Hi Clem, thank you for your very positive comments. I am really happy that you enjoy my content. I see that you have a very nice red Nallo 2 GT. I hope that you are getting great use from it. ATB Tom
Very in-depth review Tom. Well done. It does look like a great tent, however as you say it does have a couple of drawbacks. Plenty of internal space though. 👍🏼 Nice backyard and view too. It must take you forever to keep that lawn looking so good! 🤣
Great review buddy! Hands down the Best one I’ve seen regarding this tent! 👏🏻 Been looking at getting a 2/3 man 4 season tent and this was one I was seriously considering, slightly cheeper than a Hilleberg black label! Although now you’ve mentioned it can struggle in strong winds I think I may pay the extra and stick with Hilleberg 🤔 really like the Nammatj and the Staika!
Yeah I feel that the Hilleberg is worth the extra. I have had a Nammatj2. Very strong and light with decent internal volume but lots of noise and inner panel flapping in high winds. I feel it worth it though due to the ease of pitching and strength - volume - weight ratio... Thank you very much for your kind words too... Tom
I bought my first VE25 in 1986 and it lasted me until 2014 - its was fantastic and I ended up sending it to Nepal when the earthquake struck to help. I bought a new version and it was not the same especially with the silicon fly and having to seam seal it by hand, the window at the front is rubbish and like you say the ground sheet was thinner. I sold it and bought a Mountain 25 and that was terrible it ended up with every pole bent in a storm comeplete rubbish NF produce now.
WOW my first ve25 was bought around 1992 I think!! The window came off my Mountain 25 too and when TNF fixed it they just stitched it back on instead of welding it like it came from the factory. Bent poles! My westwind, mountain 25 and ve25 all have them as I write this... When I contacted North Face about my ve25 pole repair they didn't even have any. All tents can get damaged but not to offer decent repairs is very poor. I have moved to Hilleberg as I am sure you can see from my recent videos. They are so expensive but materials, design and construction are absolutely fabulous as is their customer support if you have any problems. You have to support the brands that don't cut corners especially when its a shelter for harsh conditions... ATB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 I made a similar move to Hilleberg but took the tent back for a refund after the ground sheet leaked due to poor sewing at the corners and no sealing. I checked out several different models and they were all the same so Im moved to MSR Hubba whch broke its poles and ripped the fly, then to Zpacks Pleaxamid and now Lightwave Sigma S10 which is looking good so far LOL
Watched the documentary The Ghosts Above at the mountain film festival (can also watch on RUclips), you can see this tent features from around the 10:30 mark. That was enough for me, it is strong enough.
I've owned this tent for about 7 years. It keeps you so warm, its durable material. The thing I HATE is the elastic ropes in the poles are total trash, it wears out within less than 1 year
Hey great to hear of your experience with the poles... The poles are made by DAC so that's interesting as the supply poles to pretty much every serious outdoor brand.... best wishes Tom
Tom, thanks for excellent review and passing on your years of experience with the product - extremely helpful for making decision on kit to purchase for first trekking trip in 20 years..
Hi John, thank you for your comments and all the very best with your trekking trip. There is so much choice for gear these days and unfortunately no regulation regarding tent classification by manufactures...Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Thx Tom, Picked up ve-25 old stock unused this week, going to test it on the flat here in Chicago next decent snow storm blows through. best John
Thanks Tom for the detailed review, you’ve hit on all the good points, I have a VE25 newest version, and love it, one thing you could also say is it’s warm, especially on the winter mountain nights, made really well reinforced in the places needed, and is lighter and cheaper than the Hilleberg Saivo, 4.7kg as apposed to 5.3kg for the latter. Ive really enjoyed having this tent, I’ve even used it in Sumer months while keeping cool in it due to the two doors either end, definitely wouldn’t sell it, it’s been a good companion in the welsh mountains.
Hi David, thank you for your comments. I agree that the tent is well made with appropriate reinforcement etc where needed, very versatile too in that you can sleep across it, or length wise depending on the ground. I have had three VE25s over the years and while there are lots of people who say that they handle high winds very well this has not been my experience with all three tents and I suppose this disappoints me to be honest. But then again its meant to be a base camp shelter so in fact it does that very well and is extremely liveable and comfortable too with fantastic storage and features... ATB Tom
Hi at the moment its a Hilleberg Nammatj 2 due to its strength, size and weight ratio. I have had it out in 60mph winds that would flatten this Ve25.. This tent needs 10mm poles for starters and a fly first pitch so that the poles can be directly guyed and not attached with Velcro indirectly... ATB Tom
Yes I am, Tremaine thank you. It is smaller with the same number of poles and has a lower wind profile. The Ve25 is more of a basecamp type tent. Its hard to be 100percent sure about fabric strength but I am 100 percent sure about wind stability as I have used both extensively over many many years..... ATB Tom
Hi Tom. Thanks for making all your videos i absolutely love them and most importantly unlike some videos you have a lot of experience and real world knowledge and testing not just back garden reviews so i really appreciate your knowledge and views. I have had a lot of tents most Hillebergs and terra novas and other in between but i haven't had a Terra Nova Hyperspace and i'm looking at getting one but just not sure as have no knowledge or seen any videos of them on youtube or the web. You said you have had one and i was just wondering on your experience and thoughts on it?. Im in between the hyperspace and Hilleberg Staika but more towards the hyperspace purely for room and porch space but imagine the staika is a lot stronger. Just wanted to know if you had any thoughts on the hyperspace as i see you don't have any videos i cant find any online anywhere so was wondering what they are actually like. It will be for mostly UK use bot also Iceland, Norway and a trip to Patagonia cycle touring. Thanks for your time Tom. Cheers Mike
