Luke, you ROCK. 100% trust. I’ve used your recommendations so many times. Big thank you. Hey to the missus!

Certain types of 3-season tents are better able to be used in winter than others. The single biggest factors are wind and snow loading. A tipi / teepee tent is the best candidate for an all-season tent because its steep-sided design effectively makes it immune to snow loads and it doesn't catch wind. They do make all-season tipi tents where the fabric unzips to uncover mesh areas, but they are extremely expensive (in the $600 range). In a pinch, though, a 3-season tipi with a heater can function in the 4th season.

Man, this is just another reminder to me how lucky I am in Hawai'i. A 3 season tent does everything I need for the whole year. now it's just a matter of finding one that meets the weight/durability balance! Cheers for the fantastic video!

I can always count on you and Susie for clear, unbiased information videos and as a bonus, they are also entertaining. Perfect combination.

Moral of the story……don’t forget a good tarp as an over cover

I only recently found out that Hilleberg offer mesh inners available separately for their 4 season tents so that you can switch to better ventilation in the warmer months.

Thank you for clearing up all the information about these different tents. I'm sure you've saved a lot of people both in their safety and how they shop for tents now.

An excellent video, and a needed one. Thank you; wish this existed way back when I was getting my first tent.

I feel so blessed finding this channel. The reviews are amazing and I learn each day. At night either I go watching netflix or their adventure videos. For a country who has been in lockdown for 2yrs this channel gives me hope someday I'd be able to go out and hike just like Luke and Susan. KUDOS.

I appreciate how you give real reviews on products and don't succumb to sponsors. Thank you Luke and Susie for what you do

Outstanding job Luke that is the best review of tent type's that I have ever see. Here in the the North Carolina sandhills 3 season is the standard mild winter little snow high humidity.

Love this guy’s honesty. NO BS! That’s what keeps me coming back. Thanks Luke.

That was a great informative video! Makes me want to evaluate some of the tents I have. Might have to make some buy and sell moves soon

Would you consider a video on how to use guy lines appropriately for high winds? Either with a tent or tarp? The recent review of the tent with no high guy out points got me thinking.

I’m so glad to have stumbled upon this channel. I’m on the path to becoming a backpacker and hiker and I don’t want to waste anymore money on products that are not helpful. Thank you for your expertise. I’m about to binge watch some of your videos before I create my wish list.

Greetings from Norway. Great information indeed. Your comment on outside poles in the winter is on point. One design point is often missed is that some 3-4 season tents has double doors, one layer of mesh and one layer of solid material connected with a zipper. This solution offers the possibility to vent using mesh only, or close up the solid material if it's windy or getting colder outside. The weather up here, even in the summer, can be a challenge. So a good tent is a must. We even have people up here claiming that parts of Scandinavia has a 5th season.

I have a Eureka tent I bought nearly 15 years ago and it is still going strong. It is a big 4 man tent used for car and canoe trips. It has nylon walls and a separate fly. It has large zip down windows and the airflow is great for my family. Sleeping inside. The bathtub bottom is really good in the rain And tall enough I can stand fully upright in it. The tent seems to be in a different class of tents that you don’t see today.

Excellent advice. One (very expensive ) category not covered single wall is the Dynema tents, typically 3 season. They are the staple among thru-hikers because they are so light. Companies like Tarptent, Zpacks, even Big Agnes now.

Hey Luke you should do a "Tents that will Kill you!" Video for Halloween! Cheers Luke!

Best explanation of types of tents I've ever heard. I have a Eureka Expedition 3 person tent from the middle 90s. Still using my tent because it's in excellent condition still. Take care of your tent and it will last for awhile. I wish Eureka still made that tent. I've had many tents. I do lots of backpacking and climbing. My Eureka 4 season was over 400. It has aircraft aluminum tent poles. Mesh pole sleeves. Before pre clip on tent poles. My rain fly has little roof extension over the doors. Inner tent has mesh only 1/3 down the top. I haven't found another tent like it yet. Anyone remember the Zeus? Single wall tent. It's a very hot tent in the summer even at 12,000 ft. His guy is correct about tents do's and don'ts. I can use my Eureka Expedition here because I live in the mountains. If I camp lower elevations it's a no go. Pick your tent wisely. Or tents. Nothing worse than having a crappy tent. Happy camping! This guy knows tents.👍

I've always had my best luck with the Eureka Timberline. Been through all 4 Minnesota seasons, multiple times, and never failed.

