Three season tent okay for temps down to 20s F - teens F?

[Velocelt]

I'm sort of wanting to try some winter camping, but don't have a good 1/2 person bikepacking tent right now. I'm looking for a smaller, lighter (sub 4 pound), tent but almost all of the ones I'm seeing in my price range (under $200), are mostly mesh body with a separate rain fly. With a really good cold weather bag that's rated to minus double digits fahrenheit, along with wearing good insulating base layers in the bag, like Merino wool long sleeve top and bottoms, would such a three season tent be suitable. I can't imagine actually wanting to camp if the temps were much colder than down into the 20s or teens, let alone single digits, or sub-zero temps. Thoughts, suggestions?

[fotooutdoors]

I have gone down to 13F with a 20 degree bag and a mostly mesh tent. Not ideal, especially on the bag front, but figuring out where to set up (protected from wind) and getting the fly pitched low (you can raise my tent's fly somewhat relative to the body) allow you to go low.

Two things that will make a difference are the humidity, which you obviously can't control, and your ground pad. I use a closed cell pad in addition to my self inflating pad when the temperature drops when car camping, and would probably just ditch the self-inflating pad for cold weather bike packing, for spaces sake.

Typed on my phone. Pardon the autocorrect.

[AZTtripper]

With a minus double digits bag you shouldn't need a tent at 20, not that one wouldn't help. I have a 3 season tent with a mesh ceiling as well as a nice bivy and a 32 deg. I use the bivy more for bikepacking and the tent on canoe trips. If it's below freezing on the river trip I'll cover the mesh with a modified emergency bivy. Never like the Ebivy after I bought it they tear easily, but cut open and draped over the tent it does add warmth. It's similar to these https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=emergency%20bivy I cover as much of the top of the tent and the foot end leave the head end open to have some ventilation. $200 tent Ebivy layer between the tent and the fly to close off mesh $20.

My .02
Tim

[bmike-vt]

I've slept in my 30°F bag into the 20s without a tent. And I've slept in my 0°F bag in my Tarpent Moment DW down into the teens. I have also made a hammock work into the 30s with a 30°F bag and pad.

The tent can add a bit of microclimate around you, but getting out of the wind and protecting yourself from rain / frost / snow would be its primary function. Most '3' season tents can be used into 4 seasons assuming that you don't get a foot of snow and collapse the tent.

[bmike-vt]

I'll be giving my Black Diamond Mega mid a try this winter. Just the mid, no netting, etc.

[Smithhammer]

One of the biggest differences between '3-season' and '4-season' tents has nothing to do with how much mesh the body has or not. Even in winter, ample ventilation of your tent to prevent condensation buildup is a good thing, and besides, tents are lousy at holding in heat regardless - that's what your sleeping bag is for. The big difference a good 4-season tent offers is the ability of a tent to handle snow load. Good 4-season tents are stronger by design, and come with stronger poles, to support snow that may pile up on the tent, and could collapse the typical 3-season tent.

If you aren't camping in a place where you expect significant snow, then there is really no reason you couldn't use a quality 3-season tent at any time of year.

Also, pyramid/tipi tents with a central pole, and steep sides, can work great year-round. They are strong by nature with a more stout, single pole and they shed snow well.

[digibud]

I'll have to disagree with Smithhammer.   I'm not sure how many tents I've owned over the years but quite a few including winter, 3season, summer tarps, etc.  I've thrown my sleeping bag out on the snow without a tent at -40F and been stuck in my Himalayan Hotel for the better part of a week.  I agree that things like snow load and issues like windblown snow and even snow flaps and such make winter tents and winter mountaineering tents special but the ability to shut the tent up tightly and light a hanging candle is huge. While the sleeping bag is great for sleeping, if you can zip up the tent and have a small bit of ventilation and a candle going you will be able to take off layers and layers and sit around very comfortably in a manner you could not in a three season tent.  A three season tent WILL work but you'll just be much, much colder and you will want to check weather reports before doing winter camping in a three season tent (or I would) because wind and snow could be an issue. I agree with Smithhammer in that the snow  load / wind load is a more critical issue. A candle inside for warmth is a comfort issue, a collapsed tent is a safety issue.  Good you're learning...

[Smithhammer]

I don't think we're really in disagreement, digibud. The OP asked if a 3-season tent would work in combination with a good winter sleeping bag, and it certainly will, provided it doesn't have to shoulder a significant snow load. I agree that burning a candle in combination with a heavier tent that you can "close up" will increase comfort somewhat (at least until you blow the candle out) but that wasn't really the question, and now we're just getting into degrees of comfort, rather than what will work. Besides, the OP says he "can't imagine actually wanting to camp if the temps were much colder than down into the 20s or teens, let alone single digits, or sub-zero temps," so we're not really talking about any extreme weather here.