Hi Mike, sorry for the length of time to reply and I am aware that you have another comment on my other Ve25 video but I will answer both separately... I have many many comments to get through and many like yours some are very detailed. Keep them coming though... Great to hear that you have experience of Hillebergs and Terra Nova tents. A tricky question. I have had a Hyperspace many years back and didn't like it at all. It was the mountain version with the snow valances. I just thought it was a very kind of threw together tent with very loose pockets and doors. This is kind of unacceptable to me on an inner first pitch. They are good in heavy snow due to the steep side walls and pole crossing points high in the roof. For expeditions in snow these tents are very functional and also some have very thick groundsheets so that would be handy in Iceland but also makes the tent very heavy.. For cycle touring..... It will have a very large pack size.... The Staika is definitely not any stronger IMO and I have tested one. It really depends on the guy lines for structural support as it has only 3 poles and no pole crossing points apart from in the roof. The Hyperspace has 4 poles supporting the main structure and 7 pole crossing points. But properly guyed out then the Staika is a very versatile tent but personally at 4 to 4.5 kg I would select a Tarra every time. Much bigger inside and geodesic so doesn't rely on the guy points as much. Also consider a Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 or 3 as I have owned two of these and they served me well. So from all of this lot and a Ve25 in order of my preference it would be...Tarra, Staika, Trango, VE25 and Hyperspace.... Hopefully you haven't bought one already...ATB Tom Oh yes I hate the Velcros on the Ve25s but I will talk about that when I answer your next comment.... Tom
Hi Brian, I was sure I gad replied to you before so really sorry to take so long. I would go with the VE 25 as there is so much space when you lie across it. I sold my Mountain 35 and replaced it with the VE 25. Mountain 35 has better fabrics in Europe but discontinued now unfortunately. ATB Tom
Not honestly sure. Personally It's not something I would consider as I like to stay within the manufactures guidelines. If you make one component stronger then it places greater stress on others and makes them more likely to fail in my opinion. If North face themselves had stronger poles as an option or variant then absolutely for sure...
@@iasonioannes7884 I rekon based on my experience of the 3 ve25s that I have owned that 60 would just be ok but 70?? I would not take mine out if the winds were going to be that bad. The only thing that I feel would help would be to double pole the rear transverse pole. There are enough eyelets for this but I would not want to do it on a frequent basis and obviously you would need to have a spare pole.... Tom
It would certainly help with not too much of a weight cost. If you look at the Slingfin Hardshell they have the same pole structure but also have additional poles in what they call a high wind kit... People are so obsessed with kit weight that keeping the weight down from a manufacturer perspective helps to sell products so thats why the strength suffers a bit in my opinion...Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Yes, sometimes the old saying , "You don't need a lighter pack, you need a stronger back," makes more sense in having a stronger shelter. Cheers
Tom, I’ve just watched your 4 videos on the North Face 25 and given this a thumbs down. Nothing to do with your input, which is great as always, but based on what I hear you say and I observe, this tent is not fit for purpose. I have no personal experience with this brand, but do have 20 years of thinking it’s a fantastic looking tent and wanting one. Now I don’t want one. Thanks. . I hear you say that the pole design limits strength, the fly sheet material is half what it should be and the groundsheet is lightweight. It’s not a tent to risk your life in and whilst most of us will never be in that kind of situation, it can happen to the unwary. . Seen tents on the Cornish peninsula ripped to shreds and even I came back to a Keron 4 with 2 bent poles from gale force winds in the Lakes. Most RUclips videos show tents when the camper is with the tent 100% of the time and packs the tent first thing in the morning, but leaving a tent in situ whilst you go off for a days hike can have different results. Guys become loose, pegs lift, poles bend. Cheers.
Hi Gary thank you for your comments. The VE25 is a great base camp tent. It is probably one of the most widely used base camp tents all over the world. This could be however to expeditions being sponsored by TNF or a lot of expeditions actually being American and they select an American brand....When you see all the photos of the VE25s at Everest Base Camp etc it can make you want one!! Having had 3 of these tents over many many years I have had mixed feelings, but finally concluded : It is not a great tent in high winds (50mph and above) due to its volume, lack of aerodynamics, height and pole diameter. The tent is also very difficult to pitch in these conditions. However if you are on an expedition where a number of people can help with the pitching and you can then protect the tent by digging into the snow, then its snow loading abilities and comfort will redeem it somewhat...... ATB Tom
Thanks for the balanced review; there is no perfect tent for everyone's needs, so you go with the one that covers the functions you seek and videos like this cover enough about the functionality for folks to make an informed purchase. Also, much respect for dubbing over the parts where the wind started to pick up; the extra effort is greatly appreciated. Stay well.
Hi Wilfred thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. You are right there definitely is no perfect tent for everyone. It just requires sacrifices in some areas for gains in others. My feelings on this tent are a bit mixed as I am sure you gathered from the video... ATB keep well Tom
Thank you for realistic well documented review, I have the TNF Mountain 25 (older version) beside the heavy weight it has been an amazing tent . What is frustrating is that a tent of this caliber you would expect to buy a new fly or parts for also from a enviromentally point of view. Up till now I have been able to re-seal and seam tape the fly and probably get another couple seasons out of it , whereas the inner tent is still in perfect condition.
Hey thank you for the comment and sharing your experience.. I think North Face are just not really investing much in tents anymore as tents are such a small part of their total business. I owned a few Mountain 25s and a 35 too and some of my favorite tents ever.. best wishes Tom
I worked in the outdoor industry back in the 70's and early 80's. I remember the days when TNF was a serious outdoor outfitter. Slowly but surely, beginning in the 80's, they began making themselves into a boutique clothing brand. (Patagonia followed the same path though I'm not sure who led the way.) It's okay I suppose...the used their "brand" effectively and followed the profits. In any case, prices soared and the selection moved from fairly hard core "outfitter" gear to overpriced ladies fashion jackets and hipster beanies. No doubt they still make some good mountaineering gear in some small part of the company but they sorta lost me long ago.
