Ultralight Backpacking Tent 65 MPH - Midnight Bailout from a Spring Alpine Storm (Field Notes) 

This made a truly exceptional vid. We don't often get to see RU-vidrs in seriously anxiety-provoking situations. Well-handled.

"Thanks for the memories ..." It brought back very similar camps ... many better, some lots worse ... of 40 and 50 years ago. Of course, we didn't have GPS or satellite weather data, but we had an "educated" guess of weather "trends" (ie: no clue!) so, we had great times. Always hedge your bets. You're doing good. Live long and enjoy the mountains!

Thanking you for going out and purposefully pushing the limits past the breaking point, so the rest of us armchair outdoors men can contemplate the results of your endeavors. Seems insufficient, but thank you.

This video was better than many movies. Amazing how you kept your cool. I did have some camping accidents with flying tarps during heavy rain and winds during the night. Focusing on a single task at a time is the way to get the job done. Great video !

Suluk is a wonderful person. ...(referring to the saw) I dealt with him years ago for some titanium products) Thoughtful and inventive.

FYI this was primarily a test trip, an experiment if you will, hence the motivation behind my shelter and campsite choice. If I was selecting a shelter for these conditions, I’d take my Hilleberg Soulo. If I was taking an ultralight shelter on a trip where I wasn’t doing any formal testing, I’d have opted for a different (more wind-protected) campsite. ^rj

Just love the way you invariably anticipate the questions I want answered, and all the consideration you put into answering them. Also, I am 69 and went through the early, unreliable years of GPS, and still would prefer to operate within the safety limitations of map and compass. Cannot imagine relying on something that is battery-based!

would prefer a Hillberg tent under those conditions. Better safe than sorry. 0,5 kilos extra is worth it! If you can afford..

Thx bud. Snowies.....great video. Congrats, rarely do we get to see reality, eh? Fine job, great experience and skill.

I had a similar night in a way last night. I made a few decisions that perhaps weren't my wisest, trying to cover miles, ended going back up into the mountains when a lightning storm was forecast. It was definitely my worst and scariest night in the mountains, very exposed on basically a bald mountain range. Without cover there werent that many options and the electrical storm was prolonged and fierce. . I jettisoned at 4am the moment the rain eased and the lightning dropped to a distant rumble. In my case the type of tent made no difference but as a matter of interest i have a similar zpacks duplex which i love for its breeziness and ability to modify set up for weather. A great 3 season tent. Well done for getting down safely !

Wow. That was intense- not just the wind knocking down your tent but having to bail out in the dark. You handled it well! I’d be interested to see the after shots of your tent

It takes a man of integrity to publicly display his disasters, but that's how one learns and by us seeing it we learn also. I was worried for you and had to remind myself of your skill level and that you would most likely come out of it OK.

Wow! What a great video. I realize this was field test, however was there a reason why you did not pick a spot where the trees could have provided a wind block, or were you above the tree line. I would like to learn from your experience. Again a great video. Thanks for taking us along. 👍🏻

At -2 C you could have easily turned that tent into a bivy and been fine . Way safer than navigating at night in my opinion.

The deadmans were a complete necessity when climbing Mt. Rainier. Used a bunch of snow filled stuff bags. Had enough for our entire crew. Summited the following day as the winds came up . When we came down had a minor fail on one of the tents but, ours were still there. Our neighbors lost their tents as a sacrifice to the mountain gods.

Now that’s a field test. 👍🙏 Glad you made it back to your car.

Thanks for sharing. I'd add to the lessons learned: (1) pick a good camp site that partially protects you from wind (2) dig down into snow (3) pitch low in high wind (and take a tent that can be pitched low).

Thanks, fantastic video. It's those miserable trips that often becomes the most memorable ones, and you did a fantastic job filming your experience. In some weird way I like the miserable ones the most, at least afterwards :)

What a journey! Well filmed too as your extreme circumstances were so encompassing that to get warm and survive would have occupied your every thought. Well done

OK, I see others have said bring a Hilleberg and that you are just testing this tent out. Looks like you made good choices as things began to deteriorate. Excellent emphasis on safe travel and how to use your kicker skins to keep you off steep terrain. Pretty cool ski set up. I use AT, but like what you have going on.