Thanks to this channel, I bought the windbreaker module for my Litefighter 1 and I could not be happier with it. I've had it out in the Blue Mountains of Eastern Oregon for the past few weeks in rain, light snow, and wind. Apart from a small amount of condensation on the very TOP of the tent body (that I just wipe away every morning with a small towel), it has been virtually identical to my 4 season tent experiences.

Brilliant! Thanks. Of course, you can't mention all of the tents you've tested, but you gave a good overview and valuable hints on what to look for. As you mentioned, one of the most important criteria - what are going to use the tent for? For example, years ago we bought a nice Sierra Designs (SD) backpacking tent for camping in California. We did not camp in Winter the mountains - mostly seasonal backpacking. Worked great for us. We invested in sleeping bags, etc. to accommodate the fringes of those seasons. However, when we moved to Europe 'seasonal' camping is more limited. Our beloved SD was no match. And since most of the camping in Europe is 'car-camping', not back country backpacking we could splurge on the weight and get something that was more well-rounded. We still use the SD for top Summer camping. We love looking up at night and seeing the stars through full mesh top.

The Hilleberg Akto is for me almost the perfect tent. I used it on my trip on 48 day hiking in France. I did the GR34 and GR223 and man what a beautifull area but so much rain... This tent did the trick for me and still is. And I chose this because of some online reviews so great job your doing with informing people! I also like your honesty that is something what makes your video's unique!

Never felt compelled to leave a comment before so this is my first one having watched UKposts for years! Literally answered All by nagging questions whilst looking for tents for all seasons in the UK Mountains. Awesome content! Thank you

Fantastic informative video. This is really important for people who are not sure what tent to buy for the right season. Many many thanks for sharing this with us 🇺🇸

I ALWAYS read the one-star reviews on amazon. They are soooo helpful. When people are angry/pissed off they are often FULL of great info!!!

most educated video about tent. Just had a broken tent in a wind storm with a three season tent. An RV saved me for the night. Now Ive learned so much about tent by this video

Great video. Back in the day none of my tents used mesh for their tents other than on the doors. That explains why they were so heavy. I use three different tents now. I have a BA Jackrabbit, BA Tiger Wall and a Zpacks Duplex. I hike mostly in the White mountain's of NH and its rarely warm at night. Again great job. I like the song at the end of this video for some reason.

So much good information!!! Even having backpacked for a couple of years, I have learned some new things. Looking forward to the video on winter camping with a 3 season. Thanks so much!

You are the boss. There is no easy explanation about the business than the explained here, plus the great vibes you give about all this education. Great video!

Best basic tent intro I've ever seen SUPER helpful! Thank you.

This guy rules! The amount of information you get from him in just a few minutes is incredible.

I am so glad I watched this video before buying my tent! Thank you for all the great and truthful information. I have gotten educated here today!

Thank you for providing a comprehensive breakdown of tents. Extremely easy to understand. Hi Susie!

Great video Luke! This video reveals one of the many reasons why I stick with hammock camping. Can never go wrong with a bug net hammock & a good tarp. Everything can fit much easier in to a backpack, depending, as you already know. Love your videos brother! Be safe, God bless, strength & honor!! 👍

I’ve done a lot of camping and I think I have lucked out with my tents. Knowing this information is going to help me lots for my next tent purchase. Thanks.

I love my Snugpak Scorpion 3 for my wife and I. Great value! Works really well for colder falls/light winters/ colder springs. Our Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL3 works great for hot summers/ warmer falls and springs.

