The Samaya ASSAUT2 ULTRA was born to respond to the problems of the best Himalayists. For ultra-light ascents, in the purest alpine style, i.e. without altitude carriers, fixed ropes and oxygen, an assault tent is necessary.
SAMAYA Press Release January 25th, 2021
THINGS DON’T EVOLVE ALONG A CONTINUOUS EVEN CURVE, AND EVERY FEW YEARS A LEAP IS MADE THAT RAISES THE OVERALL BAR AND CHANGES BOTH THE PRODUCT AND THE NICHE THEY ARE USED IN. A DECADE AGO IT WAS CILOGEAR TURNING OUT HIGH-SPEC UHMWPE ALPINE PACKS, MORE RECENTLY IT’S BEEN ELITECLIMB PRODUCING SINGLE-PIECE CARBON COMPOSITE TOOLS, AND NOW WE ARE SEEING IT WITH SAMAYA TENTS.
SAMAYA’S TENTS – AND THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA ESPECIALLY – REALLY ARE HIGH ALPINE-SPECIFIC TENTS MADE TO ADDRESS ALL THE FUNDAMENTALS THAT SORT OF THING ENTAILS, WHICH IS NOT A FRIVILOUS THING. HIGH ALTITUDE ALPINISM – BY ESCHEWING PORTERS, SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN AND FIXED ROUTES – IS BASED ON A CLIMBERS ABILITY TO STAY ON THE MOUNTAIN, AND MORE THAN ANY OTHER TYPE OF CLIMBING IS AFFECTED BY A MULTIFEROUS SERIES OF FACTORS. BY BEING SHELTER, A GOOD TENT IS A PRIMARY ELEMENT, AND THE BETTER A TENT PERFORMS THE BETTER THE CLIMBER PERFORMS, WITH TENT FAILURES HAVING A LONG HISTORY OF BAD OUTCOMES IN HIGH PLACES.
EMERGING MATERIALS PLAY A ROLE OBVIOUSLY, BUT IT’S THE EXECUTION THAT REALLY MAKES THINGS STICK. DYNEEMA TENTS HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS, BUT THEY’VE NEVER REALLY ADDRESSED FULL ALPINE EXPEDITION DEMANDS, USUALLY BEING MORE ASSOCIATED WITH HIKING AND THE UL CROWD; FINE FOR THAT, BUT NOT EVER STEPPING UP TO THE RIGORS OF HIGH ALTITUDE USE THAT REGULARLY SHREDS TENTS NOT DESIGNED FOR THE PURPOSE.
SAMAYA HAS HIT THE SWEET SPOT WITH SERIOUS EXPEDITION DESIGNS, SPACE AGE MATERIALS (LITERALLY, DYNEEMA IS USED IN SPACE SUITS), REMARKABLE WORKMANSHIP AND BOLD EXECUTION. THE RESULT IS A SERIES OF TENTS THAT ARE BEST IN CLASS FOR EXPEDITION CLIMBING, AND BY THAT WE WE RATE THEM AGAINST THE SAME CATEGORY OF OFFERINGS FROM NEMO, MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR (SEVERAL), BLACK DIAMOND (SEVERAL), THE NORTH FACE, SIMOND & MSR, ie A GOOD COMPARISON.
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WHAT MAKES THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA SPECIAL?
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WEIGHT
AT 990g THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA GETS ATTENTION. OTHER TENTS DO THIS – BUT ARE MUCH MORE SPARTAN ABOUT IT. SAMAYA HAS LEFT NOTHING OUT TO GET THAT WEIGHT AND HAS ARRIVED AT IT WITH ZERO LOSS OF FUNCTION; LARGE VENTS, SEAM SEALED, LARGE POCKETS, LOTS OF DETAILS, GUYS GOING EVERYWHERE, CONSTRUCTION DETAILS THAT GET DROPPED FROM EVEN CAR CAMPING TENTS. SAMAYA COULD SCRATCH ANOTHER 100-150g IF THEY WANTED TO AND NO ONE WOULD QUESTION IT (AND YES WE’VE ALREADY ASKED). THIS TENT HAS A GOOD SIZE – NO SMALLER THAN ANY OTHER TENT OF IT’S KIND, GOOD HEIGHT, STEEP WALLS THANKS TO A CROSS POLE AND A FULL LENGTH ZIP DOOR AND IS STILL 30% LIGHTER THAN SOME TENTS WITH ALL THAT REDACTED.
