This is the tent you want if you are facing the prospect of serious weather - howling winds and snow for example - in the winter anywhere or anytime at high elevation. It's overkill for most summer-time camping below tree line.

By design, 4-season tents are heavier and stronger than the normal 3-season tent variety. Most of the materials are heavier gauge and the setup uses bigger and stronger poles, and more of them. There are typically more guy-out points as well. This added protection comes at a price; these tents are typically twice as expensive to buy, which accounts for the noticeably higher rent.

Our choices to rent include the "Fury", one of the expedition tents from MSR, and the Chinook, from Big Sky. Each are "two-wall" tents: the tent body, which includes some mesh material on the walls for maximum ventilation, plus a waterproof fly cover that goes over the body for protection against rain and provides more insulation.

We only have a limited number of these on hand, as most folks simply don't need this extra protection when they head out on a wilderness trip. But if you want to be more secure in questionable weather, these are the way to go. Order early to better ensure availability. To ensure you pick the right tent for your trip, check out our article to help you choose between all the tents we have to offer.