Hi thank you for sharing your thoughts.. Yes they followed profits and not much profits in tents compared to what else they are doing.. It was great to see them put some thought into this tent though and re design the inner and load it with pockets and features... Summit series gear from North Face is still pretty good as well as a couple of expedition type tents... Best wishes Tom
Going to be controversial. North Face used to be a great mountaineering brand but these days I feel they’ve sold out as a high street fashion name. You’ve mention cost cutting in flysheet quality I’ve seen that in clothing. Still I guess they’ve got to make a profit.
Yes if you think about it tents are hardly going to be where they make much profit as the brand is now just so big... However they have re designed a lot of this tent compared to the previous model particularly with the inner tent so I will compliment them for that. The changes that they have made though in my opinion don't make much of a difference but at least they have tried... Thank you for your realistic comments... Tom
Hi Tom, great video, thank you very much. If you don't mind me asking, how do you get access to all these high end tents? They would cost a fortune to buy them all! Cheers.
Hi Joshua, good to hear from you..I have owned many of these tents including this one. Also I buy Hilleberg's knowing that I can sell them on again without losing much money. A good few tents have also been offered to me for review by subscribers. So its a combination of all of these.... ATB Tom
I have a ve25 and I love it I agree with your comments most disappointing is the fly sheet doesn’t go to ground level on the sides ,I know also though that friends of mine have the allak 3 which for size is great for roomy 2 people they hate the inner flapping badly in high winds and have said at 50mph the poles do bend in but I suppose what is the absolute perfect tent ? I think in high winds excess of 50mph any tent will see stress in some way Great video 👍
Hi Damien, thank you very much for your kind comments.. You are 100 percent right in that none of them are perfect. I started my camping with North Face tents which all pitch inner first and when you then get used to the tensioned inner its hard to adjust to the ones that flap in the wind and are much noiser! I have moved to Hilleberg though as I mostly camp alone and they have a number of strong one person options... ATB. Tom
Like I wrote in another comment on one of your vids: you have to listen and read carefully. Lol! I have to admit though that I have not used my Saivo in wind's in excess of 20 m/s. Year ago my brother and I camped in Folkestone on top of a hill. We had to take the tent down and pitch it closer to the main road, because of the strong wind. I still have that tent but it is a real "sunny day no rain or wind" tent. That night we did not sleep much since all the trucks from the Euro tunnel building seemed to pass our tent. But a great memory still.
I have done a few bail outs myself I have to admit. But now that I have just bought a Soulo BL I should not need to in the future. Really appreciate all your comments. I hope that you are entertained by my videos. Tom
A good honest review. I used to have the VE23 , it was a good thing too. Someone commented on the H/berg Saivo, I actually own one, as well as a Nammatj 3 GT and a Soulo I use for hunting. If push came to shove the Saivo would get my vote every time against any other tent . I have had mine in some truly horrendous wind conditions and the tent is rock solid. The Nammatj isn't too bad as well , but if the wind gets side on to it then that's a different matter. It's noisy and moves alot. I still have an old NF Westwind that never sees the light of day. The VE 25s are a really " livable" tent, great room and height, they are a true classic. I agree about the floor and pole comments, these two components are so important, especially for an expedition tent that will be asked to deal with natures worst.
Hi I appreciate your comments. Great to hear of your tent experiences with so many different brands and models.. I previously owned a Nammatj 2 and sold it because of the wind noise and flapping. I have recently bought one again as I am now prepared to live with this as a trade off for the weight... I was I big fan too of the westward and actually favoured it over the Nammatj for a few years... ATB Tom
Nearly bought that make ,but wanted a bigger vestibules for cooking also bad weather camping you can never have enough room if your tent bound. So I went for the saitaris instead. Wish I could have afforded both. Every enjoyable and god bless
A review of very rare quality. Joined your channel to hear more. Hard to find faults in a tent of this quality so its great to hear an un-biased review from someone who has taken it to extremes beyond what most have experienced. I bought this same tent after I woke up in a tent folded completely flat and half the poles broken by 35mph winds. Not a good situation even without snow. I had not considered the double coatings aspect or thickness of the gound cloth. The tent more than meets my needs but I will now consider a thicker ground cloth.
