SINGLE SKIN ALPINE TENTS COMPARISON REVIEW

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WE SPEND A LOT OF TIME IN TENTS. IN FACT A BEER COASTER CALCULATION PUTS IT AT +2000 NIGHTS OVER THE LAST +20 YEARS WE’VE BEEN GOING TO TIBET, CENTRAL ASIA & JAPAN. AND BECAUSE OF THE WAY WE DO THINGS, THE MAJORITY OF THOSE NIGHTS HAVE BEEN SINGLE SKIN ALPINE TENTS, GIVING US EXPERIENCE IN MANY OF THE BRANDS AND THE EVOLUTION OF THEIR TENTS OVER TIME, INCLUDING SOME OF THE LESSER SEEN ONES. ACROSS ALL THIS WE’VE SEEN SEVERAL FACTORS AT PLAY, INCLUDING THE MOST COMMONLY ASKED QUESTION ABOUT THIS WE GET – ARE THESE TENTS ANY GOOD FOR THE REST OF A TRIP THAT’S NOT THE HIGH ALPINE BIT?

NOW, WE DON’T EXPECT EVERYONE TO AGREE WITH ALL THAT WE SAY HERE, AS THE HOW WELL A TENT WORKS IS HALF ABOUT HOW YOU APPROACH USING IT. WE KNOW WE HAVE’T USED EVERY SINGLE SKIN ALPINE TENT IN THE UNIVERSE TOO, SO THIS IS NEITHER DEFINITIVE NOR THE FINAL WORD, AND DESPITE USING TARPS, MIDS AND BIVY BAGS A LOT TOO WE HAVEN’T INCLUDED THEM OR ANY DOUBLE WALLED TENTS THAT AIM TO FILL THE SAME SPACE. WE ALSO HAVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH SOME OF THE PRODUCERS OF THE TENTS WE MENTION, TO VARYING DEGREES BUT NONE OF WHICH DICTATE WHAT WE THINK BEYOND THE POINT OF EXPLAINING TO US THE THINGS WE DON’T UNDERSTAND.

WE GIVE A TOTALLY SUBJECTIVE RATING BASED ON NO MORE THAN OUR COMPARATIVE FEEL, BUT BEAR IN MIND IF THE TENT APPEARS HERE AT ALL IT IS UP TO THE JOB OR WE WOULDN’T BOTHER WITH IT.

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MSR ADVANCE PRO 2

THIS TENT DOES WHAT IT SHOULD THOUGH IS A BIT HIT OR MISS. IT’S PRETTY LIGHT, VENTS QUITE WELL (DEPENDING WHICH VERSION YOU HAVE) AND HAS A HALF-DECENT POLE SET UP – THE OTHER HALF BEING QUESTIONABLE.

WHAT IT GETS WONKY IS THAT DESPITE HAVING BIG VENTS ALONG THE SIDES (GOOD) IT MISSES THE POTENTIAL OF THE CROSS POLE TO ALSO MAKE THE SIDE WALLS STEEPER (NOT GOOD). LIKEWISE THE REAR OF THE POLE SET UP IS GOOD, WITH SLEEVES, BUT THE FRONT IS PROBLEMATIC AS IT’S CLIPS THAT ARE HARD WITH GLOVES IN HIGH WIND AND MEANS FOCUSED PRESSURE POINTS THAT CONCENTRATE STRESS RATHER THAN EQUALIZE IT. THIS WAS ONE OF THE HARDER TENTS TO GET UP IN EXTREMIS AND ACTUALLY HAD SAGS BETWEEN THE POLE CLIPS THAT DIDN’T FEEL RIGHT.

WORKS AVERAGELY DOWN LOW DUE TO AVERAGE VENTING AND WHERE EXTREME CONDITIONS LESS AFFECT SETTING UP.

6/10 – ADEQUATE BUT COULD BE BETTER

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RAB LATOK SUMMIT

WE LIKE RAB BUT WE DIDN’T LIKE THIS TENT MUCH. WE APPRECIATE THE CONCEPT OF A LOW PROFILE FOR HORRENDOUS CONDITIONS, BUT WITH THAT COMES ISSUES. IT’S LOW ROOF IS NOTICEABLY HARD TO SIT UP IN, COMPOUNDED BY BEING NARROW. IT’S HEAVY FOR WHAT IT IS DUE TO FABRIC THAT THAT HAS BEEN SUPERCEDED AND IT DOESN’T VENT WELL.

