9 Best Cold Weather Tents That Keep You Safe On Snowy Adventures

Whether you’re a casual camper or a hardcore mountaineer, these are the best cold weather tents.

Camping in the summer and camping in the winter are two very different things.

It gets more and more dangerous for every degree the temperature drops and for every inch of snow that falls. That’s why you need specialized gear for winter camping.

And the most important piece of winter gear you need to get is a top quality cold weather tent.

Your summer tent just isn’t going to get the job done in winter conditions.

Sure… you can always build a natural shelter out of what’s available.

But it’s not smart to rely only on your survival skills to improvise a shelter.

They can take a while to build and as the temperature drops your hands can become numb very quickly.

So in frigid climates, cold weather tents that set up in minutes can become the difference between life and death.

Winter tents come in all different shapes and sizes to fit your needs, no matter what your budget is.

In fact the variety of tents available can be overwhelming.

That’s why I put together this list of only the best winter camping tents.

These are the tents you can count on to save your ass in the freezing cold.

All the tents on this list have 2 things in common: they are built for warmth and to protect you from the freezing elements.

If you have the preparedness mindset – so you can be ready for anything at any time, then owning a cold weather tent is a key piece of equipment.

It’s your foundation for surviving the extreme cold. It’s your warm, mobile cabin in the dead of winter.

So let’s get started picking the right one for you.

When looking at cold weather tents, there are a few things you need to consider:

What are you going to use your cold weather tent for?

Expeditions require much different equipment than family fishing weekends or weekend hike at the local state park. So it all depends on what you plan to do.

If you plan on staying in Alaska for a month long hunting trip, you’ll need a big, heavy duty tent.

If you decide to spend a night out on the trail doing a quick weekend thru-hike, then a lightweight tent (or even a tarp) may be your answer.

Will you carry the tent or are you going to pack it in a vehicle?

There is only so much weight you can carry on your back. If you are hauling your gear by car or truck to your campsite, then you can obviously bring a much bigger and heavier tent.

Frigid weather generally requires you to bring a heavier four-season tent.

So if you intend to use your cold weather tent for “car camping” where you haul it in by vehicle only, then you can go big.

If you are winter hiking with a backpack into the backcountry, then you’ll want to keep it light.

How many people does the tent need to house and how much gear will be accommodated?

If you have a large party of people (your whole family or a bunch of buddies) with a bunch of gear and supplies, then you’ll need a big tent. If you are hiking solo and you are taking a minimalist approach, then a small tent will do.

9 Best Cold Weather Tents On The Market Today

It’s easy to become overwhelmed by the choices of 4 season winter tents. There are so many tents to choose from.

So we’ve put together this list of the best winter camping tents. These are the tents you’ll want to have when the temperature drops.

Some are bigger and others smaller, and some have more features than others. But they all do basically the same thing: keep you warm and dry.

Best Large Cold Weather Tents – Like Coming Back To A Cabin

1. Arctic Oven Tent 12’x18′ With Vestibule – Best Large Tent

Let’s start with the biggest and warmest tent.

The Arctic Oven is a good name for this tent. It really is a tent for the arctic.

This is one of the best extreme cold weather tents on the market.

This double wall structure traps in so much heat, you won’t know how cold it is outside.

The 12’x18′ model is gigantic. It is rated as an 8 person tent. In summer, you can fit 10 people.

But in winter with the wood stove set up, realistically, it will sleep 4 to 5 (maybe 6) men comfortably (with cots). It will house all their gear and a small table as well.

(See the best tent stoves that will keep this tent warm and dry.)

Pros:

This arctic-ready tent is rock solid in windy and snowy conditions. The advanced materials make it virtually weatherproof.

Cons:

You will not be backpacking this tent since it weighs 110 lbs. Set up is a two person job and takes time. The cost is steep so consider it an investment.

Check Out The Arctic Oven Tent.

If you don’t need a four season tent to be that big, the Arctic Oven comes in a variety of sizes with lots of options.

This video shows this excellent winter tent being set up:

Best 3 Person Cold Weather Tents – Weatherproof Shelter, Big Adventure

Mountain Hardwear Trango Tent – Best Overall Tent

The Mountain Hardwear Trango tents became instant favorites when they were first introduced in the 1990’s.