Hi John, I really appreciate your comments and feedback. I have had 3 Ve25s over the years and have done another video comparing an older one to this one which you may have already seen. My feelings on this tent are a bit mixed but for most conditions it is a great shelter with a lots of thought into the design but misses on some points too. The use of a footprint will help the durability of the ground sheet... ATB Tom
Great videos - thanks so much for making them! Super helpful as deciding on tent for expeditions. Would be great, if you have time, to make videos of putting up the different tents solo in strong winds/tough conditions
Hi Benjamin, thank you for this great comment.... Here is the thing... Every single inner first pitching tent I have owned has got damaged poles doing exactly what you say. I have bent poles on my North Face Westwind, Mountain 25, Mountain35, and Ve25 on more than one occasion trying to put them up solo when its been windy.. The manufactures don't show you this which is a bug bear of mine. It might be fine on an expedition where you have 3 or more sherpas etc helping with tent set up but on your own all of these tents are very vulnerable to damage during set up especially this Ve25. I love making extreme videos but not at the cost of damaging my tents and this is what will happen. I do however have a video of my Hilleberg Soulo solo set up in at least 60mph winds. Its the one where I was out in storm ARWEN.. I also plan to do an outer first vs inner first in harsh conditions to highlight this weakness of inner first tents. It will probably be done with my old Mountain 25 Vs something like a Hilleberg Tarra or Jannu and if I bend a few poles well ill take the hit on that...Great comment once again thank you. ATVB Tom
Hey David, thank you for your positive comments. Its great to hear that you are enjoying my videos and I hope that they will help you select some kit if you are in the market for it... ATB Tom
Hi Tom, what a great in depth review of the VE25. I am surprised at the catenary cut on the fly for a 4 season tent, but then there is snow valance on the vestibule. There must be a reason, and I assume it's just not an issue. A massive space - a real palace 👍
Yeah Shamus, Its a very high cut too. I much prefer the protection from the fly being cut much closer to the ground. There is a very high bath tub groundsheet which helps counteract it.. Yes interior volume is fantastic with great features. I have carried it a good number of times on my own too but so hard to manage in the winds setting it up. Bent poles on more than one occasion...Petra would love the space and the fact that she would not be confined to the vestibule...Tom
Is the flysheet Taped? If so maybe TNF wanted a seam sealed tent hence PU coating. Surprised about VE25 not taking wind well, friend had VE25 in the 90's and tent performed well in high winds. Have used WildCountry Hyperspace (now Terra Nova) for 11years Scottish Winter climbing along with Quasar Tents in the 90's they took heavy snow and high winds no problems. Also have used Hilleberg Nammatj 3 GT and friend using Terra Nova ultra Hyperspace in Winter Ski Touring in Norway mountain's best part of 10 years, pole broken once on Nammatj in very high wind hyperspace just shrugged it off, I feel Hyperspace the better tent! watched your review of TNF Westwind Tent and totally agree that tent is bombproof three off us had one each and tents were used for everything, wish i had never sold years ago. someone needs to make again with improvements say have the top third of flysheet clip connected to the inner so you can thread poles in as a inner pitching tent with flysheet protecting in wet weather speeding up the process. New to channel like reviews very much.
Hi just came across your comment and thought I had replied earlier so sorry to take so long. Yes the flysheet is taped on the inside. Had two Quasars too and a mountain Hyperspace as well. Tested out the Quasars many times but sold the Hyperspace before I had much of a chance to test it.. The Hyperspace has 7 pole crossing points giving it a strong side wall, whereas the the two pole tunnels which support the main tent are a bit more vulnerable in a side wind. The Westwind was a 3 pole tunnel which helps with side winds.. ATB and thanks for your comments. Tom
Thanks for the review! Many have this tent in my club, for winter ski Pulka touring. It just miss (for me) snow skirts all around, not just around the entrance. Every owner of this tent in my club (some models from a decade ago, some more recent) have ALL added sewed snow skirts all around. I find it sad to have it upgraded by seewing for that price. Another tent with snow skirts all around is the Nemo Chogori. Have you tried it ?
Hi, thank you for watching and your comments... No unfortunately I have not tried the Nemo but I have looked at it a few times.. It's a hard one but the VE25S are tricky to pitch in windy conditions partly due to the inner first pitch. I now definitely favour external fly first pitching and this combined with the snow skirts would make me definitely consider the Nemo.... All the very best wishes.. Tom
Hi Kevin, yes it is a very good tent but not quite the quality of Hilleberg. Has a few design things that I would change too such as larger diameter poles and a better way of attaching the fly to the poles themselves. ATB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 1.december I am...atm living at a carbin on camping site but not law do it legit..thank u ;) been looking at tent think even prize is high would be good but wasent sure ;)
Tom, you may be the best tent reviewer on RUclips. Can't wait to share your content and watch your viewership grow.
Hi Clem, thank you for your very positive comments. I am really happy that you enjoy my content. I see that you have a very nice red Nallo 2 GT. I hope that you are getting great use from it. ATB Tom
Very in-depth review Tom. Well done. It does look like a great tent, however as you say it does have a couple of drawbacks. Plenty of internal space though. 👍🏼 Nice backyard and view too. It must take you forever to keep that lawn looking so good! 🤣
Thank you Barry, Yeah the time spent maintaining the grass is killing me....
Great review buddy! Hands down the Best one I’ve seen regarding this tent! 👏🏻
Been looking at getting a 2/3 man 4 season tent and this was one I was seriously considering, slightly cheeper than a Hilleberg black label! Although now you’ve mentioned it can struggle in strong winds I think I may pay the extra and stick with Hilleberg 🤔 really like the Nammatj and the Staika!
Yeah I feel that the Hilleberg is worth the extra. I have had a Nammatj2. Very strong and light with decent internal volume but lots of noise and inner panel flapping in high winds. I feel it worth it though due to the ease of pitching and strength - volume - weight ratio... Thank you very much for your kind words too... Tom
Interesting video....d subliminal message towards d end cracked me up 🤣
Great that you noticed it.. Thank you. Tom
I bought my first VE25 in 1986 and it lasted me until 2014 - its was fantastic and I ended up sending it to Nepal when the earthquake struck to help. I bought a new version and it was not the same especially with the silicon fly and having to seam seal it by hand, the window at the front is rubbish and like you say the ground sheet was thinner. I sold it and bought a Mountain 25 and that was terrible it ended up with every pole bent in a storm comeplete rubbish NF produce now.
WOW my first ve25 was bought around 1992 I think!! The window came off my Mountain 25 too and when TNF fixed it they just stitched it back on instead of welding it like it came from the factory. Bent poles! My westwind, mountain 25 and ve25 all have them as I write this... When I contacted North Face about my ve25 pole repair they didn't even have any. All tents can get damaged but not to offer decent repairs is very poor. I have moved to Hilleberg as I am sure you can see from my recent videos. They are so expensive but materials, design and construction are absolutely fabulous as is their customer support if you have any problems. You have to support the brands that don't cut corners especially when its a shelter for harsh conditions... ATB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 I made a similar move to Hilleberg but took the tent back for a refund after the ground sheet leaked due to poor sewing at the corners and no sealing. I checked out several different models and they were all the same so Im moved to MSR Hubba whch broke its poles and ripped the fly, then to Zpacks Pleaxamid and now Lightwave Sigma S10 which is looking good so far LOL
Great review Tom I love these tents, so much I own 10 of them takes not time to set them up.
