Stooping in a lightweight, minimalist backpacking tent while camping out of your car isn鈥檛 much fun. Neither is getting blown over in a flimsy big-box store shelter. With that in mind, we tested 17 tents designed for car campers and families who prioritize spaciousness, convenience, and storm-worthiness over all else. These six options had us lounging in comfort and style no matter what conditions rolled through the campground.

Updated April 2025: After months of additional testing, we added four new tents, including our new top-pick, the NEMO Aurora Highrise 4. We’ve also updated info and pricing on some of our previous picks that we still highly recommend.聽

At a Glance

• Best Overall:
• Easiest Setup:
• Most Durable:
• Best Budget Buy:
• Most Convenient:
• Best for Glamping:
• Other Tents We Tested
• How to Choose Tents
• How We Test
• Meet Our Testers

Best Overall

NEMO Aurora Highrise 4

Weight: 13.8 lbs
Peak height: 75鈥�
Interior space: 90鈥� x 100鈥�

Pros and Cons
鈯� Easy setup/takedown
鈯� Effective ventilation
鈯� Spacious vestibule
鈯� High ceiling
鈯� Floor gets dirty fast

The Aurora Highrise 4 stood out in our test thanks to its supreme livability. Unlike many other four-person tents out there, this one does, in fact, comfortably house a family of four thanks to its 75-inch peak height, steep sidewalls, and two generous 19.5-square-foot vestibules.

During testing, two families of four remarked on the internal geometry, which maximizes space and freedom of movement. Its steep walls create more headroom above the 62.5-square-foot floor area than other dome tents鈥攁 6-foot-2 tester could easily stand upright and move around freely. Two doors on either side allowed campers to enter and exit the tent without disturbing others and were tall enough that our 6-foot-2 tester didn鈥檛 have to crouch to get in and out.

With just two base poles that set up the main body of the tent and two cross poles that pitch an awning at the top, the Aurora Highrise proved easy enough for first-time campers to set up without having to look up directions. One veteran tester was able to set it up by herself in about 15 minutes. It was just as easy to break down and pack up thanks to its oversized stuff sack.

Testers who camped out in Crescent City, California during a 17-hour rainstorm applauded the tent鈥檚 waterproofing and ventilation. The hearty 68-denier polyester body material and burly 150-denier polyester floor make this freestanding tent a hoss. It proved impervious to 20 mile-per-hour wind gusts without any help from the included guylines. The PU polyester rainfly, rated to 1,2000-millimeters, boasts a structured overhang that extends six inches beyond the mesh windows, which kept the tent dry even with its two windows opened for ventilation

We loved the small details on this tent that made a big difference in comfort and convenience, like a light-diffusing pocket in the canopy for pre-bed rituals, and the slightly opaque mesh on the windows that offered shade on the hottest days but didn鈥檛 spoil views.

Our only dig on this tent is its mostly-white floor, which proved impossible to keep clean鈥攁 problem for anyone bringing kids or pets along for the ride. Overall, the Aurora Highrise 4 is a standout in the car camping category for its balance of comfort and performance at a reasonable price.

Easiest Setup

Big Agnes Big House 4

Weight: 12.6 lbs
Peak height: 70鈥�
Interior space: 90鈥� x 92鈥�

Pros and Cons
鈯� Very easy setup
鈯� High ceiling
鈯� Blew heavily in high winds
鈯� Vestibule sold separately

Testers loved the Big House 4鈥檚 simplicity above all. Though big and boxy, the 90-by-92-inch tent was the easiest to set up across the category. A veteran tester was able to get the Big House 4 up on her own in under ten minutes thanks to its straightforward geometry and color-coded webbing and snaps.

With a 57-square-foot floor area, the Big House 4 is billed as a four-person tent, but testers reported that you鈥檇 need to purchase the vestibule鈥攕old separately ($180)鈥攖o make room for four folks and all their gear, from the stuff you鈥檇 want to keep outside like mud-covered shoes to wet swimsuits.

That said, the generous 70-inch ceiling height meant our six-foot testers could stand upright and move around the interior freely. Testers also appreciated the tent鈥檚 two giant doors鈥攕panning 80 percent of two walls鈥攚hich allowed them to enter and exit the tent without crouching. Eight internal pockets were more than enough for a family of three to stash personal items like toothbrushes, phones, and headlamps.

The Big House 4 also impressed us with its waterproofing and durability. A 75-denier polyester taffeta rain fly with a 1,500mm waterproof polyurethane coating kept the tent body (made from the same material) and the interior perfectly dry through three days of rain in Crescent City, California. That hearty PU coating also appeared to reinforce the durability of the tent鈥攊t showed very little wear and tear after over three months of testing.

Our only gripe: The tent鈥檚 height proved suboptimal in high winds. Even when secured with its guy lines, the tent blew heavily in 25-mile-per-hour winds.

Most Durable

Snow Peak Alpha Breeze

Weight: 24.2 lbs
Peak Height: 73″
Interior Space: 109″ x 102″

Pros and Cons
鈯� Four points of entry
鈯� Excellent ventilation
鈯� Durable
鈯� Heavy

The Alpha Breeze showcases Snowpeak鈥檚 emphasis on designing elegant, simple products with a decidedly luxurious fee. The top-tier materials鈥攊n this case, polyester fabric and duralumin poles鈥攁re strong and functional, and durable enough to stay that way for quite a while.

The extra-thick copper-aluminum poles gave us confidence when a sustained 15 mph wind picked up during an overnight on Camano Island in Washington. The structure barely flinched under the gusts, and the forearm-length Douglas fir boughs they knocked down onto our campsite. The 75-denier, DWR-treated polyester taffeta rain fly and 300-denier polyester tent floor both looked brand-new after two dusty, rocky trips in Montana鈥檚 Bitterroot Mountains.

Besides the fact that it felt indestructible, Seattle-based tester Maeve Axtell loved the boxy tent鈥檚 four doors, with one on each side. 鈥淚t was easy to get in and out without disturbing other people sleeping in the tent, and when it got warm we could get cross-breezes from every direction,鈥� said Axtell. The tent鈥檚 high ceiling and two mesh-covered 鈥渨indows鈥� on opposite walls contributed to the spacious feeling inside that the four doors created, although all those openings only left space for four mesh pockets and 10 loops to stash small essentials inside.

All good things come at a cost, though, and with the Alpha Breeze, the cost is weight. Despite its heft, it鈥檚 not excessively bulky and doesn鈥檛 take up an unreasonable amount of trunk real estate. Another ding? It鈥檚 not especially easy to set up: and the tent鈥檚 6-plus-foot height makes the Breeze a tad unwieldy to pitch. Testers ultimately forgave those shortcomings, since both features made for a rock-solid pitch and roomy, comfortable interior.

Best Budget Buy

Coleman 8-Person Darkroom Skydome

Weight: 21.6 lbs
Peak height: 68鈥�
Interior Space: 12鈥� x 9鈥�

Pros and Cons
鈯� Great price
鈯� Blocks sunlight
鈯� Poor wind performance

At $230, the eight-person Darkroom Skydome costs less than half what other popular eight-person tents cost (like The North Face Wawona 8 and Big Agnes Bunk House 8), making it a great entry-level option for families. You don鈥檛 get the same high-performance materials with that price, but for casual frontcountry camp trips in mild temperatures and weather, the Darkroom Skydome gets the job done.

Besides the price and easy setup, the tent鈥檚 light-blocking fabric is what made this tent stand out, especially for folks with little kids. Coleman uses a dark-coated polyester on the rain fly and inner panels of the Skydome to block out 90 percent more light than the brand鈥檚 normal car-camping tents. Besides creating ideal sleeping and napping conditions even when the sun is still up, the dark fabric also helps keep the interior cool during the day.

While inexpensive tents don鈥檛 always have the best track record in terms of durability and weatherproofing, the Darkroom Skydome proved surprisingly robust for a budget option. After over a dozen days in the rain, testers gave its 300-millimeter-rated polyurethane rainfly high scores for waterproofing in spite of the low rating. One tester used it for over 30 nights鈥攊ncluding on three different rafting trips, which are notoriously rough on tents because they鈥檙e exposed to the elements not only when they鈥檙e pitched, but also while being transported on the water. It held up admirably to rain and rough pack jobs until sustained 20 mile-per-hour wind gusts snapped one of the two aluminum poles.

At 68-inches tall, it鈥檚 slightly shorter than the other tents on this list. That made it easier to pitch鈥攕etup was incredibly simple despite its massive footprint鈥攂ut didn鈥檛 offer the same generous standing height. Testers taller than 5鈥�10鈥� had to crouch significantly in the tent. And like many large-capacity tents, this 鈥渆ight person鈥� shelter is stretching it with six occupants.

It鈥檚 not our pick for seasoned campers who head out into the wild no matter the weather, but for families with young kids and the budget-conscious, the Darkroom Skydome is a smart buy.

Most Convenient

MSR Habiscape 4P

Weight: 12.7 lbs
Peak Height: 73″
Interior Space: 95″ x 95″

Pros and Cons
鈯� Lots of livable space
鈯� Highly weatherproof
鈯� Mediocre ventilation

There鈥檚 a lot we liked about the Habiscape, from the generous elbow room (86 square feet including the vestibule) to the ample standing height (73 inches), but it was a dual-sided pocket that hooked us. Next to the door MSR built in something they call a 鈥減ass-thru pocket鈥濃�攁 bug mesh-lined portal that鈥檚 accessible from both inside and out. Without opening the door, testers could reach through to grab car keys, bug spray or a headlamp. 鈥淚t seems like a little thing, but the convenience was huge,鈥� says Chris Baikie, a British Columbia-based tester. 鈥淭here were definitely fewer bugs in the tent because of it.鈥�

Set-up for the Habiscape requires two people, but the asymmetric design and color-coding helped make it quick and easy. The dome structure and low-hanging 68-denier polyester fly stood up to a 20 mile-per-hour windstorm with little flapping. The rest of the tent is equally tough, with the same 68-denier poly on the floor, 40-denier ripstop nylon walls, and 7000 series aluminum tent poles.