This was the best tent review Ihave ever seen and full of information I didn’t know. Thank you!

With summer just around the corner, (in New Zealand), videos such as this are extremely important! The majority of people pay big money for tents they'll only use once, then throw them in a corner and forget about it. Watching videos and doing some research before buying will save you a ton of cash. Think hard before making a fatal decision! :-) Thanks, Luke! You give great advice!

What a great idea to compare and explain the various "seasons" tents. I had been wondering about some of these things before I buy a tent. I believe some of your other reviews showed Stansport tents to be a DO NOT BUY item. The word "leak" comes to mind. Great review - the best.

Great review. I’m looking for a good casual camping tent for California. We rarely experience extreme cold, but heat can be an issue. I’ve learned a lot from this video. My search continues.

I have not camped before but have been researching products and gathering information. I love this video. I had no idea what these terms actually meant! Thanks!

Really greatful for this channel. I bought the Lynx Mountaineer 1 man tent long before you reviewed it and I used it in summer. Almost gave up camping because of how miserable it was. I use it more for fall/early winter now.

The only tent I currently have is a ZPACK Duplex, a backpacking tent, so my main focus was it being lightweight and waterproof. Ventilation is ok with the doors open. I really like winter camping and I went to Bryce Canyon for Thanksgiving last year and boy howdy! 6°F temperatures in that tent were chilly and breezy! I definitely need to invest in a proper tent for colder weather. Thank you Luke for being an unbiased/honest source of information! Whenever I come to your channel I learn something and really enjoy the content! 💗🖤

This episode is an instant classic! Thanks Luke

Very informative! I learned so much from this talk. I am glad that I have found someone I can trust! Thank you Luke and Susie.

Wow, that was a ton of needed information..thanks..I picked up the light fighter 1 with the four season cover and tried it out last weekend, it really held in the heat even though it only got down to the mid 40,s I think condensation could be a problem with the 4 season cover on, but will need to do trips with it. Thanks for going through all that information.

81k views not a single thumbs down! That tells you what you need to know about the quality of info on this channel! Outstanding as usual!!

Thanks so much for this video! I’m currently shopping for a Fall/Winter tent and I also love in Western NC. This video cleared up a lot of questions! Thanks!

Very informative video lots of great information explaining the differences between the seasonal tents and what may be good for the different situations

Great video so much info.Looks like a 3x3 tarp and mozzy net is the way to go. 15 tents in one with a poncho liner over a good sleeping bag for the fourth season and just the poncho liner in summer. Many thanks John J from across the pond.

Really excited for your tips for using a 3-season tent in wintertime. I'm about to do a week up in Northern Arizona to use up my remaining vacation days lol What I have done is Binder Clip a thermal blanket to the tent poles on top to the tent(to supposedly reflect down the rising heat), and also insulating that with a heavy duty tarp before putting on the rainfly. It seemed to help a bit last winter. A little noisy if there is a lot of wind. VERY dry place, so condensation wasn't much of a problem. I have also been debating about a Mr.Buddy heater though.

Hey Luke, I would love to see you try out some canvas tents in the future, if possible. Realistically limited to vehicle based camping for most (or ATV/SxS), but there are a few small ones out there that you could use in the Autumn/Winter.

Luke, thank you. Searching for my first tent, with a high learning curve. This is helpful!

Thanks so much. A 3+ season tent is what I need, nights are rarely over 15°C , sometimes I wish heat were a problem.

