Winter tents

It really depends on the camping that you do. You don't even need a tent if you have a good sleeping bag and are not sleeping in extreme conditions on a mountain with snow. Even then, you can get by without one, with excellent equipment, but I wouldn't try it. I'm camping this weekend in cold weather (just above freezing) and I'm just using a 3 season tent. Last February, I was in 0 degree weather with a light summer tent and went into hypothermia, but that was a combination of factors (compromised bag, no pad, light tent, and sleeping by a stream)--just plain stupidity on my part. In my defense, the bag was a Field and Stream bag that was rated at 0 degrees, but it had a hole in it after catching on fire (a long story). I think the money needs to be spent on a good bag. If you're not a big guy, like me, I'd look into a synthetic mummy bag from Mountain hardware or the North Face, for example. And make sure it’s rated for a colder temperature than you’re planning on being in (maybe 10-20 degrees colder).

I would think that a tent that kept the wind, rain and/or snow off you is good enough—but let me stress—I am not an expert.