And they have been improved continuously since then.

Now they have become one of the most tried-and-true extreme weather tents on the market today.

The Mountain Hardwear Trango models along with North Face VE 25 models are the gold standard for 4 season mountaineering tents.

Made for alpine conditions, they can handle any big-mountain bad weather that mother nature can throw at them.

Mountain Hardwear wind-tunnel tested the newest Trango 3 version and it withstood sustained winds of 80 mph.

It has a low profile and solid pole configuration.

The fly hugs the ground and sheds the rain effectively.  It also keeps snow from drifting under.

The near vertical walls and roomy floor make it feel like a safe bunker instead of a tent. You’ll find all the space you need in the tent and vestibule.

The 3 person model weighs in at 11 lbs 4 oz., slightly heavier than the North Face VE 25.

The Mountain Hardwear Trango comes in 2, 3 and 4 person models so you can find a tent size that fits your adventures.

Pros:

This is a rock-solid tent that will get you through the worst winter weather. And it does not sacrifice space to do it.

Cons:

The peak height is 38 inches. Tall people may find that a little low. (But that’s what gives this tent its aerodynamic shape that makes it so stable in the wind).

North Face VE 25 Tent

As mentioned above, the North Face VE 25 tent has set and maintained the standard for 4 season tents along with the Mountain Hardwear Trango tents.

This tent is designed and built for mountaineering expeditions and has been tested over and over again in the most extreme environments.

Every update to the design has made it stronger, lighter and more bombproof to the weather.

The 3 person tent weighs in at a reasonable 10 lbs 5 oz. It has 48 sq. ft of floor space which can actually fit 3 people. The 11.5 sq. ft vestibule can hold a decent amount of gear.

48 inches of peak height is generous for a wind shedding mountaineering tent.

Nemo Chogori 3 Person Mountaineering Tent

From the award winning Nemo Equipment Manufacturing Co. in Maine, this tent fills the gap between the extreme mountaineering tents like the Mountain Hardwear Trango and North Face VE 25, and lighter 3 season tents more suitable for backpacking.

The Trango and VE 25 are bulky at 11.25 lbs and 10.5 lbs respectively and they both take up a large part of your backpack.

Enter the Nemo Chogori.

This tent is a solid 4 season winter tent that weighs 8.4 lbs, nearly 3 lbs lighter. It is a bit smaller at 44.3 sq. ft of floor space compared to 48 sq. ft for both the Trango and VE 25. So it’s tight for 3 adults.

This is more of a roomy 2 person dome tent.

The fly is made from 30D Sil Nylon Ripstop, and the tent canopy is made from 20D Nylon Ripstop fabric. The floor is 70D PeU Nylon.

The fly and tent body are integrated into one. That means set up and takedown are quicker – critical in extreme cold weather conditions.

It uses silicone impregnated nylon (sil nylon) allowing for the use of thinner nylon while staying waterproof.

This makes for a smaller package that takes up less space in your backpack.

With its ample vents, it is versatile enough to use as a warm weather camping tent as well.

An added bonus: 2 Chogori tents can be connected together to form one large tent.

Pros:

Nemo provides a lifetime warranty so you know this is a reliable tent for extreme weather. Quick setup and takes up less space in your pack. One of the true 4 season tents.

Cons:

Slightly smaller than other expedition tents (For 2 people, it’s great). Fly and body are integrated so if they get wet, can take longer to dry.

Best 2 Person Tents For Cold Weather – Fast And Light

North Face Mountain 25 Tent – Best 2 Person Cold Weather Tent

The Mountain 25 is the 2 person version of the North Face VE 25 Expedition Tent.

And just like its larger version, the Mountain 25 provides the same impressive weather resistance and comfort in all seasons.

Its sturdy pole design can withstand snow and strong winds.

With good ventilation and roomy vestibules makes this tent an excellent basecamp and expedition tent.

The pack weight of this winter tent is 8 lbs 13 oz, making it a manageable load if your packing it in on your back. 32.2 sq. ft. of floor area provides enough room for 2 people while 41 inch peak height allows 2 people to sit up easily.