We had to duck under the vestibule door to get inside, but it provided enough room for a cooler and gear, and kept drips out of the tent during rainstorms. A second door came in handy for frequent nighttime bathroom excursions. The Habiscape packs down easily, and ends up smaller than many tents of its size, at roughly nine inches by two feet. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost perfect,鈥� says lead tester Ryan Stuart. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not even that heavy.鈥�

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The North Face Wawona 4 Tent: 4-Person 3-Season

Set up more than just a place to sleep鈥攕et up a basecamp for adventure. The North Face Wawona 4 Tent delivers just that with enough room to stand up inside, stash all your gear, and even set up a cozy lounge area. The extended front vestibule keeps gear organized and protected, while large mesh windows and a top vent ensure you stay cool on warm nights. Sturdy DAC poles and a waterproof fly provide confidence in unpredictable weather, and an easy-pitch design means you can pack up in no time.

Best for Glamping

White Duck Outdoors Rover Scout Tent

Weight: 62 lbs
Peak Height: 84鈥�
Interior Space: 8鈥� x 13鈥�

Pros and Cons
鈯� Durable materials
鈯� Very weather-resistant
鈯� Complicated setup
鈯� Heavy

Tester Saylor Fleet, a longtime wall tent lover who used the previous version of the Rover Scout Tent for over a decade, likened this updated model to a sprinter van. 鈥淚t’s big enough to stand up in, sleep in, and cook in,鈥� he said. Heck, this 8-by-13-foot tent is essentially a canvas-sided cabin that easily sleeps six adults. Its size and sturdiness make it ideal for families or hunters looking to set up a basecamp for extended stints in the backcountry.

During testing, we set up a luxury camping situation for two adult testers with individual cots and a small kitchen鈥攊ncluding a Coleman stove, dishware, and a small wash bin on a roll-a-table鈥攁nd still had plenty of space to walk around.

But the Rover Scout isn鈥檛 just for those who like to spread out; it鈥檚 also got performance chops. Testers appreciated how well the Dynatek cotton and recycled polyester canvas held onto heat on a night in the low 40s on the Klamath River in Oregon. On the flip side, they liked that they could easily roll up the two doors and two walls of the tent to dump heat when temps rose into the mid 70s during the day.

Unlike car-camping-oriented tents with traditional pole structures, the Rover Scout necessitates the use of guy-outs to stay upright and storm-worthy. You have to be selective about your site because you have to be able to drive stakes in the ground to firmly secure those guy-outs鈥攜ou鈥檒l have a tough time pitching this tent on loose sand and bedrock.

While it took a while for two testers to hunt down an ideal site鈥攁nd a good 30-minutes to erect鈥攐nce it was up, it wasn鈥檛 going anywhere. Category managerJoe Jackson pitched it on the Klamath River in the fall and left it up for two weeks between camping stints. During that time, it saw four days of rain and wind gusts of over 30 miles-per-hour, yet Jackson returned to find it unscathed and fully dry after his time away.

White Duck鈥檚 canvas not only proved durable, but it avoided the achilles heel of canvas tents: It did not get covered in mildew when it was put away slightly wet. The downside to the Rover Scout鈥檚 design? While the canvas is lighter than that of wall tents we鈥檝e tested in the past, the aluminum and steel frame is heavy: At 62 pounds, it was too heavy for our smaller testers to handle on their own.

That said, it packs down to roughly the size of a couch cushion, compact enough to fit into the back of a Honda Element with room left over for camp supplies.

Other Tents We Tested

• : We used this as a base camp for a raft guide weekend. We loved it as a communal shelter but found it too large and expensive for most campers.
• : This tent really did pop up in under 30-seconds thanks to a two-handled ripcord that erects the tent from the top. Ultimately, it鈥檚 too small for most recreational campers.
• : The Fernweh felt like a member of the Jackson family at the end of three summers of testing because of how comfortably the massive living space accommodated months of family camping. But it takes two adults over an hour to set up properly, even with practice.

How to Choose a Camping Tent

Size and Dimensions

Start with the number of people who will be sleeping in the tent and add at least one. No one ever complained about a little extra elbow room, and ultra-wide camping pads often need extra space. Next, consider packability: If you have limited storage or trunk space, a more packable option will make jamming it between all of the coolers and propane easier. Height is crucial, but comes with a tradeoff: Being able to stand up to get dressed or stretch your legs is nice, but means it will be harder to set up, especially if you鈥檙e doing it solo.

Feature Set

Look for ample pockets for staying organized, big vestibules and/or high bathtub walls that protect the interior from blowing rain, multiple venting options, and roomy doors. Of course, a tent鈥檚 principal job is to protect you from the elements, so weatherproofing should be a primary consideration. A fly that reaches to the ground provides the most coverage, but can also limit venting, making for uncomfortably stuffy conditions when it鈥檚 hot. A tall pole structure is susceptible to high winds, so make sure the tent has plenty of guy-out points for stabilizing and protecting the tent from gusts.

Budget

Price is always important, but try to prioritize value. Spending a bit more for a tent with more durable materials, like higher denier fabrics and burly aluminum poles, will save you money in the long run. You can find a no frills, serviceable four-person summer tent in the $200 range, with waterproofing, durability, and reparability generally improving as you start getting into higher price ranges.

But if you鈥檙e looking for a tent to use three seasons of the year, that you expect to get a lot of use in stormy weather, or that you鈥檇 like to use for the rest of your life, we recommend budgeting between $350 and $600. That鈥檚 the cost of more reliable construction and waterproofing鈥攚hich, as all of our testers who have woken up to puddles inside their tents can tell you, is priceless when you really need it.

How We Test

• Tents tested: 17
• Number of nights camped: 50+
• Number of testers: 17
• States tested in: California, Oregon, Washington

For this test, we mainly considered four- to eight-person, three-season tents because they tend to be the best fit for most car campers who prioritize comfort and space over weight and packability. When all was said and done, our crew of 17 testers tested 17 tents鈥攏ewer options on the market as well as some perennial favorites鈥攖o find the best for frontcountry campers.

We tested these tents in the beaches, rivers, and mountains of California, Oregon, and Washington from September through November. Conditions included everything from sub-freezing temps and sustained rainstorms to blazing hot rafting trips on the Klamath River in Northern California.

After a number of weekend camping trips, testing concluded with a month-long field-testing stint in Crescent City, California, to whittle down the final contenders. Testers included four families with kids ranging in age from two to eleven, and parents in their early thirties to their mid fifties. Some were first-time campers, while others could measure the amount of time they鈥檝e spent in years.

We asked all testers to evaluate tents on their functionality, ease of setup and take-down, standout features, and overall comfort and livability.

Meet Our Testers

Joe Jackson has been professionally testing gear for 国产吃瓜黑料 for over a decade and has pitched and slept in over 90 tents during that time. While he is proud of the breadth of tents he has tested for this publication, his biggest flex is that he lived out of an in Oregon for eight months.

Miyo McGinn is a former assistant editor at 国产吃瓜黑料 based in Bozeman, Montana. She has camped in a dozen different states and four continents, but Washington state, where she grew up, will always be her favorite place to pitch a tent. McGinn got her start reviewing gear as 国产吃瓜黑料鈥檚 gear editorial assistant in 2021.

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The post The Best Tents for Camping in Comfort and Style appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Will Dunn owes his life鈥攁nd maybe his marriage鈥攖o his REI Co-op Half Dome tent.

鈥淭he tent was a gift from my now-in-laws before we were in-laws,鈥� he says. 鈥淚t was my first backpacking tent, and it got us through some pretty delightful hikes鈥攁nd some pretty harrowing ones.鈥� On one trip, Dunn and his now-spouse were backpacking in Utah鈥檚 Canyonlands when a windstorm swept in out of nowhere.

鈥淲hen it hit us, it hit hard鈥攖here were rocks and sticks beating down on the sides of the tent, and we didn鈥檛 know when it would end鈥 sure was happy to have that shelter.鈥�

Dunn鈥檚 love letter to his Half Dome is one of thousands. After all, when a tent has been around since 1980鈥攁nd is built to last through decades of use鈥攊t should be no surprise that it has racked up a serious fan club among REI members. And in this case, the Half Dome didn鈥檛 just exist for 45 years鈥攖hanks to member feedback it remained at the forward edge of shelter design for its category. It still is. That鈥檚 not surprising considering that when the tent first debuted in 1980, it revolutionized backpacking for a whole generation of hikers.

The Origins of a Legend

If you wanted to buy a tent back in the late 鈥�70s, your options were pretty limited. You had your heavy synthetic dome tents, flimsy A-frame pup tents, and the old-school canvas numbers your local scouting troop probably lugged around on character-building expeditions. You could choose between a lightweight design and a livable one. Very few brands were building shelters that ticked both boxes鈥攖hat is, until decided to reinvent the tent back in 1979.

The goal: straighter walls and more livability, all in a lightweight, weatherproof package. Ambitious? Yes. But the team tackled the challenge the same way it did with any new gear project. It polled REI members, gathered feedback, and set to work creating something that really answered the needs of the hiking community.

After a few iterations, the REI design team drew up a cross-pole design with a single entryway. The vertical walls made it easy to organize gear, get dressed, and play cards without bumping nylon. That first tent, released in 1980 and dubbed the Half Dome, was already a game changer. Then David Mydans got ahold of it.

Mydans was a backpacker and climbing bum who got his start at Chouinard Equipment before REI brought him on as a product designer in 1988. He was famous for spending hours on the cutting room floor, sewing up prototypes and tearing them apart, creating gear piece by piece the old-fashioned way.

鈥淧roduct design at REI is still very hands-on, but he was really passionate about it,鈥� says David Crumrine, 搁贰滨鈥檚 current gear design lead. When he started thinking about tent design, Mydans knew he was tired of crawling over his backpacking partners to get to his sleeping bag. He also knew REI Co-op members wanted more livability. 搁贰滨鈥檚 ethos has always been to let member feedback drive innovation, and the Half Dome鈥檚 progression owes a lot to that philosophy. But for years, further improvements to the tent鈥檚 livability proved elusive. Then, around 2000, Mydans had an epiphany.

鈥淗e realized he could create a tent with two doors and two vestibules,鈥� Dunn says. (Since that fateful Canyonlands trip so many years ago, Dunn has become 搁贰滨鈥檚 staff historian and archivist.) After months of tinkering, Mydans turned his epiphany into a prototype: a two-door tent that was comfortable, lightweight, and easy to set up. He dubbed it the Half Dome 2.

Wind Testing on Highway 410

Of course, comfort and convenience weren鈥檛 the only essential criteria. If this thing was going to work for hardcore backpackers like Mydans, it also needed to be protective.

