For some campers and backpackers, the camping season lasts 365 days a year. While camping can be fun regardless of the season, you really have to make sure you are properly prepared. During the colder months of the year, it is important to have a tent that can handle low temperatures, high winds, rainfall, and snow. If that tent can also provide proper ventilation during the summer months, you’ve found yourself a perfect 4 season tent.
A high quality 4-season camping tent should be lightweight, flexible, cost-effective, and extremely weather resistant. To help you choose the perfect model, we’ve narrowed it down to the five best four season tents.
The Five Best Four Season Tents
1. Naturehike Cloud-Up 4-Season Camping Tent
Naturehike’s Cloud-Up 4 Season Camping Tent is a great option for camping in the colder seasons. It’s one of our favorite all-season tents, and we can’t recommend it enough. It comes in three sizes, from 1-person up to a 3-person tent. This is a simple dome tent, which relies on two collapsible poles for the inner tent to keep its shape. The aluminum poles are lightweight and snap together thanks to an elasticated rope.
The inner tent is an anti-scratch 210T polyester breathable mesh, perfect for those warm summer nights. A water-resistant 210T rainfly comes with a tent and offers more protection from the wind and rain. And all the fabric on the tent is double stitched for durability.
A footprint tarp comes with a tent to prevent sharp objects and mud from coming through the base of the tent. The design is simple and effective — people with some experience with tents should be able to put this one up in 5 minutes. There is a single door with a windshield either side of it, but no vestibule covering the entrance to prevent rain from entering.
Highlights
- Rating:
- Height: 43.3” (3’7.3”).
- Floor Space: 5’10.9” x 7’ 0.6” (3 people).
- Rooms: 1.
- Form Factor: Dome.
- Setup Time: 1-minute.
- Material: Fabric — PU coated polyester. Poles — fiberglass and steel.
- Accessories: Carry bag, rainfly, room divider, tent pegs, and stakes.
- Weight: 5.7 pounds (2.58 kg).
2. GEERTOP Portable Four Season Camping Tent
This Geertop Portable Camping Tent is another one of our favorites. It is a 4 person, all-season tent, that is strong, cozy, and well ventilated. The base of the tent is a strong 210D PU 5000 mm anti-tear polyester, which offers superior protection from mud and sharp rocks. And a 210T polyester covers the exterior of the tent, providing warmth and protection from the rain.
This is a dome tent that uses quick-link aluminum poles to hold up the inner tent. This inner tent consists of a light-weight fabric and a mosquito-proof mesh that allows plenty of air to enter in from the sides and up through the ceiling. These side mesh panels have a curtain that can zip closed to better adjust the airflow.
There are two doors on this tent. The rear door is useful for removing and placing luggage. And the main door has a large vestibule, (which does not come with support poles) so that you can leave boots and backpacks outside the tent. Repacking the tent is easy, and when stored, the whole pack weighs less than 10 pounds.
Highlights
- Rating:
- Height: 55” (4’5”).
- Floor Space: 7’10.4” x 6”10.6’ (4 people).
- Rooms: 1 + 2 x vestibules.
- Form Factor: Dome.
- Setup Time: 1-minute.
- Material: Fabric — PU coated polyester, Poles — Aluminum.
- Accessories: Carry bag, rainfly, room divider, tent pegs, poles, reflective rope, and stakes.
- Weight: 9.1 pounds (4.13 kg).
3. MoKo Waterproof Family Camping Tent
This MoKo Family Camping Dome Tent is large enough for a family of three and is suitable for all 4 seasons. The outer rainfly is 68D waterproof 2500 mm polyester, so it will stand up to most downpours. There is a small mesh window with a zipping rain-flap to adjust airflow. The rainfly is small for a 4-season tent and covers a small part of the tent’s roof.
Whereas the waterproof tub is a thick 5000 mm polyethylene to provide a dry floor in the tent regardless of the weather outside. Quick-fix 0.33-inch fiberglass poles hold the tent up. These poles form an exoskeleton for the inner tent to hang from. The inner tent also has built-in wall pouches and a roof hook.
This tent has a single entrance, which leads out on to a large vestibule, complete with side shields. The vestibule also has a zip-up-door, making it a great place to store belongings outside of the tent. A great tent for a small family that likes to pitch a tent at a moment’s notice. Though at close to 10 pounds, you would not want to be carrying this tent too far.
Highlights
- Rating:
- Height: 42” (3’5”).
- Floor Space: 7’9” x 6”7’ (3 people).
- Rooms: 1 + vestibule.
- Form Factor: Dome.
- Setup Time: 30 minutes.
- Material: Fabric — 180T PU coated polyester. Poles — fiberglass.
- Accessories: Carry bag, rainfly, tent pegs, poles, and stakes.
- Weight: 9.92 pounds (4.49 kg).
4. Luxe Tempo Camping Tent
The Luxe Tempo Camping Tent is a two-person tent, suitable for all four seasons. This tent has excellent ventilation, perfect for the summer, and still offers decent protection in poor weather. In front of the tent’s door is a large mat to place backpacks and shoes without putting them on the dirty ground. A large vestibule is part of the rainfly and covers the entrance mat.
The 210T PU inner tent has a mesh roof for ventilation and to prevent condensation build-up in the winter. Aluminum tent poles are the backbone of the inner tent and lift the ripstop rainfly away from the rest of the tent. The tent floor is a durable taped tub for superior waterproofing and insulation.