Hi Mourne Mountain Adventures. This was my favourite tent for a long long time. Very comfortable with lots great design aspects... ATB Tom
Watched the documentary The Ghosts Above at the mountain film festival (can also watch on RUclips), you can see this tent features from around the 10:30 mark. That was enough for me, it is strong enough.
Hi James, thank you for the tip. Just watched this film on RUclips and really enjoyed it. ATB Tom
Fantastic review once again Tom!
Thank you Micheal. Hope that you are well. Tom
Great review tom,enjoyed the subliminal message.
Hey Stuart, thank you for watching and commenting... Great that you picked up on my recommendation.... ATB Tom
I've owned this tent for about 7 years. It keeps you so warm, its durable material. The thing I HATE is the elastic ropes in the poles are total trash, it wears out within less than 1 year
Hey great to hear of your experience with the poles... The poles are made by DAC so that's interesting as the supply poles to pretty much every serious outdoor brand.... best wishes Tom
Tom, thanks for excellent review and passing on your years of experience with the product - extremely helpful for making decision on kit to purchase for first trekking trip in 20 years..
Hi John, thank you for your comments and all the very best with your trekking trip. There is so much choice for gear these days and unfortunately no regulation regarding tent classification by manufactures...Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Thx Tom, Picked up ve-25 old stock unused this week, going to test it on the flat here in Chicago next decent snow storm blows through. best John
Thanks Tom for the detailed review, you’ve hit on all the good points, I have a VE25 newest version, and love it, one thing you could also say is it’s warm, especially on the winter mountain nights, made really well reinforced in the places needed, and is lighter and cheaper than the Hilleberg Saivo, 4.7kg as apposed to 5.3kg for the latter. Ive really enjoyed having this tent, I’ve even used it in Sumer months while keeping cool in it due to the two doors either end, definitely wouldn’t sell it, it’s been a good companion in the welsh mountains.
Hi David, thank you for your comments. I agree that the tent is well made with appropriate reinforcement etc where needed, very versatile too in that you can sleep across it, or length wise depending on the ground. I have had three VE25s over the years and while there are lots of people who say that they handle high winds very well this has not been my experience with all three tents and I suppose this disappoints me to be honest. But then again its meant to be a base camp shelter so in fact it does that very well and is extremely liveable and comfortable too with fantastic storage and features... ATB Tom
I almost got one of these, I'm so glad I went for the hilleberg soulo instead
Yes I have both but guess which one is going up for sale!! Thank you for your comments and ATB. Tom
Why hilleberg heavy & overpriced
Awesome video
Thank you for your honest review
NORTH FACE have gone down hill big time ,they lost my Business for sure
Yeah its such a pity.. Not much money in tents for them when they make and sell so much other kit.. ATB and thank you for your feedback.. Tom
North Face Northstar....great base camp.....back in 1980
Hi yes I just about remember them.... best wishes Tom
What is your preferred tent, and how would you improve it for use in 50mph < winds?
Hi at the moment its a Hilleberg Nammatj 2 due to its strength, size and weight ratio. I have had it out in 60mph winds that would flatten this Ve25.. This tent needs 10mm poles for starters and a fly first pitch so that the poles can be directly guyed and not attached with Velcro indirectly... ATB Tom
Excellent review my friend
Thank you very much Brian your positive feedback is very much appreciated . Tom
So, Tommy are you saying the NF 25 Mountain is stronger than the VE 25??? As in the material is thicker and more sturdy???
Yes I am, Tremaine thank you. It is smaller with the same number of poles and has a lower wind profile. The Ve25 is more of a basecamp type tent. Its hard to be 100percent sure about fabric strength but I am 100 percent sure about wind stability as I have used both extensively over many many years..... ATB Tom
Hi Tom. Thanks for making all your videos i absolutely love them and most importantly unlike some videos you have a lot of experience and real world knowledge and testing not just back garden reviews so i really appreciate your knowledge and views. I have had a lot of tents most Hillebergs and terra novas and other in between but i haven't had a Terra Nova Hyperspace and i'm looking at getting one but just not sure as have no knowledge or seen any videos of them on youtube or the web. You said you have had one and i was just wondering on your experience and thoughts on it?. Im in between the hyperspace and Hilleberg Staika but more towards the hyperspace purely for room and porch space but imagine the staika is a lot stronger. Just wanted to know if you had any thoughts on the hyperspace as i see you don't have any videos i cant find any online anywhere so was wondering what they are actually like. It will be for mostly UK use bot also Iceland, Norway and a trip to Patagonia cycle touring. Thanks for your time Tom. Cheers Mike
Hi Mike, sorry for the length of time to reply and I am aware that you have another comment on my other Ve25 video but I will answer both separately... I have many many comments to get through and many like yours some are very detailed. Keep them coming though... Great to hear that you have experience of Hillebergs and Terra Nova tents. A tricky question. I have had a Hyperspace many years back and didn't like it at all. It was the mountain version with the snow valances. I just thought it was a very kind of threw together tent with very loose pockets and doors. This is kind of unacceptable to me on an inner first pitch. They are good in heavy snow due to the steep side walls and pole crossing points high in the roof. For expeditions in snow these tents are very functional and also some have very thick groundsheets so that would be handy in Iceland but also makes the tent very heavy.. For cycle touring..... It will have a very large pack size.... The Staika is definitely not any stronger IMO and I have tested one. It really depends on the guy lines for structural support as it has only 3 poles and no pole crossing points apart from in the roof. The Hyperspace has 4 poles supporting the main structure and 7 pole crossing points. But properly guyed out then the Staika is a very versatile tent but personally at 4 to 4.5 kg I would select a Tarra every time. Much bigger inside and geodesic so doesn't rely on the guy points as much. Also consider a Mountain Hardwear Trango 2 or 3 as I have owned two of these and they served me well. So from all of this lot and a Ve25 in order of my preference it would be...Tarra, Staika, Trango, VE25 and Hyperspace.... Hopefully you haven't bought one already...ATB Tom Oh yes I hate the Velcros on the Ve25s but I will talk about that when I answer your next comment.... Tom
Also forgot to say I did invest in a another full set of poles, just incase (not a cheap thing to do ). As they say in for a penny in for a pound .
