You're welcome. Now, what do you want to know about titanium cookware? <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Back to the tents: As far as regular v. HP - I can't really offer anything authoritative there; my hiking is all in the Ohio/Kentucky/Indiana area, not the mountains. The regular mesh version is fine here - in fact, it's a three-and-a-half season (or even four season) tent around here, where it gets cold but there's rarely more than a couple of inches of snow. Also, I've not yet seen an HP in person.

I guess it comes down to what constitutes a "skiff" of snow. For me, that means the grass still sticks up through the snow. If it's 6 or 8 inches in the mountains, that's a different kettle of fish.

For what it's worth (and my logic may be flawed here) I would point out (and you probably already know this) that both tents have the same "bones" since the pole appears to be identical for both tents. Likewise, it's the same fly. Wouldn't this mean snow loading would affect both versions the same?

So, it would seem that the only difference is the cloth v. mesh inner. If you think snow or bitter cold or wind will seep in under the fly, the cloth is probably a better choice as a second line of defense. If you think the tent will be "buttoned up" most of the time, then the cloth inner might make sense simply because the inevitable condensation won't drip through the cloth (it has come through the mesh on those rare early spring/late fall nights where there's high humidity that condenses when temperatures fall, and the threat of rain makes me put the fly on.) I'm not convinced that the cloth will keep the inside of the tent any warmer than the mesh; I've never noticed any substantial difference between my Hubba with fly and my old SD cloth-inner tents (and they were two-man - more room to heat up.)

If, on the other hand, you aren't worried about snow blowing under the fly, and you like to stargaze or you camp where it stays hot at night, mesh is the way to go. That's why I stick with the mesh: it suits my needs - but your needs may easily be a lot different. And, if it's any consolation, the HP weighs a few ounces less.

Hey, here's an idea: buy the HP and order a regular inner from MSR, then match the inner to each specific trip. It's only money (or that's what my wife tells me, shortly before telling me how much of it she saved me.) <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Glenn