: THanks Reg,

: If it were up to me I'd get a smaller tent, but Amy is insisting
: that we get a bigger tent. Something about me snoring and taking
: up room- go figure!

: I totally agree on the four-season tents. They are winter tents.
: One day I am going to start a company that makes tents and I'm
: going to design a tent that has zip-out liners for all the mesh
: areas, as well as a variety of zip-out vestibule options- a true
: four-season "convertible" tent. The "Schweizer
: Tent" is also going to have flaps around the edges that you
: fill with rocks, dirt, or snow to weight the edges down- keeping
: wind from getting under the tent, and will have a footprint that
: covers the vestibule area so you have a place to bang the
: mud/sand off your shoes before you enter the tent. There will be
: a "gear ledge" in the back of the tent that stretches
: across like a shelf. Not a gear loft- but a ledge that gives you
: a shelf to put stuff like lights, eyeglasses, toiletries- stuff
: you want close at hand, but you want off the floor where you
: aren't rolling over on them when you sleep.

: -Malcolm

I like the idea of making your own design. I recall that Nemo and Bibler both ran into regulation problems with permissible material specs and product definitions. If you make your own you are unlimited.
Thinking more about tents I will add that I favor lots of mesh because it is light and no moisture accumulates inside. Rain fly color is important, I prefer a tan color. With an orange, blue or red, you can't recognize your own clothes because of the color shift during day hours. I like a lightweight floor and put the ground cloth on the inside forming a basin. No sense having a lightweight tent and then carrying a heavy footprint. Free standing is worth the added weight. Again the siltarp overhead is insurance and allows me to put the tent away dry and the tarp is easier to air than setting up a tent to dry after the trip.
I will be camping out of my 16' Reflection kayak this season so I will have to be a little more space conscious than I was out of the 17' 4" kayak last season. Anyway, fun stuff to be thinking about.

Best,

Reg