SAMAYA ASSAUT2 & ASSAUT3 ULTRA XP TENTS
SAMAYA OVERRODE ALL OTHER TENTS WHEN THEY HIT THE MARKET, DOING WHAT OTHERS HAD ONLY DABBLED IN, MAKING FULL DYNEEMA TENTS A REALITY. INSTANTLY HITTING THE GROUND WITH A FULL ARRAY OF TENTS THAT COVERED ALL ASPECTS OF ALPINE CLIMBING FROM CONTINENTAL WEEKEND ROUTES THROUGH TO HIGH ALTITUDE EXPEDITIONS, THEY HALVED THE WEIGHTS AND DOUBLED THE STRENGTHS SIMULTANEOUSLY OF EVERYTHING ELSE AROUND, IN WHAT MIGHT BE THE BIGGEST LEAP FORWARD IN EXPEDITION EQUIPMENT THIS GENERATION.
WE KNOW THAT’S A LOFTY CLAIM. WE ALSO KNOW THAT SAMAYA TENTS WERE RAPIDLY PICKED UP BY CUTTING EDGE CLIMBERS AND HAVE RETAINED THEIR PLACE, BECOMING SYNONYMOUS WITH SERIOUS ASCENTS WITHIN A FEW SEASONS. EXCRUCIATINGLY CLOSE COPIES HAVE SPRUNG UP ALREADY, IN A SMALL SPACE WITH A VERY HIGH BAR TO MATCH, BUT IT’S YET TO BE SEEN IF ANYONE ELSE WILL COME CLOSE TO SAMAYAS RATE AND SCOPE OF INNOVATION.
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WE GOT ONTO SAMAYA FIVE YEARS AGO, AND HAVE NOW SPENT HUNDREDS OF NIGHTS IN THEIR TENTS OF VARIOUS MODELS AND PROTOTYPES. THESE TENTS HAVE CHANGED HOW WE DO THINGS, RESHUFFLING THE PROCESS OF HOW TIME IS SPENT ON MOUNTAINS, EVOLVING AND ADAPTING TRADITIONAL CONCEPTS OF BASE CAMPS, HIGH CAMPS AND BIVIES AWAY TO BE MEANINGLESS.
AS OUTLIERS OF AN ALREADY SATURATED MARKET AND INDEPENDENT OF OTHER MARKET SECTORS LIKE CLOTHING AND SLEEPING BAGS, SAMAYA HAS NO REASON TO STICK WITH OLD DEFINITIONS OR TO MAINTAIN ANY STATUES QUO. PART OF THE EMERGING GENUS OF MID-SIZED SUPPLIERS THEY HAVE THE AGILITY TO EXPERIMENT AND PUSH INNOVATION THAT IS MATCHED BY A GENEROSITY AND YOUTHFULNESS OF PERSPECTIVE, WHICH PAIRS WELL WITH THE NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND MATERIALS THEY HAVE TO PLAY WITH.
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FOR OUR COLD-SEASON KARAKORUM AND TIBET TRIPS WE WANTED SOMETHING THAT DIDN’T QUITE EXIST, AND CRUNCHED THE NUMBERS AND CONCEPTS WITH SAMAYAS TEAM OVER SEVERAL SEASONS TO BRING TO FRUITION. WE KNEW PRECISELY WHAT WE WANTED HAVING TRIED ALMOST-THERE VERSIONS OVER THE YEARS AND HAD PLENTY OF TIME TO THINK ABOUT IT, AND SAMAYA KNEW HOW TO MAKE IT ALL WORK WITH THE RIGOROUS DESIGN PRINCIPLES THEY ALREADY HAVE.
