Alpine Climbing Tents, what we've used, what we liked...or didn't
So over the years we've used a few varieties of tents and some I've liked, some I have not. After sitting through storms in the mountains here are my thoughts on features I think are valuable and things or materials I think just don't do well. Below are some different types of tents and my thoughts on useage.
If you're going to camp in the snow you're going to dig!
Cook Tents:
On longer expeditions it's not uncommon to have a separate cook tent. As nice as it is to have a vestibule, cooking in one for 2-3 weeks will really mess up your back. For most people the pyramid style tents are where it's at. In deep snow you can dig down to create a seating area and it becomes kind of the social gathering spot. since stoves are running and all the bodies it can be pretty comfortable. These are generally all single wall so condensation can happen but they're pretty versatile for a variety of uses.
Pro Tips:
Use a stove board to keep your stove from melting into the snow. While a large shovel blade on a shorter trip is good enough the long hours of melting snow make a stove board a useful addition.
If you can line your seating area with something to sit on like a pad, packs, duffels, ski bags, it can make it a little more comfortable.
We're not fancy enough for the gigantic dome shelter so here are the pyramid style cook tents that we've used and some thoughts.
BD Mega Light: Previously or more recognizable as the Mega Mid, Black Diamond did a little updating adding some extra guylines but not much change to the original design. They're decently light, affordable, and no frills. This is probably why it's the most common cook tent you'll see in places like Alaska. While it's a simple desing one thing I wish was different was the color. I think the old blue and black kind of heated up but it looks kind of dark inside at times. These can also be paired with bug nets for a summer shelter as well so they're pretty versatile.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Ultamid 4: Same basic design but almost exaclty half the weight of the BD version but a little bit bigger as well. If you've got the scratch and really want to save weight then this is a good buy. Because it's made from a dyneema fabric it is also fairly durable and you can definitely crank on these things. The color is something I don't like for snow because it is very hard to see from a distance and because dyneema is basically waterproof the concondesation inside while cooking seems to be a little more than nylon options. Not that those don't rain inside a little as well. Other than that it's got the same bug netting and flooring options as the other ones.
MSR Front Range: This might be my favorite one just because of the color. It's nice and bright which makes it easy to find althought being inside it during long sunny periods kind of works my eyes. Other than that it's comparable in size and price. Still can add the bug net and floor.
For me it's between the MSR and BD. None of them are bad so the one that is on sale would be my pick if you're not counting grams for some reason.
Basecamp Tents:
These are usually the bigger dome tents you see in the valleys or or more established campsites on bigger mountain routes like Denalli. They're roomier, heavier, but tend to be pretty bomber for their size. While there are single wall and double wall versions. Single wall tents have a breathable fabric and tend to be lighter but the double wall design tends to handle condensation better. For basecamp or advanced camps I want to be comfy so I tend to go with the double wall versions. They've got so many guylines they're about as bomber and comfy of a tent as you're going to get.
Pro Tips:
Get a basecamp tent with a vestibule. Having all your stuff strewn about the cook tent or inside with you is frustrating and makes things hard to find. A little added space is super helpful and my personal preference is tents with a front and back vestibule.
Dig a footwell in the vestibule where you get in and out. If you dig a little spot in front of the door it will make putting on boots and stuff a little easier and not so tight when getting out.
Stand things up in camp. Skis, poles, anything tall can stand up so it doesn't get buried. If it's something short either flag it with a wand or another tall piece of gear. Nothing like probing for that gallon of fuel that got buried in the storm...
The designs are once again fairly similar but there are some that I think are just a little better than others.
Camping below Blanca Peak in the Convert 3
Sierra Designs Convert 3: This tent is surprisingly good. On a recent trip to Alaska it held up to the elements well. On another trip to the Sangre De Cristos it is spacious for two and not cramped for three. With nearly a dozen guylines it held up to several feet of snow and 70+mph winds. It's fairly long and narrow making it possible to take up a more technical route if you knew you might have some long but narrow ledges. At a little over 6 lbs it's not far off in weight from some assault style tents you're more likely to use on a technical route. It's also relatively inexpensive but theres a bit of a catch there. Mine is developing holes. One large in the vestibule and a small one on the floor of the main body. Commonly on expeditions you may need to dig the tent out lest it be consumed by raging winds and snow. If the shovelers aren't careful this will happen. Lightweight always comes with a cost. I also feel like it can be hard to break down when it's been frozen in place. On the way home from the last Alaska trip I was busting my knuckles trying to get the poles unfrozen from the ground without losing the pole tips that slide into metal clips on the body. Luckily I didn't lose any but these should of been glued or crimped in place. Overall I like the two spacious vestibules and it hits the sweet spot of cost, comfort, weight, and size. The yellow color makes it pretty nice to hang out in as well. Given the cost it's currently my favorite.
BD Mission 3: I feel like BD generally has some good innovations. Not sure this is one of them though. It's heavy, it's costly, and it's not much bigger than any of the other basecamp tents like the Trango 3 or North Face 25. While the pitch with the poles on the outside is a good idea and keeps things from getting thrashed when setting up in a storm the configuration has kind of a lot going on and it feels depressing inside. The vestibules are tiny and sloping so it feels cramped even though the inside is plenty spacious. If you need it big and bomber this could be a good option but there are cheaper ones that are easier to set up.
MSR Remote 3: With a pretty standard design this I feel like this is a good compromise option. It's not the lighest or cheapests but it's a good size and it's bomber. The color makes it feel a little cheerier inside and the set up will be familiar to anyone who has ever put up a tent in their life. It has a sensible use of space for what you'd expect from an expedition style tent. No fluff and straight to the point. I've always liked the quality of MSR gear so the durability of this doesn't give me cause for concern. This is a a little bit roomier than the Convert 3 and a lot pricier though. For your money you get some good durability and a bomber tent.
