No need to buy 4 season tents for mild summer camping. Even if it's raining heavily, using mats combined with proper planning should keep everything fairly dry. The most important thing is not to camp at the bottom of a hill, make sure the rain fly is safe and use natural cover.
But a four-season tent can be a nice touch for extreme conditions, and if you have the money to spend it, it's a luxury that can really enhance your camping experience.
Basically, the difference between 4-season tents and regular tents is that a 4-season tent is narrower and has heavier outer walls. When everything is closed, there is no room for the elements anywhere.
In addition, 4-season tents are often more stable, so they can withstand extremely strong storms if necessary. However, this does not mean that you cannot use 4-season tents in good weather. Many types of 4-season tents have the ability to open the flysheet to keep you cool on summer days and brave arctic temperatures in winter.
However, you will find that the more extreme the conditions for which a 4-season tent is designed, the more specialized it is. For example, some true 4-season mountain tents aren't things you want to take camping on a warm summer night.
The ventilation panels are small, so it will be stuffy and hot at night when you camp with it in summer. Plus, they're made of a heavier, stronger material, so they add an extra burden to your normal camping trip.
And of course, good 4-season tents can be prohibitively expensive, sometimes exceeding $500. Compare this to a 1 or 2 person summer tent that you can buy at your local camping store.
I got mine for $30 and although it's not very warm it works well in the summer when paired with a decent sleeping bag.
The truth is, before you go out and buy expensive mountaineering gear and 4-season tents that you don't need, it's important to think about what you're going to do. You must ensure that your gear is fit for purpose.