If you are double polling it , my goodness it will be one of the strongest tents on the planet
Bs cost cutting for price ? Maybe double pole it for high winds ?
Thank you for your comments.. All the very best Tom
Great review!
Hi Richard thank you for watching and taking the time to comment.. ATB Tom
Interesting!
Which tent would you go with?? VE25 or mountain 35. Curious on your thoughts. I’m 6’4”. Btw. Thanks buddy
Hi Brian, I was sure I gad replied to you before so really sorry to take so long. I would go with the VE 25 as there is so much space when you lie across it. I sold my Mountain 35 and replaced it with the VE 25. Mountain 35 has better fabrics in Europe but discontinued now unfortunately. ATB Tom
Hi Tom,
Could one buy stronger poles that would fit the v25 ?
Not honestly sure. Personally It's not something I would consider as I like to stay within the manufactures guidelines. If you make one component stronger then it places greater stress on others and makes them more likely to fail in my opinion. If North face themselves had stronger poles as an option or variant then absolutely for sure...
@@TOMHEANEY100
Is there any possible way for the v25 to take 60-70 mph winds , possibly stronger guidelines etc?
@@iasonioannes7884 I rekon based on my experience of the 3 ve25s that I have owned that 60 would just be ok but 70?? I would not take mine out if the winds were going to be that bad. The only thing that I feel would help would be to double pole the rear transverse pole. There are enough eyelets for this but I would not want to do it on a frequent basis and obviously you would need to have a spare pole.... Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100
Probably best to have a hillberg soulo then.
Arcteryx Atom Ar and Cerium lt?
Hey, well spotted you are right and know your kit. It was a cold day and you gotta display good quality kit. ATB Tom
Hi, do you think 10mm poles would solve the vulnerability to high winds ? or does it need another pole somewhere in the design ?
It would certainly help with not too much of a weight cost. If you look at the Slingfin Hardshell they have the same pole structure but also have additional poles in what they call a high wind kit... People are so obsessed with kit weight that keeping the weight down from a manufacturer perspective helps to sell products so thats why the strength suffers a bit in my opinion...Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Yes, sometimes the old saying , "You don't need a lighter pack, you need a stronger back," makes more sense in having a stronger shelter. Cheers
The manufacturer did not have replacement parts... @northface ... bad business decision.
Hi, yes no poles so they couldn't repair my bent ones.. They just dont seem to be that interested in tents anymore... Tom
That's Not A Deal Breaker
What is not a deal breaker? Tom
Honestly, It Takes Alot
But How Are You This Morning
@@ancientchainedwolfearthbou2104 yr a laugh... Just working in my next review...
Cool
Tom, I’ve just watched your 4 videos on the North Face 25 and given this a thumbs down. Nothing to do with your input, which is great as always, but based on what I hear you say and I observe, this tent is not fit for purpose. I have no personal experience with this brand, but do have 20 years of thinking it’s a fantastic looking tent and wanting one. Now I don’t want one. Thanks.
.
I hear you say that the pole design limits strength, the fly sheet material is half what it should be and the groundsheet is lightweight. It’s not a tent to risk your life in and whilst most of us will never be in that kind of situation, it can happen to the unwary.
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Seen tents on the Cornish peninsula ripped to shreds and even I came back to a Keron 4 with 2 bent poles from gale force winds in the Lakes. Most RUclips videos show tents when the camper is with the tent 100% of the time and packs the tent first thing in the morning, but leaving a tent in situ whilst you go off for a days hike can have different results. Guys become loose, pegs lift, poles bend. Cheers.
Hi Gary thank you for your comments. The VE25 is a great base camp tent. It is probably one of the most widely used base camp tents all over the world. This could be however to expeditions being sponsored by TNF or a lot of expeditions actually being American and they select an American brand....When you see all the photos of the VE25s at Everest Base Camp etc it can make you want one!! Having had 3 of these tents over many many years I have had mixed feelings, but finally concluded : It is not a great tent in high winds (50mph and above) due to its volume, lack of aerodynamics, height and pole diameter. The tent is also very difficult to pitch in these conditions. However if you are on an expedition where a number of people can help with the pitching and you can then protect the tent by digging into the snow, then its snow loading abilities and comfort will redeem it somewhat...... ATB Tom
you speak a lot, we need see the tend
Thank you for your comments. Always good to get feedback. ATB Tom
Thanks for the balanced review; there is no perfect tent for everyone's needs, so you go with the one that covers the functions you seek and videos like this cover enough about the functionality for folks to make an informed purchase. Also, much respect for dubbing over the parts where the wind started to pick up; the extra effort is greatly appreciated. Stay well.