THE PLUSES’ ARE IT’S STRONG AS HELL, SETS UP EASILY AND FAST AND IS EASY TO GET IN AND OUT OF, WHICH KINDA OF BALANCES THINGS A BIT. IT HAS EXCELLENT TIE-IN POINTS THAT MAKE IT PRETTY SPECIFIC TO GRIM PLACES LIKE SNOW-LADEN LEDGES WHERE THIS TENT IS AT HOME.

ON APPROACHES AND NON-ALPINE USE IT’S PRETTY AVERAGE AND THOUGH NOT TRIED, COULD BE UNCOMFORTABLE IN WARMER CLIMES.

IT’S BIGGER SISTER, THE LATOK MOUNTAIN, IS ALSO HEAVY BUT LOOKS LIKE IT ADDRESSES SOME OF THE SUMMIT’S LIMITATIONS BUT WE HAVEN’T USED IT.

5/10 – IT’LL WORK BUT YOU’LL SEE THE PROBLEMS

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SIMOND MAKALU ALPINE

DESPITE SIMOND’S CURRENT REPUTATION AS ALMOST WALMART GEAR, RECALL IT HAS A FINE PEDIGREE, AND IT’S TENTS ARE A LEFT-OVER FROM THOSE TIMES. FOR HIGH ALPINE USE THE MAKALU ALPINE GETS A LOT RIGHT AT A PRICE THAT MAKES IT WORTHY.

THE CHEAP PRICE BELIES THE FACT THIS TENT HAS CUTTING EDGE IDEAS BEHIND IT THAT INCLUDES CARBON FIBRE POLES AND SPACE AGE FABRICS. IT’S TOP SHELF LIGHT AT UNDER 1kg, THE FASTEST TO SET UP, HAS A CHEERY INTERIOR AND DOES EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS IT WILL. AS A TENT TO SET UP IN A STORM IT’S AHEAD OF THE REST, BUT LACK OF GUY POINTS MEANS IT FLAPS A BIT.

DOWNSIDES ARE IT DOESN’T VENT BRILLIANTLY, SOME FITTINGS ARE A BIT TOO CHEAP, AND THE POLE SETUP WHILST ROBUST WILL EVENTUALLY WEAR HOLES IN THE REINFORCED POCKETS THAT HOUSE THE POLE ENDS.

DOWN LOW IT DOESN’T BREATH LIKE YOU WILL WANT IT TO, AND THE NEAR-TRANSPARENT FABRIC MEANS THERE WON’T BE ANY SLEEPING IN AND IT HEATS UP LIKE A GREENHOUSE. IT’S NOT SEAM SEALED – LIKE HALF THE TENTS HERE – BUT THAT’S EASILY SOLVED.

IT DOES FEEL A BIT CHEAP, BUT NOT IN A DODGY WAY, MORE IN A SEMI-DISPOSABLE WAY. THIS IS THE TENT TO BRING IF YOU WANT TO GIFT SOMETHING TO LOCALS OR STASH, OR KEEP AS A STANDBY.

8/10 – A GOOD OPTION WITH ACCEPTABLE ISSUES

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MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR DIREKT (1 & 2) & AC2

FOR A LONG TIME THESE WERE THE VANGUARD OF SINGLE SKIN TENTS AND STILL COMPETE BASED ON A TRIED & TESTED DESIGN THAT HAS CONTINUED BOTH THE GOOD AND THE BAD OF IT INTO THE NEWER AC2.

ALL ALONG THESE TENTS HAVE GOT ONE THING VERY RIGHT – THE NON-STRETCH X-PAC SKELETON THAT KEEPS THINGS RIGID AND STRONG WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE. WHEN WE HAVE SEEN ALPINE TENTS FAIL IT’S ALWAYS BEEN THE SEAMS AND MHW HAS ADDRESSED THAT AS A SIGNATURE.