AND SO WE HAVE IT – THE ASSAUT ULTRA XP IN 2 AND 3 PERSON VERSIONS – HAVING BEEN PLAYED WITH AND DROOLED OVER BEFORE GOING TO TIBETAN AND KARAKORUM ASCENTS IN A WEEK. THE FINISHED THINGS ARE BETTER THAN EXPECTED, WITH ALL SORTS OF DETAILS AND SOLUTIONS THAT WE LEFT ALL UP TO THEM. WE HAVE NOW BEFORE US WHAT WE CAN WITHOUT ARGUMENT SAY, AFTER TRYING MANY, ARE THE FINEST EXPEDITION TENTS EVER MADE.
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THE NUMBERS (2P / 3P)
950 / 1250g
3.5m2 / 4.25m2
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THE CONCEPT
THE ASSAUT ULTRA XP TENTS WORK AS HIGH ALPINE CLIMBING TENTS AS WELL AS FOR BASE CAMPS ON APPROACHES AND GLACIERS. THEY ARE BOTH DEVILISHLY LIGHT AND COMFORTABLY LIVABLE, AND VERY STRONG ACROSS PLANES THAT COME CLOSE TO ELIMINATING THE DEFORMATION OFTEN SEEN IN SINGLE SKIN TENTS. THEY ARE NOT SPARTAN LITTLE BIVY TENTS NOR ARE THEY BIG TRADITIONAL BC TENTS, BUT DESIGNED FROM THE GROUND UP AS A ‘ONE-TENT-SOLUTION’ FOR UNSUPPORTED CLIMBERS GOING FROM TRAILHEAD TO SUMMIT IN VERY COLD, HIGH AND STEEP PLACES.
WE WANTED TENTS THAT FIT ONTO NARROW DUG LEDGES, THAT HAVE GEODESIC CROSSED-POLE STRENGTH, ENHANCED THERMAL PROPERTIES, INTEGRATED VESTIBULES AND STREAMLINED PROFILES. WE KNEW THAT SAMAYAS ULTRA TENTS WERE ALREADY MUCH OF THE WAY THERE AND WOULD SERVE AS A BASE, AND THAT THIS WAS EXTENDING EXISTING DESIGNS RATHER THAN REINVENTING ANYTHING.
WE NEED SHELTERS FOR HIGH WINDS, THAT COULD SQUEEZE EXTRA PEOPLE IN, THAT WOULD BE LIVABLE BUT SIMPLE, AND THAT OF COURSE WEIGHED AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE. THE DESIGN WE KNEW COULD WORK IN SOME PRINCIPLES FROM OUTSIDE SAMAYAS CURRENTLY RELEASED RANGE, AND WOULD SHOWCASE THE DYNEEMA MATERIALS BECAUSE THEY RELY ON THE LOW STRETCH FOR THE GEOMETRY.
WE WANTED SOMETHING VERY SPACE CAPSULE-LIKE THAT WE WOULD HAVE CONFIDENCE IN WHEN BOTH EXPOSED ON GLACIERS AND CLIPPED INTO STEEP FACES, THAT ENHANCED THE FEELING OF SECURITY AS A TINY BUBBLE OF SHELTER IN DIFFICULT PLACES. YEARS SPEND IN TIBET IN WINTER SHOWED US THAT KNOWING THERE WAS A RELIABLY STRONG AND FUNCTIONAL SHELTER AT THE END OF HARD DAYS WAS A MAJOR DECIDER IN EXPEDITION SUCCESS.
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THE DESIGN
SAMAYA USES WIND TUNNELS AND DIGITAL MODELLING TO REFINE DESIGNS, AND WE HAD OUR OWN MODELS SO WE KNEW WE WERE GIVING THEM FUNCTIONAL DATA NOT GEAR-HEAD FANTASY. THE BASE DESIGN IS ALREADY THE ASSAUT ULTRA SO WE KNEW THAT WAS GOOD TO GO, WITH CHANGES TO THE EXISTING NON-INTEGRATED VESTIBULES PLUS SOME NEW ELEMENTS.
THERE’S A LOT GOING ON HERE.