I totally enjoyed this video! I like the others but sometimes they become routine. This was interesting to see how you were going to get out of there!

Sleeping in a snow trench would have made for a comfortable, quiet and warmer night. Dig a -sorry- coffin sized rectangle about 3' deep (use snow dug out to help with walls), stake out a flat tarp over the top, even cover the tarp with snow. Wind flows over, you're sheltered. Much faster than building an igloo or snow cave. Wish I could post a photo

Dammm your one heck of a outdoorsman. I dont think I could have done what you have done. Great video. I'm thinking of getting one of those hot tents for mild winters.

This video made me decide to buy the slingfin portal a true lightweight 3lbs Tent 4 season capable and can withstand high winds . I carry the extra for the bigger stability and security. Couldn’t find sleep like this

You have the hiker / adventurer temperament and coolheadedness to do a test like this. So cool to see!

Interesting Trip, next time take a Hilleberg tent for the excursion and you would of been as snug as a big in a rug. Glad you made it out alive. Cheers

haha.. you nutter! at first i thought.. why the hell is he setting up there? then realised with the wind readings you were doing testing.. i guess you got a bit more wind than you bargained for though! i think i'd have done your second option and hunkered down amongst the trees with a bivi and a fire.. but any excuse to play in snow and i'll take it (we don't get much in england) ATB

Thank you friend. Take care of yourself!

Great experiment and video. Thanks for the testing so I can sure 3 season tent won’t really work in windy snowy conditions. Hope there are Dyneema composite 4 season on the market soon.

Being an old timer I never fully understood the light backpacking thing. Even the non lightweight modern stuff is light weight compared to stuff we had 40 years ago. I don’t know why light weight should be a limiting factor anymore. I am glad you are ok, but in looking at this video it appears that only a few things needed to go wrong before you were in real trouble. I view such circumstances as being unreasonable and unnecessary risk. Thanks for the video and I hope you remain safe.

thank you for such a video. was looking into this type of tent for 4 season camping, but commonly get gusts of 80-100km/h. will definitely be looking at something that is designed for it.

.....and a Quilt!!!???? I have numerous tents just for this reason. Hilleberg Akto or Nallo Gt2...woulda made this “trip” a pleasure!

Before I did my first thru-hike, I purposefully backpacked a weekend when I knew a rainstorm was coming. Great training as long as you have a solid Plan B. :)

Nice job using the skies 👍

Thanks for making this video, appreciate gear testing. I've seen other high wind alpine / exposed use of the DCF mids successfully. Pitching lower + tub/insert and all 16+ guys, ... seems like it would still hold up. There are many criticisms in the comments that this is a 3 season and this mid not intended for this use, elsewhere seems contrary. Just trying to understand. Glad you're OK!

I like the fact that at one point you decided to play with a kite! 23:59 😂😂😂 (kidding) hard weather for sure.

My favorite video of yours so far. Raw. Real. Buddy, you’re a machine.

You are kind of crazy man. Glad you made it to the car. Should respect the mountain and the weather more tho. Did enjoy to video tho, only because it wasnt me in it! haaa. This is my first video in your channel, definitely gonna watch more!

Thanks for sharing the video before I had to experience it myself :) Yes, mountain climbers don't have ultralight tents. There must be a reason.

With a weather like this i would camp by trees s bit more protection but espacially to use trees to anchor the tent

That’s one more reason on top of the other million and one reasons to bring duct tape 😁👍🏼

Glad you made it out ok. Anyone ever tell you your a little crazy. Great vid.

Glad your ok man. That was intense.

After reading your responses to comments I see where you're head was. No real worries. Here's what I did in some what of similar situation. Different tent.even tho my tent was fairing well i didn't want to risk damage....I undid my poles where they went into the grommets at the 4 corners and let it collapse. Then used 550 p cord and created a 'x' over my tent, tied up at each of the 5 corner stakes so wind would not pull n buffet loose materials. But left it so I could crawl back in the tent and into my bag. That's how morning sunlight found me !! I was glad i had not moved in the trees cuz there was alot of storm damage everywhere !!! No shortage of fire wood !!😂😀😃 Just thot I'd share with you my story... maybe work 4 u 2??

I mean, it is a 3 season tent after all.

