Table of Contents
During the winter season, most of us would be looking to stock up on essentials to get through that time of the year. And if you are looking to enjoy the outdoors, one of the things on your list would be a cold-weather tent.
With the winds getting chilly and the conditions slowly turning inhospitable, cold weather tents become an essential commodity to keep you warm and cozy through this period.
In this article, we look at the 5 best cold weather tents available in the market and list out the pros and cons of each product so you can make an informed decision.
Editor’s Picks: 3 Of The Best Cold Weather Tents In 2023
Table could not be displayed.5 Best Cold Weather Tents In 2023 Reviewed
1. Black Diamond Eldorado
Black Diamond has long been among the best in the business when it comes to Cold Weather apparel, with over 60 years of experience in this arena. Black Diamond Eldorado Tent is yet another masterpiece delivered by the company. Priced at $547.49, this 2 person tent is perfectly designed to tend to your needs. So in case if you need a tent that does multiple tasks for you which you want to achieve really bad, Black Diamond Eldorado is definitely meant for you.
- Lightweight
- Top-quality materials have been used
- Easy to set up
- The lack of a vestibule might make the tent a little congested
2. PlayDo 4-Season Waterproof Cotton Canvas Bell Tent
PlayDo 4-Season Waterproof Cotton Canvas Bell Tent has been quite popular among campers for a long time, especially because it is often preferred by groups due to its ample room and camping-friendly features. This tent has 10 variants listed on Amazon, offering flexibility in terms of size so you can choose the model that serves your needs.
At a price range of $169.99 – $1014.99 (Based on variant), PlayDo’s Canvas Bell Tent is extremely cost-efficient when compared to similar models in the market. The price, combined with its unique features make it the go-to tent for people looking for outdoor Campfires & Parties while being just as efficient for hikers looking to endure extreme weather. It is about 5 meters long so you can imagine it to fit in your luggage alongside a couple of people. The length of a tent matters a lot since if it is short, you might face troubles fitting yourself or your other resources inside which are useful in camping.
- Safe cooking
- Waterproof
- Durable
- Simple set-up procedure
- The tent takes comparatively longer to dry up
3. REI Co-op Arete ASL 2 Tent
Founded in 1938, REI has provided quality tents and outdoor accessories for over 80 years now and has been among the world’s leading brands for a very long time. The REI Co-op Arete ASL 2 Tent is an example of how the brand is top-tier. This tent has a sleeping capacity of 2 people, covering a floor area of 32.9 square feet, providing ample space for its occupants. With a simple structure and sturdy make, this tent is ideal for beginner campers. One of the best parts of choosing this tent is that you do not have to break your bank to buy it. Most of the tents require you to almost empty your pockets but the economical pricing of this commodity can really prove to be a sigh of relief.
- Cost-Effective
- A great tent for backpacking due to its light-weight and simple structure
- Wide vestibules offer extra storage space for gears and other baggage
- Has a propensity to get soaked during heavy rains
4. Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow Tent
The Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow Tent is a massive 6-person bow tent and has long been among the favourites for large groups. While it is certainly huge, this tent has incredible durability, as it is able to withstand harsh conditions and certainly suiting all kinds of weather. The manufacturers of the tent, Bushtec Adventure, is an award-winning South African Company, and has over 50 years of experience in this field, something they have put to good use while making this tent. It is very much freestanding as well which is rare for any tent. The steel poles have their own quality itself and once you fix them down to the ground, you can sleep without having to worry about anything.
- Its 550gsm Rip-Stop Military Grade Canvas offers heavy durability
- Can accommodate up to 6 people in the tent
- Contains an electric supply socket
- Slightly on a heavier side/li>
5. ALPS Mountaineering Tasmanian 3-Person Tent
Alps Mountaineering has often come up with some incredible tents since its inception in 1993. The ALPS Mountaineering Tasmanian 3-Person Tent is no different and has been built to be among the very best available for customers. This 3-Person tent has a base size of 6’7 x 7’8 and covers 43.5 ft², making it quite spacious for its occupants. At $349.99, this tent seems to be a massive bargain considering what it offers. It is most useful in case of winters as there’s no impact on it even if it is snowing heavily.
- Allows quick set-up due to its aluminium-free standing pole system
- Vestibules that allow extra storage space
- Waterproof
- UV Damage resistance
- The tent tends to get damp due to condensation at night
Things To Consider Before Buying A Cold Weather Tent
When you are looking to buy a tent, you need to look for specific reasons before you go on and choose one of them. It totally depends on your priorities and what you need the most for that cause and then you decide which one is the best suited for you. Without proper research, it is imperative that you will not make the best decision. Here are a few points to be considered before buying the product:-
- Budget
The first and foremost thing that you need to look at is the cost of the tent. You need to look into your budget and see if you can spend enough on a tent or if you would like to buy something that is economical and serves the purpose at the same point of time. So in case you have a good amount of money with you, you should be looking to buy something that’s superior in terms of quality. Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow Tent is probably the costliest of the lot but it happens to be the most quality as well. If you are specifically looking to go out with a decent number of people, you should look to buy this one as it will fit in 6 people and that too quite easily. But if you have a limited amount of budget, REI Co-op Arete ASL 2 Tent is the one for you which will require you to pay less than $400. It serves its purpose brilliantly and if you are just a couple of guys who are going out for the trek, there might not be a better option for you. Budget constraints will always come handy when you choose a tent for you and you have to be strong about your choices rather than being in a state of confusion regarding what amount you would like to invest in order to buy a tent.