THE CROSSOVER POLES ADDS HUGELY TO THE TENTS STRENGTH AND INTEGRITY, EXTENDING BUCKMINSTER FULLERS PRINCIPLES OF TENSEGRITY ACROSS THREE DIMENSIONS TO MAKE SELF-REFERENCING SPACE. EVEN WITHOUT THE VESTIBULE STAKED OUT IT IS ALL FREE-STANDING AND LOCKED INTO PLACE, AND RESISTANT TO DISTORTION FROM HIGH WINDS AND SNOW LOAD LIKE NO OTHER TENT OF THIS TYPE.
THE VESTIBULE SEALS COMPLETELY WITH SNOW FLAPS, ACTING AS A DEAD AIRSPACE LIKE A HEAT EXCHANGER AND EXTENDING THE SPACE FOR AN EXTRA PERSON. THIS SPACE CAN BE CLOSED OFF INTERNALLY TO ACT AS A COLD LOCK, AND THE INTERNAL ‘SMART WALL’ ALLOWS VAPOR EXCHANGE VIA PERMEABLE FABRICS. THE VESTIBULE HAS DOORS ON BOTH SIDES THAT OPEN AND VENT IN ALL DIRECTIONS, AND ELIMINATE SNOW FROM ENTERING THE MAIN SPACE.
INSIDE, WE TOOK OUT THE LARGE MESH POCKETS AND REDUCED ANYTHING THAT COULD BE, WITHOUT LOOSING ANY STRENGTH, VENTILATION OR FUNCTION AS A SHELTER. LIKE THE REGULAR ASSAUT2 THE VENTS DOUBLE AS ACCESS FOR SLINGS, AND THE SHORT CROSS POLES KEEPS THE DESIGNS STEEP WALLS THAT MAKES LIVABILITY SUPERIOR.
THIS IS A TENT TO BE LIVED IN, ON MULTIDAY ASCENTS REQUIRING ACCLIMATION, EXPECTING WEATHER, AND DEMANDING TIME. IN A WAY THESE ARE NOT FULL SINGLE SKIN TENTS AS THE INTERNAL WALL SHARES MUCH IN FUNCTION WITH DOUBLE SKIN PRINCIPLES, MAKING THEM THE MOST LIVABLE ASSAULT TENTS OF THE DOZEN OR SO WE HAVE EVER USED.
SAMAYA HAVE REWORKED THEIR FAMOUS GUY SYSTEM FOLLOWING WIND TUNNEL TESTS – SOMETHING WE THOUGHT COULD NOT BE BETTERED, BUT SEE THE SENSE IN NOW, ESPECIALLY WHERE THE CROSSED POLE DESIGN ENTERS INTO THINGS. CHANGES TO THE ENTIRE POLE SYSTEM MAKES IT ALL LIGHTER AND EASIER TO USE
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THE MATERIALS
IT WAS ALWAYS GOING TO BE DYNEEMA. TRADITIONAL TENT MATERIALS LIKE SILNYLON AND EVEN POLYESTER MAY WORK ELSEWHERE BUT NOT FOR A DESIGN THAT WE WANTED DRUM-TAUGHT FOR HIGH HIMALAYAN WINDS. SAMAYA BRINGS ITS USUAL ALCHEMY OF SPECIAL MATERIALS THAT CAN BE LASER CUT TO THE MILLIMETER AND SEAM TAPED LIKE A JACKET, SO WE COULD ACHIEVE THE SUBTLE CATENARY CURVES AND TENSEGRIC TENSION THAT NO WOVEN MATERIAL COULD PROVIDE.
AS USUAL ALL THE DETAILS ARE WITHIN THE SAME SCOPE AS THE BIG FEATURES, LIKE GUY LINES THAT DON’T STRETCH AND POLES THAT SELF-TENSION, WHICH MEANS THE MAIN MATERIALS CAN WORK TO THEIR BEST AND NOT BE COMPROMISED BY SOME CHEAP OUTSIDE ELEMENT. WE INCREASED THE VENTILATION ABILITY EXPONENTIALLY WITH SOME NEW MATERIALS SMARTLY USED, THAT COMBINED WITH THE EXISTING PROPERTIES OF THE BREATHABLE MEMBRANED WALLS RESOLVES A LOT MORE CONDENSATION.
