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Tents are generally a pain in the butt. Most tents are too heavy for what you get or if you go for lightweight you lose out on strength and durability. I have seen tents get thrashed from just one season of guiding: either the poles are not the right size for the use or the nylon just is not strong enough or UV resistant. Last year we retired 12 tents that were less than two years old; they just were too far gone for repairs.

In a perfect world, a tent experiencing moderate use should last at least three years. You might have to do a little repair work here and there, but it should hold up to your abuses. I have a growing fondness for North Face tents. I used to consider them too heavy or bulky, but they last. One of Alpine Ascents senior guides, Willie Prittie, has used the same North Face VE-25's for 10 Aconcagua expeditions and has only had to repair a couple of zippers and small holes. The tents are still going strong. A tent similar in strength, but more suited for two people is the North Face Mountain.

The North Face Mountain tent is an excellent all around four-season tent. As with most four-season tents the Mountain has two circular doors, one in front and one in the back. The openings for the doors roll away to the side so the door material does not get stepped on and ripped up. The main vestibule has a single pole; this helps increase the size of the main vestibule for cooking or storage for gear. There is a small rear vestibule that helps pull the fly away from the tent for better ventilation. On the outside of the fly there are twelve guy points with reflective material.

By having all those guy points you will be able to stake out the tent in numerous different way to strengthen the tent. As for the pole structure there are five poles, four for the body and one for the vestibule. The poles are color coded for easy set-up and attach to the tent by grommets. For added security you will find an internal guy system to help anchor the tent in the nastiest conditions.

Overall this is one of the strongest and longest lasting tents I have seen. Yes, it is a little heavier that some other comparable tents but you will find it will be around a fair time longer than most others.

The Fine Print
Height: 39"
Floor: 90" x 59"
Area: 35 sq. ft

Total: 8lbs. 15 oz. Cost: SRP $425.00

— Patrick Cook, Alpine Ascents International Gear Manager

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