shelters and tents for car camping or alpine 4 season use

see also:

• trailer shelters, vans and caravans for camping
• choosing a tent for Australian conditions
• comparison of mainly mesh tents for warm nights
• comparison of full fabric 2P and 3P tents for colder nights
• swags, tents and inflatable / bubble tents for star gazing
• hiking tents with part fabric - part mesh inner tents
• roof top tents
• tarps for camping and hiking
• overnight hiking camping checklist
• overnight ultralight bushwalking shelters and equipment
• taking the Subaru Outback off road
• tips for camping in the rain
• how to reduce your risks in lightning storms
• treating water to make it potable / drinkable
• camping off-grid - power, batteries, solar, fridges

• see overnight ultralight bushwalking shelters and equipment

• 3P tents are generally 30cm wider and 5cm taller than their 2P equivalents

• Nortent Vern 1P PC
  • 3 aluminium poles; freestanding tunnel style tent;
  • minimal condensation usually; seems storm proof;
  • polycotton tent with nylon floor
  • only 1 door to inner part but this is dual fabric/mesh
  • 2 doors to the vestibule
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=edT7q6ajBB4

• Macpac Apollo
  • freestanding with dual vestibule with dual lined doors - nylon / mesh towards one end and vents only on the 1500mm rated fly at these points
  • fully 40D nylon inner to seal out the wind (no mesh apart from doors)
  • 8.5mm poles which thread through tunnels but no cross pole makes for relatively narrow vestibule rain protection when opened
  • floor: Torrentwear™ XP 100% Nylon (70D/210T with PU coating) — 10,000 mm Hydrostatic Head
  • 1500mm rated UV75™ PU 100% Polyester with Silicone/PU coatings fly
  • 210 x 130 x 115H (cm); 56 x 21 (cm) — packed;
  • 2.8kg;
  • discontinued

