Tents | Mountain Tents | Camping Equipment
Mountain Tents / Expedition Tents Advice
Mountain
tents and expedition tents
are simply the ultimate tent for 4 season camping in almost all
conditions, all weather and all altitudes. The terms expedition
tent and mountain
tent will be used interchangeably. Expedition tents
are made for the unparalled test of extreme weather conditions, such as
blizzards, torrential rain, extreme minus temperatures and winds.
Mountain tents are naturally put through the most rigorous of tests, so it might be that you are looking for a tent as an investment and not to throw away at the end of summer. Due to their extensive testing, mountain tents can provide you with a shelter that can literally weather almost all conditions you throw at it, making them very versatile and durable. For this reason, mountain and expedition tents have become increasingly popular with the recreational camper as well as the adventurer.
Geodesic Expedition Tent Designs
Mountain tents / expedition tents tend to be geodesic tent designs. Geodesic tents are recognised as being the most stable tent structure at the least weight. Geodesic tents are designed to be aerodynamic, thus letting the wind pass over them with as little fuss as possible. So when the wind hits the side of the tent, it is directed over the tent, rather than through the tent and tearing it! The strength and rigidity of geodesic tents comes from the extensive use of interlocking triangles and polygons. Geodesic structures are the only man-made structure that get proportionally stronger as they get larger.
Many geodesic tents have lower profiles to reduce their wind resistance further, so most of the living in mountain tents is done sat or knelt down, but this way tent warmth is more easily retained too.
Geodesic tent designs come in a variety of designs still, including 2, 3 and 4 (or more) pole designs. Most of the mountain tents that CheapTents.com sells are 4 pole geodesic designs, as these retain what many people consider to be the optimum amount of headroom space right through the tent, strength and weight for a mountain tent. Symmetric 4 pole, geodesic tent designs have a higher level of resilience to the wind from any direction and can withstand high levels of snow drift on their side, as opposed to asymmetric 2 and 3 pole geodesic tent designs. The narrow dome of these geodesic mountain tents avoids the problem of snow collecting on your roof.
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Mountain Tent Features
Imagine what is required for a mountain tent during the extremes of a winter expedition ...
- The mountain tent must withstand extreme winds, possibly up to 100 miles/hour or more! (Category 5 hurricane wind speed is 156mph).
- The tent door zips can't freeze shut.
- Windows to check the weather without compromising on heat, but must be must be crack tested to withstand up to -50°C temperatures.
- Ventilation must be easily managed to promote liveable conditions when cooking, reduce condensation and stuffiness.
- Guylines must be ultra secure and strong for extra rigidity - possibly requiring a camming device.
- Extremely high tenacity and denier and fabrics are needed to avoid tearing in strong winds and snow drifts.
- Incredibly high hydrostatic head (waterproofing ability), often around 7,000-10,000mm.
- Silicone coated flysheet for additional waterproofing guarantee .
- Pole geometry must prevent the inner and outer tent from sagging (which could potentially act as a sail or collect water).
- Must of course be simple and quick to pitch in poor weather - colour coded tent poles and an intuitive build process are a bonus.
- Some mountain tents must also occupy very little space to allow them to be perched on small ledges on the side of mountains.
- Continuous pole sleeves should be used to spread the strain of the winds across a large area of the flysheet / inner fabric.
- Must be free-standing (i.e. retains its shape when not pegged out). This means that if a tent peg comes lose then it does not put unnecessary / excessive strain on other areas of the tent.
- Repairable. It's often a great advantage if the worst comes to the worst that you can repair the damage sustained to avoid returning home with a broken tent. Tent repair kits and tent accessories are vital.
- The inner tent must be able to withstand high levels of condensation, which forms easily in cold climates. Ideally, inner tents should have a degree of water repellency, as condensation can form on the flysheet and drip onto the inner.
- Bathtub groundsheets must come higher than most to prevent the inner tent getting wet from touching the ground, snow or from rain bounce off the ground.
- Lightweight, or even ultralight 3 or 4 season mountain tents are becoming more and more common to help reduce your backpack weight.
- Fire retardant inner is an advantage if you will be cooking inside the tent (although not recommended!).
- Flysheet zip must open from the top in case of snow accumulation.
- Two entrances are often helpful for gear storage, cooking, or simply to allow access or escape in case snow accumulates on the outside of one of the doors.
It's now easy to see why mountain tents cost that little bit extra. It's not uncommon though to hear people talk about how they have been testing their mountain tent in extreme conditions from Terra Nova or The North Face for ten years or more so they're certainly worth the investment! A £400 tent then becomes £40 per year - the same price as a really cheap camping tent!
Mountain Tent Accessories
Tent gear lofts - a great way to store gear out of the way that is often used to by explorers to dry their gear out of the way. They're inexpensive, lightweight and are easily fitted.
Tent Groundsheet protectors / footprints - let's be honest, mountain and expedition tents cost a little bit more than your average summer camping tent, so an excellent way to look after it is to lay-down a groundsheet protector (aka footprint), to prevent unseen rocks from splitting the groundsheet - potentially a costly mistake. Footprints are inexpensive, very popular with outdoor enthusiasts and highly recommended!
Tent repair kit - unexpected things happen when you're out and about in the outdoors, be prepared with spare tent accessories, flysheets, guy ropes, poles and other items to repair your tent.
Tent cleaner - look after your tent on your return, and consider tent cleaner. After high-levels of condensation, exposure to dust, grime, mud, snow, oils from cooking and a whole host of other things, make sure you restore your mountain tent to its full capacity. Tent cleaner also help to rejuvenate water repellent features, and reduces wetting out.
Snow valances - some expedition tents actually come with snow valances but consider adding them if you are going to be sustaining long periods of heavy snow or extreme weather. They keep draughts to a minimum, and provide space for rocks when pegs can be difficult to use. Some manufacturers, such as Terra Nova, will add snow valances to their tents for a small fee, whereas other mountain tents, such as The North Face, are sold with them as standard.
Mountain Tent Manufacturers
The North Face Mountain Tents
The North Face Summit Series has been
developed for the most serious athletes. The Summit Series tents
feature The North Face's most technically-advanced and tested tents.
This premier collection is designed for expedition use from base camp
to summit, where the extremes of weather, terrain and temperature
demand the highest level of performance from your tent.
Terra Nova Mountain Tents
Terra
Nova are a brand that has drawn a great amount of respect from outdoor
enthusiasts, and who have become specialists in manufacturing
ultralight tents and mountain tents. These tents are made in the UK and
can have bespoke alterations and repairs added to them post-purchase at
their Derbyshire factory, which means that a mountain tent is really a
great investment.
Other 4 season tent manufacturers include: Mountain Equipment, Vango, MSR, Vaude and Wild Country (from Terra Nova). These can be seen in the camping tent shop.