Ok, some background explanation is required. As for leave no trace, I have a deal in place with a campground owner who shuts down for the winter. Large accessible parking lot is snow covered yearly. Large tent will not damage anything. I do teach and follow leave no trace. Dealing with Scouts you rarely have right sleeping bags, pads, or cloths for snow camping, especially with limited income families. This type of setup allowed my Troop as a boy to host another Troop along with ours for a weekend in the snow, safe and comfortable. Lots of work, yes. Lots of fun for the boys who never would have left Phoenix to play in the snow, priceless! Small tents, 2 man, and the like are ideal for getting into the back country. Most Troops are not well equipped enough to pull that off and car camping in the snow is a more realistic option. The GP medium we used when I was a boy held up well in a 10" snow storm on Mingus Mountain above Jerome Az but was very work intensive. After we got home we would set the tent up again to dry out before we could store it. I'm also looking for a safe haven in case of severe weather. Always have plan B, C, and D. From my perspective a good outdoor experience is a far more valuable teaching tool in the long run. One bad outdoor experience and you have lost the opportunity to teach stewardship of our backcountry resources.
Stepping down from my soap box now...
Really, all I am hoping to find out is how well the vinyl versions of the GP's holdup, and whether there is a better option than the GP's in a newer technology military surplus tent.