Enter wind-resistance testing 1.0. Back then, product quality and safety standards hadn鈥檛 really been established yet. REI often had to create its own to make sure new gear was up to snuff. To test wind resistance, REI fashioned a DIY 鈥渓aboratory鈥�: an employee鈥檚 green pickup truck with a giant wooden platform bolted onto it. Whenever the gear team had a new tent to test, they鈥檇 lash it to the platform and drive down a stretch of Highway 410 at 65 mph. A passenger would observe the tent and take diligent notes while the walls flapped thunderously in the wind.

鈥淭he testing was actually pretty scientific for the setup they had. They鈥檇 test a tent with the door closed, door open, guyed out, not guyed out鈥攜ou name it,鈥� Dunn says. REI did this from the mid-1970s all the way up until 1993. (The iconic green pickup is now retired; in the 鈥�90s, the co-op switched to wind tunnel analysis. Today, it relies more on computer modeling and in-depth materials testing.)

Awards and Innovation聽

When the two-door Half Dome 2 launched in 2001, campers quickly fell in love with it. Then, Backpacker Magazine put the Half Dome on the map, awarding the tent a coveted after two staffers survived a blizzard in it in 2002.

Backpacker also gave the tent an Editors鈥� Choice Gold Award in 2010. That鈥檚 about the time Mydans introduced a new dual hub design that vastly improved the tent鈥檚 interior space and livability. (Again, this was a piece of member feedback the gear team took to heart and brought to life.)

Later, the tent got inducted into the Backpacker Gear Hall of Fame and earned 国产吃瓜黑料 Magazine鈥檚 Gear of the Year Award. For the editors, nominating it felt like a no-brainer.

鈥淭he Half Dome鈥et a new standard in livability and affordability for a two-person tent,鈥� Backpacker then-editor-in-chief Dennis Lewon .

But the story doesn鈥檛 end there. Over the years, REI kept pushing the envelope. As with its other products, the co-op leveraged new materials and modern technology, finding ways to do more with less weight. Ultimately, designers were able to dramatically expand the Half Dome鈥檚 interior space without making it any heavier. The tent became the centerpiece of . The fan club only grew.

鈥淭he Half Dome is the bestselling tent at REI by a large margin,鈥� says Rick Meade, a senior product manager and the brand鈥檚 former tent buyer. 鈥淲e call it the Goldilocks of tents. It鈥檚 like your all-wheel-drive SUV鈥攊t does everything well, and it鈥檚 your trusted companion for all your adventures.鈥�

A New Take on a Timeless Classic

Now, REI is once again relaunching its fan-favorite Half Dome, once again with member-requested updates.

鈥淲e did a complete nationwide study a few years back where we went to all the major regions of the U.S., getting out with co-op members in the field and doing interviews,鈥� Crumrine says. 鈥淚 remember being with a member in their house and just filling up their living room setting up their new Half Dome tent. We鈥檝e done that kind of thing with other products over the years, and we always learn so much through that cooperative research.鈥�

The new tent doesn鈥檛 just leverage those recent takeaways鈥攊t also stands on the shoulders of 45 years of member inputs and feedback. The result: an all-new Half Dome 2, Half Dome 2 Plus, and Half Dome 3.

The new tents boast best-in-class comfort, more interior volume, and better weather protection than ever before. All the tent鈥檚 outer coatings now have nonfluorinated durable water-repellent (DWR) that helps moisture bead up on the surface, and the rainfly material is more durable thanks to an all-new ripstop reinforcement. And like all REI gear, it鈥檚 and backed by the co-op鈥檚 100% satisfaction guarantee. In sum: It鈥檚 a tent by the people, for the people.

鈥淲hat I really love about the Half Dome tent is its intersection with design and community,鈥� Dunn says. 鈥淚t meets those community needs. It鈥檚 everybody鈥檚 tent.鈥�

Give Back Bonus

REI Co-op is teaming up with the National Parks Conservation Association to defend America’s favorite places. Your Half Dome tent purchase helps power this partnership. From March 25 through April 30, REI will donate 20% of proceeds from full-price Half Dome tent sales to the National Parks Conservation Association. Since 1919, the nonpartisan, nonprofit organization has been the leading voice in safeguarding our national parks.

is a consumer cooperative that exists to inspire and equip everyone to get outside. Everything it makes is created with the mindset and community of a co-op. From the backyard to base camp, 搁贰滨鈥檚 products are designed to be best in class for the great outdoors and the greater good.

The post The Goldilocks Tent That Changed It All, 搁贰滨鈥檚 Iconic Half Dome Turns 45 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

You can save hundreds鈥攊f not thousands鈥攐f dollars on technical outdoor gear if you master just one simple aspect of gear maintenance: zipper care. Even just doing the bare minimum to maintain your zippers can add five or more years of life to backpacks, fancy Gore-Tex jackets, and pricey tents. And the longer you can go without having to replace these things, the more cash you’ll have in your pocket for more important things鈥攍ike gas money, plane tickets, and breakfast burritos.

Over the years, I鈥檝e interviewed hundreds of gear experts for this column, and zippers have come up dozens of times鈥攑articularly when speaking with repair specialists鈥攁s the most important individual detail on the pieces of gear they live on. It makes sense: Zippers are a major point of weakness on most gear, and they can break easily if they’re not used correctly. Repairing them is difficult to do at home and expensive to outsource. If an ember flies onto my rain jacket and burns a hole in the shoulder, I can repair it in minutes with some and/or one of my beloved . If I break a zipper, I usually just panic.

But while it鈥檚 important to respect zippers, it鈥檚 also important not to fear them. After all, they鈥檙e simple machines that have barely changed over the past 120 years. To help demystify them, I called three of the most reputable materials and components experts I know, and asked them to share their secrets.

Here鈥檚 what you need to know about zipper care, use, and maintenance to keep your gear going year after year.

The Experts

is currently the director of research development and design for BioSkin, which makes medical braces. Before that, he spent 20 years designing gear for the likes of Cascade Designs, REI, and military uniform company Massif, where he specifically focused on trims and zippers.

has been one of my most trusted鈥攁nd refreshingly candid鈥攎aterials sources for a decade now. He鈥檚 served as global director of product merchandising and design for Mountain Hardwear, and as a senior product manager for brands like The North Face and Simms. He is currently the Global Chief of Outdoor Product at global clothing sourcing company Asmara Group.

has been a lecturer at the Royal College of Art in London鈥攕pecializing in performance sportswear and design鈥攆or nearly 13 years. Ross is an academic through and through and knows an astonishing amount about the history and functionality of zippers.

A Brief Glossary

Tape: The cloth on either side of a zipper

Teeth: The rows of little knobs that come together to create the zipper chain

Pin: The pointy piece of metal or plastic at the bottom of one side of your zipper. This is the piece you have to slot into the little box at the bottom and line up to start the zip.

笔耻濒濒:听The floppy metal or plastic tab you grab with your fingers to slide your zipper up and down

Slider: The chunky piece of metal or plastic the zipper pull is attached to. The slider goes up and down along zipper tape. Its job is to connect or disconnect the teeth as you zip and unzip.

Pin box: The pin box is the little square at the bottom of the zipper that keeps the slider from falling off. You have to insert one side of the zipper tape (the side with the pin) into this box in order to start the zipper.

Zipper Buying Tips

Look for a 鈥淵KK鈥� on the zipper

All three of my experts specifically鈥攁nd sometimes begrudgingly鈥攁greed that YKK makes a fantastic zipper. This is a brand that can be trusted for quality.

鈥淵ou’re going to mitigate 80 percent of your headaches by going with YKK because they’ve just got it dialed,鈥� Fry said. 鈥淚t’s high quality. The execution is the same almost everywhere in the world. So whether you get a jacket that’s made in Indonesia, China, or Canada, it’s going to have the same quality of feel and behavior.鈥� Fry said. Put simply: If you buy a jacket with a generic zip rather than YKK brand, your chances of failure are higher.

Test the zipper before you buy聽

If you can, get the garment in hand and get a feel for the zipper before you pull the trigger on a purchase. The zipper action should be smooth. “It should feel like liquid,鈥� said Fry. And if it feels like it鈥檚 catching or halting? 鈥淭hen it’s probably non-branded and it’s going to break,鈥� he said.

Bigger is better

If you鈥檙e looking at two competing products and one has a larger main zipper, it will probably last longer. 鈥淏igger is always better, always, every time,鈥� Fry said. Every time you use a zipper, it wears off little bits of material. Smaller teeth fail faster because they have less material to spare, and the teeth deform or round off鈥攁nd stop catching鈥攁fter fewer uses.

The difference in the weight between a #5 zipper (a zipper with teeth that measure a five millimeters in diameter when closed鈥攖he kind you might expect to see on a lightweight rain jacket) and a #10 (the kind of zipper you’re probably used to seeing on your carry-on luggage) is remarkably insignificant. But that #10 zipper is going to last a great deal longer.

Best Zipping Practices

The best way to keep your zippers in good working order is to treat them with respect. Here are our experts’ tips.

Don鈥檛 use zippers to force something shut

One of the greatest sources of user error, particularly on luggage and backpacks, is trying to use the zipper itself to leverage a piece of gear closed. 鈥淭hey’re not meant to be the closure device,鈥� Fry said. Pulling a stubborn bag shut puts a lot of force on the slider and teeth. Zippers weren’t designed to withstand that force.

鈥淶ips work really well going one-dimensionally, so straight up and down,鈥� Ross explains. Any amount of curvature introduced into the system is going to make the zipper significantly more likely to fail. A light curve, like when I zip a sweatshirt over my tummy after I have joyfully eaten an entire large pizza, is going to make it about five percent more likely to fail. If I were to put a basketball under my sweatshirt and zip it closed, the zipper is much more likely to bust. So, if you spot a bulge in your pack, fix it before trying to zip it shut to help mitigate this problem.

Brute force will only make a stuck zipper worse

鈥淚f you’re feeling resistance [in your zip], the number one thing to do is to stop and examine it,鈥� Ross said. Zippers should run smoothly, so any type of resistance at all鈥攅ven just light sluggishness as you pull up or down鈥攊s worth looking at. While this sounds very straightforward, I have to admit it鈥檚 hard to follow. In my haste, I have injured many a zipper. Ross has, too. 鈥淚鈥檓 a bloke,鈥� Ross laughs. 鈥淚f I get resistance, I pull harder.鈥� But in this case, he recommends you do as he says鈥攏ot as he does. Yanking a zipper shut is more likely to break teeth or jerk the slider off the track. And just as getting stopped for a speeding ticket makes your commute a whole lot longer, breaking your zipper is going to add more to your packing time. Slow down, and do it right the first time.

