Gear Reviews: High Altitude Tents for the big mountains

Eureka! 5th Season

Eureka! 5th Season EXO Engineered Everest Tough; Inspires Design of Innovative New Tents

Specially built for Eric Simonson’s latest research expedition to Mt. Everest, the Eureka! 5th Season EXO has proven itself in the extreme conditions experienced on the world’s highest peaks. The design, manufactured for the climbers of the 2001 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition, has also influenced other 2002 product offerings from Eureka!

The 5th Season EXO, designed with guidance from Mt. Everest mountaineers, will now be available to the public.  With components like a 13 mm, 7000 series anodized aluminum exoskeleton frame connected with super-tough gated carabiners, the 5th Season EXO is weather-proof, sturdy and easy to set up in even the harshest conditions.  The tent is designed with a compact footprint for pitching on narrow ledges, achieved by suspending the tent body by swivel clips from the inside of the wrap-around shell.  The body can be detached to allow the shell to be used alone, or to distribute the carry weight between climbers. The 5th Season EXO has an MSRP of $659.99.

5th Season/2: For 2002, Eureka! is introducing several new tents that incorporate designs and components from the 5th Season EXO.  Eureka! has incorporated the super-fast external frame into the new Zeus EXO single-wall tent, and an updated version of the popular Mountain Pass series (now called the Mountain Pass EXO). The frame system uses gated carabiners to attach the fly to the poles, allowing set-up in one easy step. 

The Mountain Pass EXO series also has the wrap-around shell that covers the tent body at all times to prevent the interior of the tent from ever being exposed to the elements. Swivel clips link the tent to the shell for simultaneous or independent use, adding versatility to this three-season shelter.

Comparing the TNF VE-25 to the 5th Season:  The 5th Season is a low-profile, rectangular, 2-man tent with 33.75 sq. ft + 12.2 vestibule, and the VE-25 is a hexagonal 3-man (48 sq. ft.) Theirs has two doors with vestis.

The main difference is the pole construction- the 5th Season uses an EXOskeleton to which the tent fly is clipped, and the tent body is suspended from inside. This allows the tent to be set up in one motion, and eliminates trying to toss a fly over the body in harsh winds. Also, the body can be removed and the shell can be used alone as a shelter.

Our Gear Reviews: High Altitude Tents for the big mountains

Gear Reviews from our readers of High Altitude Tents for the big mountains

Millet One Sport Everest Boot  has made some minor changes by adding more Kevlar. USES Expeditions / High altitude / Mountaineering in extremely cold conditions / Isothermal to -75°F Gore-Tex® Top dry / Evazote Reinforcements with aramid threads. Avg. Weight: 5 lbs 13 oz Sizes: 5 - 14 DESCRIPTION Boot with semi-rigid shell and built-in Gore-Tex® gaiter reinforced by aramid threads, and removable inner slipper Automatic crampon attachment Non-compressive fastening Double zip, so easier to put on Microcellular midsole to increase insulation Removable inner slipper in aluminized alveolate Fiberglass and carbon footbed Cordura + Evazote upper Elasticated collar. Expedition footwear for mountaineering in conditions of extreme cold.  NOTE US SIZES LISTED. See more here.

Altitude pre-
   acclimatization

   Ascenders

   Atlas snowshoes

   Black Diamond

   Botas

   Brunton

   Carabiners

   CaVa Climbing Shoes
   Clearance

   Clif Bar

   Cloudveil

   CMI

   Crampons

   Edelweiss ropes
   Eureka Tents

   Featured

   FoxRiver

   Garmin

   Granite Gear

   Harnesses
   Headlamps
   Helmets

   HighGear
   Ice Axes

   Kavu Eyewear

   Katadyn

   Kelty

   Kong

   Lekisport

   Lowepro

   Motorola

   Mountain Hardwear

   Mountainsmith

   MSR

   Nalgene

   New England Ropes

   Nikwax

   Omega

   Patagonia

   Pelican

   Petzl

   PowerBar

   Princeton Tec

   Prescription Glacier

   Glasses

   Primus

   Rope Bags

   Seattle Sports

   Serius
   Sleeping Bags

   Stubai

   Suunto

   Tents

   Thermarest

   Trango

   Tool Logic

   Trekking Poles
   Yaktrax
   and more here