I van camp and everybody seems to make their van inside be like a little room or mini house, but my minivan is really a sleeping pod and for winter & warmth I decided to make the inside a freestanding tent after first considering a winter tent for the inside. I used 3 half inch 10' pvc poles bending them in the back, front behind the seats & in the middle. I then use a 10x8' silver & black tarp using the 10' for the sides, the 8' back to front. With the silver side down, the black side hangs low enough to block the windows & doors providing privacy. The poles are flexible enough to bend against the roof as needed to keep it snug. I then used a 5x7 emergency blanket tarp and put that underneath the first tarp to reflect the heat back to me (your body is a furnace). I tried it just yesterday when the night temp got below freezing and I was perfectly comfortable. So I was happy with my winter van tent/sleeping pod made better by the fact that I don't need to deal with wind or snow weight. I prefer not to use any internal burning heat so as not to worry about C02, but I have a good solar battery that will power a heating pad for 8+ hours, staying on for 2 hours at a time before it shuts off. This would keep my body core or whatever part needed comfortably warm. If worse comes to worst and it's super cold here in Wisconsin I do have a Trangia alcohol heater and with the windows cracked it will raise the inside temp 15 degrees in 10-15 minutes.

This is excellent! Best YT video on tents, many thanks, especially for explaining the difference between 4 and 3 season tents. Years ago I made the mistake buying an expensive expedition tent - really not necessary. Since then I use 3 season tents, very reliable. 🙂

My first impression with your opening view was, hey it's the used tent lot! HA HA. Thank You for your insight, investigation, and experience in your reviews.

Thanks for the info! We are currently looking for tents. Thanks to your channel we just spent a long weekend in the Nantahala area. We stayed in a cabin as we are slowly building up our gear, Thanks to your reviews we are making good decisions and saving up for the quality products that you recommend.

Very thorough and educational! I have a good 3 season tent, but need a 4th season tent for winter camping! Thank you.

awhile back i posted a message asking your opinion on tents for my 2300 mile hike and you answered it thank you

Outstanding info. Thank you for taking the time and just for being so awesome!! 😊

Great video, thanks for doing what you do here! With respect to the issue of venting as well as material and quality, you are bang on...however with respect to winter/4 season camping, perhaps more emphasis should be placed on proper venting as well. Precipitation accumulates regardless of outside temps...and in sub-zero temps (zero is freezing for us Canadians lol), if the tent isn’t well ventilated, the condensation on the inside of the tent can accumulate in the form of snow...so when you wake up and hit the side of the tent, it will snow IN the tent, and onto you. We always keep the door and vents open as much as possible to avoid this as we don’t typically use the tent so much for warmth as much as for shelter (weather conditions considering of course... we don’t want a blizzard or high winds in the tent) and rely much more on having the proper winter gear and clothing to keep warm in the tent.

I use the Snugpak Scorpion 2. I simply love it. I've used it down to freezing teperatures.

As always, thank you for this video. I’m very much looking forward to the 3 Season tent video. I’d love multiple tents, but I just can’t afford em.

Hands down the best tent information video I've seen. Thanks Luke. Being that the "Seasons" issue is so misunderstood and then compounded by false claims and cheap craftsmanship, I would love for you to take another dive into this realm with maybe giving examples or truly reputable tent brands and example tents from each. This would be helpful to steer clear if so many trash products. Thanks again Luke! "Wolf Out!" 🐺

Bro, your videos are SO helpful! Trying to buy a new tent for hunting season. Stressin out but feeling better after this!!!

Great job Luke!! May the force and fun be with you!!

Hey Luke, great review on different tents and their uses…thank you!

WOW. I'm glad I found this. A straight-talker who thinks. Thank you so much.

So helpful. Wish I had watched this before purchasing my 4 season Campal tent

Man, finally someone with some great informative details about these tents.

Thank you for this education. The last time I camped, it was in a canvas pup tent. Who knew that camping was so intense (in tents). (I’ll see myself out.)

I love my 4m x 4m budget blue tarp and 2x trekking poles solution. Never got wet, always handy, got me out of a couple of moist situations.

So many things to consider when buying a tent ! Holy smokes its mind boggling makes me think a camper is just easier and hike out from there man.. thanx luke cleared up alot of issues there take care and thanx again for taking the time to teach us about all the diff types and scams to look out for

Nice presentation Luke. I would have liked to see your thoughts on single-pole, floorless, and trekking pole tents as well.