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STRENGTH, BOTH MATERIAL AND DESIGN
WHEN A TENT SHREDS, THE WIND STRESSES THE GUY FINS, THE STITCHING PULLS OUT, THE SEAM OPENS UP AND STARTS FLAPPING AND THE WEAVE OF THE FABRIC SEPARATES. WE KNOW BECAUSE IT’S HAPPENED TO US AND WE’VE SEEN DOZENS OF OTHER TENTS GO THE SAME WAY. THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA’S DYNEEMA ALONE NEGATES HALF THAT EQUATION BY SIMPLY BEING NON-WOVEN. BY NOW WE ALL KNOW UHMWPE DOESN’T TEAR, BUT IT ALSO DOESN’T SHRED BEACUSE IT HAS NO WEAVE MATRIX TO WEAKEN AND AN INHERENT RIGIDITY THAT FLAPS LESS.
BUT MORE OVER, THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA HAS A STRONGER DESIGN. FULL LENGTH POLE SLEEVES DO AWAY WITH PRESSURE POINTS, EVENLY LOADING THE STRUCTURE AGAINST FORCE, BUT THE REAL KEY IS THE WAY SAMAYA HAS GUYED THE TENT DIRECTLY FROM THE POLES, NOT FROM THE SEAMS IN THE FIRST PLACE, WITH DUAL ATTACHMENTS ON A SLIDING RING THAT EQUALIZE. IF YOU WANT TO PIN A TENT TO A MOUNTAIN THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT.
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REPAIRABILITY
DYNEEMA IS HYDROPHOBIC SO THERE’S NO NEED TO COVER IT IN SILICONE WHICH MEANS MOST TAPES WILL STICK TO IT. FOR YEARS WE HAVE USED DACRON SPINAKER TAPE ON UHMWPE IN HIGH-WEAR PLACES LIKE PACKS, AND KNOWING SAIL-SIZED REPAIRS CAN BE MADE IN THE FIELD IS A BIG DEAL SOMEWHERE LIKE THE KUNLUN.
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EASE OF SET UP
THE WEAKNESS OF SOME GREAT ALPINE TENTS IS THEIR ISSUES WITH SETTING THEM UP IN HIGH WINDS, IN THE DARK, ON THE SIDE OF A MOUNTAIN. VERY, VERY, FEW TENTS HAVE GOT IT NAILED, AND SAMAYA IS ONE OF THEM. POLES GO IN THE SLEEVES AND SLOT INTO A GROMMET – DONE. ONLY
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VENTILATION
HAVING ALREADY USED BREATHABLE DYNEEMA IN CLOTHING, WE KNEW THE WAY IT WOULD WORK AND HAD NO SURPRISES. THIS STUFF TRANSPIRES AS WELL AS ANY OTHER SINGLE SKIN, AND BY IT’S HYDROPHOBIC PROPERTIES WON’T WET OUT. IT WON’T BREATHE LIKE YOUR DOUBLE SKIN, SO THOSE LOOKING AT THIS FOR ANYTHING IN THE TROPICS BE FOREWARNED.
WHAT THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA DOES DO WELL IS THE OPEN VENTS, A COMMON PROBLEM IN MOST (BUT NOT ALL) ALPINE SINGLE SKINS (AND A LOT OF DOUBLES TOO). COMBINED WITH THE DOOR, THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA HAS A LOT OF OPEN SPACE AT IT’S HIGHEST POINT WHEN THE SIDE VENTS ARE UNZIPPED, ENOUGH TO DUMP MOST OF THE STEAM FROM A STOVE HUNG IN THE MIDDLE, AND THERE’S NOT MANY OTHER DESIGNS THAT DO THIS BETTER.