VENTING-WISE THEY ARE AS BAD AS ALL THE OTHERS THAT FORGO SIDE VENTS, THINKING THE FABRICS WILL HELP MORE THAN THEY EVER ACTUALLY DO. THE AC2 FINALLY DOES AWAY WITH THE PREVIOUS POLE SETUP SYSTEM THAT WAS SECOND WOST ONLY TO THE OFFERINGS BY BLACK DIAMOND, WITH THE AC2 HAVING A SLEEVE SYSTEM THATS EASY AND THE STRONGEST OUT THERE. THE INTERIOR IS HIGHER THAN THE OTHERS, ALLEVIATING A BIT OF THE SPACE ISSUE THOUGH NOTICEABLY ADDING PROFILE IN HIGH WINDS WHICH IS ADRESSED WITH LOTS OF SIDE GUY ATTACHMENTS THAT ARE TANGLY BUT WORK VERY WELL.

DOWN LOW IT’S REASONABLE, NOTHING SPECIAL.

7/10 – YOU’LL APPRECIATE THE GOOD BECAUSE IT OVERRIDES THE PROBLEMS

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MOUNTAIN HARDWEAR EV2

GONE FROM THE SCENE, THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE MHW EV2 WAS EVERYWHERE, BEING A FULL CAMP SPEC TENT YET SINGLE SKINNED. A RELIC OF THE TIMES BEFORE 8000m CLIMBING WAS AS INDUSTRIALIZED AS IT IS NOW, LIKE WHEN SUPPLEMENTARY OXYGEN WAS ALMOST UNSEEN IN PAKISTAN AND THUS THE CULTURE THAT GOES WITH MOVING IT AROUND, MEANING CAMPS & ACCLIMATION WERE DONE DIFFERENTLY AND SO TENTS WORKED FOR THAT.

THE EV2 WAS RELATIVELY HEAVY, BUT RECALL IT WASN’T AN ASSAULT TENT, IT WAS MADE TO LIVE IN NOT JUST SURVIVE A FEW NIGHTS, AND IT WAS AS STRONG AS HELL BEING BOTH GEODESIC AND HAVING THE X-PAC SKELETON THAT COPED WELL WITH JETSTREAM BLASTS. IT WAS THE STRONGEST TENT LISTED HERE BY A LOT SHOT.

WHERE IT DIDN’T DO WELL WAS IT’S BREATHABILITY AND SETTING IT UP WAS A DIFFERENT BALLGAME TO THE WAY ASSAULT TENTS WORK. DOWN IN BASECAMPS IT WORKED WELL, BUT WAS A BIT TOO INVOLVED FOR APPROACHES COMPARED TO A SINGLE SKIN, BEING AS FIDDLY AS A DOUBLE TO SET UP.

6/10 – VERY GOOD IF USED A CERTAIN WAY, OR CURSE IT IF NOT

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SAMAYA 2.5

THE SAMAYA 2.5 IS THE CURRENT EVOLUTION OF THE MHW EV2 – A LARGE, LIVEABLE SINGLE SKIN TENT THAT WORKS BOTH IN BASECAMP AND HIGH ON THE MOUNTAIN. BUT THAT’S WHERE THE LIKENESS ENDS.

WITH THE 2.5 SAMAYA HAS PUSHED THEIR FUTURISTIC MATERIALS AND CONSTRUCTION INTO THE SPACE USUALLY INHABITED BY HUGE BASE TENTS TO CREATE SOMETHING AS LIGHT OR LIGHTER THAN MOST OF THE ALPINE TENTS HERE, BUT WITH LIVABILITY THAT NOW MOVES BASECAMP COMFORT TO ANY CAMP IT’S LARGE FOOTPRINT CAN BE PITCHED.

THIS IS A TENT YOU CAN WALK INTO, WITH HIGH AND STEEP WALLS, ALL-DIRECTIONS AND FLOW-THRU VENTILATION, SAMAYAS EQUALIZING GUYS AND INTERNAL ORGANIZATION POCKETS THAT MATCH ANYTHING FOUND IN A VE25. THIS MEANS PROLONGED STAYS AROUND ACCLIMATION THRESHOLDS ON ALPINE ASCENTS ARE FAR MORE SUSTAINABLE, AND SELF-SUSTAINED BASECAMPS THEMSELVES – AT 25kg LIGHTER – CAN NOW BE LOCATED MORE EFFICIENTLY.

