Most outdoor enthusiasts like hiking on sunny and safe weather conditions. Staying in the comforts of your tent with no heavy downpours or strong winds to worry about is everyone’s absolute outdoor goal. But, if you are the adventurous type and open to the challenge of sleeping in the snowy wilderness, consider adding the GeerTop Toproad 2 Plus 2-Person 4-Season Dome Tent to your cold-weather gear checklist. This winter campers’ favourite has the right construction and features that will keep you warm inside and safe from the elements.
Overview
The GeerTop Toproad 2-Person 4-Season Dome Tent, often regarded as the customer’s choice for winter camping, is a freestanding, double-wall, 4-season tent. This 2-person tent weighs approximately 2.9kg and includes an inner tent, rainfly, two folding tent poles, guy ropes, pegs (10 pieces) and a carry bag. It’s also available in army green and yellow colours.
GeerTop is a Hong Kong-based company that has been manufacturing outdoor gear since 2016. Its founder is also a camping enthusiast and highly dedicated to developing quality, portable and lightweight equipment. These features have been part of the company’s goal to ensure a more relaxed outdoor experience for all hikers. Let’s then take a closer look at the GeerTop Toproad tent to see how well it meets these standards.
Best Features of the GeerTop Toproad 2-Person 4-Season Dome Tent
The GeerTop has a packed size of 45cm x 16cm, which is slightly larger than other 2-person or lightweight tents. Still, this tent can easily fit in your backpack. When you set it up, you’ll be impressed by how much inner space it has. It’s perfect for one, but it’s not too cramped for two either. Its attractive dome shape will also be keeping you in style while out in the wild. But there’s more to this tent than its excellent size and look. Here are the rest of its best features.
Designed for any weather
Unlike other ultralight tents made of nylon, this tent uses high-density 210T checkered polyester with 3000mm water-resistant coating for its rainfly. This high-quality fabric contributes to the tent’s lightweight, UV protection, anti-tear and waterproof properties. The smooth coat of the hiking tent allows rain or snow to slide down quickly. The taped seams are also double-stitched to prevent water from seeping into the tent. It has a heavy-duty 210D Oxford fabric for its tent floor with a waterproof rating of 5000mm to add strength and moisture protection.
The 8.5mm aluminium poles form an X-shaped foundation on the inner tent, keeping it stable on all corners from strong winds. Another essential feature of this tent is its built-in snow skirt. The skirt or valance is the flap you see at the bottom edge of the rainfly. This part has many uses like anchoring the tent, preventing too much snow from getting underneath and stopping your rainfly from flapping a lot.
GeerTop’s double-wall design makes the tent versatile. The inner tent is the perfect ventilated shelter for enjoying the warm weather. For wind, rain or snow protection, its rainfly should keep you warm and dry while inside the tent.
Quick to set up
There are times when it will be snowing hard once you reach your campsite. So, the last thing you want is a tent that’s too complex to assemble. This GeerTop tent takes less than 10 minutes to set up even if you’re on your own. Some can have it up and ready within 5 minutes. Disassembling it is just as quick and easy. It’s also a freestanding tent, so moving it or setting it up on any terrain is a breeze.
The tent already has a heavy-duty bathtub floor attached to its inner layer, so no need to stake down a separate footprint unless necessary. The pole segments are easy to click together and slide through the tent’s mesh sleeves. Just make sure to wear gloves when winter camping to prevent your hands from sticking to the metal parts. Also, the ends of the rainfly have these buckle clips so you can quickly attach it to the inner tent and adjust the tension.
Specially designed pegs
I have to say that the functional design of this GeerTop tent is one of its highlights. For instance, rather than traditionally rounded pegs, this product comes with triangular stakes. The tent pegs have the same lightweight and durable aluminium construction. However, this unique shape protects them from bending easily. Each tent peg also has a groove at the top to keep your guy ropes secure. The crimped Y-shaped end of these stakes also holds better once pegged down to the ground. This smart shift on design adds stability to your tent, especially when it’s up against strong winds.
Spacious
This GeerTop tent has a floor area of 210cm x 140cm, which is comparatively more spacious than other 2-person tents. Two hikers will have no trouble laying down together inside, and if you’re hiking alone, you have more than enough room for you and your gear. The tent also has a 115cm peak height. It’s a few centimetres higher than other similar tents, so you have ample headroom to sit comfortably.
Well-ventilated
Condensation is a common issue in hiking tents. And so, GeerTop addressed this problem through its tent door with high-density fine nylon mesh. This material allows air to circulate easily, especially during the summer or spring months, while keeping stray insects or bugs out.
The inner tent also uses a breathable 210T polyester to keep the temperature regulated even if you’re somewhere warm or cold and elevated. Another handy feature of this tent is its dual ventilation windows on the rainfly. You can keep these down or propped using the Velcro latch.
Smart features
Hikers will surely appreciate the thought put in designing this tent to ensure comfort and convenience. For instance, this 2-person tent has two doorways, one on each side, which makes going in out of the hiking tent so much easier. Both entryways also have one spacious vestibule for storing shoes, backpack and other camping gear. I love the idea that while you’re sharing the tent with another person, you still have your personal space for your things. The best part is, you can access your belongings on whichever side of the tent you are on.
Storing valuables is not a problem with this tent either. You can use its two side pockets for your keys and phones, while the detachable mesh compartment can keep your wallets safe. There’s also a lantern hook at the centre in case you need one at night. GeerTop’s guy lines are also reflective, so you can safely walk around in the dark without accidentally tripping into one.
Things to Note
While exceptional, GeerTop’s Toproad 2 Plus tent is not free from flaws. Here are a few minor things you may need to watch out for when buying this tent.
Not ultra-light
This tent has a packed weight of 2.9kg. Although it’s easy to pack and carry for some, others may not be too happy with all the extra weight. Also, casual hikers may opt for lighter options with the same capacity and almost similar features.
Fragile parts
Like in most tents, you need to take extra care when using the zipper on its doorway. The drawstring carry bag can also tear easily, so you may want to put it inside your backpack to be safe.
Pros and Cons
- Heavy-duty 210T polyester fabric with water-resistant coating, taped seams and breathable quality
- Easy-click aluminium poles and Y-shaped pegs with rope anchor
- Includes an Oxford bathtub floor and anti-tear rainfly for moisture protection
- Easy to assemble and pack down in minutes by one person
- Rainfly has snow skirt and attaches to the inner tent with quick-release buckle clips and straps for adjusting the tension
- Has reflective guy ropes to avoid tripping while walking at night
- With two vestibules easily accessible on either entry way
- With two mesh doors and windows for proper ventilation and insect protection
- Lantern hook and mesh pockets (two side pockets and one detachable mesh) for convenience
- Replacement parts or accessories available
- Spacious for two with attractive dome shape
- Durable with strong weather resistance
- Portable but not ultra-lightweight
- Some parts need extra care
Final Thoughts
Indeed, the GeerTop Toproad 2-Person 4-Season Dome Tent is not the most lightweight gear available in the market, and hikers can opt for ultra-light options. But these light tents are not exactly suitable for extreme temperatures or conditions either.
This GeerTop tent has high-quality fabric, heavy-duty rainfly and built-in snow skirt that add to its weight. Yet all these keep you protected from the heat, rain, strong winds and snow. The hardware included and design of this tent is also top-notch. It’s a roomy and nice-looking 2-person tent with all the bells and whistles. So, overall, it’s a smart choice for a multipurpose tent that would appeal to seasoned hikers and daredevils. And you can always have a friend tag along to help you carry the extra load!