Hilleberg Allak 3

Our take Get four-season protection for the weight of a three-season shelter (and a mortgage payment). Hilleberg uses a light-yet-durable, 30-denier ripstop nylon called Kerlon 1200 that has a 26.5-pound tear strength (far higher than most tent fabrics, but more expensive, too). A combination of three poles, pole clips, and sleeves makes for a sturdy pitch that barely flinched in 45-mph winds and blowing snow in Colorado’s Indian Peaks Wilderness. “We awoke to 3 inches of snow sitting on the roof, but there was no sagging with this tent,” one tester says.

The details The Allak is a rare breed: It’s fully freestanding—even the vestibules don’t need stakes. A linked body and fly make for a dry pitch in the rain. The 41-square-foot floor is average for the category, but the vestibules aren’t: They’re each 8.6 square feet, and big enough for packs, boots, and cooking.

Trail cred “Most tents this secure are expedition-style, single-wall moisture traps,” one Colorado tester says. “But the mesh on the Allak’s inner body really cut back on condensation, even when temps dipped to 20°F.”