I need a two person tent that is water proof, not resistent, and I would prefer it not to have a rain cover, but rather be all waterproof. It will only be used in rain, fog and cold on trips after blacktails.

It has been my experience that those two words are mutually exclusive...

Good luck. I would THINK anything that would be waterPROOF would sweat.

The words waterproof and tent do not belong together. So far the best tent Ive found is from Kodiak canvas. I have the 10x10 model. At 68 pounds it is not a back pack tent but it works well in cold and weather. Last weakend in Montana we had 1.5" of snow, Light drizzle, high winds and temps in the teens at night. No water in the tent at all. Even with a buddy heater running all day and night we had no condensation on the tent. No leaks at all. They call it Hydratight canvas. Check them out.

Greg

You can't go wrong with North Face. I've owned at least one of their tents for over 26 years. I lived in AK for over 20 years and often camped out 30-40 days a year. I never got wet even though I camped in some incredibly shitty weather. A very nasty day can be quite pleasant if you are snug and dry. A liitle whiskey is nice too.

In my experience I don't think as the other poster said that a single layer tent can be made that will not sweat on the inside making it very uncomfortable. You have to have some way to get your breath and body heat out of the tent therefore the breathable inner layer covered by a waterproof layer.

Mark

Mark,
So far it has worked out quite well for me. I was looking for a 2 person plus cots, gear, heater etc...size tent. Also wanted one that I could stand up in easily. The nylon tent with rainfly that I used last year was totaly inadaquate for the job. It ventilated way to much and I froze my butt off. We had 6" of snow and it got down to 26 degrees. This year only 1.5" of snow but 13 degrees the first night and 16 the next. I was warm in my sleeping bag. The canvas is hydra-shield and they claim its breathable yet watertight. The tent also has 2 small zippered vents near the ceiling which I left open. I also leave the bottom zipper on the door open if I'm running the heater. This adds pretty good bottom ventilation and the door bottom overlaps the tent about 3" to keep the rain and snow out. The Kodiak is the same flexbow design as an old coleman tent I bought over 30 years ago. I liked it as a kid and I always wanted a bigger one just like it so when I found the Kodiak I just had to buy it. I looked at the North Face tents and the trailhead 6 looks like it would work good. If I bought another nylon tent I would definately want a full coverage fly.

Greg

I haven't ever owned one of these, but I was thinking of purchasing a tent from Hilleberg.

www.hilleberg.com

The only tent that I think will come close to your needs is an Arctic Oven made here in Fairbanks by Alaska Tent & Tarp. The only thing is that it does have a rain fly. I have a 10x10 umbrella with a wood stove. In that configuration, it'll sleep 2 comfortably. As I recall, the total package weighs in at about 58 lbs. This is THE tent we took to Afognak Island in Oct. one year for an elk hunt. Weather was absolute crap - rain, sleet, snow about 40% of the time. We were snug & cozy for the entire trip. This is THE tent that many long distance dog mushers use and rely on as well. While not cheap (er, inexpensive), ya don't want "cheap". I'd absolutely depend on it for a survival situation. It's your call.
Bear in Fairbanks

quote:

Originally posted by MARK H. YOUNG:
You can't go wrong with North Face.

A very nasty day can be quite pleasant if you are snug and dry. A liitle whiskey is nice too.

In my experience...You have to have some way to get your breath and body heat out of the tent therefore the breathable inner layer covered by a waterproof layer. Mark

The above is excellent advice.

I would also suggest a Sierra Designs tent. I have a "Stretch Dome" model from 1994. It's a 2 - 3 person 4 season tent, with a rainfly & vestibule. Total weight (including plastic ground cloth) is less than 10 pounds.

The key to being dry (not waterproof) is to:

1. "Seam-seal" the bottom and lower side seams.

2. always use the ground cloth. Be sure it is fully under the tent's footprint and not hanging out. Be sure water runs UNDER the cloth, not between cloth and tent.

3. always use the rainfly; when not in the tent, keep the interior tent windows as open as possible to encourage ventilation.

4. when occupying the tent, you will have to experiment with how much ventilation is appropriate. You'll be warmer with less ventilation, but also retaining more moisture.

As with most things, there are trade-offs. If you are in a very wet environment, you have to go with all-synthetic clothes & sleeping bags. Even then, "dampness" is hard to get around.

I haven't been current in the field for about 15 years now, but in the early 90's I spent 3 years almost continually above 9000', from early May to late August. In that time, we outfitted nearly 500 backpackers for 5 day trips in Rocky Mountain National Park.

In my experience, being comfortable is more about being warm than being dry...kind of like Robin William's advice in Good Morning, Vietnam.

friar

I might catch a little slack for this, but I'm going to suggest a more inexpensive and lighter option that has served me well for the past 5 years.

I was lucky enough to find a 6 person Alaskan Guide Model tent with aluminum poles at the Bargain Cave in Cabela's. I also picked up the larger style vestibule and floor liner.

The 6 person weighs 26 pounds and is cavernous. The 4 person seems like it would be all you need and it weighs only 20 pounds.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas...&type=pod&id=0043361

Queer pose notwithstanding (ha), here I am on the banks of the Missouri River in South Dakota. My uncle and I were there on a pheasant hunt and got caught in an early season storm. Temps plummeted into the teens and the winds were constant with gusts to 40+ MPH coming off the water (you can see where snow was blow around the tent... the aluminum poles held up well). Nevertheless, we were warm and dry using only a small tent heater intermittently throughout the four days.

I am not sure if they make the vestibule anymore, but it was great for keeping out muddy boots and gear that would easily be buried and lost in the snow.

Overall, not a bad choice for something as generic as Cabela's brand.