• See also comparison of full fabric 2P and 3P tents for colder nights
• Pomoly Leo 2 2P hot tent
  • 3.8kg 2500-3000mm WH 40D PU ripstop silnylon, affordable ($US249) 3 sleeved pole, dual wall freestanding 4 season tent with LOTS of ventilation options and side door awning options PLUS a chimney jack for a wood stove!
• Big Agnes Copper Spur HV2 Expedition tent
  • beefed up 4 season version of the HV UL with bomber architecture for greater wind resistance
  • freestanding
  • 2 large doors with addition of unzippable nylon layer (only has a small area of mesh at the top - not enough ventilation for a hot Australian summer's night!) for added warmth and quick stash door keeper when unzipped
  • Large closable ceiling window/vent and ceiling fly vent provides venting as well as optional storage space
  • Velcro tabs connect fly to pole structure
  • pre-cut Dyneema guy lines and tensioners attached to fly.
  • Fly is silicone-treated with 1200mm waterproof polyurethane coating
  • 10,000mm waterproof floor
  • DAC Featherlite NSL pole system
  • 10 interior mesh pockets, 2 media pockets & 10 large DAC aluminum J stakes
  • optional footprint
  • Fits the Triangle, Trapezoid, Large Trapezoid, Wall and Large Wall gear lofts - sold separately.
  • 2.1kg (2.41kg packed to 20x46cm)
• Mont Dragonfly 4 Season 2P Tent
  • one of the best 4 season 2P hiking tents although the Exped Orion II has bigger vestibules, better door rain protection, taller internals but is heavier, more expensive and does not have the nice additional features of the Dragonfly such as 2 roof pockets, 2 internally accessible vents and 3 baby carabiners to clip stuff to on the ceiling, the ability to peg open the vestibule doors at quarter intervals to fine-tune ventilation, and little things like zips on the doors go away from each other to close (instead of meeting) which allows better control of ventilation, plus the doors are designed to open in opposite directions.
  • darkish forest green freestanding, symmetric, spacious tent with yellow inner
  • 2 dual nylon/mesh or zipped open roof vents on the inner which align with the fly vents - could be handy for bird or wildlife photographers to use as a bird hide
  • floor is the most waterproof on the market - 70D 10,000mm nylon with a market-leading WaterBloc™ 25,000mm+ lamination which is also more durable, still ultra-lightweight, more resistant to chemical damage (sunscreen, fuel etc) and almost impervious to hydrolysis
  • 30D silPU 2000mm fly
  • 20D nylon inner in 2021 version (2020 version was only 15D which is where the weight savings were made so you needed to be careful with it).
  • DAC 9.6mm Featherlite aluminium poles which crossover twice towards each end secured via click-lock system at each crossover, so each pole plugs into the same side, not opposite sides as is usual, plus the additional short ridge pole for vestibules
  • 2 77cm vestibules with drip free entrances and handy peg sites to allow partial open pegged down and folded back, but they do need to be pegged down well in strong winds.
    • when vestibule fly is fully folded back it lies within the inner tent's wall which should allow improved visibility to the sky but will mean the inner will get very wet in the rain if inadvertently left in this position
  • full dual nylon/mesh large doors for warmth or ventilation and improved ingress/egress
  • 140x220x110cm giving 3.18m²
  • packs to 44cm x 18cm with poles at 45cm
  • 2.35kg (2.5kg packed)
  • optional footprint $89 which should allow setting up fly, poles and footprint in the rain then attach inner which clips to the poles
  • $AU999 Bogong $AU899 for members at Paddy Palin but seems they are selling the inferior 2020 version.
  • https://www.mont.com.au/collections/dragonfly-4-season-tent/products/dragonfly-tent
• WE I-EXPLORE TENT 2 PERSON WINTER EUCALYPT
  • free-standing, inner pitch first
  • 75d ripstop polyester fly, dwr face, tape-sealed, 3000mm PE back coating
  • Light Grey 40d air-permeable ripstop nylon,
  • Black 40d nylon mesh door panels, with full fabric zip down covers to upper half only - lower half doors are fabric
  • Suspended tub design floor, 100d nylon with 8,000mm HH PE coating
  • packs to 40x16cm
  • vestibules 2x 0.84sq.m
  • 3.22-3.63kg
  • $AU629 Bogong
• WILDERNESS EQUIPMENT SPACE 2 WINTER
  • wedge-shaped assymetric with free-standing full fabric inner with external pull-down door covers to top half, bottom half of doors is fabric not mesh
  • Two innovative outer tent vents at ridge height
  • can invert your walking or ski poles and make them part of the Space 2 framework
  • connect up the tent's internal hub-to-hub tension strap as well and the Space 2 achieves a level of stability only seen in heavy, multi-pole geodesic tents
  • 30D sil nylon fly
  • 5000mm PU floor
  • 1.96kg
  • $A749 Bogong
• EXPED ORION II Extreme 2P Tent
  • tall, steep sided roomy 4 season 2man freestanding tent based on tunnel design but with a ridge pole as a dome/A-frame for better snow performance and strength
  • aerodynamic flat pole sleeves - need to watch video on how to set up!
    • must put poles in the correct order (ridge pole last but the 1st to seat into grommet)- they are numbered 1-3 for this as well as color coded
  • The poles integrate directly with the fly, and the inner part stays attached the entire time. So, even in the pouring rain, you could throw the tent down and slide the poles in without exposing the inside to any weather.
    • setting up without fly is possible but more difficult and does not use the ridge pole so you do need to use 2 guy lines instead attached to peak of each pole - see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbQwFLtGoSI
    • can be set up as fly only
    • guylines attach directly to the pole sleeves (and therefore the poles) increases the strength in rough conditions
    • the main ridge pole reaches the ground on either side, you need the ground you’re on to be level for at least eight feet across. If the ground is concave or you’re on a slope, it’s nearly impossible to set the tent up correctly. This is especially in issue when you need to also consider orientation to wind.
  • 40 D ripstop nylon, silicone coated fly 1500mm water in the Extreme version more resistant to strong UV but more prone to sagging when wet and takes longer to dry than the standard PU version and there is also an UL ultralight fly version
  • 30 D ripstop nylon tent
  • 70 D taffeta nylon, PU coated, factory seam taped floor 10,000mm water
  • cord stuffpacks
  • two 95cm vestibules totaling 2.3 sq.m with 2 wide doors but as the wind end of the fly door incorporates the ridge pole this cannot be retracted open
  • pack to 42x16cm
  • 2.8-3.1kg
  • $AU1199 Bogong
  • https://www.bogong.com.au/tents-3/hiking-tents/exped-orion-ii-extreme-tent-green.html

