The North Face Northwind

Review Date
September 25, 2008

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: Steve(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer

Price Paid:  $365.00 at North Face Store qui

Summary:
Since having purchased this tent, I have not used any of my others. Suffice to say that this is to date the best tent I have ever owned. If it does ever fail on me, hopefully not when needed most I will go with new Mountain Hardwear. Just because I no longer trust the quality of North Face.

Customer Service:
AWESOME!!!!!

Review Date
May 5, 2006

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Randy Howell(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer

Price Paid:  $200.00 at ebay

Summary:
This tent eats up high winds. I was leading a large group up 13,000' Mt Marcus Baker in Alaska which is only 10 miles from Price William Sound, the peak is known for its terrible storm, with high winds. I Set the tent up without building snow wind wall as I normally do on a glacier, to test the ability of the tent. The tent passed with flying colors, I never had to shovel the tent out from under the drifting snow, everyone else was up up numerous time durning the night and day shoveling the blowing snow. It blow for for 10 days (ground blissard) after 2 nights started build a snow cave out of bordom.
This is a climbing tent made for high wind, small platforms on side of mountains, two people uncomfortabily, and not for rainy adventures. I've settled on three tents in my person arsenal Northwind, Nalo, and Megamid.
It is a shame that TNF only made Northwind tent for a couple years.

Customer Service:
never used

Similar Products Used:
VE24, VE25, TNF mountain, Bibler-I, and couple other take off tents of the I tent. BD Megamid, Hilleberg Nalo 3,

Review Date
November 18, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: marcustg(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer

Price Paid:  $0.00 at North Face Outlet in

Summary:
This tent, bought on sale, is my lifesaver. It’s reasonable light and big enough for one person. I can keep all my stuff inside. I’ve been taking this tent on my all glacier and winter trips. It replaced my two other tents. On Mt. Shasta, CA, at Lake Helen, a strong wind broke a pole in my Outbound 3-person dome tent, which I had been using for years in different weather conditions, but this time, unfortunately, did not secure it. A week later, on the top of Mt. Shasta I almost lost my other tent, Trango Assault from Mountain Hardware. One string attached to a rock released and the tent started collapsing. I put my helmet on and, while getting dressed, held the collapsing corner with my head. So the tent survived. The North Face one, even though it was noisy as a double wall tent, easily survived a strong wind on the icy (at that night) top (not in the crater) of Mt. Rainier. See picture

Disadvantage: cooking problem; not comfortable for 2 persons; not self-standing; difficulty with inserting poles in terrible weather conditions.

The reasons I bought it: light, single wall, 2-persons, inexpensive (on sale). Even though I am against not self-standing tents, I found the way to work around this inconvenience. In most cases, I use my axes or pickets, which I carry anyway, to stretch it out.

Similar Products Used:
Owned: Outbound 3-person dome, Mountain Hardware Trango Assault; plus many other tents of my climbing partners.

Review Date
June 4, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: blair falahey(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from australia

Price Paid:  $300.00 at www.killerdeals.com

Summary:
just got back from one of the worst seasons seen in many years in nepal/tibet.the weather was absolutely horrible. i was climbing cho oyu solo. unsupported and without oxygen. we recieved a serving from mother nature. 8 days of jet streams. winds up to 100mph. camp 2 was destroyed. everest had 63 tents ripped of its slopes. my northwind sat at camp 1 and took the winds head on. i was down in base camp for most off it. and felt that surely the tent would be gone or at least destroyed. when i was allowed to climb back to camp 1 all that was damged were the guy lines. they had been tied to rocks and the constant movement in the wind had frayed and cut 3 lines. minor problem i resolved in 5 mins but simply retying them. awesome tent. almost all other tents were ripped or poles broken. shame they dont make them anymore. because i think after other climbers saw how the tent performed on the mountain they would have bought the tent on the spot.
downside. not freestanding, tent height is a little low, no loop for stove to hang, only good for cold/dry climates, not as warm as double wall tents(obviously), a little awkward to set up.
pluses. light, bombproof, and dependable

Customer Service:
none

Similar Products Used:
just about everything under the sun

Review Date
January 14, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Reviewed by: bret carmody(Unregistered User) ,  Mountaineer , from san francisco

Price Paid:  $300.00 at tnf

Summary:
this tent is simply put the easiest strongest 4 season light and fast mountaineering tent around too bad TNF isn't making it anymore. I have had this tent in 70+ mph winds and it will not budge only downside beyond the obvious lack of a vestibule is their is no hang loop for a hanging stove kit.

Customer Service:
none

Similar Products Used:
tons