Tent that will hold up to wind?

[NikieJ]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a reasonably priced tent in the four-person size range that will hold up well to strong winds? I have been going to Death Valley semi-regularly with some friends, and the last time, we got sustained winds that were probably around 40 mph, with gusts that were significantly worse. The rather old, six-person tent we were in was blown almost flat, and one of the poles broke. We had to sleep in the car. Not fun.

I'm hoping to find a replacement that will hold up if we get those kinds of conditions again. We usually go up in small groups (two or three people) so a four-person tent would be ideal. I've found a few tents that got good reviews for their ability to stand up to wind, but they were all quite pricy. I was hoping to spend under $200, but I'm not sure it's possible to get that kind of durability for that price. Thoughts?

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

What tent did you have trouble with last time?

In my opinion Dome Camping Tents or Geodesic Tents. These dome shaped camping tents are the most popular. They shed snow and rain and resist wind well with a rain-fly. They can be very strong with aluminum poles. The free-standing design doesn't require staking(but I would)or guy lines(I'd use those too) to remain upright, only to keep it from blowing away. :-) Some offer a nice amount of headroom. The best camping tent will last longer and stand up to heavy rain and fierce wind. It will have better rip-stop nylon or polyester, stronger aluminum poles (7000 series or DAC aluminum), use more stitches per seam-sealed inch, and coated bathtub floors. Nothing else stands up to wind, in windy desert conditions the best a person can do is to keep a low profile against the sky. You may not have room to stand up but you'll have a more comfortable sleep when the hawk is out and sand snakes blow across your campsite! REI is a great place to start. What tent did you have trouble with last time? I would recommend any Kelty, Marmot, or REI base camp tent. REI has an iron-clad warranty if you ever have problem too!

[swedishfish]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

This video of a tent in high winds impressed me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PylrnSDprIM

I realize it's more than you want to spend. The four man Alaskan guide tent with fiberglass poles is only $320, but I'm sure that would be small for 3 adults. Being a geodesic dome shape with six poles, it'll be inherently stronger than many polyester/nylon square tents.

[Johnny Test]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

As said before even the most basic dome tent is a great design. More important im my opinion is guylines and tent stakes. You can make any dome great by using multiple guy lines from a single guyline point on the tent, plus Real stakes that stay put cost money. So not just one line per corner/tie point. If you want to go to the next level you can add shock cords to the guyouts. And of course you have to know knots such as hitches, etc.

My point is that, it is your skill, not the tent, that keeps it from blowing away.


I used to use this monster that is the most unaerodynamic thing in the park.
But with 18 stakes it weathered storms that in the past partially collasped it.

-Johnny

[tplife]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

Sierra Designs and Marmot both offer low-profile designs that sustain high winds but it's the Sierras that see more Ebay auction action due to higher production numbers. I've bought their 6-man models under $200, so time and patience can pay off for you in this class of tent quality. Higher, stronger poles and thicker denier fabrics plus vertical designs give them their added integrity in high winds.


This is a regular occurrence at desert camping trips, winds can quickly whip up. These videos include 45-50 mph sustained winds and gusts to 60 mph, according to the NOAA weather service:




Nothing less than a 2000-pound weight attachment will keep even the best tents on the ground. This tent is occupied and my daughter is asleep inside:

[Johnny Test]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

That is crazy windy. Good idea using the car as wind break.

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

Excellent images TP!

Here is a link to storm shelters, tents and the like that specialize with dealing with strong winds:

http://www.shelter-systems.com/wind-tents.html

You will need to spend a little more to get a stronger tent. You can stay with a Coleman but at the price range several other tent makers are better priced for a rigid tent. I like the Coleman Heka x tent for a rigid tent design and yet still affordable, their next level tent the helios x3 is an expedition class with expedition price to go with it.

Getting away from Coleman to REI brands they have a strong Multi season called the Mountain 2 with high ratings that is cheaper in price then the Coleman Helios.

Anyway the key to having your tent hold up in the wind is having it set properly to the wind, the low end facing the predominate wind direction and having some kind of wind break. a picnic table, tree, your car, a large pile of driftwood, whatever you can find.

We camped in 2006 at Joshua Tree National Park, they had winds clocked at 65 mph with gusts to 73 mph. I re-positioned our Marmot Grid Plus($479.) twice when the sand-storm came and when it changed direction. That storm lasted nearly 4 hours.

[tplife]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

Hilarious RDF...Is that your rig I see in the background at Burning Man? Wowee Zowee! :cool:

[MikeB]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

At some point, almost any tent will turn into a kite if the wind is strong enough. Multiple windbreaks are one of my first thoughts when choosing a camp site. http://kifaru.net/index.html Kifaru makes some of the few tents that I have seen that appear to handle extreme wind conditions in the open but they are spendy. I agree with the other guys that the combination of areodynamic design, quality of poles and number of stakes and guy lines makes for the best tent in high wind conditions.

[GlitterHiker]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

I have a REI Mountaineer (the 3-person) and I am thrilled with it. I do use every stake and guyline spot on the tent when the weather is bad. It's been through 40-50mph winds several times this year: thunderstorms, tornado warning-level winds, and two exceptionally windy nights on a mountain. That tent didn't budge. I feel safe & sound in it.

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

So now ya know I sneak off to Burning Man every year! Haha! It's a good time, we love it and the wind don't bother us a bit!

[MikeB]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

So now ya know I sneak off to Burning Man every year! Haha! It's a good time, we love it and the wind don't bother us a bit!

Hey RDF,
Just as long as you aren't one of the idiots running around the grounds drunk and naked!

[renodesertfox]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! never on both accounts.

[nearlywild]

Re: Tent that will hold up to wind?

We use the 6 person version of this tent and we love it. We've only been in a few storms in it and I have no idea what the wind speed was but we never had any problems.

This video of a tent in high winds impressed me.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PylrnSDprIM

I realize it's more than you want to spend. The four man Alaskan guide tent with fiberglass poles is only $320, but I'm sure that would be small for 3 adults. Being a geodesic dome shape with six poles, it'll be inherently stronger than many polyester/nylon square tents.