• EXPED ORION III 3P Tent
  • see as for Orion II
  • standard version has PU fly and is best if you expect long periods of wet weather which this tent is fantastic for as it provides plenty of space and protection to sit out the wet weather.
  • Extreme version has more UV protected silnylon fly but sags more and takes longer to dry out when wet
  • can be used as fly only or inner only
  • Both canopy doors are large and allow two campers to sit side by side
  • Ventilation hoods protect both doors which are more central than on the MacPac Polaris
  • doors unzip and roll up at middle of tent towards wind end (opposite to Macpac Polaris)
  • vestibules extend 95cm (Macpac polaris only extend 75cm)
  • 130cm height inside (10cm higher than the Macpac Polaris)
  • 160cm wide (20cm narrower than the MacPac Polaris)
  • 9.1mm and 9.7mm poles (MacPac Polaris poles are 8.5mm)
  • inner tent 30D nylon (MacPac Polaris is 40D)
  • floor is 70D PU coated taffeta nylon with 10,000mm waterhead (MacPac Polaris is similar ratings)
  • fly 40D PU nylon (MacPac Polaris is silnylon)
  • packed size 48x18cm 3.8kg (minimum 3.3kg)
  • $AU1299
  • https://www.bogong.com.au/exped-orion-iii-tent.html
• Big Agnes Copper Spur HV3 Expedition tent
  • beefed up 4 season version of the HV UL with bomber architecture for greater wind resistance
  • freestanding
  • 2 large doors with addition of unzippable nylon layer (only has a small area of mesh at the top - not enough ventilation for a hot Australian summer's night!) for added warmth and quick stash door keeper when unzipped
  • Large closable ceiling window/vent and ceiling fly vent provides venting as well as optional storage space
  • Velcro tabs connect fly to pole structure
  • pre-cut Dyneema guy lines and tensioners attached to fly.
  • Fly is silicone-treated with 1200mm waterproof polyurethane coating plus an additional coating on the face of the fabric to increase tear strength and UV resistance.
  • 10,000mm waterproof floor
  • DAC Featherlite NSL pole system
  • 10 interior mesh pockets, 2 media pockets & 10 large DAC aluminum J stakes
  • optional footprint
  • Fits the Triangle, Trapezoid, Large Trapezoid, Wall and Large Wall gear lofts - sold separately.
  • 2.49kg (2.8kg packed to 20x51cm)
  • compared to 2 man version 390g heavier, 5cm more headroom, 5cm longer, 56cm (42%) wider
• Marmot Fortress 3P Tent
  • more affordable than the Copper Spur but smaller door, less features
  • unlike the Copper Spur the centrally-placed doors have full dual layer design - nylon and mesh
  • unzippable meshed lower vent
  • corner ceiling pocket for headlamp
  • poles clip on rather than threading through
  • Marmot Tungsten 3P is similar but doors are single layer with nylon bottom and mesh upper while one half of the tent has more mesh than nylon
  • floor: 68D polyester taffeta 190T 2000mm F/R
  • fly: 68D 100% polyester taffeta 1500mm F/R
  • 2.7kg (2.89kg packed to 20x56cm); 117cm x 168cm x 229cm
  • issues:
    • the roof vent unzips to open but there is no mesh to stop insects but this may potentially be useful as a bird hide
    • the 2nd door has less mesh (fixed nylon bottom) and the vestibule door is smaller and hard to get in/out
  • $AU420 on special at Paddy Palin
  • https://www.marmot.com/equipment/shop-by-activity/camping-and-hiking/fortress-3-person-tent/AFS_889169253133.html
• Macpac Polaris 3P
  • similar to MacPac Apollo 2P in design except is 0.5m wider and has a cross pole which extends to the ground, pulling out the floor and when using the fly, the fly vestibule component attaches to this
  • 1.8m wide x 2.17m long x 1.2m H plus 75cm vestibules
  • 60 x 22 (cm) — packed
  • 3.5kg
  • $A420-459 on sale
  • https://www.macpac.com.au/macpac-polaris-camping-tent-%E2%80%94-three-person/114452-IPB00-OS.html
• OnePlanet Wurley 3 nylon
  • designed for school groups and 4 seasons
  • standard design two cross-over poles and one short ridge pole provides nice vestibule size and door cover
  • the two triangular centre-based doors appear to be dual mesh/fabric but seem a touch small and zip to the centre with extra large YKK zips
  • blue 75D polyester fly
  • yellow inner
  • 210D 5000mm floor
  • 106cm high, 195cm wide, 225cm long
  • vestibules 90cm
  • 3.5kg
  • $AU649 (“snow” version adds snow valances to fly and is $AU799)
  • https://www.oneplanet.com.au/product/wurley-3/
• Zempire Trilogy
  • semi-geodesic tough design for school groups; 120cm tall inner; 200x210cm 4.2 sq.m; 90cm vestibules;
  • YKK Door Zippers; Anti Grit Reversed Zips; clip on 75D 150D / 210T Polyester Ripstop 5000mm fly; Ultra Light Mesh Inner with 40D nylon; 10,000mm 150D floor; 8.5mm aluminium poles;
  • 4.75kg; packs to 56x18x17cm; can be packed to 3.6kg;
  • $AU349 https://www.tentworld.com.au/buy-sale/zempire-trilogy-hiking-tent