Fry also highlighted the importance of using a soft hand when zipping. 鈥淩eally make sure you take the pressure off of the zipper so that the zipper slides easily,鈥� Fry said. 鈥淚f you’re struggling with the zipper, it’s probably going to break鈥攅ither that time or the next time you use it.鈥�

Take extra time to seat your zipper

Munter takes extra care to properly seat the pin of his zipper into the box every time he zips up a jacket. If you rush the seating or don鈥檛 get the pin in all the way, it significantly increases the chances that the teeth won鈥檛 come together in a uniform manner. That makes them more likely to warp. Little micro-warpings in the teeth often lead to unfixable problems in a zipper over time.

This extra thoughtfulness around engagement in the beginning of the zipping process goes for the slider, too. Munter likes to pinch the slider against the pin box and bring it below the pin before slotting the pin into place. This creates compression that will set the start of the zip up perfectly. 鈥淚f you start all good, then you’ll function well,鈥� Munter said.

Easy Maintenance Tricks to Make Your Zippers Last

Slowing down and respecting your zips isn’t the only way to keep them going strong. They also need a little TLC every once and a while. Here’s how to keep your zippers running smoothly for years to come.

Clean your zippers

鈥�Gunk gets in the way [of the teeth] and wears your zipper down,鈥� Munter said. Over time, dirt and grit gets clogs the spaces between the teeth, preventing them from sliding together. Dirt can also create abrasion, which chips away at your zipper teeth. The answer? Regular cleaning.

According to Munter, washing your zippers with water alone isn鈥檛 enough; to really get dirt and grime out of the tiny crevices, you鈥檒l need an emusifier, like a soap or detergent. While running a jacket through the wash after using it will take care of most of the grime, it is worth getting in there with a brush and soap if you absolutely hammer a jacket with dirt on, say, a climbing trip. If the zipper you want to clean is on a tent or large bag that you wouldn鈥檛 want to run through a washing machine, Munter recommends scrubbing your tent or pack with a brush and soapy water.

Size up (or pack less)

We鈥檝e already established that zippers are terrible compression devices. The best way to remedy this is by sizing up. For jackets, think about purchasing a size big enough to comfortably pile on layers underneath it, Ross said. As for packs and suitcases? If you find yourself aggressively zipping it closed, it鈥檚 not big enough. Pack less, or buy a bigger bag.

Wax your zippers

Fry learned an invaluable zipper care lesson when he worked at Simms and watched them wax the waterproof zips on waders.

鈥淪eems silly, but anytime you’ve got a big chunky zipper, a little bit of wax can go a long way,” Fry said. “You don’t need to have liquid lubricant stain your fabric, but a hard block of a candle wax [does the trick]. As you move the zipper slider up and down, it heats up and melts the wax into the base the teeth.”

You don’t need much: A single swipe along your zipper has the dual benefit of seriously lubricating the zipping process as well as keeping out sand and grit. Both will improve your zipper’s longevity for years to come.

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Plenty of backpackers and campers, even those who will happily string up a hammock for some lazy afternoon hangs, offer a vehement 鈥渘o thank you鈥� when presented with the idea of spending the night in one. And not for no reason: eight hours trying to catch some shut-eye while wrapped up like a taco isn鈥檛 too many folks鈥� idea of a night well-spent. But these days, there are options for those who aren鈥檛 too keen on snoozing on the ground, either.

Enter lay-flat hammocks, whose clever designs offer a more familiar (i.e. flat) sleeping experience while still rocking you gently to sleep above the forest floor. Another tester and I tested several options while camping across the United States, from Michigian鈥檚 national forests to state parks in Texas. Below are the best lay-flat hammocks for nearly every type of adventure.

At a Glance

• Best for Car Camping:
• Best Comfort:
• Best for Day Hiking or Backpacking:
• Best Stability:

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Best for Car Camping

Tentsile Duo 2-Person Double Camping Hammock 3.0

Perhaps the most uniquely designed lay-flat hammock of the bunch, these triangular tree tents and hammocks from Tentsile kept me (and a buddy when testing a two-person model) as supported and horizontal as I could ever hope to be when suspended several feet above the ground. A variety of models that sleep one, two, or even three people have all the features you love in a tent, but with the added comfort of fewer pressure points: mesh netting with large zippered doors on camping models like the Safari, a rain fly, plenty of pockets, and even an optional ground conversion kit if you need to pitch it on terra firma.

We found the Duo hammock roomy and the base rigid enough to sit upright, play cards, or simply lounge, which made it an excellent option for rainy or sunny days, but more for camping than backpacking or hiking as it’s neither small nor light. One ding: Setup took quite a bit longer and required more straps than a traditional hammock since the triangle design had to be anchored to three trees instead of two, all of which had to be spaced apart just right. But once you get the hang of it: it鈥檚 magic.

Best Comfort

Haven Tent

If there鈥檚 an award for the coziest all-in-one hammock that feels the most like passing out in your own bed, but, you know, suspended in midair, it would go to the Haven. A zippered mosquito netting, durable rain fly, and plush insulated inflatable pad (complete with pump sack) make it one of the most comfortable and posh lay-flat hammocks.

There were plenty of pockets to stash items like books and headlamps and enough room for shorter campers to sit upright, which was nice. That said, the Haven is tippier than your average hammock, so getting situated when I first turned in required a bit of a balancing act (fortunately the mesh enclosure kept me from tumbling out altogether). Once you do, however, the experience feels like nodding off in a cozy cocoon. While the classic version is fairly narrow and better suited for slimmer campers, the XL and Safari versions provide ample space for larger campers. Bonus: with a few accessories, it can also be pitched on the ground if necessary.

Best for Day Hiking or Backpacking

Eno Skyloft Hammock

Eno knows hammocks. Including, apparently, lay-flat varieties. And this one offers a more supine sleeping position than most traditional hammocks thanks to collapsible spreader bars at the head and feet and an innovative trough design that helps you feel like you won鈥檛 flip out with one wrong move鈥搕hough it did feel a bit tippy when trying to sit upright. On the upside, it鈥檚 incredibly quick to set up, so you鈥檒l be snoozing in no time.

Technically, the SkyLoft is designed for leisurely hang sessions next to alpine lakes instead of overnights due to a lack of integrated mesh or built-in features like excessive amounts of storage (though there are two pockets). And it鈥檚 not supremely compatible with after-market bug nets, though there is a SkyLite version with integrated zippered mesh. That said, the tester certainly laid flatter than in more traditional hammocks and got an excellent night鈥檚 sleep. Bonus: the compact and easily portable package made it small enough to toss in a daypack for an afternoon hike.

Best Stability

Klymit Lay Flat Hammock

You might know Klymit for its wide range of inflatable sleeping pads, but the brand also offers a comfy and packable flat hammock. And while the tester鈥檚 butt did sink lower than their noggin in this model during testing, an extra wide spreader bar at the shoulders and dual adjustable straps at the feet kept them from being squeezed like an overripe apricot at their widest points, making for a more comfortable sleep setup.

The construction is streamlined and slightly more stable than other lay-flat hammocks thanks to no spreader bar at the feet, but still two points of contact. But if you plan to overnight in it on your next camping trip and want to be protected from the elements, you鈥檒l have to bring supplemental gear like netting and a tarp.

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I love camping with my family, but if I鈥檓 being totally honest, it stresses me out. I used to think the stress came from a lack of planning, too much gear, or just generalized anxiety, but have begun to realize it has much more to do with my鈥攁nd many Americans鈥欌�攁pproach to being outside.

These thoughts were refined during a recent Zoom call with Yui Uchida, chief brand officer for the Japanese outdoor gear company Snow Peak, who explained that most Japanese campers have developed a much simpler relationship with the outdoors.

鈥淢ost basically, we鈥檝e realized that the Japanese view of nature is quite different from many other modern views,鈥� Uchida told me. 鈥淔or us, nature is something we want to be harmonious with and in existence with, and for many other people nature is instead something that needs to be conquered or challenged. This is fundamental to how we then choose to spend our time outside.鈥�

Uchida said that for many people in the United States, the top activities for campers often include hiking, fishing, mountain biking, trail running, or other sports where there鈥檚 a place to go and an objective to complete鈥擨 include myself in this group. For many of Snow Peak’s Japanese customers, however, the top activities are things like cooking, star gazing, and forest bathing, which is just sitting in the forest and taking in the sounds, sights, and smells.

Uchida鈥檚 perspective immediately appealed to me, and I have vowed to do things differently this camping season. I want to slow down and appreciate simply being outside. Maybe it鈥檚 age (I鈥檓 currently 43), or just being fed up with what camping has become, but I鈥檝e turned a page and want to redefine what camping means.

Snow Peak has long preached a more meditative approach to sleeping under the stars鈥攊t鈥檚 not some marketing gimmick they recently dreamt up. Managed for years by Tohru Yamai, a Japanese businessman who felt overwhelmed by the pace of modern life even back in the 1980s, the brand has always promoted camping as a slow pursuit and, in turn, designs a wide variety of gear to create maximum relaxation.

When you buy through our links, we may earn an affiliate commission. This supports our mission to get more people active and outside.聽Learn more.

Their most well-known product that represents this approach is the . Made from stainless steel, it鈥檚 a packable charcoal grill that鈥檚 purposely designed to be the opposite of the classic Coleman. Instead of firing up immediately like a propane burner, the Takibi takes time to get ready, and then grilling takes some attention. In other words, the grill is not just there to make food, but instead creates an experience.

鈥淐ooking on the Takibi often becomes one of the most memorable experiences of any trip because you can create restaurant quality meals, and because it forces us to enjoy the experience of cooking,鈥� says Michael Andersen, the senior brand manager of Snow Peak USA.

Michael鈥檚 quote reminded me of a passage in 聽the best-selling book by Oliver Burkeman that talks about how many Westerners have come to fixate on time and productivity. Many people, he points out, are unable to fix anything, like a household appliance, because they have no patience and cannot enjoy the process of figuring things out.

For me, camp cooking is like fixing a leaky faucet, in that I see both only as a problem to be solved and want to get through the process as quickly as possible. But quick and good don鈥檛 seem to coexist in either circumstance. So instead of racing to finish dinner on my two-burner grill, the idea of firing up charcoal and then spending the time to get a perfectly cooked hamburger this summer seems like the fix I need.

Another example of Snow Peak鈥檚 different approach comes in its broad lineup of . For us Westerners, tarps are either places to hide from the rain, or they鈥檝e become popular as lightweight sleeping shelters for people who want to move fast and light. But for Snow Peak they mean something entirely different.