If I had to guess, the grommet failed because you were pitched on snow. Without firm ground underneath the trekking pole to support the load, all the force was going straight into the grommet. And the grommet is only designed to stabilize the pole and inner bathtub floor, not bear the entire load of the structure.

In real-world conditions I would've made at least a 5-10 inch tall wall upwind of the tent. that would've helped deflect and disrupt the wind. but perhaps you were just testing the limits of the tent.

I just was browsing some tent videos and ran across this one. I thought it was over when the tent blew out of the screen and you went chasing it. Now the manufacturer would say that you did everything wrong of course saying that you didn't stake out the tent properly however it is designed like a parachute... The company in fact made them taller... So good thing that you could see where you are going as I been in snow storms that you can't see your hand in front of your face. I'm searching for a 4 season 1-2 person tent that doesn't weigh a ton but is effective against the elements. Being in Colorado I have much to do. Any ideas on a decent 4 season tent that is backpacking worthy? I don't see any Dyneema 4 season tents yet. Maybe the materials are tool light as it causes that parachute effect? May need some lead poles? Maybe have the tent designers build some external pouches that you could add heavy packed snow or rounded rocks at the base around the staked out areas. Anyway, great video. Very informative and subscribed. I have one 4 season however it is way too big for backpacking. Any inquiries would be greatly appreciated.

Just get yourself a black label Soulo pal.👍🏼

You would have been better off wrapping up in that tent like a burrito

I think I would have found a wind break area and pitched there, especially with a straight pole tent. I will never own one again.

Why did you set up in an open field? Why not by some tree cover to block wind..seems like you put yourself in bad situation by picking an open field with 45 plus wind gusts.

Jordan, What do you do when you're on vacation?

Question, how would the pyramid cuben (MLD duomid type) fair in that?

Dang bro! That was intense... Smart not to follow a drainage down vrs the way you got up there. Live and learn. I can imagine something like that blowing in up in the Sierras on a thru-hike of the PCT or something. Really brings home the need to choose your site wisely and find as sheltered a spot as possible when above treeline. And of course to check the weather before you head out. Best solution to something like that is prevention...just don't be out in that shit!

Did you pitch on a ridge for the purpose of making an example of what not to do?

65 mph winds? And you were able to walk? Gusts maybe. People always make excuses for this overpriced ultralight crap...whenever the stuff fails, people say it was put in a situation that it wasn't meant for.

I've been in 65 mph mountain winter winds. This could have easily ended in; "This video was found footage. The backcountry skier did not survive." Can you maybe post a follow up video on what you might have done differently. What you learned. If you had got lost, do you think you would have survived the night. I'm curious why you didn't use an alpine-rated, high wind-rated expedition tent? This tent wasn't even close to being adequate for the potential conditions. This tent almost killed you or in fairness to the tent, your choice to use it nearly killed you.

Thanks for the video. I am planing a bicycle tour and was interested in how a light weight tent would do in foul weather. I will pack a 4 season tent. Would snow shoes been better on that snow?

Don’t understand why you didn’t camp up near the trees? They could have provided some wind block. I grew up in that area of Wyoming. That wind can destroy equipment quickly.

a pyramid-shaped 4-perosn six-moon held up well in a whiteout in the Sierras (3 feet o/n), but we were in a more wind-sheltered area, not on a ridge like this. We still had to dig it out every 3 hrs or so. Another alternative would have been to dig a cave >>> use the tent for cover

I must be missing something. This is the third video of yours I have watched and everytime you pitch your tent ompletely out in the open. I don't get it? Why not behind some trees for protection from the wind?

Impressive skill at keeping your wits about you. That was kind of scary.

I think the music was far worse than the storm. I had to listen to it to hear the commentary otherwise I would have muted the video. I know I am in the minority but I had to say something.

Lol, I thought you were going to just set up the tent there as an example of setting it up in the wrong place and to show how hard it is to set up in wind, then move over to the trees behind you for your sleep. So people know, when your in those conditions always set up in an area with trees surounding you. The best would be if there's an evergreen with low hanging branches to protect you but high enhough to set up under. Or you can also find down branches on the ground to put against your tent for protection. You can also kick up and pack the snow over the edge of the bottom of your fly to prevent snow and cold wind from coming in. Even in just colder climate, kicknup leaves to cover the bottom edge of your fly to prevent cold air. That'll increas the internal tent temp by about 10°c. It's worth the extra 10 minutes and effort. Thanks for the video.

