This is for all you guys with experience in high wind camping. I am going to Patagonia in February and March to do some trekking. I got such a screaming deal on Sierra Designs Hyperlight 3 AST that I told myself it would be enough tent. Now I'm thinking I should be looking at something like the Hercules AST or Light AST. These are both tents I can get good deals on right now. What do you all think?

I just got back from doing the Paine Circuit last month. I don't think you'll need a 4 season tent at all. Like you, I was concerned about the wind and so I brought a Hex 3 and it worked very well. On hindsight, I would have just brought my tarptent squall along because the campsites that you can camp at are very well sheltered from the wind and I'm quite sure a standard 3 season tent like the half dome will do just as well. In fact, I saw many 3 season tents in the campsites together with bomber mountaineering tents like the Northface VE 25, all of which seemed to do just as well. So my recommendation is that you save the weight and bring a 3 season tent.

However, if you want to have the option of camping away from the established campsites or visit the more exposed portions of Las Glaciares or venture on the continental icecap on the Chilean side of the Patagonian Andes (really a test for tents), you really should take a good 4 season tent.

Edited by kdesign on 01/11/2006 10:30:06 MST.

Agreed. Although you're not supposed to camp anywhere other than the established campsites to minimize impact on the national parks. There are plenty of places to camp off the established sites in the El Chalten part of Los Glaciares. Torres del Paine, on the other hand, I did not see many places that you could camp in the front part of the part (the part that forms the W). The back part had plenty of suitable camping spots though but again, you're not supposed to camp anywhere you like. The park is now especially touchy about it because earlier last year, a Czech camping illegally in the park set off a fire that burnt down many thousands of acres of the park.

Thanks for the replys. I decided to return the Sierra Designs Hyperlight 3 ast and picked up the Hercules Light AST. It looks like a good compromise at 6 1/2 pounds and only $239 on EBAY. I let you guys know about the trip when I get back and post a review of the tent.