The 12 sq. ft of vestibule space takes care of the gear. By comparison, the Mountain Hardwear Trango 2’s main vestibule holds 12 sq. ft. as well.

The combination of quality design and materials makes this a bomber tent. It will keep you safe from the elements during winter’s fury.

MSR Access 2 Tent

When MSR design the Access 2 tent, they had backcountry enthusiasts in mind. It fills the specific need for a durable winter tent that is also lightweight enough to be carried in a backpack.

Now, this is usually a pretty serious trade-off. But the Access 2 manages to accomplish both. Very well.

MSR’s goal was to produce a tent that was lighter than a mountaineering tent, but warmer than a regular backpacking tent.

So, how does it do that?

By using much less mesh and more material to keep it warmer. But that material is lighter weight fabric coated with DuraShield.

The lightest cold weather tent on our list (… by far)

So the pack weight for this tent is 4 lbs 1 oz. (The minimum weight is 3 lbs 10 oz.) This is a ridiculously low weight for a winter tent that can handle backcountry weather.

The Access 2 uses cutting edge Easton Cyclone poles that can handle snow loads and high wind without breaking.

The 29 sq. ft. of floor space provides enough room for 2 people but not much extra space.  Luckily, the vestibules are ample and can hold all your gear.

This tent comes in a solo 1 person version.

So how does it handle warmer weather?

The tent still uses some mesh for the top portion of the tent providing good ventilation. So condensation is not a problem.

So MSR has managed to design and make a true 4 season tent.

Hilleberg Jannu 2 Cold Weather Tent

This is another contender for an extreme cold weather tent choice.

The Jannu 2 holds up against the worst conditions with bombproof protection.

What really stands out about this tent is its pitch-the-outside-first design.

The poles assemble to the outside of the fly and you set up the fly first (easily done with gloves).

The poles insert into sleeves and they stand up by themselves so you don’t have to balance the poles while trying to assemble another.

These smart design features make this one of the easiest and quickest set-up tents of the bunch.

Also, by setting up the fly first, it allows you to get out of bad weather under the fly while you set up the tent.

The tent sets up by clipping to toggles that are attached to the underside of the fly. If you have spent any time trying to set up your tent in bad winter weather, then you know how invaluable the outside-pitch-first design is.

The Jannu is an expedition quality tent that is strong but manages to keep the packed weight down to a decent 7 lbs.

It has an above-average floor area of 34.5 sq. ft. But that doesn’t take into account the tapered angle at the rear of the tent which takes away from usable space. You can sit up in the front of the tent but not in the rear. This is the trade-off between livability and strength.

Top-tier silnylon fabrics make the Jannu 2 an expedition ready bombproof shelter.

If you’re looking for something you can use in all 4 seasons, this one is not the one. This is a true winter tent built for high alpine conditions.

Big Agnes Battle Mountain 2 Tent

Another top-notch mountaineering cold weather tent. The Battle Mountain is a tested and proven expedition tent that has seen its fair share of Everest.

The folks at Big Agnes worked with Chhiring Dorje Sherpa (who has summited Everest 16 times), to develop and test many of the design features of this tent.

The Battle Mountain comes as a standard double wall extreme cold weather tent that uses quick-connect features so the tent can be set up in harsh conditions quickly while wearing gloves.

It weighs in at 7 lbs 8oz, respectably light enough to carry in a backpack.

The floor area is 31 sq. ft. which is ok, but it has 2 vestibules totalling a good 13.5 sq. ft. for all your gear.

This rugged 4 season tent stands up to the harshest winter winds and snow.

It has one of the best ruggedness to weight ratios of all 4 season tents.

The Big Agnes Battle Mountain comes in a 3 person model as well.

Big Agnes has done a great job walking that fine line in the weight-to-toughness trade-off.

They have found what is perhaps a better design formula for producing a bombproof tent at a lighter weight than its competitors.

Here’s a video rundown of the cold weather tent’s features.

Snugpak Scorpion 2 Camping Tent

What happens when you combine a proven tent design with “fly-first” pitch capability and modern materials?