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LIVABILITY
THE EASIEST WAY TO REDUCE A TENTS WEIGHT IS TO REDUCE IT’S MASS AND ELIMINATE ALL THE EXTRA FABRIC THAT GOES INTO WALLS. THIS CUTS FAR MORE BULK THAN TRIMMING LABELS AND ZIP PULLS WILL. BUT SAMAYA HAS AVOIDED DOING THIS AT ALL.
THE FIRST THING YOU WILL NOTICE IF YOUR EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN IN FIRSTLIGHTS, MAKALUS OR DIREKTS IS THE AMOUNT OF SPACE IN THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA, DUE TO IT’S STEEP WALLS AND EVENLY SUSPENDED FABRIC. TWO PEOPLE CAN SIT UP, WITH ROOM TO HANG STUFF, AND NOT HAVE TO LEAN INTO THE CENTRE. STRAIGHT WALLS AND THE FLAT ROOF DO PRESENT A BIT MORE OF A PROFILE TO SNOW AND WIND, BUT SNOW IS EASIER TO PUNCH OF THE SIDES WHEN IT DOES.
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COMBINED
ALL THOSE THINGS ARE GREAT AND USUALLY HAPPEN AT THE EXPENSE OF SOME OF THE OTHERS; THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA NAILS ALL OF THEM. THIS IS A BIG DEAL IN ALPINE TENT WORLD, AND FRANKLY, A BIT OF AN ENIGMA BECAUSE THINGS ALL SEEM TO WORK TOGETHER WELL. SAMAYA HAVEN’T JUST HAD ONE GOOD IDEA AND RUN WITH IT, THEY HAVE REJIGGED THE WHOLE ALPINE TENT IDEA AND PULLED IT OFF WITH SEEMINGLY LITTLE COMPROMISE.
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OTHER STUFF
THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA IS KNOWN FOR HAVING A BLUE ICE DYNEEMA SLING SEWN INTO THE ROOF TO CLIP THROUGH TO THE OUTSIDE WITH. A BIT REDUNDANT WITH THE ABSENCE OF BUG MESH (JUST RUN THE SLING THROUGH THE APERTURE), BUT AN INDICATION OF THE CONCEPT THIS TENT IS BUILT.
THE TUB FLOOR IS INDEED DEEP (AND WHERE MUCH OF THE COST IN DYNEEMA GOES), WITH SEALED 100% PROOF DYNEEMA WELL UP THE WALLS TO AVOID SLUSH. THIS WILL BE A CONDENSATION POINT, BUT WILL NEGATE ANY WETTING OUT THAT THEN REFREEZES INTO THE ICE OUTSIDE.
IF YOU LIKE GUY LINES THIS IS THE TENT FOR YOU, WITH ADDITIONAL POINTS GOING ALL ALONG THE EDGE OF THE FLOOR THAT WOULD DO WHAT SNOW FLAPS DO ON A DOUBLE WALL AND HELP TO KEEP THE WIND FROM UNDER THE FLOOR.
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THE VESTIBULE
SAMAYA DO NYLON AND DYNEEMA VESTIBULES IN THE SAME DESIGN AT ABOUT 200g DIFFERENCE. THE DYNEEMA IS THE FULL WATERPROOF TYPE, NOT THE BREATHABLE LIKE IN THE WALLS, AND BECAUSE IT DOESN’T STRETCH LIKE NYLON, CAN PITCH DRUM TIGHT AND STAY THAT WAY. IF CUTTING WINDS LIKE FOR POLAR USE IS YOUR OBJECTIVE, THE DYNEEMA WILL BE WORTH IT.
