4season tent question!

[Zoran]

I just got this message from one of tentmakers in Canada. Could you please give your comment/opinion about minimum waterproofness for 4-season tent?

Thanks so much for your time.

Zoran

 

 

"Dear Zoran,

 

 

 

Thank you for your e-mail inquiry. You bring up an interesting topic, one that is being discussed in the outdoor industry quite a bit. Many manufacturers seem to be chasing each other with thicker and thicker waterproof coatings on their tents. The idea being that more is better, and will mean better sales. Keep in mind that a higher waterproof rating means less breathability for the tent, something that is already problematic because of the specs of a 4-season tent. Also, every time another layer of PU coating is applied to a fabric, it weakens the fabric somewhat. These same manufacturers who are using higher waterproof ratings were using 1500-2000mm ratings for years on their mountaineering tents and promoting them as the best available.

 

 

 

Due to the vulnerability of a nylon floor a ground sheet should be used, and this ground sheet will make up a big part of the waterproof characteristics of the floor as a whole. More and more waterproof coatings can eventually become redundant.

 

 

 

As far as our tents matching the quality of other tents around, I am assuming you are referring to other 4-season tents. Our specs and quality match up very well to other manufacturers. Where they are spending a lot of money on 10,000mm coatings and advertising in magazines, we are not. And this difference is reflected in the retail price. If you need 2000 – 10,000mm waterproof coatings on you tent, these tents are available at a higher price. If not, our tents are ready for winter use, and available at a reasonable price.

 

 

 

Best regards,

 

..."

[alpinerock]

A better question would be single or double walled tents. All 4-season tents on the market today will hold up well and maintain the waterproofness for nearly the entire life of the tent. My favorites are any Mountain Hardwear or any Bibler.

Cheers and good luck.