Two-person winter/mountaineering tents begin around $250 and run as much as several hundred dollars higher. With the added gear and clothing required in winter, two campers will need a roomy two-person or even a three-person tent.
A less-expensive option than buying a winter tent to supplement your three-season trooper would be to purchase a convertible tent. Convertibles are three-season tents that utilize an added pole and nylon panels that zip over mesh walls to increase sturdiness and warmth for winter conditions. Convertible tents are fine for many winter trips but are less hardy than true mountaineering tents and tend not to ventilate as well.
No matter which tent you choose, you'll want to buy specially designed snow stakes to replace the ones that are standard-issue with most tents. If you're in the field and get caught without enough stakes, create a"dead man" by burying skis, poles, snowshoes, rocks, sticks, a piece of gear, or a stuff sack filled with snow tied off to a guyline.
In a well-chosen four-season tent, you'll be able to ride out the worst that winter can deliver.
Michael Lanza is a regular contributor to several outdoor magazines and author of The Ultimate Guide to Backcountry Travel (AMC Books) and New England Hiking (Foghorn Press).
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