I have an REI two person and it is a perfect backpacking tent. I have found most two person models made today have cut weight by meshing the top portion of the tent for 2-3 season use which does give good visibility but also includes a rain fly for heavy downpours.

Every time I put a tent down, I dig a trench around it to draw water.

I recently purchased an Eagle Nest Outfitters hammock and while it served me well on a weekend trip, hammocks need to have a place to put them up and honestly its hard to find, at least in the desert SW. I take it to the beach, to national parks, etc to sting up in the family BBQ areas and its usually hard to find lash points.

I am determined to continue using my hammock as often as possible but a light weight tent is IMHO the best option for long term travel. Its just to versatile for all the reasons listed for the weight it is.

"...Every time I put a tent down, I dig a trench around it to draw water..."

The leave no trace folks will hate you for that...

its more than just "no trace"--if you have a tent with a
different footprint you may find a trench under your tent..
a plastic sheet inside the tent will keep you dry..if you
put the sheet under the tent water can be forced up thru the
floor fabric by your shifting body weight--trust me on this..

I think we should differentiate between recreational camping and bugging out.

I'll assume that when you go camping you probably do it some time between spring and autumn. And you have every intention of returning home before winter when the temps get below freezing. Lightweight sleep systems are adequate for this.

But if you are preparing for a bug out situation, then you should be planning for the worst. And the worst means that you are forced to leave your home in the middle of a freezing winter. In this situation, I think going lightweight is inadequate. Could it be done? Yes. Would it be difficult? Hell yes.

I have a Eureka "Assault Outfitter 4" tent and a Slumberjack "Big Timber" -30F sleeping bag. Both are bulky and heavy (combined weight is 27 lbs). There's no way I can carry them on my back along with my other critical survival gear. So how do I plan to bug out with them?

I also have a Cabela's "Super Mag Hauler" deer cart, with the dual wheel kit added on for extra durability. This cart is made for hauling heavy game out of rough country. Hauling a tent and sleeping bag into rough country is no problem.

My method is to always carry my winter sleeping bag and a blanket.
During the summer months, I sleep on top of the bag and cover with a blanket. During the cold winter months, I get inside of the bag with the blanket on top.

When I carry my winter clothing, I have a significant weight addition and I struggle with that. I feel the need to use camp outs as training exercises IRT a Bugging Out situation.

Yes, I know that I am a sick puppy!

It's not hard to go light and stay warm. My sleeping bag and shelter for winter camping weigh only about 10lbs and nearly 8 of that is the sleeping bag at the core of the system.

How do you like the Assault Outfitter 4 Tent? I tried buying one last year but the Eureka store that sells factory refurbs wouldn't ship to Canada.

I got mine through amazon.com.

It's a nice tent. It claims to fit 4 people. It'll fit 4 kids, but for adults I would say no more than 2 people can fit comfortably. You can sqeeze in 3 adults if you had to. I'm a loner, so it's just right for me plus all my gear.

Setup is easy. I do it by myself in about 15 minutes. I relax and take my time, mind you. I could do it faster if I had to.

What makes it a 4 season tent is the storm shield. You simply throw it over the top of the tent and stake it down. Take it off and you have 2 big doors with bug screens that can be left open in the summer.

I only have 2 complaints:

1. The stakes that come with it are cheap. I recommend buying separate titanium stakes.

2. Not all of the seams are sealed to keep out rain. You have to do that yourself.


Overall I give it a 9 out of 10.

I admit I am unprepared for winter overnights right now. My tent is three season and my bag a 40+. I have camped in Yosemite where it has dropped to below freezing and did okay by putting extra clothes on, but its not ideal for a worst case.

I need to invest in a zero degree bag and 4 season tent at some point.

"... invest in a zero degree bag..."

And that is no real assurance of anything. I have a 20 degree bag that I freeze in at 35 or so, my wife has a zero bag that barely keeps her warm at 40. Good thing they zip together, or we would never get any sleep. Or at least not due to cold...

While there are some standards for testing sleeping bags, every manufacturer seems to do their own tests and do it in their own way. If you can, learn how they do it first as this can help you make an educated guess. If they don't advertise how they test the bags, then maybe you're looking into the wrong brand. The standard the MEC follows is set out by the ASTM and I've had very good luck with their bags. I believe The North Face does too but I can't find anything proving that right now. I'm also a big fan of TNF bags.

For me I used a +20F bag nearly year round but it's part of a modular system with layers which can be added or removed to suit conditions. At most I'll have 6 layers and at minimum 2 or 3 depending. I've tried and liked about 6 different combinations for different seasons and temperature ranges and I'm still coming up with new combos as I go. I'm hoping for some REALLY cold weather this winter so I can test it out in -40 or worse with just a tarp shelter.

Every time the first big cold snap hits and I see guys at the local outfitter buying -40 sleeping bags which are bigger than my whole pack, I laugh.