Their tarps are places where people cook, relax, and take in their surroundings. As a result, the tarps are designed with high roofs and broad footprints that promote gathering and enjoying each other鈥檚 company.

鈥淚n Japan people spend a lot of time in smaller spaces, so we know how to maximize these smaller spaces, like a tarp, through shape and design,鈥� Uchida said.

Unlike the tarps we鈥檙e used to seeing here in the States, which are either used as flat roofs or maybe in an A-frame, all the Snow Peak tarps have a unique geometric shape, which Uchida said is very much a deliberate design.

鈥淔rom outside, the tents and tarps are meant to harmoniously blend with the environment,鈥� he said. 鈥淎ll the lines are there for protection but are also meant to look like an extension of the surrounding natural elements.鈥�

This intentionality of design extends to other Snow Peak products. For me, a camp tent is just a place to sleep or hide from the elements, but all of Snow Peak’s are designed for lounging, hanging out, and moving slowly. Many have big vestibules where you can relax in a chair, and most have big enough footprints that you can insert cots and tables inside to create an eating space, or quiet spot to take in your morning coffee.

Noah Reis, the chief operating officer of Snow Peak USA, brought it all together when he told me that for a long time now Snow Peak has watched as the world pushes farther and farther toward efficiency. The brand has no problem with people who love ultralight backpacking, but that鈥檚 not the game they鈥檙e playing. They know the power of being outside and will always create gear in their own unique way.

鈥淎s the world gets faster and faster, we鈥檙e losing a sense of belonging,鈥� Reis said. 鈥淏ut we know that the outdoors and camping will always be the perfect antidote that brings us back together.鈥�

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It was a big year for outdoor gear. From e-bike technology that promises to revolutionize kayaking to the invention of a new super steel that makes knives more indestructible, there was a lot for gearheads to get excited about in 2023. These are the six innovations in outdoor gear that topped the list.

BOA Fit System for Ski Boots

For decades skiers have been clamoring for something (anything) that would make ski boots more comfortable and less complicated. This year, four prominent boot brands鈥擜tomic, K2, Salomon, and Fischer鈥攆inally heard those cries and delivered a solution to address fit and function: a BOA Fit System to replace the lower buckles on select ski boots. BOA lacing itself isn鈥檛 new; it鈥檚 been commonplace on snowboard boots and cycling shoes for years. But it hasn鈥檛 been adopted by ski boot manufacturers until now because of durability and performance concerns. However, the new BOA H+i1 dial, specifically designed to withstand the type of wear and tear ski boots are accustomed to, alleviates those concerns and won over major boot brands. What does this mean for skiers? Dialing in your ski boot fit just got a little easier. .

Safeback SBX Technology for Avalanche Safety

An avalanche airbag can decrease your risk of being buried in an avalanche, but if you do (heaven forbid) get caught up in sliding snow and find yourself under it, an airbag won鈥檛 do you much good. In that event, your best hope of survival is being found and rescued before you run out of oxygen. Asphyxiation is the leading cause of death in avalanche victims, a statistic Norwegian brand Safeback hopes to change with its innovative SBX Technology. This fan system, which is integrated into the DB Snowpro Vest 8L and the Y MountainLine Daypack 40L, provides clean oxygen to an avalanche victim鈥檚 air pocket, decreasing the risk of asphyxiation before rescue. .

Kayaks with Electric Pedal Assist

Pedal kayaks aren鈥檛 new鈥攖hey鈥檝e been around since the nineties. But in 2023, the first electric pedal kayak came to market. The Old Town Bigwater ePDL+ 132, the first kayak ever fitted with electric pedal assist, gives users the choice between manual pedal power, power-assisted pedal, or fully-motorized propulsion at the push of a button. Casual kayakers out for a cruise are sure to appreciate the assist when they run out of muscle power. But our tester, Wes Siler, thinks anglers stand to benefit the most from this new technology. 鈥淥ld Town鈥檚 electric pedal assist technology is so effective, that many anglers will likely be able to use it to replace gasoline-powered skiffs, utility boats, and fishing rigs in many, if not most applications,鈥� noted Siler. 鈥淎nd in so doing they won鈥檛 just be eliminating emissions, they鈥檒l be gaining ease of transport, simplicity of use, lower maintenance, and a smaller, less invasive footprint on the water, all at a lower cost.鈥� Read Siler鈥檚 deep-dive review here.

Supershoe Foam Harnessed for the Trail

For the past several years, shoe brands have been trying to translate the technology found in road racing super shoes (first introduced in the 2016 Nike Vaporfly) to work on the uneven, unstable surface of trails. The challenge requires enabling the shoe to adapt to the terrain and not roll or bounce off in random directions while retaining the trampoline-like rebound that makes super shoes super. While several models have been released since 2021, none, quite frankly, have mastered the feat. In the summer of 2022, Nike released a prototype trail model to its athletes that used the same ultra-soft and bouncy foam as found in its signature racing models. While it was more energetic than other trail models to date, athletes found it too unstable, particularly in the high-stacked heel. In creating their 2023 production Ultrafly, rather than opting for a less-bouncy foam or making it denser, Nike creatively wrapped the foam in a thin, durable mesh fabric, which controlled the squish and wobbliness without dampening the rebound. Plus, it served as a skin for the soft foam, protecting against punctures and tears from trail hazards. The innovative solution worked so well the shoe won our Editor鈥檚 Choice award for all running shoes in 2023.

Knives Featuring MagnaCut Super Steel

When you shell out big bucks for a quality knife, it鈥檚 fair to expect that knife to be tough, durable, and have a superior edge. But the reality is, common steel doesn鈥檛 usually excel in all three of those properties. Enter MagnaCut, a new stainless steel that resists rusting, holds an edge well between sharpening, and is resistant to edge rolling and chipping. How is that possible? Metal magic, or metallurgy. MagnaCut is produced by Crucible Industries, a New York-based steel manufacturer whose specialty is a powder metallurgy process鈥攌nown as Crucible Particle Metallurgy鈥攚hich allows for fine control of a steel鈥檚 molecular properties. Learn more about MagnaCut steel and our favorite MagnaCut knives here.

Lightweight Tents and Tarps Made From UltraTNT

Big news in the ultralight backpacking world: Dyneema finally has a stronger, more affordable rival. This year Challenge Sailcloth, the fabric-maker that produces Ultraweave (the superstrong material found on many new ultralight backpacks), released UltraTNT, an even lighter-weight fabric designed for shelters. It鈥檚 100 percent waterproof and supposedly becomes more resistant to tears and punctures as the fabric breaks in. Will this new fabric replace Dyneema or silnylon, the two most popular fabrics in the ultralight gear world? Not likely. Instead, our ultralight backpacking expert Nathan Pipenberg expects it to become a popular choice for four season shelters. .

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Over the years, as a kid and then a climber, I’ve camped a lot, starting in a moldy canvas army pup tent with my friends in the backyard, age 9. Or in tents with classmates on trips to Assateague or Catoctin, in Maryland, where it always seemed to rain and our tents always leaked. Or in my own tent at Miguel鈥檚 Campground, Red River Gorge, in Kentucky, where it poured day after day and, as if in a horror movie, salamanders began coming out of holes in the muddy ground by my door. In Patagonia, where you could hear the wild wind coming, and I decided I might never need to camp in the cold and wet again. In Red Rocks, Nevada; El Potrero Chico, Mexico; Shelf Road, Colorado; and Penticton, B.C, and Banff, Alberta, with my climbing friend Susan Price, our little tents side by side each trip. Safety, companionship, and a bit of our own space.

Long ago, in the climbers鈥� Camp 4, in Yosemite Valley, I had a voluminous red family-style tent, joined in it by my friends Rin Harris and B.A. Doyle. One day we came into camp to find the tent down. What? Foul play?

鈥淲hat happened?鈥� I exclaimed.

鈥淥h,鈥� said the nearby laconic Brits, 鈥渢here must have been a good stiff gust of wind of about five miles an hour.鈥�

It wasn鈥檛 the most technical tent.

Moreover, we鈥檇 set it with the entrance pointing toward the valley walls, unknowingly in a drainage. When it rained, the tent filled up. It wasn鈥檛 very good at repelling water, but certainly held it. Our sleeping pads were floating. A box of tampons blew up. My paperback copy of Shogun, 1,200 pages, swelled into a thick round paper fan. We returned one afternoon to find a laughing crew of Japanese climbers taking pictures of the tent, opening it to the flooded interior, immortalizing our terrible campcraft.

These days my preferred method of camping is in a six-person standup tent鈥攜ou can never go too big鈥� with a pillow and cot, and a vehicle nearby.

Besides not to point your tent into runoff, here’s what I’ve learned.

Need-to-Know Camping Tips

1. Remember mustard. It just seems to be what people forget.

2. It’s also really easy to forget the pot holder for camp cooking in the backcountry, although after burning your fingers you鈥檒l remember.

3. Spring for that extra few degrees of warmth in a sleeping bag. In Patagonia, last November, though my friend Erin VanSickle had brought a sleeping bag rated to 35 degrees, and the nights didn鈥檛 get below the upper 30s, she is slim and was cold, sometimes too cold to sleep.聽She had to put on all her clothes at night, including her sturdy, stiff, crinkling rain jacket. How comfortable does that sound?

4. Also in cold weather, bring your headlamp, phone, and external charger (the latter two in a Ziploc bag) into your sleeping bag. Cold drains batteries. In Patagonia, my headlamp was dead after one night, and I had to borrow someone鈥檚 spare to read in the evenings. After I recharged the headlamp days later, and then put it in the sleeping bag each night, it was fine for the rest of the trip.

5. Paperback books can be ripped into chunks to share if several of you are tent-bound鈥攐r, as friends and I once were in Chamonix, cave-bound鈥攊n weather for days.

6. Bring a 鈥渂aby Nalgene鈥� or other half-sized bottle, and at night fill it with hot water to put in the toe of your sleeping bag. (A liter bottle will work, but takes more water and fuel.) You can thank my guide friend Jaime Hanson for this one.

7. If you have an infant or toddler along, bring a few wipes in a baggie into your sleeping bag. (I appreciate that it鈥檚 getting pretty crowded in there.) When my husband and I took our then five-month-old to Canyonlands in Utah, the diaper wipes left outside froze brick-solid, which didn鈥檛 go over, at all.