Good info, I’ve camped in a hammock during all four seasons(in the VA Appalachians), just by changing my underquilt and topquilt. I use the same hammock and tarp year round. After watching this video I believe I’ll stick with my hammock, tents apparently aren’t good for all season use without owning multiple.

I love this segment...I am looking forward to go camping especially in the winter...And I'm looking for the right tent as I live here Ontario Canada where the winter are really frigid...I am a subscriber for 5 years already and I find every vlog very useful...

I have a 30 year old Wild Country Hyperspace and it is a tent for all seasons it has survived 100 mile an hour winds camping in Scotland in winter and also is cool in summer owing to the dual doors front and rear with a choice of using the mesh or material or both on the inner tent doors. One new year in Glencoe the only tents left standing on the campsite in the morning were Wild Country (now Terra Nova) and North Face they are expensive but you do get the quality you paid for.

An honest, informative review...thank you Luke

I recently purchased my first tent. I decided to go for a budget tent as the naturehike mongar II. I live in Central America, I have used it over 10 times so far in very humid and rainy environments and it has worked so well. Most of the gear I have purchased so far, I've done it after watching your reviews and advise. I thank you very much for the info you share. Saludos!!

What an incredible video Luke iv seen this before but it randomly popped up again, this must have taken a lot of planning to put together but I’m sure it will be invaluable to beginners Your still the best and most trustworthy reviewer out there mate S&H

Huge Thumbs Up! Please keep teaching these types of video trainings.

Very good information , straight to the point, you have a very unique skills to expose technical details about your presentation products. Keep the good work! 👍

A very good discussion of the difference in tents. Thanks.

90%of my gear now is based on you're reviews. Keep it up luke and suzie love the channel from 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Thank you so much.This information helps me a lot.

I could not even imagine trying to use my 4 "season" tent any time other than the winter. Very little ventilation, bulky, and extremely heavy. I have never even used it when I was not pulling a pulk. I have the North Face Mountain 25 expedition tent. It might be limited to winter but you love in when it is windy or having a heavy snow event. I do have a one season tent but have only used it on one trip. Have to carry a tarp when you use it when it rains so you might as well bring a 2-3 season. Love your reviews.

Great video, Luke. I think the generalizations you make are basically right for the vast majority of what is on the market today. I do find it interesting to think about some things that existed in historical pole-tensioned fabric tents (from, say the 80s through the turn of the century): You used to get 3-season tents that had a much stronger pole structure, because pretty much all (high quality) tents were using geodesic pole structures with lots of crossing poles and formed triangles. This meant that there were 3-season tents that could handle serious forces (wind etc.). The other thing you used to see was fabric-bodied tents that had **lots** of mesh windows (not just on the doors)) that could be opened or shut so the potential ventilation of the tent body could be varied for hotter or colder conditions. That made for tents that were more versatile in terms of temperature range ... but of course this required more materials, more sewing and more weight, so there is a trade-off. (Alright, I guess I miss companies like Moss and Walrus. Yes, a lot of their later innovations are in current MSR models, but the current stuff doesn't hold a candle to those companies best work in their best years, IMHO).

Cheers mate, much appreciated. Getting into camping and vids are this are making me feel so much better/informed about the things I’m purchasing. 👍👍🇬🇧🇺🇸

Thank you so much for all this Information. It was very interesting as always!

