during winter, it’s a good idea to invest in a shelter that will protect you in a blizzard. If you’re pursuing a winter hunting trip, polar expedition, or mountaineering adventure, a four-season tent is an obvious good choice.

A three-season tent is typically constructed with a mix of mesh and the structure is not engineered to withstand the weight of snowfall or extreme wind.

Staff Writer Morgan Tilton is an adventure journalist specializing in winter sports coverage, travel narratives, and outdoor industry news. A recipient of nearly a dozen North American Travel Journalists Association awards, when she’s not recovering from jungle expeditions or doing field research in far-out villages she’s usually trail running, mountain biking, river surfing, or splitboarding in Colorado’s San Juan and Elk Mountains, where she grew up and lives today.

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