EASY TO ERECT, GOOD AT LOW ALTITUDES AND VERY STRONG, OUR FULL REVIEW IS HERE

8/10 – NOT FOR STEEP ASCENTS BUT CHANGES THE WAY BIG PEAKS ARE CLIMBED

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BLACK DIAMOND FIRSTLIGHT

BEING THE DIRECT DESCENDANT OF THE BIBLER I-TENT, THE FIRSTLIGHT IS THE STANDARD OF SINGLE SKIN TENTS FOR EVERYTHING INCLUDING WHAT WORKS AND WHAT SHOULD BE CONFINED TO THE PAST. CONCEPT-WISE THE FIRSTLIGHT DOESN’T MASH UP IDEAS ABOUT ANYTHING OTHER THAN HIGH ALPINE USE, AND THOUGH NOT THE BEST & LATEST, IS STILL DEPENDABLE FOR HIGH ALPINE USE.

VENTING-WISE THE FIRSTLIGHT IS AS HOPELESS AS IT ALWAYS WAS, MADE UP FOR BY PROBABLY THE MOST BREATHABLE FABRICS ON THIS LIST. THE SEAMS AREN’T SEALED AND THAT’S THE NORM AND THE TENT SET-UP IS EASILY THE WORST HERE FOR FUNCTION IN HIGH WINDS & SNOW.

WEIGHT-WISE IT’S MIDDLING, AND THE DURABILITY OF THE REINFORCED POLE CORNERS IS AN ISSUE, BUT AS A SIMPLE DESIGN MADE FROM SIMPLE MATERIALS EVERYTHING IS EASY TO FIX WHICH MATTERS AS WHATEVER TENT IS HERE WILL BREAK SOMEHOW EVENTUALLY.

DOWN LOW IT’S OK, A BIT CRAMPED AS ALL DESIGNS WITHOUT A THIRD POLE ARE, BUT IT AVOIDS THE WORST OF THE CONDENSATION.

6/10 – YOU KNOW IT WORKS, BUT YOU’LL FIND THE PROBLEMS

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BLACK DIAMOND HIGHLIGHT

A MUCH BETTER TENT THAN THE FIRSTLIGHT YET IT’S OVERLOOKED SISTER. THE HIGHLIGHT REPEATS SOME OF THE ERRORS OF THE FIRSTLIGHT ie THE UNEVOLVED POLE SET UP THATS ARGUABLY MADE EVEN WORSE BY THE SIDE-ON PROFILE IN THE WIND AND SNOW, BUT LIVABILITY-WISE THE HIGHLIGHT IS ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE BETTER THAN IT’S SISTER.

THE THIRD SMALL CROSS POLE GIVES THE HIGHLIGHT A DEGREE OF GEODESIC-NESS THAT MAKES IT STRONGER UNDER LOAD, GIVES IT STEEPER WALLS, MASSIVELY ALLOWS FOR MORE BREATHABILITY AND LETS YOU GUY THE THING DOWN MORE SECURELY. THE SIDE OPENING DOORS ARE EASIER TO USE, THE HUGE VENTED AREA KEEPS THINGS ALMOST FREE OF CLAMMINESS, SO MUCH SO THIS IS THE BEST SINGLE SKIN FOR LOW COUNTRY USE LISTED HERE (ONCE THE SEAMS ARE SEALED).

ON STEEP ALPINE TERRAIN IT PINS WELL TO THE MOUNTAIN, THE SIDE-OPENING DOORS HAVING THEIR PLACE ON NARROW LEDGES AND CHOPPED SITES.

8/10 – BETTER THAN MOST DESPITE SOME SHORT COMINGS

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MONTBELL MIGHTY DOME 2

THE MONTBELL MIGHTDOME 2 IS PRETTY LIGHT, SUNNY & BASIC. THE POLE SET UP IS ANNOYING BUT STRONG, HAVING GROMMETS AT BOTH ENDS. IT VENTS AVERAGELY BUT THE MATERIAL SEEMS TO BREATHE WITH THE BEST OF THEM.

