Last weekend I took the Elk Mountain Tents YUKON 20' Bell Tent up to Big Bear, California for what I thought would be a normal winter camping review.
Instead… Mother Nature threw everything at us.
🌬 41mph wind gusts
❄️ Snowfall throughout the night
🔥 Full overnight runs of the PF Bereg wood stove
⚡ Extended testing of the Sparks Overland 4kW Mini Diesel Heater
This wasn’t just a casual weekend getaway — it turned into a full-on torture test of one of Elk Mountain Tent’s most popular bell tents.
And honestly?
This tent impressed me far more than I expected.
In this video, I cover:
• Full walkthrough of the Elk Mountain YUKON bell tent
Layout, materials, build details, setup notes, ventilation, and features you should know before buying.
• Real-world performance in extreme wind & winter conditions
41mph gusts pushed this tent harder than any bell tent I’ve tested — and it held rock solid.
• Overnight heating test with two heaters
PF Bereg Wood Stove — first heavy overnight burn. Outstanding heat retention, incredible draft, and steady performance all night long.
Sparks Overland 4kW Mini Diesel Heater — compact, powerful, and absolutely clutch in sub-freezing temps.
• The pros & cons of the Yukon 20' Bell Tent
• Who this tent is best for
Overlanders, hunters, winter campers, basecamp setups, families, and anyone who needs a large weather-ready shelter that can run a wood stove safely.
Gear Featured:
Elk Mountain Tents YUKON 20' Bell Tent :https://elkmountaintents.com/product/yukon-bell-tent/
PF Bereg Wood Stove (first overnight heavy use) : https://beregcanada.com/
Sparks Overland 4kW Mini Diesel Heater :https://www.sparksoverland.com/
Timestamps :
0:00 – Stormy Big Bear test
1:20 – Tent size vs wind
1:45 – Three standout gear items
2:46 – Wood stove performance
3:23 – Diesel heater results
4:38 – Nighttime wind demo
8:29 – Heating the giant tent
9:35 – Morning recap & stability
13:11 – Interior features & wish list
18:01 – Exterior walk-around
23:23 – Pros, cons & upgrades
28:31 – Verdict
#ElkMountainTent #belltentcamping #overlandinggear #coldweathercamping #dieselheater
Want more winter camping, gear breakdowns, and real-world stress tests?
Hit LIKE, drop a COMMENT, and SUBSCRIBE so you never miss the next video. More California winter overlanding reviews are on the way.
Cool stuff:
Trail-tested. Driver-obsessed lights: https://www.bosslighting.com/
Best Expedition Trailers: https://www.snotrailers.com/
Get Overlanding Gear: https://btroutfitters.com/
Favorite Diesel heater: https://www.sparksoverland.com/
Awesome Compressor: https://morrflate.com/
Where I get all my sound clips from https://www.epidemicsound.com
Original Bereg All-Season Tents – https://bereg-canada.com
🔥 More Adventures Await:
You’ll love these hands-on gear reviews:
Stout 6M Bell Tent First Impression Review : https://youtu.be/-vU_GIcA644
Joshua Tree Shake-Down: Bereg UP7 + NEW Bereg Wood Stove & Sparks Mini Diesel Heater : https://youtu.be/oH6fRjh0RfM
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