With the life-threatening weather conditions that Everest throws at mountaineers, one becomes curious to know what tents are used on Everest.
Over the years The North Face Mountain VE25 has been one of the most widely used expedition tents by mountaineers on Everest. Mountain Hardwear Trango Tent is parked right alongside the North Face lineup on every Everest expedition.
In this article, I am going to discover what tents the mountaineers use at Everest base camp, C1, C2, C3, and C4.
Let’s start our journey right from the base camp and then go all the way up to C4. I did a little bit of research on the web and then came up with some interesting information about the tents used on Everest.
What Tents Do They Use On Everest?
There are different sets of tents used on the Everest base camp including climber tents, Sherpa tents, kitchen tents, dining tents, production tents, shower tents, and toilet tents.
Camper tents and Sherpa tents are traditional 4-season tents where the adventurers take a rest and spend most of their time. These tents can accommodate 3 campers along with their bulky expedition gear.
The dining tent is a large tent with a wooden floor equipped with chairs, tables, and a heating system where the expedition teams get together and make dinner.
Likewise, the production tent is a large canopy tent where the film crew does all their production, editing, and stuff.
In the production tent, all the amenities required for the production are available like a power system, internet access, LED screen, tables, and chairs. A perfect working environment for the filmmakers to cover their adventures.
Storage tents are there to store food and additional technical gear that has been transported by the porters.
What Kind Of Tents Are Used On Mount Everest?
The real adventure begins when the mountaineers are heading for the summit push. What tents do they use on C1 and beyond? That’s what we’re interested to find out here.
As you know the weather conditions on Everest are extremely harsh. At C4 winds are blowing at a speed of over 100mph. Temperatures can drop below -65 degrees F.
Moreover, the most challenging situation is the snow load. Expect at least 2 feet of snow load over your tent. Also, the surface where the tent is set up is rocky and icy.
In order to withstand such brutal weather conditions, mountaineers need a bomb-proof structure in the form of an expedition tent.
The tents that they are using at such high altitudes need to be robust, resilient, and durable so that they can withstand high winds and substantial snow loads.
In such harsh weather conditions, a normal tent would blow and tear. However, the expedition tents are the toughest and bomb-proof shelters that are specifically designed and engineered for high-altitude environments.
What Tents Are Used On Mount Everest?
Some of the most widely used mountaineering tents on Everest are:
- The North Face Mountain VE 25
- Mountain Hardware Trango Tent
- Black Diamond BombShell
- Hilleberg Jannu
- Marmot Thor 2P
- Big Agnes Battle Mountain
- Nemo Chogori
Let’s figure out why mountaineers use these tents on Everest and what makes them weatherproof. Here is a brief description of each given mountaineering tent one by one:
The North Face Mountain VE25
The North Face Mountain VE 25 is by far the most popular tent on Everest.
Advanced technology and innovative design make the North Face Mountain VE25 withstand any challenging situations you can imagine in the high alpine.
If you’re looking for the North Face Everest tent this is the one you need.
It is made of 40D ripstop nylon with a PU Silicone coating on top making it a monster shelter even at -60 degrees F. The floor is constructed from 70D Nylon which won’t let any cold from the ground.
Weighing around 9 lbs. it delivers the most comfort in the harshest conditions possible. Amazing performance under snow loads.
That being said it is pretty bulky and takes a long setup time.
Mountain Hardwear Trango Tent
Mountain Hardware Trango Tent is by far the most widely used tent on Everest besides the North Face Mountain VE 25.
What makes this tent highly suitable for Everest is its material, design, and construction.
The tent body, pole structure, and fly along with the guy lines make this tent a complete bomb-proof shelter at 8000m.
It is designed in such a way that the force exerted by the winds is not focused on one point rather it is loaded throughout the entire structure of the tent, making this tent capable to withstand monster wind storms.
The tight structure prevents wind pockets from developing as a result they deflect the winds.
Offered in 2,3, and 4-person capacity. Price ranges from $700-$920.
It is an incredibly water-resistant alpine tent. The fabric does not absorb moisture. As a result, you can spend weeks in the tent without getting soaked or condensation build up.
Black Diamond BombShell
The mother of all expeditions, offering bombproof shelter to mountaineers along with their expedition gear.
Its single-wall fabric is made of Toddtex making it extremely durable and lightweight.
Poles are made of Aluminum to cut down on weight and the critical stress points like corners and anchor points are reinforced.
Provides excellent UV protection and breathability. Black Diamond surpasses the most demanding expectations at high elevations.
Hilleberg Jannu
Next on this list is the Hilleberg Jannu which is compact and lightweight but at the same time is able to provide protection against the weather elements.
Marmot Thor 2P
Sleeps 2 to 3 people and weighs nearly 10 Pounds. It is capable of withstanding harsh weather elements.
Spacious and roomy to accommodate your heavy winter gear. For the Everest expedition which is 2 months long, this is the tent where the adventures would spend most of their time in the mountains.
Big Agnes Battle Mountain
As the name suggests, this tent helps you battle against the mountain.
Like many other mountaineering tents, it comes in vibrant yellow color so that the mountaineers can easily find them in dusk and storms when returning to the campsite from the summit push.
Nemo Chogori
Weight-saving technology and sturdy construction. Easy setup and takedown in high winds.
If you are climbing as part of a larger group you can connect two Chogori tents into a single system.
Its sturdy construction provides breathability, generous floor space, a large vestibule area, and moisture protection.
Most Popular Tent On Everest!
As you have found at this point that the North Face Mountain VE 25, Mountain Hardware Trango Tent Lineup, and The Black Diamond Eldorado are the top 3 most widely used tents on Everest.
What makes the climbers bring these tents to the highest campsite on Everest at 8000m is their robustness, durability, weatherproof, sturdy construction, and ability to withstand high winds and substantial snow loads.
Apart from that, they provide generous floor space to accommodate mountaineers along with their bulky expedition gear.
Since they are equipped with all the features and protect you at such high altitudes, expedition tents are fairly expensive. Their average price ranges between $700 and $1300.
