[at-l] Stephenson 2R Tent on Mt. Rainier

[gbuffmd@bigfoot.com (Gary Buffington)]

I'm in a class her in Seattle.  On April 26 we go to the 6000-foot level on
Mt. Rainier and camp two nights doing snow travel, tenting and navigation
practice.  There is 20 feet of snow up there.  I want to take the
Stephenson.  The instructor David Spring of Bellevue Community College says
it is entirely inadequate.  He says the tent can't stand wind over 60 MPH
and all tents need high guy out lines at 4 corners.  He says it will suffer
condensation problems and inside wetness.   He says the two-hoop design
can't hold the snow that can come down at one foot per hour.  Stephenson
says it will do well and is a 4-season tent.  The instructor says you can
tell the number of seasons by the number of poles.  The tent has two poles.
Does any one know or have any snow and very high wind experience with this
tent.  It did great on the AT from Damascus to Katahdin but those were
greatly different conditions and it did have some condensation.
Bear Bag
GA>ME, 2000 with Sweet Pea