Stop calling a 4-season tent a 3-season tent because you bought it in July

I spent last weekend at a site in the Sierras where the temp dropped to 28 and this guy next to me was shivering in his "4-season" tent he bought at a big box store. How do you know the difference? Check if the poles are aluminum and the fly goes all the way to the ground - anything else is just marketing fluff.

3 comments

3 Comments

jennysullivan1mo ago

Right, saw a guy shivering in his "winter" tent last year too.

valw361mo ago

Look, if a tent kept you alive and dry, does the label really matter that much? Most people aren't climbing Everest, they're just trying not to get wet at a state park. Maybe ease up on the gatekeeping and let the guy be warm enough next time.

the_charlie20d ago

Used to think it was all just marketing hype and that any tent with a full fly would do the trick. Then I took a "4 season" cheapo from a big box store up to Tuolumne in October and spent the whole night watching my breath fog up the mesh while the wind tried to fold the poles in half. Straight up felt like I was in a wind tunnel with a garbage bag over me. Now I get it, and @jennysullivan might be laughing because I was that guy shivering last year before I wised up. Lesson learned the hard way.