THERE’S NO OUTSTANDING ISSUES WITH THIS TENT, IT’S MIDDLE OF THE ROAD ON ALL VECTORS AND FOISTS ITSELF NOT JUST AS AN ALPINE TENT BUT AS A GENERAL LIGHTWEIGHT TENT ALSO FOR TREKKING AND CYCLING, AND IT FEELS LIKE IT.

5/10 – FINE FOR BASIC USE BUT NOT GREAT

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HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL CROSSOVER DOME

OUTSIDE JAPAN THIS COMPANY IS EFFECTIVELY UNHEARD OF, THOUGH THESE TENTS HAVE LONG PEDIGREES IN THE GREATER RANGES. ASTOUNDING LIGHT, AT 630g FOR A 2 PERSON TENT THESE ARE HALF THE WEIGHT OF TENTS ALREADY CONSIDERED LIGHT, AND A MIX OF ELEGANT DESIGN AND OLD SCHOOL ELEMENTS KIND OF TYPIFIES THE JAPANESE OUTDOOR INDUSTRY.

SET UP IS THE EASY SLEEVE-&-POCKET VARIETY THAT WE SEE NO REASON TO DEVIATE FROM, AND ENTRY IS VIA A STRAIGHTFORWARD STRAIGHT-ZIPPED DOOR THAT’S SO BASIC BUT FUNCTIONAL FOR USE AS VENTING IT’S OVERLOOKED BY MORE SOPHISTICATED DESIGNS.

VENTING-WISE THIS TENT IS UNIQUE, WITH 60’S ERA TUBE VENTS – ONE HIGH, ONE LOW – THAT PROBABLY SHOULD HAVE A COME BACK SOMETIME, NO LESS AS THE LOWER ONE SERVES AS BOTH AN OUTLET FOR FLUIDS AND SPINDRIFT THAT GETS INTO THE TENT, AND AS A STUFFSACK. DUMPING A PISS BOTTLE HAS NEVER BEEN AS EASY.

THESE TENTS COME WITH WARNINGS ABOUT NOT BEING AS STRONG AS NORMAL TENTS, BUT THAT’S JUST JAPANESE POLITENESS – THEY ARE AS STRONG AS HALF THE OTHER TENTS COVERED HERE, STRONGER THAN ANY THAT USE POLE CLIPS. DOWN LOW THE CROSSOVER DOME IS A BIT BETTER THAN SOMETHING LIKE THE SIMOND MAKALU OR FIRSTLIGHT AS IT VENTS BETTER.

8/10 – EXCELLENT BUT SLIGHTLY UNUSUAL

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THE NORTH FACE ASSAULT 2

IN CERTAIN CIRCLES THIS IS THE TENT FOR 8000m ALPINE USE, BEING ROBUST, WELL THOUGHT OUT & PROVEN IN HARD CONDITIONS. WHAT IT LOSES IN BEING HEAVY IT MAKES UP FOR BY BEING CONFIDENCE-INSPIRING. MADE WITH THE SAME IDEOLOGY AS THE NORTH FACE’S VE25, THE ASSAULT 2 IS ALL ABOUT HEAVY DUTY FUNCTION.

USING A NICE DESIGN IDEA THE ASSAULT 2 INTEGRATES SIDE VENTS WITHOUT ADDING SEAMS TO THE ROOF WHICH CREATES A PITCHED TENSION THAT DOESN’T PICK UP MUCH WIND OR PRESENT WEAKNESSES. THAT SAID, THE VENTS ARE NOT REAL BIG, AND THE 3 PLY FABRIC MEANS THINGS DON’T BREATH THAT WELL, SO OUTSIDE OF ALPINE USE THIS THING CAN BE A BIT SWELTERY.

SET UP-WISE ITS THE SLEEVE DESIGN WE REALLY LIKE, THOUGH THE CUT AWAY SECTIONS THE GUYS ATTACH TO – WHICH ARE GREAT FOR THAT – CATCH THE POLES UPON TAKE-DOWN AND NEED METHOD TO RECTIFY.