8. Pack a spice kit! Ed Viesturs, Himalayan mountaineer, once told me he eats a spicy dinner before a cold night in his tent 鈥渢o get the engine going鈥濃�攇iving his body a start on keeping warm. He simply brought spicy dehydrated meals.

9. Bring a small camp towel (extra easy to forget) and a cord for a laundry line.

10. Take earplugs鈥攎y friend Jaime gave me a pair connected by a string, a brilliant touch. People nearby snore or worse. Dogs bark, roosters crow. The high schoolers in another site keep partying even after you yell to shut up. (It did help to stomp over and tell them to shut the f鈥� up.)

11. You will eat more than you think. It鈥檚 OK and part of taking care of yourself in cold temps. It鈥檚 great. Bring extra food. Lots!

12. You will awaken to birdsong, and it will be heavenly. How about a bird book or app? When I was growing up and our parents took us sailing and snorkeling in southern seas, my father used to bring fish books and at dinner have each child name a new kind we’d seen that day. 鈥淚f you don鈥檛 know its name,鈥� he’d say, 鈥測ou don鈥檛 know the fish.鈥�

13. 鈥淲ear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.鈥濃�擝az Luhrmann music video, from a Chicago Tribune column by Mary Schmich. Enough said.

14. Hats. A wool beanie is your best friend for sleeping in the cold, and ball caps or other hats fend off sun (see no. 13) and sometimes other things. Once when I was bivvied on a flat boulder in Rocky Mountain National Park, a mouse kept running in and chewing on my hair, waking me up. I groped around and pulled a pair of tights onto my head. I will never forget my now spouse’s face at daylight when I sat up, the tights legs trailing down from my head like a jester’s cap.

15. Everyone, every age, loves s鈥檓ores.

Alison Osius, a lifelong climber and hiker and a travel editor at 国产吃瓜黑料, has camped across North America; in pouring rain in the Scottish Highlands and less rain in England and Wales; in sun-drenched but also drenched France; and in the cold and wind in Patagonia. Only once has she willingly camped in snow.

The post Must-Know Camping Tips from a Lifelong Camper appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Stooping in a lightweight, minimalist, backpacking tent while camping out of your car isn鈥檛 much fun. Neither is getting blown over in a flimsy, big-box-store mega shelter. With that in mind, we set out to find the most luxurious, well-designed, and storm-worthy car camping tents for lounging in style, no matter what the forecast looks like.

The Winners at a Glance

Best Overall: MSR Habiscape 4P

Best for Families: The North Face Wawona 8P

Best for Bad Weather: Mountain Hardwear Bridger 4P

How We Test

Number of Testers: 8

Number of Products Tested: 7

Number of Nights Out: 24

Number of Dogs Who Contributed: 3 (if a French bulldog counts as a dog)

We tested our latest crop of car camping tents with a diverse range of people, from a gaggle of teenage girls to a vanlifer, and told them to use and abuse their samples. On remote beaches, in middle-of-nowhere campsites, and next to RVs, testers threw parties and let their dogs wrestle inside. We asked testers to focus primarily on livability, with volume, weather-resistance, tent height, pockets, durability, and ease of set-up at the forefront.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Ryan Stuart became a freelance writer when he realized he鈥檇 never get paid to play doing any of his other passions, possibly because he has too many of them. He鈥檚 a pretty good skier, decent paddler, hiker, and runner, and loves to make mountain biking, surfing, and rock climbing look harder than it is. Whenever he can, he practices those activities from a campsite somewhere far from other humans.

The Reviews: The Best Car Camping Tents of 2023

Best Overall: MSR Habiscape 4P ($500)

Weight: 12.7 lbs
Height: 73 inches
Interior Space: 62.5 sq. ft. + 23.5 sq. ft. vestibule
Pros: Lots of livable space; highly weatherproof
Cons: Mediocre ventilation

There鈥檚 a lot we liked about the Habiscape, from the generous elbow room (86 square feet including the vestibule) to the ample standing height (73 inches), but it was a pocket that hooked us. Next to the door MSR built in something they call a 鈥減ass-thru pocket鈥濃�攁 bug mesh-lined portal that鈥檚 accessible from both inside and out. Without opening the door, testers could reach through to grab car keys, bug spray or a headlamp. 鈥淚t seems like a little thing, but the convenience was huge,鈥� says Chris Baikie, a British Columbia-based tester. 鈥淭here were definitely fewer bugs in the tent because of it.鈥� Set-up for the Habiscape requires two people, but the asymmetric design and color-coding helped make it quick and easy. The dome structure and low-hanging 68-denier polyester fly stood up to a 20 mile-per-hour windstorm with little flapping. The rest of the tent is equally tough, with the same 68-denier poly on the floor, 40-denier ripstop nylon walls, and 7000 series aluminum tent poles. We had to duck under the vestibule door to get inside, but it provided enough room for a cooler and gear, and kept drips out of the tent during rainstorms. A second door came in handy for frequent nighttime bathroom excursions. The Habiscape packs down easily, and ends up smaller than many tents of its size, at roughly nine inches by two feet. 鈥淚t鈥檚 almost perfect,鈥� says category manager Ryan Stuart. 鈥淎nd it鈥檚 not even that heavy.鈥�

Bottom Line: A dependable, durable option we鈥檇 recommend to just about anyone looking for a car camping tent.

Best for Families: The North Face Wawona 8P ($699)

Weight: 18.1 lbs
Height: 77 inches
Interior Space: 112 sq. ft. + 44.7 sq. ft. vestibule
Pros: Massive vestibule; room divider
Cons: Large footprint makes it hard to fit into some campsites

The Wawona is big all over鈥攁nd that鈥檚 a good thing. In a decade of tent testing for 国产吃瓜黑料, this might be the biggest tent that category manager Ryan Stuart has ever slept in. There鈥檚 plenty of room for eight to lay down in the 112 square foot area, though we mostly tested it with smaller groups. Cumberland, B.C.-based tester John Waters used the Wawona like a bunk house at his in-laws’ cabin on British Columbia鈥檚 Denman Island. By hanging the optional mesh wall, which splits the tent down the middle, he created two rooms and stuck his two kids on one side, while he and his wife enjoyed a bit of privacy on the other. The mesh pockets in each corner are big enough to hold a laptop. The expansive, 45-square-foot vestibule alone is nearly the size of a three-person backpacking tent. 鈥淵ou can stand up in it,鈥� remarked Waters. 鈥淲e had two deck chairs and a small table in there.鈥� He wasn鈥檛 as keen on the door. It opens wide and tall鈥攏o stooping or ducking required鈥攂ut the bathtub floor is 10 inches tall, enough to create a tripping hazard, particularly for fast-moving kids. The complementary high-cut fly, however, left lots of room for venting windows while preventing sideways rain from entering. Most impressive was the set up. 鈥淚t鈥檚 huge, but I still managed to get it up by myself,鈥� says Stuart. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 rare for any car camping tent.鈥� Color-coding and manageable pole lengths were key for raising the roof on this mansion. Ironically for those trying to avoid RV camping areas, the eight-by-eight footprint is so big that it can be hard to fit the Wawona into smaller, tent camping-only campgrounds.

Bottom Line: A monster tent for the biggest of families and longest of trips.

Best for Bad Weather: Mountain Hardwear Bridger 4P ($780)

Weight: 18.6 lbs
Height: 66 inches
Interior Space: 62.5 sq. ft. + 69 sq. ft. vestibule
Pros: Bombproof design, big vestibule
Cons: Pricey, smaller second door

There are two types of car campers in the world: those who cherry-pick sunny weekends, and those who head out no matter the conditions. Mountain Hardwear drew on its mountaineering tent heritage to design the Bridger for the latter. The thick, 68-denier ripstop polyester on the fly extends right to the ground on all sides鈥攁 rarity in this category鈥攖o keep rain and backsplash away from the tent. Aluminum tentpoles create a domed main structure, while a separate hoop pole lifts the fly, giving the Bridger both a roomy- and weather-shedding shape. During a thunderstorm in Pennsylvania鈥檚 Allegheny National Forest, where winds whipped up to 30 miles per hour, testers created a bombproof pitch using adjustable stake-out loops at each of the six pole-tent connection points, as well as guy-out attachments on the fly. The main vestibule is bigger than the tent itself, with a floor and removable storage panel that has six pockets large enough to fit a bike helmet, and opens far from the interior for drip-free entry. 鈥淭he vestibule is effectively a mud room,鈥� said tester Adam Sauerwein, a roving Vanlifer. Four more mesh sleeves inside hold smaller items, like headlamps and phones. The storage adds livability to the tent, which Sauerwein says feels roomy for four. Setting it up for car camping was simple, he says, with color-coded poles, although packing it back up is a bit awkward, owing to a tight stuff sack. The premium fabric and extra square footage makes the tent heavy, though not especially bulky for its size. And $780 is a lot to shell out for a car camping tent鈥攖here are tradeoffs for storm-worthiness and spaciousness. But if you plan to car camp in all seasons, the robust build promises years of dependably dry nights.

Bottom Line: The Bridger does a tent鈥檚 main job鈥攑rotecting campers from the weather鈥攂etter than most in this category.

How to Buy

Start with the number of people who will be sleeping in the tent and add at least one. No one ever complained about a little extra elbow room, and ultra-wide car camping pads often need extra space. Next consider packability: If you have limited storage or trunk space, a more packable option will make jamming it between all of the coolers and propane easier. Height is crucial, but comes with a tradeoff: Being able to stand up to get dressed or stretch your legs is nice, but means it will be harder to set up, especially if you鈥檙e doing it solo. Feature-wise, look for ample pockets for staying organized, big vestibules and/or high bathtub walls that protect the interior from drips, multiple venting options, and roomy doors. Of course, a tent鈥檚 principal job is to protect you from the elements, so weatherproofing should be a primary consideration. A fly that reaches to the ground provides the most coverage, but can also limit venting, making for uncomfortably stuffy conditions when it鈥檚 hot. A tall pole structure is susceptible to high winds, so make sure the tent has plenty of guy-out points for stabilizing and protecting the tent from gusts. Price is always important, but think more about value. Spending a bit more for a tent with more durable materials, like higher denier fabrics and burly aluminum poles, will save you money in the long run.

When it’s time to upgrade your gear, don鈥檛 let the old stuff go to waste鈥揹onate it for a good cause and divert it from the landfill. our partner, Gear Fix, will repair and resell your stuff for free! Just box up your retired items, , and send them off. We鈥檒l donate 100 percent of the proceeds to .