IT WAS ALSO ALWAYS GOING TO BE CARBON FIBRE FOR THE MAIN POLES, BECAUSE ALTHOUGH ALUMINIUM WORKS, CARBON WORKS BETTER, BEING LESS COLD TO HANDLE AND NOT BREAKING CATASTROPHICALLY. WHEN GEODESICALLY CROSSED CARBON HAS SUPERIOR ‘SPRING BACK’ WHEN BUFFETTED BY WIND, HAVING LESS MASS TO POP BACK INTO SHAPE.
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REAL WORLD USE
SAMAYA TENTS HAVE A CERTAIN SAMAYA-NESS THAT IS PRECISION PATTERNING, DETAILING AND EXECUTION OF CONSTRUCTION. THIS RESULTS IN VERY STREAMLINED DESIGNS THAT ALLOW FOR VERY SMOOTH USE, THAT IS VERY ERGONOMIC AND INTUITIVE. IF YOU KNOW THE REGULAR ASSAUT2 ULTRA THEN YOU WILL RECOGNIZE A LOT OF THE ULTRA XP, BUT WITH A LOT OF ADAPTATIONS FOR EXPEDITION USE.
WE HAVE A CUPBOARD FULL OF TENTS THAT DON’T WORK WELL WITH COLD HANDS, IN HIGH WINDS, THAT DON’T VENT WELL ENOUGH, ARE TOO FIDDLY, HAVE POINTLESS FEATURES AND DON’T USE SPACE WELL, AND REFUSE TO WASTE ANOTHER MINUTE ON THEM. SAMAYA TOLERATE OUR INPUT WELL, DESIGNING OUT THE THINGS THAT ANNOY US LIKE ZIPS THAT CATCH AND POLES THAT JAM, UNDERSTANDING SUCH THINGS COMPOUND TO BECOME REAL RISKS OUT IN THE PLACES THESE TENTS WILL GO.
THE FUNCTION PROFILE OF THE ASSAUT ULTRA XPS IS TO BANG THE POLES IN, PIN THE THING TO THE MOUNTAIN, GET IN, STASH THE GEAR AND START GETTING WARM. THINGS NEED TO SET UP FROM A TINY STANCE, STOMPED INTO SNOW, BY ONE SET OF FROZEN HANDS, AND A BRAIN JUGGLING FIFTEEN THINGS BY DIMMING TORCH LIGHT AND 4000kcals IN THE HOLE.
TO THIS END, THE POLES SLIDE AND SECURE LIKE NEVER BEFORE, INCLUDING THE VESTIBULE CROSS POLE THAT SOME DESIGNS MAKE ANNOYINGLY HARD. IT CAN BE USED WITHOUT PEGS BY PINNING DOWN THE VESTIBULE WITH SNOW, ROCK OR AN ICE TOOL, OR WITH A SINGLE STAKE AS THE VESTIBULE IS SEMI-SELF SUPPORTING.
THIS DESIGN IS INTENTIONALLY FOR SETTING UP/BREAKING DOWN IN HIGH WINDS, TO BE ‘COMBAT PACKED’ INTO A PACK SO IT CAN BE FIXED TO THE GROUND FIRST OR LAST TO AVOID BEING BLOWN AWAY. THE SNOW FLAPS ARE OVERSIZED FOR A GOOD SEAL AND THE DOORS OPEN FROM ANY POINT, AND THE VESTIBULE CONNECTS FLUSH WITH THE TENT BODY TO PREVENT ANY INGRESS FROM WIND.