Hi Wilfred thanks for watching and taking the time to comment. You are right there definitely is no perfect tent for everyone. It just requires sacrifices in some areas for gains in others. My feelings on this tent are a bit mixed as I am sure you gathered from the video... ATB keep well Tom
Thank you for realistic well documented review, I have the TNF Mountain 25 (older version) beside the heavy weight it has been an amazing tent . What is frustrating is that a tent of this caliber you would expect to buy a new fly or parts for also from a enviromentally point of view. Up till now I have been able to re-seal and seam tape the fly and probably get another couple seasons out of it , whereas the inner tent is still in perfect condition.
Hey thank you for the comment and sharing your experience.. I think North Face are just not really investing much in tents anymore as tents are such a small part of their total business. I owned a few Mountain 25s and a 35 too and some of my favorite tents ever.. best wishes Tom
I worked in the outdoor industry back in the 70's and early 80's. I remember the days when TNF was a serious outdoor outfitter. Slowly but surely, beginning in the 80's, they began making themselves into a boutique clothing brand. (Patagonia followed the same path though I'm not sure who led the way.) It's okay I suppose...the used their "brand" effectively and followed the profits. In any case, prices soared and the selection moved from fairly hard core "outfitter" gear to overpriced ladies fashion jackets and hipster beanies. No doubt they still make some good mountaineering gear in some small part of the company but they sorta lost me long ago.
Hi thank you for sharing your thoughts.. Yes they followed profits and not much profits in tents compared to what else they are doing.. It was great to see them put some thought into this tent though and re design the inner and load it with pockets and features... Summit series gear from North Face is still pretty good as well as a couple of expedition type tents... Best wishes Tom
Going to be controversial. North Face used to be a great mountaineering brand but these days I feel they’ve sold out as a high street fashion name. You’ve mention cost cutting in flysheet quality I’ve seen that in clothing. Still I guess they’ve got to make a profit.
Yes if you think about it tents are hardly going to be where they make much profit as the brand is now just so big... However they have re designed a lot of this tent compared to the previous model particularly with the inner tent so I will compliment them for that. The changes that they have made though in my opinion don't make much of a difference but at least they have tried... Thank you for your realistic comments... Tom
Hi Tom, great video, thank you very much. If you don't mind me asking, how do you get access to all these high end tents? They would cost a fortune to buy them all! Cheers.
Hi Joshua, good to hear from you..I have owned many of these tents including this one. Also I buy Hilleberg's knowing that I can sell them on again without losing much money. A good few tents have also been offered to me for review by subscribers. So its a combination of all of these.... ATB Tom
What shoes you wearing.. They look mint
Hi thank you for the comment.. They are Arcteryx Acrux FL GTX.. Love them but quite a narrow fit.. ATVB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 cheers mate... Great vid btw!
I have a ve25 and I love it I agree with your comments most disappointing is the fly sheet doesn’t go to ground level on the sides ,I know also though that friends of mine have the allak 3 which for size is great for roomy 2 people they hate the inner flapping badly in high winds and have said at 50mph the poles do bend in but I suppose what is the absolute perfect tent ? I think in high winds excess of 50mph any tent will see stress in some way
Great video 👍
Hi Damien, thank you very much for your kind comments.. You are 100 percent right in that none of them are perfect. I started my camping with North Face tents which all pitch inner first and when you then get used to the tensioned inner its hard to adjust to the ones that flap in the wind and are much noiser! I have moved to Hilleberg though as I mostly camp alone and they have a number of strong one person options... ATB. Tom
Like I wrote in another comment on one of your vids: you have to listen and read carefully. Lol!
I have to admit though that I have not used my Saivo in wind's in excess of 20 m/s.
Year ago my brother and I camped in Folkestone on top of a hill. We had to take the tent down and pitch it closer to the main road, because of the strong wind. I still have that tent but it is a real "sunny day no rain or wind" tent.
That night we did not sleep much since all the trucks from the Euro tunnel building seemed to pass our tent. But a great memory still.
I have done a few bail outs myself I have to admit. But now that I have just bought a Soulo BL I should not need to in the future. Really appreciate all your comments. I hope that you are entertained by my videos. Tom
A good honest review. I used to have the VE23 , it was a good thing too. Someone commented on the H/berg Saivo, I actually own one, as well as a Nammatj 3 GT and a Soulo I use for hunting. If push came to shove the Saivo would get my vote every time against any other tent . I have had mine in some truly horrendous wind conditions and the tent is rock solid. The Nammatj isn't too bad as well , but if the wind gets side on to it then that's a different matter. It's noisy and moves alot. I still have an old NF Westwind that never sees the light of day. The VE 25s are a really " livable" tent, great room and height, they are a true classic. I agree about the floor and pole comments, these two components are so important, especially for an expedition tent that will be asked to deal with natures worst.
Hi I appreciate your comments. Great to hear of your tent experiences with so many different brands and models.. I previously owned a Nammatj 2 and sold it because of the wind noise and flapping. I have recently bought one again as I am now prepared to live with this as a trade off for the weight... I was I big fan too of the westward and actually favoured it over the Nammatj for a few years... ATB Tom
Nearly bought that make ,but wanted a bigger vestibules for cooking also bad weather camping you can never have enough room if your tent bound. So I went for the saitaris instead. Wish I could have afforded both. Every enjoyable and god bless
Thank you Michael for your comments. A great choice to go for the Hilleberg what a tent the Saitaris is wow..I hope its red!! Tom
A review of very rare quality. Joined your channel to hear more. Hard to find faults in a tent of this quality so its great to hear an un-biased review from someone who has taken it to extremes beyond what most have experienced. I bought this same tent after I woke up in a tent folded completely flat and half the poles broken by 35mph winds. Not a good situation even without snow. I had not considered the double coatings aspect or thickness of the gound cloth. The tent more than meets my needs but I will now consider a thicker ground cloth.
