MSR Access 3-Person Lightweight 4-Season Tent

Why it's worth it

The MSR Access 3 is a genuine 4-season tent at just 4 pounds 6 ounces, with composite poles built to resist snapping in winter conditions. It's the one to buy if your trips involve snow loading and exposed ridgelines.

Most people don't need a 4-season tent, and we'd steer you away from one if your camping happens between May and September. But if you're heading into snow, the difference isn't marginal. The Access 3 uses Easton Syclone poles made from advanced composites specifically to resist breaking under the loads that shatter conventional poles. Its central-support frame is shaped to shed snow rather than collect it.

The clever part is that it doesn't punish you for the extra capability. At 4 pounds 6 ounces it's lighter than plenty of 3-season family tents, which makes it viable for fast alpine trips where you'd otherwise be choosing between weight and survival. The frame also sets up quickly and opens up interior space rather than pinching it, which matters when you're stuck inside waiting out weather.

From our review of 5 camping tents, by Liam Johnson, Lead Product Reviewer

What we like

• +Most people don't need a 4-season tent, and we'd steer you away from one if your camping happens between May and September
• +The clever part is that it doesn't punish you for the extra capability
• +Winter tents manage a different problem than summer ones: you need to hold warmth in without turning the interior into a rain…
• +The fabrics get MSR's Xtreme Shield coating, which the company says applies about 2.5 times more DWR agent than the industry…

What to know

• –It's a specialist. The reduced mesh that keeps you warm in February makes it stuffy in July, and you'll pay a premium for…
• –Called a 3-person tent, it fits three in the way most tents fit their rating — snugly, with gear crowding you