Choosing The Right Snowtrekker Tent
Why choose a Snowtrekker Tent?
Snowtrekker tents are designed to be the lightest, most efficient, and portable canvas tents available. Duane Lottig, the founder and designer behind Snowtrekker Tents, started winter camping with his family in the early 1990s and was not happy with the hot tents available for winter campers. He found them inefficient to heat and cumbersome to transport, as you either had to carry heavy steel frames or rely on finding trees for tent poles. Dissatisfied with his options, he set out to create the tent he wished he could buy for his family.
The earliest Snowtrekker Tents were modified wedge tents, with an internal aluminum frame. The idea behind the modified wedge shape was to minimize the amount of space in the ceiling that you needed to heat, while pulling the sides out to give you as much usable space as possible lower down. The internal aluminum frame simplified setup time, as you didn’t have to spend precious daylight hours finding the perfect downed trees for tent poles, as well as being a very familiar system for anyone that has used an internal frame tent before. The internal frame also had the additional benefit of eliminating the need for a center pole to hold the peak of the tent up, increasing usable space inside the tent.
We have continued to innovate tent designs from this initial idea. All our tents share a common lineage to the first Snowtrekker ever conceived. We do this by continuing to source and use the best material and construction techniques we can, from our proprietary custom woven canvas to YKK zippers and real VELCRO. We only use the best material in our tents so you can trust them to perform when it matters.
How do you choose the right Snowtrekker Tent for your needs?
We do know that it's sometimes hard to see a Snowtrekker in person, and looking at pictures and descriptions on a website can lead to more questions than answers. We are here to help! You can always call or email us, and we will help you choose the right tent for your needs. We have also put together a few tips to help you make your decision, based on the many conversations we have had with people asking the same question. This can help you refine your decision, and if you are still not sure, please get in touch with us.
1. Capacity: When you look at our line of tents and you see the sleeping capacity, it is an accurate number. If a tent capacity is listed as two cots/ three ground pads, it means either two standard size cots, or three ground pads with a stove and the proper clearance of the stove from all walls.
2. What is your usage? We recommend you buy the tent that covers 80-90% of what you intend to use it for. If you are primarily camping solo, with an occasional second camper, we always recommend you buy the tent that suits you as a solo camper and can flex to cover 10-20% of occasional second person usage. We find using this rule suits almost everyone we talk to. Of course, if you like a lot of elbow room, we will never talk you out of getting a larger tent, as comfort means different things to different people.
3. Footprint: If you need a visual representation of exactly how your gear would fit into a tent and you have some floor space, we recommend laying out the footprint of the tent using masking tape. After you mark out the space and clearances needed for your stove (20” from all walls and cots) you will be able to see exactly what space is available to use and how your gear will fit into it. One thing to note is to pay attention to sidewall height if using cots; not all sidewalls are the same height and that will affect headroom when using a standard cot.
4. Features: Buy the tent that has all the features you may want. It is incredibly difficult and cost prohibitive to modify an existing tent. Our tents are assembled in stages and reworking a full tent is an expensive proposition. If you think you may want a Pro Screen or Pro Clear model, select these options when you place your order. As a bonus, if you have either a Pro Screen or Pro Clear, you can order the doors and windows you do not have later. All our extra doors and window options VELCRO into place and can be swapped around.
5. Stove: All our tents list the recommended Snowtrekker stove size and come with the proper size stove jack that corresponds to that stove. We do realize that there are many stoves on the market, and you may have one you like to use. Our recommended stove size is the size we trust to keep the tent warm down to -20 degrees Fahrenheit /-29 degrees Celsius or colder. If you never go camping in those temperatures, you may be able to use a smaller stove and stay perfectly comfortable. If you are looking for comfort in those extreme temperatures and are not using a Snowtrekker stove, pay attention to the firebox size and match them up to the size of our stoves.
6. Tent Flys: Do I need one? All our tents are treated with Sunforger and are mold, mildew and water resistant. In most cases you will remain perfectly comfortable and dry without the need for a rainfly. We recommend a fly if you are spending multiple days in very wet climates, frequent snowfalls, or leaving your tent set up for long periods of time. In very wet climates, having a rainfly to keep the roof of your tent dry allows more moisture to pass through the roof of the tent. This will allow you and your gear to dry out more efficiently when you have gotten wet outside. In areas with frequent heavy wet, or large snowfall and activities that may keep you away from your tent for the day, a fly will help snow to slide off the tent and help prevent a collapse of your tent frame due to excess weight. This will NOT prevent your tent from collapsing under snow weight as enough snow will eventually collapse any tent if you leave your tent unattended for long periods of time. If you are leaving your tent set up for long periods of time (weeks or more) a tent fly will also help protect your tent’s canvas from damage due to UV radiation and prolong the life of your tent.
7. Frame: What is the difference between the Easton and Standard frame? There is no difference in the strength between our Standard frame and the Easton frame. The only difference is in the alloy used in manufacturing the poles. The Easton frame uses a 7075 alloy which allows for the same strength as the 6061 used in our standard frame, but with thinner sidewalls. In most cases this will save weight, but how much that is varies between each tent model.
8. Guy Out Attachments: Should I use guy out clips or CSM loops? For most users, the combination of guy out clips and CSM loops that come standard with your tent will be all that you need. We use clips wherever possible and the CSM loops in cases where the pole diameter is too small for a clip. However, some users in certain conditions may want to only use CSM loops. Our clips are designed to be extremely strong and durable in very cold conditions without failure. In conditions when you may find yourself out in very hot and windy conditions, especially at altitude, you will want to replace your clips with CSM loops. Aluminum, while being light, is also a great conductor of heat; in certain conditions coupled with wind, the poles can heat the clips to the point they will flex enough to slip off the poles.
9. When should I get a hybrid tent? When weight savings and comfort are a priority for your needs. The Hybrid series was designed as a lightweight nylon tent that still has enough canvas to maintain good breathability. It sets up and performs in the same way as our full canvas Snowtrekker Tents—the only difference is we strategically replace canvas panels with ripstop nylon to reduce the weight of the tent as much as possible while still maintaining breathability and durability. The hybrid tent was created for users who go on trips where weight matters. Saving a few pounds means you can either take a larger and more comfortable tent than you could before, or bring a few more days of food to extend your time outdoors.