- Ease of setting up
This is a big problem that most of the tents come with. All of them are not easy to set up and in fact, some of the tents are really complex to set up and might take a lot of energy out of your body. Some people like it to be adventurous too since setting it up is a huge task in hand. But if you want something that’s really simple to execute, most of the tents that are stated above wouldn’t take a huge toll on your body or your find. REI Co-op Arete ASL 2 is the most simple to set up as it barely takes you more than a couple of minutes. The good thing about this tent is that you can fit in at least 2 people so in case you’re just a couple of guys going out, there would not be a better choice to make for you. Some of the tents would require you to read how to set it up before really going for the job but the same is not the case with REI Co-op Arete ASL 2. So if you consider these criteria topmost, you have the best-suited tent for you right here.
- Warranty
There is always a huge amount of weight on the warranty of a commodity, no matter what it is. Whether you’re looking for a technological product or you’re looking to buy shoes for you, you do consider warranty as one of the most important aspects before buying the product. When it comes to tents, you need to be even more sure about it. The thing is, you will be required to go out and you might face severe rainfalls or winds. You cannot go for something that does not live up to its billing and even if it does tear apart, you deserve compensation for it. Most of these tents come with a good warranty period but the best of the lot, from the warranty point of view, has to be Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow Tent. This tent has a warranty period of a whopping 3 years so no matter when you go in these 3 years, you should feel safe about at least getting the new one back in case the one that you used faces any sort of problem. The other names stated above have a warranty period of at least 1 year and some of them have a warranty period of 2 years too but Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow has the most assuring to give you benefits and if something wrong happens with it, you can still look to change it without having to pay a penny.
- Accommodation
There are people who like to travel alone or they do not like to share their tent with anyone else. In such a case, you must go for a single-person tent and out of our list, the Black Diamond Eldorado is that option for you. Although it can somehow fit in two people, you would feel much more comfortable in case you are the only person to find a stay in it. If there are 2 or 3 persons to accommodate into a tent, Playdo 4-season water tent is the one you should be looking to buy and use. But when you’re going out for a trek, you are not just a person or a couple of people, you go with the entire group. For such a situation, Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow Tent would be the ideal choice. You might be 12 people going for the adventurous route and you would be required to buy just 2 of the 6 person bow tents and that would do the job for you. This is why it is the most popular even though it has a comparatively high price which might not be easy to afford for everyone. It serves the purpose for the majority of the people as they like to go out in groups. It doubles the enjoyment and excitement of going out for a trek.
- Season
One of the things to consider before buying a tent is the season that you need it for in the first place. If you’re going out in the rainy season, you must avoid buying the REI Co-op Arete ASL 2 since it is not so good at handling enormous amounts of rain. Similarly, Playdo 4-season waterproof tent also struggles in the rainy season. This is where ALPS Mountaineering Tasmanian tent comes to the rescue as it would fit the bit perfectly in the rainy season. But the best of the bunch has to be Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow Tent which works wonderfully no matter which season it is.
- Weight
You cannot go for a trek and have loads of things to carry around, especially while walking up. This is where the Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow tent faces a little disadvantage as it is too much of a burden for you to keep alongside you. The ALPS Mountaineering Tasmanian tent is good enough in such a case but the best-suited ones are the REI Co-op Arete ASL 2 and Playdo 4-season waterproof tent which is lightweight and can be carried on your shoulders without it feeling a burden on your shoulders. Weight of the tent does matter a lot especially when you have to escalate huge heights and it is definitely something that you need to consider before lashing on to buy the product.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q. What is the important thing to consider while buying a tent?
There are many things that are important before buying a tent but the most important thing would be to consider the capacity of the tent and how many people can fit into it so that you can ultimately decide whether it is worth it or not. Usually, most of the tents can fit in 2 to 3 people but some of them can fit in as much as half a dozen people too, quite like Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas.
Q. Is it difficult to set up a tent?
Usually, it is not the easiest job to do. But if you go for the Playdo 4-season waterproof tent, you will be able to do it within a period of 20 minutes which is really less in comparison to the other tents out there. All in all, it is a complex task in hand but you might like it if you are into adventurous activities.
Q. Do any of these tents come with the facility of air conditioning?
Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow tent consists of an electric supply socket which helps you to get extra warmth or breezes, it is your choice according to the weather around you. This tent is surely not going to disappoint you in such a case in such circumstances.
Q. Can these tents be suitable even in windy areas?
Yes, these tents are suitable for windy areas as well. It is important to have vestibules around which is lacking in the case of Black Diamond Eldorado but in all the other tents, you will find vestibules which can endure extreme weather conditions. Bushtec Adventure Alpha Kilo 4000 Canvas 6 Person Bow tent will be ineffective in any and all cases and the ones owning it are 100% sure about it.
Q. What are the features that these tents come up with?
Vestibules is one of the features which will help you endure extreme weather conditions. They do have stoves alongside them which will help you cook safely at the same point of time. With the use of an electric supply socket, you can have air-conditioned space for yourselves and the climate wouldn’t affect you too much at least when you’re looking to sleep. All these things make these tents a must buy and it would potentially add to a quality camping, rest assured.
A Final Word
The 5 tents that have been included here are all quality and they have their own features which will click with a certain section of people who love to go camping. There is no doubt in the fact that camping is a really fun task but you need to assure good facilities around you to survive for those couple of days or weeks and the biggest priority has to be a quality tent. With the names being dropped here, you can definitely choose the one which resonates with your thinking the most and you wouldn’t feel dissatisfied at any cost.
On an ending note, we personally recommend you to buy:
It can easily accommodate up to 6 people and also has an electric supply socket with which you can cook easily. Additionally, it is also quite durable.
Last update on 2023-12-18 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API