The post The Best Car-Camping Tents of 2023 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Every year, tents get lighter, stronger, and more sustainable. 2023 was no exception. The seven winners of this year鈥檚 exhaustive testing process proved themselves over and over in wind, rain, and even snow.

The Winners at a Glance

Best Space-to-Weight Ratio: NEMO Hornet Osmo 3P

Most Affordable Weather Protection: The North Face Trail Lite 2

Most Comfortable: Sea to Summit Ikos TR2

Most Comfortable Alt-Hammock: Tentsile Ocean UNA 1-Person Hammock Tent

Most Affordable Tarp-Tent: Outdoor Vitals Fortius

Best Beginner Tent: Coleman Peak1 2 Person

Best Mid: Big Agnes Gold Camp UL3

How We Test

Number of Testers: 11

Number of Products Tested: 13

Number of Miles Hiked While Testing: 308

Number of Nights Slept 国产吃瓜黑料: 76.5

Our testing group spanned the country, in wilderness areas from Maine to Hawaii. Testers come from a variety of backgrounds, genders, and professions, from public school teachers to park rangers. Over the course of two months, these testers evaluated the following tents on a multitude of criteria, including livability, ventilation, design, weather protection, setup, and price, among other intangibles. Those that didn鈥檛 stand up to the elements, were uncomfortable to live inside for weeks on end, or simply weren鈥檛 worth the price tag didn鈥檛 make it into our final round of testing.

Meet Our Lead Tester

Will McGough has been writing about the outdoors and testing tents for Backpacker and 国产吃瓜黑料 since 2015. Specs aside, he believes the most important thing about a tent is how it makes you feel鈥攁 good tent should make you feel at home, regardless of climate and conditions.

The Reviews: The Best 3-Season Tents of 2023

Best Space-to-Weight Ratio: NEMO Hornet Osmo 3P ($550)

Weight: 3.3 lbs
Interior Space: 40 square feet
Peak Height: 44 inches
Pros: Space-to-weight ratio; portability
Cons: Pricey

NEMO鈥檚 top-selling tent, the double-walled Hornet, expanded this year to include a three-person version that boasts an elite space-to-weight ratio. It adds more than 12 square feet of interior living space to its two-person layout at a cost of just 13 ounces, earning it the best space-to-weight ratio in test and within its own lightweight tent line. The tent body compresses down to the size of a Nalgene, and with just one hubbed pole, packability is exceptional. At less than three pounds, it鈥檚 light enough to pack for long miles while providing adequate space for three tall backpackers thanks to its 88-inch length. 鈥淢y 6鈥�4鈥� partner could lay down without hitting his head or feet on the ends of the tent,鈥� said tester Chelsea Gardner, a Durango-based Wilderness Medical Instructor. 鈥淚t was the roomiest, most comfortable backpacking tent he鈥檚 experienced.鈥� Two 8.6-square-foot vestibules are decently-sized, although storage space is tight for three people carrying big packs (each vestibule will easily swallow a big pack plus boots and daypacks, though). Even with a trio jammed inside, condensation is well-managed thanks to a three-quarter mesh body and pop-out vents. The two-door tent is made of NEMO鈥檚 100-percent recycled Osmo fabric, a proprietary combination of nylon and polyester that鈥檚 relatively lightweight and strong. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a three-season tent, but it still handled a surprise snowstorm with gusty winds around 25 miles-per-hour,鈥� reported another tester from Mt. Taylor鈥檚 11,400-foot peak in New Mexico. 鈥淚 stayed dry and comfortable inside.鈥�

Bottom Line: The Hornet is one of the lightest semi-freestanding three person tents on the market.

Most Affordable Weather Protection: The North Face Trail Lite 2 ($300)

Weight: 5.1 lbs
Interior Space: 30 square feet
Peak Height: 43 inches
Pros: Excellent weather protection; price
Cons: Weight

Finding a budget tent is easy. Finding a budget tent that can weather shoulder season storms? Not so much. The North Face Trail Lite 2 is the exception thanks to 9.5 millimeter aluminum poles, a 20-denier nylon ripstop fly with a 1,200 millimeter water-repellent coating, and 75-denier polyester floor. That burly bathtub floor adds weight, but allows the tent to withstand abuse on rough terrain and keep dirt and water at bay. 鈥淭his is a three-season tent that I would feel comfortable pushing into the early winter,鈥� said tester Dan Rinard, chief ranger at Baxter State Park in Maine. 鈥淚t would perform fine in a snow event.鈥� (The 20-denier fly, while a strong performer in inclement weather, prevents the Trail Lite 2 from being a true four-season tent.) Still, testers reported the Trail Lite 2 stood firm in sustained winds and deflected gusts up to 45 miles-per-hour, with pre-attached guy lines that make hunkering down a breeze. The lack of a fly vent emphasizes the focus on weather protection, but an all-mesh body allows for adequate ventilation. Overhead and side pockets make it easy to stay organized. Two eight square-foot vestibules sit outside the two oversized doors, big enough for large packs or foul-weather cooking. Inside, the peak height of 43 inches is average for its class, but the interior volume is maximized by the pre-bent poles. 鈥淚 was able to sit up straight in all four corners of the tent without touching the tent body or ceiling,鈥� said Rinard, who is 6 feet tall.

Bottom Line: If your idea of three-season camping includes early spring, late fall, and high altitude, the Trail Lite 2 delivers at a relatively affordable price point.

Most Comfortable: Sea to Summit Ikos TR2 ($429)

Weight: 5.2 lbs
Interior Space: 31 square feet
Peak Height: 41 inches
Pros: Comfort; livability
Cons: Weight

Weighing in at over five pounds, the Sea to Summit Ikos TR2 is one of the heaviest tents in our testing class and walks the line between a backpacking and car camping tent. But our testers found its livability to be among the best for two-person tents that could still be pressed into backcountry use. That鈥檚 thanks to a generous 31 square feet of living space and high-arching cross pole (although peak height is just below average), which allowed testers to change out of sweaty clothes without banging into the ceiling. Four pockets and two overhead storage slings made organization a snap. Vestibules on either side are just shy of nine square feet each, big enough for a pack, boots, and accessories with plenty of space for a clear path out of the tent at night. The pointed ridgepole design is key to its livability, but it also enhances the tent鈥檚 weather protection underneath the PFC-free, DWR-coated 68-denier ripstop polyester fly. It successfully deflected wind and encouraged rain to run off the top of the tent on a stormy trip to Yellowstone National Park. The polyester floor (also 68-denier) stayed bone dry on a rainy weekend atop the Grand Mesa in Colorado, while the bathtub rim kept dust from blowing in during a canyoneering outing in Moab. 鈥淭he vestibule walls come down quite low to the ground, so when we woke up to 4 inches of snow on the ground, the vestibule area was still 90-percent snow-free,鈥� reported a New Mexico-based tester.

Bottom Line: The Sea to Summit Ikos TR2 is a spacious, user-and-eco-friendly backpacking tent if weight isn鈥檛 your foremost concern

Most Comfortable Alt-Hammock: Tentsile聽Ocean UNA 1-Person Hammock Tent ($299)

Weight: 5.1 lbs
Pros: Lay-flat sleeping; recycled materials
Cons: Complicated pitch; heavy

Tentsile has made a name for itself with its line of 鈥渢ree tents鈥濃�攅ssentially a deluxe hammock with three straps instead of two, the ability to lie flat, and a single arch pole for structure. But, at 15-20 pounds, these luxe hammock-tent fusions have never been appropriate for backpackers. Enter Tentsile鈥檚 new Ocean UNA, a relatively lightweight, one-person tree tent made entirely from undyed 20-denier polyester sourced from recycled ocean plastic. Weighing five pounds and packing down to the size of a paper towel roll, it鈥檚 still heavier than a backpacking hammock or lightweight tent. But its glut of creature comforts impressed our testers on multi-day mountain adventures, from an easy-to-use, built-in bug net to multiple internal and external storage options. As with all of Tentsile鈥檚 tree tents, its three-anchor suspension system offered a wide range of sleep positions for testers. Under the tall ponderosas of Coconino National Forest in Flagstaff, Arizona, we experienced no tacoing or slumping into the banana shape that often occurs in a simple hammock. 鈥淚t was the 鈥榝lattest鈥� night sleep I鈥檝e ever had in a hammock,鈥� said one Colorado-based tester. (Ding: Taller testers found their feet to be a little cramped). As with all hammock-style tents, it takes time, knowledge of knots, and patience to pitch the Ocean UNA properly. But for hammock-curious campers, or folks who find both traditional tent camping and hammock camping to be uncomfortable, the eco-friendly Ocean UNA is an excellent option for overnights or short trips into the backcountry.

Bottom Line: The Tentsile Ocean UNA is a sustainable 鈥渢ree tent鈥� for finicky sleepers and hammock-curious backpackers on short missions.

Most Affordable Tarp-Tent: Outdoor Vitals Fortius ($340)

Weight: 2.2 lbs
Interior Space: 29 square feet
Peak Height: 46 inches
Pros: Weight; packability
Cons: Requires trekking poles; learning curve for proper pitch

In the category of silicon-nylon tarp-style tents鈥攁 popular choice for budget thru-hikers and ultralighters鈥攖he single-walled Outdoor Vitals Fortius is an excellent, middle-of-the-road newcomer. At just over two pounds, this trekking pole-assisted tent packs down to the size of a loaf of sandwich bread, making it ideal for experienced backpackers who travel long distances and prioritize portability and weight above all else. The two-person shelter is airy thanks to the 10-denier all-mesh tent body, and, once pitched correctly, the 15-denier ripstop nylon fly and bathtub floor do a surprisingly good job of repelling inclement weather. On a very wet trip near Alaska鈥檚 Kachemak Bay, the Fortius kept testers (and their gear) well-sheltered from relentless all-day rain with only minor condensation, while guy lines held down the fort during 15-mile-per-hour gusts. The 29-square-foot floor plan is a bit small on paper, but a best-in-test maximum peak height of 46 inches means space doesn鈥檛 feel cramped overhead. Two large 10.5-square-foot vestibules offer ample room for packs and boots, and two doors provide each camper their own entry and exit鈥攍uxuries for ultralight tarp-tents. And while overall weight and square-footage are just average for the category, the Fortius is more affordable than most. The main downsides to this tarp-tent? To help cut weight, it has no internal pockets, and, like many trekking pole-required tents, it takes experience and patience to master the perfect pitch. That finicky pitch, owing to adjustable trekking pole height and a multitude of extra-long guy-out points, also means the Fortius can easily contort in varying weather conditions and terrain.