INSIDE THEY ARE TARDIS-LIKE WITH 100% FUNCTIONAL SPACE, THAT COMES FROM STEEP WALLS AND THE VESTIBULE HAVING THE SAME CEILING HEIGHT AS THE TENT. THIS CREATES A CAVITY ABOVE THE INNER DOOR AND ALLOWS THE VERY FRONT OF THE VESTIBULE TO BE USED WITHOUT BLOCKING THE ENTRANCE, SO NOTHING NEED BE LEFT OUTSIDE IN THE SNOW TO BE BURIED. COLD-SINKING STUFF LIKE METALWARE AND SNOW BAGS CAN STAY WITHIN THE SEALED AREA OF THE VESTIBULE AND COOKING CAN BE DONE THERE TOO WITHOUT COMPROMISING THE TENT AS A SEALED AIR SPACE, AND MULTIPLE ASSAUT ULTRA XPS CAN BE CONNECTED WITH ADJOINING DOORS, ESPECIALLY END TO END ALONG NARROW LEDGES. IN BASECAMPS THE XP CAN BE BURROWED INTO SNOW DRIFTS, WITH THE SIDE DOORS OPENING INTO SNOW HOLES AND SPACE DUG INTO SLOPES.
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AVAILABILITY
BEFORE ANYONE GETS THEIR CREDIT CARDS OUT, YOU WON’T SEE THESE ON THE SAMAYA WEBSITE, AS THEY ARE PART OF THE COMPANYS ELEMENT BELOW THE WATERLINE. WE HAVE THEM FOR OUR TRIPS AND SUPPLY THEM TO OUR TEAMSTERS, BEING A SPECIAL ORDER AT A PRICE POINT THAT WILL REFLECT ON-DEMAND PRODUCTION.
WE ARE NOT RETAILERS, WE ONLY SUPPLY OUR EXPEDITIONS, SO WE REQUIRE A LEAD TIME AFTER DEPOSIT OF A FEW MONTHS FROM TEAMSTERS WANTING TO HAVE THEIR OWN. SAMAYA MAY HAVE VERSIONS AVAILABLE FROM REGIONAL DISTRIBUTORS IN VERY SMALL RUNS, THOUGH OF COURSE ONLY OURS WILL HAVE THE FEEDING THE RAT EXPEDITIONS BRANDING, AS LIKE OUR SHIRTS THEY ARE FOR TEAM SUPPLY ONLY, NOT RETAIL.
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IT’S HARD TO SAY WHERE EXPEDITION TENTS GO FROM HERE (THOUGH WE HAVE A FEW IDEAS…), AS SAMAYA NAILED 98% OF WHAT WAS ASKED FOR AND THE REMAINING 2% IS INDUSTRIAL STUFF BEYOND ANYONES CONTROL (SOME THINGS HAVEN’T BEEN INVENTED…YET). OF COURSE THINGS WILL GET LIGHTER, STRONGER, MORE FUNCTIONAL AND MORE SPECIALIZED – AND IN THE CASE OF SAMAYA TENTS THERE WILL BE THE META QUALITY WHERE MORE EXPERIMENTATION AND MORE INTEREST IN VANGUARD DESIGN KEEPS EXPANDING THE POSSIBILITIES.
A QUICK LOOK AT THE PEOPLE SAMAYA HAS IN THEIR CIRCLE MAKES THE FUTURE OF THEIR PRODUCTS A FERTILE FIELD FOR DEVELOPMENT, ALL BEING PART OF A ‘POST-COVID WAVE’ IN ALPINISM THAT IS LITERALLY BRINGING A SPORT BACK FROM LOW EBB (MORE ON THAT COMING SOON). PROJECTS LIKE THIS IN THE HANDS OF THE NEWER COMPANIES, NEVER FULFIL A NICHE, THEY ONLY EVER OPEN UP NEW ONES, SO AFTER THIS EXPEDITION SEASON WE EXPECT TO HIT THE SKUNKHOUSE AGAIN WITH NEW SOLUTIONS FOR NEW TRIPS TO NEW PLACES.
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ENQUIRIES WELCOME