You get a lightweight, 2 person expedition tent that sets up in less than a minute (with a little practice).

The 3 opposing pole design for tents has been around for a long time. It used to be the go-to design for lightweight, free-standing tents.

As fabrics and poles got lighter, manufacturers were afforded the opportunity to play with more intricate designs.

While many have long since moved away from the 3 opposing pole design, Snugpak took this proven design and made it better with its Scorpion tents.

With external pole sleeves, you pitch the fly first. But Snugpak has made it possible to still have the tent attached while pitching the fly.  So the fly and tent can set up in one shot.

This is not the tallest tent but it isn’t meant to be. The lower profile sheds the wind better and allows this tent to handle rough weather.

It also creates more stealth in the woods.

At 5 lbs 8 oz., it’s not as light as summer backpacking tents. But for a tent meant for extreme conditions, that is very lightweight! (The only tent lighter on this list is the MSR Access 2, which is more of a backcountry tent instead of a true expedition tent.)

The materials allow this tent to stand up to the worst conditions. The fly is made from PU coated 210t ripstop nylon. The tent fabric is 190t ripstop nylon. No-see-um mesh keeps bugs out in summer.

The olive green or coyote tan color helps make this a low visibility option. The Scorpion’s low visibility and low profile make it a perfect bug out tent.

The Snugpak Scorpion also comes in a 3 person option.

Budget Choice – Adventure Without The Price Tag

ALPS Mountaineering Tasmanian 2 Tent – Best Budget Tent

I know… this is supposed to be the 9 best cold weather tents.

So let’s call this is our bonus pick.

Look.  Any manufacturer can call their tent “4 season”, but that doesn’t really mean it is.  That’s why it’s important to do your research and find out which tents have been proven to be the best.

And like most things, you get what you pay for.  So 4 season tents that are worth their weight tend to be pricey.

But we get it…  Not all winter outings are going to be summiting Mount Everest in gale force winds.

So why fork out the big bucks when we need something a little less extreme?

The ALPS Mountaineering Tasmanian 2 is our budget cold weather tent pick.  This is not an expedition tent but it handles snow and winter weather competently.

This winter tent performs well for the types of snowy adventures that most people will use it for, like winter camping, snowshoeing or summer mountaineering.

But it is not built for extreme winds and snow loads. (If you’re going into a high alpine environment with questionable weather and potential high winds, you will want to consider some other tent.)

The Tasmanian 2 is pretty straightforward to set up. Simply assemble the poles, insert into the tabs attached to the tent, then clip the tent clips to the poles. Its quick and easy assembly with gloves will be appreciated on cold days.

At 7 lbs 7 oz., it’s pretty heavy for a 2 person tent that isn’t bombproof. But, it has a decent 34.5 sq. ft. of floor space, 13 sq. ft of vestibule and a generous 46 in. peak height. That makes it quite a comfortable space for 2 people.

Where this tent really shines is its price. It is one of the most reasonably priced 4 season tents on the market. (The Snugpak Scorpion 2 comes close.)

Because of its price and solid performance in below-treeline winter camping, The Alps Mountaineering Tasmanian 2 provides great value in a winter camping tent.

To see more critical items for your survival kit, check out our Survival Gear List.

Here are some important questions about cold weather tents that you should be asking yourself to find the best option for you

• What temperature ranges do I expect to camp in when I use this tent?
• What activities am I planning to use this tent for? Is this casual weekend winter camping, thru-hike, car camping, backcountry ski weekend? Or am I planning an alpine ascent?
• Is the tent made specifically for snowy conditions? Does it have features that can deal with heavy snowfall?
• How much more does a 4 season tent weigh compared to a 3 season? Can I carry it in a backpack? Do the added benefits justify the extra weight?
• Do I want one tent that can be used in all the seasons? Or do I want gear that is more specialized and perhaps performs better for that specific season?
• If condensation can be an issue in 4 season tents, how does the tent handle moisture in cold and in warmer weather? Is it an issue I’m willing to tolerate to get the extra protection from the elements?
• What does a 4 season tent do better than a 3 season tent? And vice versa, what does a 3 season tent do better?