UNLIKE THE TENT, THE VESTIBULE HAS SNOW FLAPS SO YOU CAN SEAL IT RIGHT TO THE GROUND, AND THE INREFACE TO ATTACH IT TO THE TENT BODY IS MOSTLY GOOD, THOUGH A LITTLE EFFORT IS NEEDED TO WHERE THE POLES SLOT IN TO GET THINGS LINED UP PERFECTLY.
THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA’S DOOR DESIGN IS THE BEST WE’VE SEEN, ALLOWING VARIOUS OPTIONS TO OPEN DEPENDING HOW YOU USE THE SPACE INSIDE. AND IF SLIGHTLY UNZIPPED ADDS A LOT TO THE VENTING OF THE WHOLE UNIT WITHOUT MUCH HEAT LOSS
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THE PRICE
THESE TENTS ARE EXPENSIVE AND IT’S EASY TO SEE WHY. ASIDE FROM THE DYNEEMA, EVERY EXTERNAL SEAM IS HEAT SEALED, THERE’S A LOT OF NON-STITCHED PIECES THAT AVOID THE WEAKNESSES OF STITCHING ALTOGETHER, EVERY LITTLE PIECE IS PROPRIETRY DOWN TO THE ZIP PULLS AND CLIPS, AND THE SOPHISTICATION OF CONSTRUCTION TO REALIZE THE DIFFERENT MATERIALS AND FORMS IS SEVERAL STEPS ABOVE NORMAL. THERE’S A LOT OF HOURS AND EXPERTISE IN THESE THINGS DESPITE HOW STREAMLINED THEY MAY APPEAR.
AMONG THE DETAILS THAT AFFECT PRICE, YOU ALSO GET FULL DYNEEMA DRY BAGS AS STUFF SACKS, A LUXURY ALMOST INSANE, PEGS FROM A SPECIALIST COMPANY THAT SAY THEY ARE MADE FOR ALPINE USE, AND – NOT REALLY A DETAIL – PRODUCTION FROM A SMALL, SINCERE COMPANY WHERE THE CLIMBER BOSS ANSWERS THE EMAILS. TRY GETTING THAT FROM THE NORTH FACE.
WHAT YOU GET FOR THAT PRICE IS A TENT THAT WORKS BETTER THAN IT’S PEERS FOR THE JOB OF EXPEDITION CLIMBING, AND LIKE A WELL DESIGNED PACK OR SLEEPING BAG, THESE ARE THINGS ANYONE WHO HAS HAD A WORRYING TIME HIGH ON AN ALPINE FACE WILL KNOW ARE WORTH THE EXTRA DETAILS.
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THE NEGATIVES. SURELY NO TENT IS PERFECT, RIGHT?
THAT’S TRUE – BUT THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA COMES DAMN CLOSE. THE THINGS WE’D CHANGE ARE DOUBLE ENDED POLES SO THERE’S NO HYPOXIC BRAIN CELLS SPENT SORTING THAT OUT, AND IT WOULD ALSO LOSE THE CAP ON THE END THAT HINDERS REMOVING THEM. A STRONG DEDICATED CENTRAL CLIP POINT FOR A STOVE (THIS A GROWN UPS TENT, WE CAN BE TRUSTED WITH THIS). ABSENCE OF BUG MESH WILL ANNOY SOME, ESPECIALLY WITH THE AMOUNT FESTOONED ON THE GENEROUS POCKETS, INCLUDING THE SUSPENDED LOFT.
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OVERALL, THIS IS A BIT OF GEAR THAT MAKES A DIFFERENCE BECAUSE IT’S A SERIOUS-GRADE SHELTER THAT’S SO LIGHT AND LIVEABLE IT MAKES SURVIVAL ON HARD ASCENTS MORE DOABLE. THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA IS THE WEIGHT OF TWO BIVY BAGS BUT WITH ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE MORE LIVABILITY MEANING ONCE CHANCEY AFFAIRS LIKE FAST ASCENTS ON TECHNICAL TERRAIN CAN BE DONE WITH A GREATER DEGREE OF CONTINGENCY. THIS DOESN’T REPLACE HIGH STAKES CLIMBING, IT ENHANCES IT.
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