4 season tent for Sierra winter use

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fishmonger
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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by fishmonger »

I was more concerned about the wind resistance than the membrane perfomance in really cold conditions. During a March/April muir Trail trip, you're bound to run into much warmer and higher humidity conditions as well.

Thing is, a tent is just much more versatile in where it can be pitched, how fast you can pitch it (at least the Tenshi sets up in 2 minutes) and how warm it is even without digging a snow pit for it, etc. but it come with that nasty price tag and is heavier.

I found some video of a tarp tent in a storm - got me thinking tarp again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YeqAsQWy-2A" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

good thing is that I have until Mid March this year to think this over. Given the price difference, the tarp tent still has the upper hand for this year's short warmup trip. It also is lighter, which matters a lot more than the ease of setup on a longer trip with food and fuel for over a week.
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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by fishmonger »

MSR updated the Twin Sisters for 2011 - it now has two entrances for better ventilation when needed - may just be good enough - price keeps going up...

http://cascadedesigns.com/msr/tents/ess ... rs/product" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by fishmonger »

Well, turns out a lot of the lighter winter tents are too short for me. Tenshi is for midgets only...

So I bought a Mountain Hardware EV 3 based on a very detailed long term review thread I found on a German language fourm.

I'm still thinking of getting the MSR Twin sisters for solo trips, but not this spring. The EV 3 sets up fast, is strong enough for Everest and Denali, and most importantly, I got a smoking deal on it on ebay :unibrow:. It's free standing, sets up in minutes from the outside, is large enough for two plus gear, but is significantly ligher than some of the comparable double wall tents like the TNF VE-25. It is the first tent in the above youtube video in the snow storm at Mt. Elias.

if you understand German - here's what sold me on it:
http://www.outdoorseiten.net/forum/show ... dwear-EV-3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by SPeacock »

Considering the Sierra winter in April, you probably are not going to need a tent that would be appropriate at 22,000' on some long term assault that may include a week holed up from a storm.

I've been in very heavy snow and wind in a friend's 3R Stephenson Warmlite (.com). It is a three person tent with considerable floor space. The usable space is somewhat reduced with the internal stabilizers which even in that blow was over kill. For very deep snow you can buy a center 3rd pole (hoop). You can spend a bundle on a fully tricked out 3R. The 2R is more in line with what you would need.

I've been in several typical winter storms at 10,000'+ in February in the Sierra and a bit higher in a Colorado March storm in the same company's 2R with two people. It required a few forays out in the middle of the night to shovel blown/drifted snow away from the tent. There was enough snow that we had to re site the tent...then decided to cut the trip short when it cleared. There was just too much avalanche danger.

The 2R does well in very strong wind if properly staked down. The tent can be kept taut from inside which is handy considering you don't have to go outside and get wet or cold. Very little flapping noise.

The weight and packed size are about right for a two person trip. I use it solo all the time as it is only just a little heavier than my bivy. It comes unsealed and with no footprint or stakes so you can add what you need for your use. Sealing takes an hour or so and is fairly straight forward - you have control over how much weight you are going to add. I made my footprint out of sylnylon. My packed weight is around 2.5 pounds and fits in a sack about the size of two wine bottles punt to cork.

A convenience is that the 2R only takes three stakes to get set up. 4 more if you need them to hold it down. It has two support poles that slip into tunnels. It can be set up to provide good shelter in under 5 minutes. Double that if you need to secure it in snow or against expected heavier weather. The 3r takes 4 stakes to set up because it has a front and back door.
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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by fishmonger »

Here's what I ended up with - got a fantastic deal on it and even though it's not what I will take on a solo trip (still hoping to find a used MSR Twin Sisters for that), this was perfect for a 2-person trip up the MR on Whitney two weeks ago. Didn't even flap in the wind gusts that blew some of our gear a quarter mile down to Frog Pond and made for interesting retrieval trips.

Zero condensation with two people in it, just a slight moist feel on the floor where it was touching the snow that night)

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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by copeg »

this was perfect for a 2-person trip up the MR on Whitney two weeks ago. Didn't even flap in the wind gusts that blew some of our gear a quarter mile down to Frog Pond and made for interesting retrieval trips.
Glad it worked out! Wanna post a trip report? Please :D
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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by hikerduane »

Off topic more I guess. Sounds like it would be great to do, just the resupply issues, hopefully next year won't be like this year for you snow wise. I know some in our small NorthCA Hiking bunch have had condensation issues with the tepee style shelters, you may be ok for when you are going. I've had XC skiers slowly leave me beind when I have had snowshoes on, climbing hills. Those climbing skins sure do work, I had some trouble with traction on a packed trail. I want to go out some early Spring on skis or snowshoes for a week long trip to see more country beyond what I can see in two days. Our own Wandering Daisy has been out for a bit a couple years ago on skis over Piute Pass and into Bear Basin area if I remember correctly, amazing lady.

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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by fishmonger »

copeg wrote:
this was perfect for a 2-person trip up the MR on Whitney two weeks ago. Didn't even flap in the wind gusts that blew some of our gear a quarter mile down to Frog Pond and made for interesting retrieval trips.
Glad it worked out! Wanna post a trip report? Please :D
it's over on the Whitney Portal store site, at least the Whitney MR part. Jim did the report, I added photos on this page

http://www.whitneyportalstore.com/forum ... =2&fpart=6" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

also went to Telescope Peak and had to abandon skiing plans into Tuolumne Meadows due to the ridiculous March snows and avalanche risks staying high during the entire week I was in Owens Valley
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Re: 4 season tent for Sierra winter use

Post by fishmonger »

hikerduane wrote: I've had XC skiers slowly leave me beind when I have had snowshoes on, climbing hills. Those climbing skins sure do work,
snow shoes are mostly useless ballast. Half of the climb to Telescope peak was too soft, then it was too hard (needed crampons for safety, the snow shoes failed to provide grip on some slopes, even with the gnarly metal base on the Tubbs Alps I used). On the soft stuff, it was probably a little better than now shoes, but only on our uphill runs. Going down, I took them off on the steeper slush runs, like the entire bypass of the Ebersbacher Ledges, where I either would slide without steering, or if I leaned more forward, the fronts of the shoes would dig in and I'd have to lift up several pounds of wet snow each step. It was ugly.

I just didn't use the ski on the MR, because that same stretch that was a real pain in snow shoes is a hill I would not want to ski anyway. Definitely not with a 50 pound pack. Looking back at it, though, I bet I could have skinned it down just as going up, very slowly, and without the moments when even the snow shoes didn't prevent postholing. All that while you hear the water running below the snow...

It's always a compromise what you use when you radically change elevation. I think once you are up in the backcountry over the crest that time of year, the snow will be much more predictable, as you aren't going up and down by 6000 feet every day.

Don't know if I'll do the JMT next year. I think I'll need another late winter/early spring test trip.
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