Inside the tent, a mesh slash pouch is sewn into the wall for a place to fast-access items. There are also various ceiling hooks for lanterns and small bags. On the outside of the tent, there are reflective loops to tie back the door curtains and improve viability in the dark. And this tent is lightweight and compact, at less than 6 pounds, perfect for long hikes.
Highlights
- Rating:
- Height: 43.3” (3’5”).
- Floor Space: 6’10.6” x 4”7.1’ (2 people).
- Rooms: 1 + vestibule.
- Form Factor: Dome.
- Setup Time: 10 minutes.
- Material: Fabric — 210T PU coated polyester, Poles — Aluminum.
- Accessories: Gear loft, rainfly, stakes, poles, and guy-lines.
- Weight: 5.7 pounds (2.59 kg).
5. MIER 3 Person Camping Tent
The Mier 3 Person Camping Tent is a decent sized 4-season tent, large enough to sleep three with some space to spare. A geodesic design is a stronger design, which will manage high winds better, but more complex to set up. The poles need arranging in an H-shape to lift out the inner tent, and it takes some skill to assemble.
A large 15D ripstop rainfly offers great protection from the elements and also forms vestibules at either end of the tent. And thick silicon-coated 40D nylon tub gives the occupants complete insulation from the wet. The kit also comes with a footprint, which helps to keep the tent clean. The footprint comes with a wet bag to store it apart from the rest of the tent.
On the outside, there are two large D-doors at either end of the tents, under the vestibules. Inside the tent, there are hooks to hang lanterns and 4 small organizer pockets for fast-access items. And all this tent weighs is 5.5 pounds — it is lightweight, and perfect for hiking or festivals.
Highlights
- Rating:
- Height: 49” (4’).
- Floor Space: 6’9” x 5”6’ (3 people).
- Rooms: 1 + 2 x vestibules.
- Form Factor: Dome.
- Setup Time: 30 minutes.
- Material: Fabric — 15D PU coated polyester rainfly. Poles — Aluminum.
- Accessories: Carry bag, footprint, rainfly, tent pegs, poles, and stakes.
- Weight: 5.5 pounds (2.49 kg).
Buyer’s Guide: Everything You Need to Know About 4-Season Tents
Brands
Most of us drift towards a well-known brand because we worry about making a poor choice. Though even the best brands get it wrong sometimes, which is why reviews and other indicators are so important.
Extras are nice, and we all want to get the most for our money. These extras sweeten the deal, but they may also be compensation for poor materials and construction. It is easy to replace extras, and they do not keep you dry — you will want the tent to last when the weather turns.
A long warranty period tends to mean that the manufacturer as a lot of faith in their product. But it may be the case that you are paying for this warranty with the higher price. A better way to spot a reliable product is to look for the thickest materials.
Design
Design is important, as it is going to be the shape and materials of a tent that does the most work in a storm. In hot weather, you will want a summer tent that can breathe, with plenty of ventilation. Also, if you are planning to carry it in, or attach it to, a backpack, you are going to need the most lightweight tent you can find.
This is where the balance between choosing a thicker material and a lighter weight tent comes in. Thick, durable, and waterproof materials on a tent are perfect for pitching near your vehicle at a festival. But, for hiking, you may need to sacrifice some waterproofing for the practicalities of what you can carry.
Setup Size
There are trade-offs between size and weight. These trade-offs become more relevant, the more of you that are going to stay in a single tent. Four travelers may break the equipment down to one person carrying the tent, and other supplies go with the remaining three hikers.
And when it comes to erecting the tent, a pop tent is going to be the fastest option. But a geodesic pole tent will have the greatest resilience to strong winds and heavy rain. Either way, you will not want to be spending hours packing and unpacking the tent.
4-Season Tents FAQs
What type of 4-season tent is easiest to erect?
Dome or geodesic tents are strong shapes and fast to set up. These tent shapes have become much easier to put together over the many years of their development. Though in some cases, the poles are more complex to insert into the inner tent. Cabin tents are good to sleep more than 4 people — and A-frame or pyramid tents are simpler and old-school.
What material is best for a 4-season tent?
Look for non-rip polyester, with a thick base tub and a separate fly-sheet. The most important part is the base, as this will be protecting you from mud while having to resist punctures from sticks.
What is the best type of pole for a 4-season tent?
Aluminum is lightweight, and so is fiberglass. Both materials will bend and snap in harsh weather. Carbon fiber is more expensive and lightweight. Carbon will stand a lot of beating, but if they break, they are near impossible to fix or replace.
Conclusion
Naturehike’s Cloud-Up tent is a 4-season tent, but better suited to warmer weather. Though the Naturehike is the lightest and the most practical to hike with. Geertop is the simplest to erect though it lacks the space and durability of the other tents.
The Luxe Temp Camping Tent is the second best choice, with two doors and a large vestibule to protect the entrance, this tent would be perfect at a festival site. Moko’s Family Camping Tent also has a large entrance, but the quality of the tub and rainfly is not as good as the Luxe or the Mier tent.
The Mier Camping Tent is by far the best option. It’s a waterproof tent that offers an exceptional level of protection from the elements with the footprint will ensure the tent will stay dry. For a 3-person tent, the floor space is generous — having two vestibules adds space and offers a place to put rucksacks and boots.
Happy camping!
Is there a four season tent that you love to bring camping? We’d love to try it out! Let us know in the comments section below.
