For my recent backcountry ice climbing trip to Canada, Easton let me borrow a Torrent 2P tent for winter camping. As an all season tent, the Torrent was easily prepared to stand up to whatever the Ghost could throw at us- snow, wind, -20°C temps, and all.
The Torrent 2P from Easton is a four season tent that is versatile enough to take you from the coldest to the warmest of places. There are numerous venting options on both the inner tent and the fly, making it easy to stay comfortable in any sort of weather.
This all season tent is dead easy to set up quickly. To be honest with you, I did not even take the tent out of the bag before I set off into the winter wilderness of Canada. We were all pleasantly surprised when the straightforward, 4 pole free-standing design was easy to figure out, with canopy hooks that made erecting the inner tent a snap. The fly simply hooks onto the inner tent via pinch clips at the anchors, using additional velcro tabs if you need added security in windy places.
We didn't use the guy lines, as it was not particularly windy, but they are easy to attach to help fortify your tent. However, we did learn our lesson about using aluminum stakes in winter. When we arrived at our campsite in the Ghost, it was a relatively sunny afternoon with little snow on the ground, meaning the stakes went in easily. By the time we left, the stakes had frozen solid into the ground and were virtually impossible to remove. I broke a couple in the process (sorry Easton!). I should have used only rocks for staking out the tent or if we had deeper snow, the snow stakes. Mea culpa.
Vertical sidewalls create more than ample space to sit up inside the tent and even kneel to get your sleeping bag or Therm-a-Rest stuffed back in their respective sacks. I very much appreciate that the tent doors are located on both side of the Torrent 2P versus at the head and tail. This means you don't have to climb over your tent mate at night to get outside and you can both get your boots on easily in the morning. I also like that the fly doors can be secured open to make for easier loading and unloading of the inner tent.
With all the gear associated with winter camping, I found the Torrent 2P to be a bit of tight squeeze for two people. You can definitely sleep two people comfortably in the tent, but getting dressed at the same time in the morning is a bit of a process. The vestibules are just big enough for your boots and backpack, but if you have duffel bags full of gear like we did in the Ghost, those are going to have to stay outside.
If I was going to head out on a longer winter adventure with two people, I would probably opt for the 3P version, depending on the situation. The 3P weighs 8 lbs 15 oz. versus the 8 lbs 1 oz. weight of the 2P, so will not actually add that much weight to your pack, especially spit between two people. For car camping or basecamp type situations, where weight isn't that much of a factor, I would definitely go for the 3P.
Bottom Line: If you are looking for a bomber tent that is versatile enough to use in all seasons, check out the Torrent. Similar in weight, if not lighter than other four season tents out there, you will appreciate the ease of use and all the small design details of the Easton.
The Easton Torrent 2P retails for $450 and is available now.
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