Are the ruggedized tents hotter? Living I'm florida I really need something that's going to stay cool in the summer sun.
Excellent question! And, since I'm certainly not in Florida (Ottawa, Canada), is there a winter performance difference?
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I would not say they are hotter. The things that will affect the temps inside the tent are airflow, and color of the canvas. The weight of the canvas can have some affect but that's minimal in comparison to the other things.
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All of our tents, Ruggedized or not, have excellent ventilation with "doors" on either end of the tent that provide a large opening for air to pass through the tent as well as the large windows that can be opened. I realize that the humidity is much different in Florida, but here in Utah we deal with very high temps in the summer months that regularly hit over 100* in the desert. From my experience, opening up the door and window panels of the tent (and keeping the no-see-um mesh closed to keep bugs out) keeps the tent quite comfortable.
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Another great option if ventilation is a primary concern is one of our SKY model tents with the open roof panels. I have a Kukenam Sky on my personal truck and the ventilation with the ceiling open is very nice. You can leave the rainfly in place to help "catch" the air and direct it into the tent through the ceiling.
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Back to your original question, I don't think you'd notice any measureable difference in temps with the Ruggedized over the standard model tents. And both of the Ruggedized colors are very good for temps. The Expedition Orange and the Haze Grey are both colors that will not absorb a lot of heat.
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As for winter performance the heavier weight canvas of the Ruggedized models and the other heavy duty features like larger internal tent bows and frame will all help with overall durability and weight if you find yourself with a foot of snowfall on your tent when you wake up in the morning.
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I will continue to monitor these threads as much as I can and answer questions, but if you have any questions and are looking for a quicker response please feel free to PM me anytime.