• Marmot Limestone 4P
  • two large vestibule with large doors having nylon lower 1/4 and the rest mesh
  • inner has mesh ceiling
  • 254 x 218.44 x 154.94H cm
  • 4.9kg
  • $AU340?

• EXPED VENUS III DLX EXTREME TENT 150cm?
• EXPED ORION III Tent 130cm
• EXPED ORION II Tent 125cm
• Macpac Polaris 3P 120cm
• MacPac Apollo 2P 115cm?
• Marmot Fortress 3P Tent 117cm
• WE I-EXPLORE TENT 2 PERSON WINTER EUCALYPT 115cm
• NEMO AURORA STORM 2P TENT 112cm
• most other 2P are around 107cm and 3P 112cm

• Macpac Apollo 2P
• Macpac Polaris 3P
• Mont Dragonfly 4 Season 2P Tent
• Marmot Fortress 3P Tent but 2nd door has fabric on bottom part
• EXPED ORION II Extreme 2P Tent 125cm tall
• EXPED ORION III 3P Tent 130cm tall
• ??EXPED Venus II Extreme 2p tent 105cm tall

• WE I-EXPLORE TENT 2 PERSON WINTER EUCALYPT
• WILDERNESS EQUIPMENT SPACE 2 WINTER
• MONT EDDIE 2 TENT
• Sea to Summit Telos TR2 PLUS

• many models available and these are generally more aerodynamic in strong winds than most fast setup framed touring tents
• much heavier and larger than hiking tents and usually have an awning or front vestibule
• some are full mesh inners with ability to fold back half the fly to allow stargazing (eg. OzTrail Stargazer)

• these can be set up very quickly thanks to their heavy duty aluminium pole structures and they are tall enough to stand in but the price you pay is that they are very heavy (20kg plus) and the OzTents pack to at least 2m long which is too wide to fit width-wise inside cars and most will carry them on roof racks although it will easily fit longways inside a station wagon such as a Subaru Outback if you run it over both rear and front seats, other brands have much shorter packed sizes
• these may not be ideal in very strong wind conditions given they are not aerodynamic and they are tall so you should always find a sheltered site and ensure the guy ropes are well staked out - you don't want those frames to be damaged!
• Youtube quick comparison of 2019 fast set up touring tents

• see touring tents you can stand up in

• see touring tents you can stand up in

• see touring tents you can stand up in

• popular for small groups of young adults and trendy “glampers”
• these are generally circular tents with a central pole and vent, and a single framed entrance door while windows are close to the ground
• they are usually made of 340gsm polyester cotton canvas blend with a 520gsm PVC floor and are very heavy starting at 20kg for a 3m tent to 60kg for a 6m tent and prices generally start around $AU600 for a 3m tent and $AU1400 for a 6m tent
• some have zip removable floors
• see https://www.psyclonetents.com/bell-tent-guide/
• some have a stargazer roof optional accessory such as https://www.lotusbelle.com.au/products/stargazer-roof

• see roof top tents

• see tarps for camping and hiking

• most of the lighter gazebos will be destroyed in strong winds!
  • eg. Repco Dusc SUV awning
    • poles invert and become distorted in strong gusts, persistent winds create holes in the fabric and a strong gust can rip the corner eyelets out
• most require 2 people to set up
• https://www.tentworld.com.au/gazebos-and-shelters/camping

• EasyTarp Ezi Kit Light
  • 28kg, 3.6m x 3.6m Tornado LITE Tarpaulin with 6 support poles plus side structure rails
  • packs to 1.62m long, takes “20 minutes” to set up