Newcomer Slingfin has set out to design a tent where all components are equally strong, making the tent stronger as a whole. Last weekend, the company held a puja ceremony at their new home in Berkeley, CA to bless the upcoming Everest climb with Mountain Trip, where the Slingfin tents will be put through their paces.
The Slingfin tents are based on Web Truss technology, designed to increase strength and make the tent easier to pitch. The Web Truss system is constructed out of a series of poles that fit into a continuous tent structure sleeve from one end to the other. All the Easton aluminum tent poles are the same length, making the tent faster and easier to pitch.
The Web Truss system has a smaller wind profile and during bad weather, the structure can be further tensioned at each sleeve opening. These openings are highlighted with a reflective strip so one person could easily pitch the tent, even in the dark.
Slingfin was started by industry veterans Martin Zemitis and Timothy Baka, both co-founders of Mountain Hardwear. The company philosophy is one of passion for creating quality and design driven products, with no undue influence from marketing, finance or management. Beyond the mountaineering tent, Slingfin has a whole line of products planned in other outdoor areas such as paddle sports, climbing and backpacking.
The Slingfin tents range in size from the standard alpine/mountaineering tent ($1,100) to the monster 7 meter dome ($8,7500). All tents can be purchased from the company website.