I really appreciate all the info in this video. Thank you ❤

Northeast US here.. Bought a Snugpak Scorpion 3 and has been a great investment. True 4 season beast, got it for around $280 delivered. Even at the current $330/340, it's an absolute steal for the amount of tent you get. Luke has had it out in 2 feet of snow, referred to it as a "hoss" and you frequently see the word "bombproof" used by others. I left it up for almost 2 weeks in rain, sleet, snow, freezing rain and high winds and EVERY time I checked... bone dry. Sheds rain/wind better than anything else I've seen. Especially wind, which is the real killer insofar as shredding lesser tents. The one knock on it is at the top, where people theorize too much heavy snow might collect. In practice, I have yet to find any amount of snow that'll collapse it. Sag a little? Sure. But there's an easy solution - knock some snow off with a tap every few hours. You have to do that with ALL tents BTW, as it's just good housekeeping so to speak. Did I mention how good it is in high winds? Feels like you're inside a tank. Hilenberg? By all accounts, they seem to be great tents. But at 3 to 4x the cost and a 1 year wait, it's hard for me to justify. The material, stitching etc looks to be the absolute best. But I wonder after watching so many videos... how much of its strength comes from the numerous guy lines? It looks to be no small amount. The Scorpion 3 is free standing, and looks to shed wind better when compared head to head where NO guy lines are used. I'm saving for a Hillenberg... but can afford to wait a LONG time. This Snugpak kit is really dynamite. I fear no weather, which in the Northeast US is really saying something. Finally, always carry a tarp. At least 1! They'll make any tent even stronger, can change the color of your tent to whatever you'd like or make dynamite shelters by themselves. Thanks to Luke for all that he does, couldn't have made my decision without you, and very happy with my purchase...

Great video as always. Wanted to share what I've been able to test for those wondering what kinda difference they make. You'll understand if you read further but I didn't take temps in the summer. I'm sure my 4 season was warmer than I feel it was compared to my 3 season. I have an Alps Mountaineering 3 season and 4 season tent, both 3 person. I tested them out in the summer and winter. Both are double wall. 7lbs for the 3 season and 10lbs for the 4 season. The 4 was just as warm as the 3 in the summer, the winter not so much. The 4 was obviously warmer in the winter but the added snow made it that much warmer than the 3 season. Both have great ventilation and when setup correctly, condensation is not a worry. In the winter I tested for 4 days. 1 day was 20-25f without snow, 2 days were 15-20f with snowfall, last day was 25-30f without snowfall but a good 3-5 inches on the ground. The coldest nights it was 13f and inside the 3s was 18f, 4s was 22f (no one inside). When I went in and changed, relaxed, etc (basically tested a night getting ready for bed, moving around and such, I did eventually sleep in both). After I spent 20-30 minutes the 3s was 22f, 4s was 28. The snow changed everything. The 4s (after being in it) was a whopping 33f. 20 degrees warmer than the outside temp. My wife slept with me one night and the temp was around 39f Anyone who has done a winter trip knows how big of a difference that makes. I didn't wake up shivering and I wasn't dreading getting out of my bag to make food. One luxury item is a small fleece blanket that is use on the tent floor so I'm not touching cold plastic first thing in the morning. With a mid November trip planned, I'll be taking my 4 season but will probably buy a new one that is 1 or 2 person. MSR has a great 3 season that I would recommend for the winter that will stand up to the snow. I don't own but have tried it with a buddy and it took the test like a champ. But MSR tends to side with caution. When they post a sleeping bag, they show how they determined their temp and give more details than other companies. You will pay for MSR though but it's gonna be my next tent.

Great video, with a LOT of information. I will, however, say that you left out one type of tent classification, and probably because it is soooo small. Convertible tents, which I know you have reviewed before. I remember the military 3 season tent that has an optional "liner" that converts it to the 4th season that you reviewed. Also, there are ways to "upgrade" lighter 3 season tents to start to enter the 4th season. Basically by covering them with tarps to block wind and add some warmth. Not a real solution, but a way to upgrade in a pinch.😁😉

Bought a Coleman 2 person tent, (meaning it's really a one person tent) which turned out to be a fabulous 3 season tent-- less than $100. Absolutely rainproof and it held up under a severe storm while the rest of my kayaking group suffered collapses and water intrusion. Single layer, excellent ventilation, and an enclosed vestibule which turned out to be priceless in a storm.

You do great reviews your videos are very informational you have helped me out numerous times I really love this channel keep it going I'm one of your greatest fans

Awesome video Luke. I have a big agnes black tail 2 for when me and my wife go out. And a nature hike cloud up 1 person for my solo trips. I use them year round

Thank you for this info . It really helped me a lot.