Thanks for putting up the video Ryan. I think the two big takeaways would be 1] Not to take a 3 season shelter into a winter storm 2] I didn't have a good opinion of the shelter you were in before this video and now it's even worse. That would seem to be a fair weather tent at which point you ask, what is the point of that shelter.

That feeling when you make it back to the truck after a rough trip.

I have to say, what were you thinking? Glad you survived the night. Very interesting, though.

That was epic. A very entertaining and educational video. We acknowledge that you'd typically not camp where you did....out in an exposed open area. You did that for the test. Your anchor system couldn't have been better. Was that the REI Magma sleeping bag?

Hi kids... This is exactly what NOT to do. Taking untested gear out into extreme weather situations, for shame. Also, "ultra light" gear is just a tool. It is the right tool for certain applications and the absolute wrong tool for others. Some scenarios call for a more robust shelter. Don't let your obsession with ultra light gear ruin a perfectly good camping trip. If you're car camping for a day or two, maybe leave the dyneema at home.

Oops...I read your comment below a couple of comments. Usually, the Tube posts the content owners comments first... understand now. I hope hyperlight addressed the failure

What is the name of this tent? In the video?

31:08 You left just because your tent got a bit of condensation? Jesus how delicate! Just kidding! Very interesting video. l wonder if a 'non-ultralight 3 seasons tent' would've made any difference in such conditions... Thanks for the video!

On really good video. Years ago, I was in a 79 mph snowstorm at the profile trail at grandfather Mountain North Carolina. I don’t know how scary can this be. You did the right thing to get out of the mountain. I did the same thing the next day and that location. I am blind and cannot see details but enjoyed your video. I was making a scene in my mind as you were never rating the entire adventure. For winter backpacking, I use the arete ASL2 four season tent. I highly recommend these tent since it is a fortress proven Shelter. It is a 5 pounds extra weight but it gives me the peace of mind of being in a safe shelter under these conditions. Thank you so much for sharing this adventure with us. God bless you.

HELLO.

why did you choose to camp out in the open on top of a bald saddle? you could have set up in a small clump of trees and been fine...

Yes, there's a difference between a light weight shelter and a tent built for the mountains. These days most people only look at the weight when shopping for a tent which can be a huge mistake. Light weight shelters are designed for below the treeline trail walking but most manufacturers never mention that in their marketing.

That was hardcore. My stomach dropped when that first big gust grabbed the tent. I thought it was gone.

Who knows if his truck was only a few hundered metres away ready for a bail out? , we'll never know.

I wish I lived in a country with more interesting weather

...a whole new level of "Storm Chaser"!!

excuse me but .... compress or dig down so the base of the tent is not on the surface so the wind is not battering the tent Use longer and wider branches as dead men And you are winter camping with a three season tent

I'm glad you do these types of tests and not me. It seems a little foolhardy to go in the backcountry in those conditions but to each their own. Glad you stayed healthy.

Stupid choice of shelter. In conditions like this, I just crawl inside my Tauntaun.....seriously, though, try pouring water on your stake out points and it will freeze solid. It's a bitch getting them out the next day, but that trick save my but quite a few times in high winds and snow.

What sunglasses retaining strap are you using in this video?

Thats a camping🔥😀

Sense and sensibility. Obviously not a mountaineering tent. The snow blowing through the mesh looked cold and scary.

This video is a sobering reminder ‘light’ isn’t always ‘right’.

Forget all the votes for an Hilleberg, you needed a Fjallraven tent.

Ultralight in those conditions will always be problematic. I highly recommend The Mobi Garden 2 plus..133USD. However at 4kg not for a solo hike... But a bullet proof shelter in Alpine storm conditions..

It looks like heavy canvas still has a place.

Glad you didn't end up as a popsicle

The right tent & that would have been a beautiful nights sleep.

Perhaps UltaMid2 would handle the storm a bit better.

Proof that money can't buy everything.

"I have a feeling it's going to be a pretty long night" 🤣

Not a good choice of tent for the weather conditions.

One word: Hilleberg!

I’ll sled when they make them electric ( quiet )

Vid starts at the 23 min mark, and you're welcome.