Hi John, I really appreciate your comments and feedback. I have had 3 Ve25s over the years and have done another video comparing an older one to this one which you may have already seen. My feelings on this tent are a bit mixed but for most conditions it is a great shelter with a lots of thought into the design but misses on some points too. The use of a footprint will help the durability of the ground sheet... ATB Tom
Great videos - thanks so much for making them! Super helpful as deciding on tent for expeditions. Would be great, if you have time, to make videos of putting up the different tents solo in strong winds/tough conditions
Hi Benjamin, thank you for this great comment.... Here is the thing... Every single inner first pitching tent I have owned has got damaged poles doing exactly what you say. I have bent poles on my North Face Westwind, Mountain 25, Mountain35, and Ve25 on more than one occasion trying to put them up solo when its been windy.. The manufactures don't show you this which is a bug bear of mine. It might be fine on an expedition where you have 3 or more sherpas etc helping with tent set up but on your own all of these tents are very vulnerable to damage during set up especially this Ve25. I love making extreme videos but not at the cost of damaging my tents and this is what will happen. I do however have a video of my Hilleberg Soulo solo set up in at least 60mph winds. Its the one where I was out in storm ARWEN.. I also plan to do an outer first vs inner first in harsh conditions to highlight this weakness of inner first tents. It will probably be done with my old Mountain 25 Vs something like a Hilleberg Tarra or Jannu and if I bend a few poles well ill take the hit on that...Great comment once again thank you. ATVB Tom
Absolutely love your videos, Tom. They're very well organized, informative, and objective.
Hey David, thank you for your positive comments. Its great to hear that you are enjoying my videos and I hope that they will help you select some kit if you are in the market for it... ATB Tom
Nice, looking forward too more reviews soon 👍
Thank you, yes I will be keeping at it... Tom
Keep posting your excellent videos! 👌
Thank you Ray. Another video coming soon. ATB Tom
Hi Tom, what a great in depth review of the VE25. I am surprised at the catenary cut on the fly for a 4 season tent, but then there is snow valance on the vestibule. There must be a reason, and I assume it's just not an issue. A massive space - a real palace 👍
Yeah Shamus, Its a very high cut too. I much prefer the protection from the fly being cut much closer to the ground. There is a very high bath tub groundsheet which helps counteract it.. Yes interior volume is fantastic with great features. I have carried it a good number of times on my own too but so hard to manage in the winds setting it up. Bent poles on more than one occasion...Petra would love the space and the fact that she would not be confined to the vestibule...Tom
How does it handle heavy rain?
No problem at all as it has a PU coated fly with taped seems... ATB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Thank you very much.
Nice home ❣️
Yes Scott very nice and great features making it very comfortable.... ATB Tom
Is the flysheet Taped? If so maybe TNF wanted a seam sealed tent hence PU coating. Surprised about VE25 not taking wind well, friend had VE25 in the 90's and tent performed well in high winds. Have used WildCountry Hyperspace (now Terra Nova) for 11years Scottish Winter climbing along with Quasar Tents in the 90's they took heavy snow and high winds no problems. Also have used Hilleberg Nammatj 3 GT and friend using Terra Nova ultra Hyperspace in Winter Ski Touring in Norway mountain's best part of 10 years, pole broken once on Nammatj in very high wind hyperspace just shrugged it off, I feel Hyperspace the better tent!
watched your review of TNF Westwind Tent and totally agree that tent is bombproof three off us had one each and tents were used for everything, wish i had never sold years ago. someone needs to make again with improvements say have the top third of flysheet clip connected to the inner so you can thread poles in as a inner pitching tent with flysheet protecting in wet weather speeding up the process.
New to channel like reviews very much.
Hi just came across your comment and thought I had replied earlier so sorry to take so long. Yes the flysheet is taped on the inside. Had two Quasars too and a mountain Hyperspace as well. Tested out the Quasars many times but sold the Hyperspace before I had much of a chance to test it.. The Hyperspace has 7 pole crossing points giving it a strong side wall, whereas the the two pole tunnels which support the main tent are a bit more vulnerable in a side wind. The Westwind was a 3 pole tunnel which helps with side winds.. ATB and thanks for your comments. Tom
Thanks for the review! Many have this tent in my club, for winter ski Pulka touring. It just miss (for me) snow skirts all around, not just around the entrance. Every owner of this tent in my club (some models from a decade ago, some more recent) have ALL added sewed snow skirts all around. I find it sad to have it upgraded by seewing for that price.
Another tent with snow skirts all around is the Nemo Chogori. Have you tried it ?
Hi, thank you for watching and your comments... No unfortunately I have not tried the Nemo but I have looked at it a few times.. It's a hard one but the VE25S are tricky to pitch in windy conditions partly due to the inner first pitch. I now definitely favour external fly first pitching and this combined with the snow skirts would make me definitely consider the Nemo.... All the very best wishes.. Tom
Thanks Tom, great review again. This tent is a great deal compared to Hillebergs but obviously not as good. You get what you pay for!
Hi Kevin, yes it is a very good tent but not quite the quality of Hilleberg. Has a few design things that I would change too such as larger diameter poles and a better way of attaching the fly to the poles themselves. ATB Tom
Man you live in a nice spot too Tom👍🏻
Thank you. I like the blue PUG! ATB. Tom
Can it be used at minus 10 degree...I'm homeless and looking for a winther tent ;/
Minus 10 yes, perfect if you are homeless as lots of space for two..... Free standing as well so can be pitched on concrete.... ATB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 1.december I am...atm living at a carbin on camping site but not law do it legit..thank u ;) been looking at tent think even prize is high would be good but wasent sure ;)
@@TOMHEANEY100 only me and a mid size dog ;)