THE FLOOR OF THE ASSAULT 2 IS NOTICEABLY HEFTIER THAN THE OTHERS HERE OTHER THAN THE DYNEEMA VERSIONS, WHICH IS PART OF THE IDEA OF HARD USE ON MIXED TERRAIN. WE’VE BUT POLES AND HOLES THROUGH THE FLOORS OF ALMOST ALL THE OTHERS HERE BUT NOT THIS TENT, MAKING IT RELEVANT FOR TRIPS WITHOUT A LOT OF SNOW. UNTIL DEDICATED DYNEEMA TENTS CAME ALONG THIS WAS THE TENT THAT NAILED DURABILITY THE BEST OF WHAT’S HERE.

7/10 – DEPENDABLE BUT FEELS OUTDATED

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NEMO TENSHI

OF THE TENTS HERE THIS IS PERHAPS THE MOST LIVABLE IN GENERAL. THE CLIP-POLE SET UP IS WOE IN HIGH WINDS, BUT THE V-SHAPED TAPE SHEDS PRESSURE BETTER THAN THE OTHER VERSIONS. IT’S ALSO NOT THAT LIGHT, BUT WHEN PITCHED AND INSIDE IT THE NEMO TENSHI IS BLINGED OUT WITH ELEMENTS THAT MAKE IT EASY TO LIVE IN LIKE POCKETS, CLIP LINES, LOTS OF VENTILATION AND STEEP WALLS. THIS TENT FEELS LIKE IT’S MADE TO SHARE THE FUNCTIONS OF THE APPROACH AND THE ASCENT; NOT TOO SPARTAN BUT NOT TOO OVER-FEATURED (ONCE YOU LEAVE OUT THE INTERESTING-BUT-ODD GIMMICKS THAT COME WITH IT LIKE THE CONDENSATION CURTAIN).

OF THE TENTS HERE THIS COULD BE THE MOST WATERPROOF, HAVING USED IT IN HEAVY RAIN THAT SAW THE LIMITATIONS OF EVERYTHING ELSE HERE BOTH ON INGRESS AND HUMIDITY. THIS TENT PROBABLY VENTS THE BEST OF ANY HERE.

ON THE STEEP STUFF, THINGS START TO FALL OVER THOUGH AND THIS IS NOT THE TENT FOR HIGH EXPOSED ROUTES AND CLIMB-TILL-YOU-DROP ASCENTS – IT’S JUST TOO FIDDLY. WHERE IT MIGHT EXCEL IS ON UNSUPPORTED ASCENTS OF WELL ESTABLISHED ROUTES WITH SET CAMPS, AS WELL AS ADVANCED BASECAMPS WITH SOMETHING MORE STREAMLINED ON THE ROUTE.

7/10 – COMFORTABLE AND VERY ADAPTABLE, BUT FIDDLY

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SAMAYA ASSAUT2 ULTRA

WE’VE COVERED THIS TENT EXTENSIVELY HERE, SO HERE WILL PUT THINGS IN PERSPECTIVE TO THE OTHER TENTS LISTED.

BANG FOR YOUR BUCK – AND THERE’S A LOT OF THOSE BUCKS INVOLVED – THIS IS THE BEST HIGH ALPINE TENT BY ALMOST ANY VECTOR. IN PART BECAUSE THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA HAS ALMOST NO STEPS BETWEEN IDEAL USER, DESIGNER & MAKER, AND IN OTHER PART BY MAKING NO COMPROMISE ON CONSTRUCTION & MATERIALS, THE SAMAYA ASSAUT2 ULTRA IS WHAT ALL THE OTHER TENTS HERE THINK THEY ARE.

ASIDE FROM THE HERITAGE INTERNATIONAL CROSSOVER DOME, THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA IS THE LIGHTEST HERE, YET IS SO FEATURED-OUT WITH DETAILS AND ACCOUTREMENTS IT COULD EASILY MATCH IT FOR ANYONE BRAVE ENOUGH TO WEILD SCISSORS ON A $2000 TENT.

SET UP WISE IT’S THE SLEEVE AND GROMMET SYSTEM, SO CALL THAT DONE. VENTING WISE THIS TENTS OPENS RIGHT DOWN THE SIDE TO THE DEGREE OF THE HIGHLIGHT, PLUS SOME THEN WITH THE DOOR. PITCH STRENGTH-WISE THE DOUBLE, SELF-EQUALIZING GUYS AND FLOOR-LEVEL GUYS HOLD THIS THING TIGHT ON A MOUNTAIN LIKE NO OTHER, FURTHER REALIZED BY THE NON-STRETCH PROPERTIES OF DYNEEMA THAT’S SOMETHING ONLY MHW HAS ALSO COTTONED ONTO.

