Tarra

Pretty much all of the Hilleberg red and black label. Nallo and Soulo are classics. Nallo has more space for its weight and the GT has a wonderful vestibule. Soulo is the strongest 1 person and if you want to go overboard with the strength and camp in 70mph regularly then you can get black label version. Tarra if you want insane strength but will be heavy for one person. Unna is another good one, nice space, not as strong as a Nallo or Soulo but hardly weak, but it does like a vestibule (many unclip one corner). Terra Nova Quasar is another very strong tent, 7 crossing points in its geodesic shape so can cope with snow loading unbelievably well. But it is an inner pitch first which in rain isn't ideal. Slingfin make some good 4 season tents, the crossbow for example, contrary to common belief it isn't necessarily an inner pitch first but it is a bit of a hassle to set up the fly and then put the inner inside. But they use internal guylines as well so are stronger than the shape would suggest resulting in a spacious, relatively low weight tent. I personally have the Nordisk Seiland, more or less a Nallo GT. Slightly bigger and with better ventilation but slightly thinner fly fabric. I've had it in pretty high winds, but have seen a wind tunnel test up to 80mph with single poles. Have also used with friends a couple times and works well, lots of space in the vestibule. Tarptent Scarp is another UK classic, very strong for its weight, sorts out the space issues facing the Hilleberg Akto, just slightly bigger but makes a big difference in long nights, and the crossing poles allow it to cope with high snow loading. Also the Arcdome, very similar to the Unna, but has a vestibule, cheaper as well and comes with a 2p version. We'll see over the coming years, but looking at the design it might actually be slightly stronger than an Unna. Nortent does have strong tents, but they are a bit heavy on the marketing. The Vern is a bit well known for having some strength issues when it first came out, though looking at the Varde I can't see those in the same way (but the double door does mean that regardless of which way the wind is blowing one of the storm flaps will be in the wrong orientation). Almost anything by Samaya, but they make Hilleberg look cheap so there is that. They specialise in breathable single wall tents, and are the only manufacturer that is generally agreed to have manufacturing quality above Hilleberg. And lastly, possibly good fit, possibly not, the MLD Trailstar. When lots of people say four season here they just mean they want it strong for wind, in which case this is a large, very lightweight tent capable of performing in over 60mph. But it's design doesn't lend well to snow loading so if you will be doing lots of winter camps where it may snow heavily overnight it won't be a good option. But if all you care about is wind performance then you won't find anything as good for nearly the same weight. Tom Heaney on YouTube has some fantastic reviews of tents, buys all his tents or borrows from friends, no sponsorships. He's also the only YouTuber I have seen that holds the wind speed measure in the right place instead of walking off a few paces towards the ridge which results in higher wind speeds than what the tent faces. He has a wonderful video "the best two-person four season tent" comparing the Tarra, Quasar and Staika. And he personally loves Samaya. Really, there's lots of tents so I'd recommend choosing a type of tent, tunnel, geodesic, dome based on what you most value, be it strength, space, strength per weight. Then after choosing what type, choose the exact tent.

~~Winter camping can mean many things. The Nallo isn't a 4 season tent. Specifically, it isn't adapted to snow. Those cat curves on the lower perimeter of the fly are practically impossible to bury and the spindrift will flood the interior. You will regret using the Nallo in full on winter conditions (blown snow).~~ If you have a very limited budget and need one shelter to do it all, your best bet would be a mid with as many sides as you can get/are willing to carry (i.e., a rectangular pyramid -> a hexagonal mid -> an octagonal mid). Edit: My comments about the cat cut on the fly is due to confusion with the Anjan! My apologies for the confusion! FWIW, I've personally used and owned at different points 3 of what are now called the Black Label tents and 6 of the Red Label tents.

Mountain 25 is a good tent used worldwide. If price is no concern then I would definitely suggest going with a Hilleberg black or red label or Mountain Hardwear Trango 2. Any of the three will definitely last a lifetime. I wouldn’t rush though, order a free hilleberg catalog online. They have some amazing tents. I’ve personally camped in a double-poled (yea you can use two poles where one goes on hilleberg) Tarra and saw winds of 80mph. Fabric whipped a bit but sleeping at that level we always bring ear plugs.

Only four season tents retain heat.

Yes but crucially, as I pointed out, **only four season tents**. I’m not sure why you’re persisting in labouring this point when neither of your tents is a four season tent. Furthermore, as many have pointed out, the shape of the tent has nothing to do with any insulation properties, and even then, the insulation is so trivially small that it simply shouldn’t be a consideration in your choice of tent. How about actually listening to what people are saying instead of constantly arguing? 🤷‍♀️

The shape of the tent has no bearing on its warmth; primarily you should be relying on your sleep system for warmth. True four season tents (eg Hilleberg Red and Black Label), regardless of shape, do add a few degrees to the interior, but this is due to the lack of catenary curves in the fly (ie the fly extends all the way to the ground) resulting in less ventilation, and a solid inner as opposed to mesh. I’ve actually measured the difference and found that my four season tents can be up to 5°C warmer inside than outside. **A three season tent will not provide any warmth.** Sure, they may be warm (even uncomfortably so) when pitched on a sunny day, but that warmth will not be retained and will rapidly dissipate after sundown. Ultimately whether you choose a tunnel or a dome is more a matter of practicalities. Tunnels are usually quicker to pitch (ideal for wet weather) and offer the best space to weight ratio. The downside is that they need to be pitched parallel to the wind for minimum flappiness, which can be a problem if the wind changes direction overnight. Domes, on the other hand, allow slightly more flexibility with altering pitch spot since you can usually erect the tent and then find its optimum placement before pegging down. This can be really handy when you’re expecting lumpy ground. So, for me, the factors which determine which tent I’m going to take are the forecast and the expected terrain 🙂

Hilleberg is solid but damn those prices hurt. If you're not doing serious mountaineering the MSR Hubba series is way more reasonable and still built like a tank

People shit on hilleberg prices till they use a hilleberg in less than ideal weather. I’ll tolerate the price for the long life and ability to handle some nasty weather. Most places in the states below tree line don’t need one though.

Hilleberg, TarpTent, SlingFin, Samaya. Real expeditions are more likely to choose Hilleberg. Their strongest tents are not super light, but they are made to withstand serious weather.

if money isnt a thing then hilleberg, black label series, a staika model kept me and my guide protected and safe when it snowed 14 inches on a high country elk hunt, they are awesome, im from Tennessee we dont need best quality expedition tents generally even in the eastern mountains. but having used that one for a week i can say that one was great.

I swear by my Hilleberg, but that's a terrible deal, even on a great tent.

Naturally I’d say buy a Hilleberg. Yes, they’re expensive, but it will last a lifetime.