We have the first look at new backcountry technical tents from Sea to Summit, their first foray into the tent industry sector.
Sea to Summit, the Australian-headquartered brand helping bring adventure equipment to outdoorsmen and women across the globe, are stepping into the technical tent market.
Two lightweight backcountry tents, the Alto and the Telos, will debut alongside a collection of accessories this spring.
According to Sea to Summit, the tents will include a new Tension Ridge pole construction, which is meant to alleviate two common drawbacks of modern tents: liveable space and ventilation.
Sea to Summit/Camilla Rutherford
The Tension Ridge system inverts the pole design to achieve unmatched internal height, ceiling ventilation, high vertical walls to accommodate modern, thicker sleeping mats and pillows, and an easier entry/exit process. "The result is a roomy experience with a superior space-to-weight ratio that outperforms any other tent in its class," the company said.
"While the solution was simple, engineering the Tension Ridge presented significant challenges," said collaborator Jake Lah, founder and Head of Design at DAC, the world's foremost tent pole manufacturer. "By inverting the angle of the brow pole, we achieve best-in-class interior space and ventilation, without adding weight or bulk to the tent."
The airflow in both the Alto and Telos tents is second to none, with innovative adjustable cross-ventilation system made up of a Baseline Vent and an Apex Vent. The construction and positioning promotes better condensation mitigation and far more temperature control overall.
Alto TR2
Perhaps the greatest asset of the new feature-packed tents is Sea to Summit's commitment to versatility and adaptability. Both the Telos and Atlas tents have the ability to use their respective rain flies in a star-friendly, partial, or fully-opened position. Should the weather turn, the quick-deploy nature of the set up is meant to alleviate stress and add to the customizable features.
Telos TR3
There's a modular FairShare Storage System to help divide up space among campers, a pole storage bag that also serves as a LightBar for night illumination (when used with a headlamp), and stuff sacks that clip onto the side of both tents for further organizing your stuff.
On top of that, the Telos will be able to be transformed into an open air shade shelter in what Sea to Summit is calling "Hangout Mode."
Sea to Summit/Colin Rex
"We always set out to design the best gear — to do things differently and rethink every detail, starting from scratch," said Roland Tyson, Founder and Head of Design at Sea to Summit, in the tents' official press release. "The core areas we looked to tackle are common pain-points — space, climate, and adaptability. We're very happy with what we've accomplished here. And, we're thrilled to partner with Jake Lah of DAC, a pioneer in modern tent design and architecture. This is a true partnership, unlike anything either of us has taken on before."
Sea to Summit seems to know a thing or two about camping, and to dive head first into the tent market with these innovative designs seems as though it will make an impact.
These tents have quickly moved to the top of our wishlist.
The ultralight backpacking tents will be on sale for pre-order starting on March 15th, and are projected to start shipping on May 1. You'll be able to find all the pertinent information at seatosummitusa.com, and should find them in select retailers this spring as well.
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