Bottom Line: The Outdoor Vitals Fortius is a solid two-person tarp-tent at an excellent price point

Best Beginner Tent: Coleman Peak1 2 Person ($269)

Weight: 6 lbs. 1 oz.
Interior Space: 32 square feet
Peak Height: 42 inches
Pros: Price; fully-featured; livability
Cons: Weight; packability

While Coleman is better known for its propane stoves and car camping palaces, its Peak1 tent proved to be an ideal beginner backpacking shelter thanks to ease of setup, a spacious interior, low price, and well-designed 鈥渕oonroof.鈥� With a heavy, 75-denier polyester (2,000 millimeter waterproof coating) and 8.7-millimeter-thick aluminum poles, the tent hardly budged in the 30 mile-per-hour winds testers experienced at Carlsbad State Beach in California. With 32 square feet of interior space鈥攖he most of any two person tent this year鈥攔iding out the weather was a breeze. 鈥淚t was roomy enough for two squirmy sleepers, jackets, and gear,鈥� reported Emma Veidt, Backpacker鈥檚 assistant editor. 鈥淲e were able to sit up and chat without feeling like we were on top of each other.鈥� But that weather protection comes at the expense of both weight and packability. At more than six pounds, it鈥檚 at the very upper limit for what we鈥檇 still consider to be a 鈥渂ackpacking鈥� tent. And the smallest we could pack it down was to the size of two paper towel rolls, necessitating a two-pack carry. But the Peak1 is feature-rich, with multiple pockets per-person and a triangular 鈥渟tar view window鈥� that鈥檚 easily unzipped from inside the tent (with the added bonus of extra ventilation). While we often find 鈥渟targazing鈥� options gimmicky, we found the Peak1鈥檚 approach to be just right鈥攎uch easier than rolling back the fly from the outside or trying to peep through a distorted plastic window. And at less than $300, it鈥檚 an affordable way for newcomers or weekend-warrior backpackers who don鈥檛 pile up the mileage to score their first shelter.

Bottom Line: The Coleman Peak1 offers a good balance of price point, features, and livability for new backpackers.

Best Mid: Big Agnes Gold Camp UL3 Tarp and Mesh Inner ($470)

Weight: 4.2 lbs
Interior Space: 45 square feet
Peak Height: 80 inches
Pros: Versatility
Cons: Limited vestibule space

It鈥檚 unusual for a veteran tent brand like Big Agnes to branch out into a niche category like pyramid-style tents (mids, for short), but we鈥檙e glad they did. A mid-style tent offers an unrivaled peak height, weather-protection, and space-to-weight ratio that only gets better with additional occupants. The three-person Gold Camp UL3 boasts 45 square feet of floor space and over six-and-a-half-feet of height at its peak鈥攆ar larger and taller than any traditional three-person tent. During a stormy trip to Coconino National Forest in Flagstaff, Arizona, our testers were able to pitch the 20-denier polyester ripstop fly as a camp kitchen during a rainstorm while also lounging in four backpacking chairs. 鈥淏eing able to stand up inside a tent when you鈥檙e six feet tall is a real treat,鈥� said one Colorado-based tester. Come nightfall, they attached the all-mesh tent body and 20-denier polyester ripstop floor (with a 1,500-millimeter waterproof coating) without ever taking down the fly. A few weeks later, while visiting the bone-dry Muley Twist Canyon in Capitol Reef National Park, Utah, another group of testers pitched just the inner mesh body for a bug-free night of stargazing. Its tall stature and non-freestanding design mean the tent body and tarp must be carefully guyed out to stand strong against wind鈥攕omething our testers reported was easier in teams, but doable alone. One downside of many mid-style tents is that they lack a vestibule entirely, but the Gold Camp UL smartly provides a small, 8.5-square-foot space in front of the door, capable of holding three sets of dirty boots. Our testers appreciated the storage option, although most things still had to sleep inside, requiring a quick game of Tetris before bedding down for the night. With a total weight just over four pounds, though, no one argued about who had to carry the tent.

Bottom Line: Big Agnes鈥檚 first real foray into pyramid-style tents offers an excellent space-to-weight ratio with a large floor plan and high ceilings for larger groups

How to Buy a Three-Season Tent

Capacity, size, and vestibules

The first thing to consider when buying a tent is its size. You鈥檒l want to know the number of people it鈥檚 designed to hold, but also look closely at the square-footage to ensure it will work for your specific needs. Check the length of the tent if you are more than 6 feet tall鈥攁 couple inches of head and leg room are critical for a good night鈥檚 sleep, and not all tents are created equal. Pay attention to the amount of vestibule space a tent offers, especially if you plan to backpack in colder, more gear-heavy months.

Weight vs. durability and weatherproofing

While the best tents offer a lightweight balance of livability, weather protection, and durability evenly, those qualities often come at a weight penalty. Consider how far you鈥檒l be hiking and how much weight you can comfortably carry over that distance. Some folks are happy to carry a five-pound tent that has a large floorplan and ample headroom, while others will prefer to minimize weight at the cost of comfort. Once you get a sense of your maximum weight, think about the weatherproofing you鈥檒l need in the environments you plan to visit. Campers in Florida have different needs than campers in Colorado. An all-mesh tent body will improve ventilation in hot climates, but let heat escape in cold climates. If heavy rain or bad weather is the norm for you, invest in heavier-weight, more waterproof tent fabric and thicker, stronger poles. Burlier floor materials also add weight to the tent, but offer more durability on abrasive ground.

Freestanding vs. semi- vs. non freestanding

Another thing to consider is the type of pitch a tent uses. Freestanding tents are supported by a set of structural poles and can be pitched anywhere, without the use of guy lines or added tension. They are the easiest to pitch, but offer minimal customization in foul weather. Semi and non-freestanding tents all use poles of some sort (structural aluminum poles or trekking poles), but need to be staked out using guy lines. This requires more patience and know-how when pitching, however it also allows the tent to be pitched in a variety of ways, making it easier to fit into tight spaces. Non-freestanding and semi-freestanding tents also typically weigh less than freestanding tents because they don鈥檛 come with as many鈥攐r any鈥攑oles.

Finally, a pro tip:

Know the return policies. The only way to truly know a tent is to spend a couple of nights in it. Some stores and brands allow you to return used products without a penalty.

When it’s time to upgrade your gear, don鈥檛 let the old stuff go to waste鈥揹onate it for a good cause and divert it from the landfill. our partner, Gear Fix, will repair and resell your stuff for free! Just box up your retired items, , and send them off. We鈥檒l donate 100 percent of the proceeds to .

The post The Best Three-Season Tents of 2023 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

Many people in my home state of Minnesota spend weekends at their cabins 鈥渦p North.鈥� It鈥檚 not a practice reserved just for the wealthy either, as these basic structures are usually passed down through generations so that middle class families often own a rustic second home, too. Many of these properties feature homemade saunas, for cutting the chill year round.

In elementary school, my best friend鈥檚 family shared one that we鈥檇 visit multiple times each year. We鈥檇 drive up in humid summer months and spend evenings in the property’s rickety, old sauna before taking a dip in the lake, just a few feet down a grassy hill, dodging mosquitoes all the way. We鈥檇 splash into the cool, murky water, climb out, and stop to stare at the stars from the dock before heading back to the sauna to do it all over again. We slogged up north in frigid months, too, bathing in the sauna long after the main cabin鈥檚 water had been shut off for the winter to prevent bursting pipes.

So for me, saunas are a nostalgic representation of some of my happiest childhood memories. When I found out that , a small canvas tent company based in western Wisconsin, was releasing a portable sauna tent last fall, I had to try it.

国产吃瓜黑料 columnist Wes Siler raves about the perks of winter camping in one of Snowtrekker鈥檚 stove-heated canvas tents, which has a lot in common with the design of the Sauna Tent. They鈥檙e both heated by small wood-burning stoves that are light enough to easily throw into the back of your truck (depending on the stove size you opt for, they weigh between 17 and 25 pounds). And the camping and sauna tents are made from woven seven-ounce cotton treated with the water-repellent Sunforger to ward off mildew and rain. The key is that, unlike your nylon backpacking or car camping tent, the fabric still breathes well and won鈥檛 melt with a roaring stove three inches away from its wall.

When the shipment first arrived at my front door, a heap of stakes, poles, and unions, assembly seemed intimidating. But after glancing at the included instructions, we realized everything was color-coded, and it came together in about 20 minutes, fully ready to fire up. It鈥檚 easy to use, too: build a fire in the stove, adjust the front and back stove vents for airflow, zip up the canvas, and you鈥檙e ready to go. I added a bunch of rocks to the top of the stove, which I pour water onto when I want a wet sauna. If things get too hot too fast, you can always open one of the built-in vents or crack the door.

Three months later, it鈥檚 still sitting in my backyard where my husband and I use it a few times a week.

“When we moved to northern Wisconsin in the early nineties, we were introduced to sauna and fell in love with it,” says Jonah Lottig, operations manager at the family owned and operated business. “As a tent manufacturer, it felt natural to develop a quality portable sauna that was not limited to a single setting and still provided a true sauna experience.”

Here’s the catch: Snowtrekker鈥檚 Sauna Tent isn鈥檛 cheap. The canvas retails at $4,200. Plus, it’s $300 for the frame (or DIY following included instructions for closer to $100) and $560 for the stove. But it鈥檚 a lot easier than building your own, and its retro style looks so good, you won’t mind having it set up permanently in your backyard. The canvas is incredibly high quality and traps heat nicely. It鈥檚 also portable; my husband and I plan to take it on a camping trip this winter. The tent itself is too small to camp in while the fire’s roaring, so we’ll need to bring another one to sleep in. But I can鈥檛 think of a cozier way to warm up before crawling into your sleeping bag.

Nights in northern New Mexico, where I live now, have been consistently in the twenties, sometimes dipping into the teens. Last night, eager to warm up after a particularly chilly day, my husband and I lit up the Snowtrekker stove. We opened both the front and back vents to rev up the fire, and within 15 minutes, our little canvas bubble was piping hot. I grabbed the pitcher of water we now keep in the sauna tent, and slowly poured it over the rocks on top of the stove. They sizzled and a mist of steam rose up. As the pine bench we sat on drank in the humidity, the smell of wet wood filled the tent, bringing me back to the sauna of my childhood. The only thing missing? A lake in our backyard to take a cold plunge in after.

The post I鈥檝e Had a Sauna Tent in My Backyard for 3 Months and I鈥檓 Obsessed appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.