INSIDE, IT HAS STRAIGHT WALLS, POCKETS EVERYWHERE, AND INTEGRATED (YET UNNECESSARY) CLIP SLING IN, YOU GUESSED IT – DYNEEMA, AND A TUP FLOOR THAT EXTENDS SO FAR UP THE SIDES AS TO EXPLAIN WHERE HALF THE COSTS IN MATERIALS GO (IT’S NON-WOVEN DYNEEMA). INCLUDED IS A SMALL MESH LOFT, AND CLOSE INSPECTION REVEALS THINGS LIKE PROPRIETRY ZIPS, GUSSETED POCKETS, WELDED SEW-INS AND LASER CUTTING. OF COURSE THE POLES ARE CARBON.TO SAY THIS TENT IS A CUT ABOVE THE REST IS TO UNDERSTATE IT; SAMAYA COULD REEL IN HALF THE ATTENTION OBSESSION WITH DETAIL AND STILL COME OUT AHEAD.

BUT IT’S NOT PERFECT. DESPITE THE YARDS OF MESH POCKETS THERE’S NO MEST OVER THE VENTS WHICH MAKES THIS TENT AWEFUL ANYWHERE WITH BUGS ie MOST LOWLAND AREAS. THE HIGH POINT WHERE ANY SERIOUS ALPINIST WOULD HANG A STOVE HAS NO LOOP, IN A PERFECT WORLD THE SHORT CROSS POLE WOULD SIT BACK DOWN THE MAIN POLES A BIT AS THE HIGHLIGHT’S DOES, TO INCREASE RIGIDITY – EVEN BETTER 2 CROSS POLES, AND THE POLES HAVE SMALL CAPS ON THE END THAT CATCH ON REMOVING TO THE DEGREE TO BEING AN ISSUE. COMPARED TO THE REST OF THE TENT THESE ARE STILL ALL SINGLE DIGIT ISSUES THOUGH, EVEN COMBINED, BUT WITH THE REST OF THE FUTURIST ELEMENTS THEY STAND OUT.

9/10 – AS GOOD AS THESE THINGS GET, WORTH THE MONEY FOR HARD ASCENTS

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SAMAYA ASSAUT2 8K

LIKE THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA, THERE’S MORE SAID ON THE ASSAUT2 8K HERE

BASICALLY THE ASSAUT2 ULTRA PULLED BACK FROM THE EDGE OF OBSESSION. THE ASSAUT2 8K IS STILL LIGHT, HAS SOME NICE BUT FIDDLY FEATURES, COSTS LESS AND IS HEAVIER DUTY. YOU STILL GET THE DYNEEMA FLOOR, GUY RIGGING, VENTILATION, FEATURES AND BLUEPRINT, ALL THAT CHANGES IS HEAVIER FABRIC THAT DOESN’T FEEL LIKE IT BREATHES ANY BETTER AND NOVEL ROOF VENT THAT ALSO DOESN’T DO MUCH, AND ALUMINIUM POLES THAT WEIGH MORE BUT WORK NICER AND THE SIDE VENTS ARE STILL UNCOVERED BY MESH

ALL THIS STILL COVERS THE MAJORITY OF WHAT MAKES A GREAT ALPINE TENT, AND IT’S STILL WORTH THE PRICE TAG. IT’S NOT AS GOOD AS THE ULTRA, BUT STILL BETTERS EVERYTHING ELSE HERE ACROSS THE BOARD, EVEN SURPASSING THE ULTRA ON THE POLE ISSUE. BOTH TENTS ARE INCREDIBLY STRONG, TOTALLY SEAMSEALED, NO QUARTER GIVEN ON LIVABILITY FEATURES AND AS EASY TO USE AS ANY ALPINE TENT HAS YET TO ARRIVE AT.

8/10 – VERY USEABLE WITHOUT GOING CRAZY

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