I'd likely stick with the Convert 3 despite some durability and quality control concerns. It's proved itself in fairly severe mountain terrain and weather and for almost half the cost of the others it might be a good introductory mountaineering tent for someone who might not be ready to commit to something that is more money than their rent if they're not really going to live in it.
The Assault Tent
For those who are doing big routes where speed is a factor but there are sufficient ledges for a small tent these are what people usually bring. They're not great for just lounging around. They lack features but they're light and protect you from the most horrific of weather. I will start this off by saying these are kind of a niche item. You likely know if this is something you need. Because they're usually single wall tents you can expect there is going to be some moisture inside. Depending on the route and the conditions I will sometimes forego these for a bothy bag or open bivvy. If it sounds like I'm complaining about these it's because I am. Nobody has really been come up with something without lots of compromises. Something like the Samaya Radical 3 looks like a great tent but even though I haven't used it the costs is huge for such a small amount of materials and it's just not so significantly better than tents that cost half as much.
Pro Tip:
Most tents have a handful of unnecesary things like screens, clips, tags, or too many pockets. Particularly for the tent that you're dragging up a route it's worth it in my opinion to trim the fat. The gentle use of a razor blade can save another ounce that you can then substitute in things like fuel or food that will actually help you.
It's snowing on me!
BD Bibler Tents: While they really only offer the Awhanee now the Bibler tents used to be the go to single wall tent design and many current designs are based off these. I will say that despite having owned several different ones (I tent, Awhanee, Tempest) I really don't like any of them. First of all the poles are really tough to get in. While this gives you a great, tight pitch I had a client trying to set up the tent accidentally let go of the pole leaving a gaping hole in the floor! The repair was far from adequate so it ended up in the trash. Outside the corners the floor fabric is nowhere nearly as durable as the rest of the tent and I would even say delicate. But the body is pretty durable. If you don't like getting snowed on or rained on in your sleep then these aren't the tents for you. Condensation is an issue with every single wall design but if it's snowing out the only way to keep it out is to close all the ventilation. Your breath condenses and freezes on the inside. Recently I even had a tent that saturated with moisture due to warm temps and then basically froze into a sheet of ice overnight. Packing that away was a task! A while ago these were top of the line. I just feel like there are better options at a better price point for what this style of tent is designed for.
BD Hilight and Firstlight: With the Hilight being essentially a copy of the Awhanee and Firstlight being the I Tent these are really just an adjustment of fabric and some minor design changes. Despite more breathable fabric these still suffer condensation issues. The designs are easy so they both come in a 2 person and 3 person version but they'll be tight for whatever you have. I know people who've shoved 3 into a Firstlight but they didn't recommend it and having slept by myself in one they still aren't without a little claustrophobia when the snow builds up and starts pushing the sides in. Of the two different designs I prefer the Hilight with it's big doors and a little better ventilation and space. It's not usually the tent you want. But sometimes it's the tent you need.
MSR Advance Pro: It's a little lighter, a little more expensive, and roughly the same size as all the other 2 person assault tents. I actually like the poles being on the outside. There are times when it can be worth crawling into the tent and setting up on the inside while it rages outside but that's not really fun or easy. I think the hardest part is this tent is constructed from a polyurethane that doesn't have quite the durability of Silnylon but still pretty good for what it's being used for.
Mainly because I think none of them are that great the Bibler tents end up getting replaced by the Hilight. There's kind of a cost per gram thing going on when you get into the higher end tents. If I was sponsored by somebody or thought it was critical to the mission I might spend the extra money but I don't think I've ever been on a climb where an extra couple ounces was really going to make the difference and could not be made up for in any other aspect of the packing.
General thoughts on camp set up:
Keep in mind wind direction. On my most recent trip to AK we dug down a little far and set the tents up in kind of a triangle. The cooridor this formed kind of created a bit of a wind tunnel and everything around it would fill up with snow during storms. Not the end of the world but a little annoying. In places where the wind tends to come from a particular direction, down glacier, for example. I like to set up with the back of the tent to the predominant wind direction lengthwise to get a little less flapping. A lot of expedition tents have valances you can bury (or let them bury themselves after a storm). These keep the drafts down and the flapping as well.
Dig bigger than you think. When stomping out a platform go wider and longer than you think your tent is but not too deep. The wider and longer will save you a little labor on digging out. If you dig far down you're just doing extra work. Define your tent area and then build the walls up instead. Anything taller than the tent will keep you out of the wind but a lot of snow will settle around the tent and you'll have to dig more. Pick your poison.
Careful with the sharps. All of my tents have small or sometimes larger holes that I usually repair. Shovel blades, careless crampon storage or a ski falling in the wind can change that shelter into a liability very quickly. Little duct tape can be an ok field fix but a sewn patch is more durable.
A small sponge or towel can be a great addition. We work hard to keep moisture out but it's simply not possible over the long term. A little sponge can clean up the moisture and any other nastiness over a long trip.
Over tent and over size for basecamp. Opposite for on technical routes. Nothing wrong with each person getting a separate tent or spreading out a little. Sometimes I'll leave the assault tent set up in camp for either a solo tent or extra gear storage. When considering what to carry up a big route you've got to pair it down though. 3 people can squeeze into a 2 person tent for an emergency. Not like you were going to sleep any better with the wind flapping you than your two buddies spooning you.
Rethinking life choices after 2 feet of snow overnight
