By Sean McDevitt
Mountain Hardwear Design
When we started the Viperine tent project, we set out to make the most efficiently designed, 2 person tent that was actually livable but light enough for backpacking. We wanted it to be strong enough for most conditions but competitive on weight and price. We build a lot into our tents, such as welded zipper flaps and full taped perimeter seams — features that our competitors often skip. These features add weight and cost but also add functionality. In a world where customers shop on weight per square foot, we are challenged to deliver tents that live up to our standards of quality and still deliver on weight. Eventually, after much work, our lead tent Designer Martin Zemitis came up with what we think is a ground breaking design.
I will make no bones about it, we spent eons creating structure after structure looking for our winning combination of efficiency and simplicity. Using the new, lightweight hub offerings from Yunan Aluminum, we created the Viperine. What makes this tent special is the dual hub pole structure that provides extremely vertical walls, giving a roomy, useable space on a trim backpacking footprint. The front arch connector gives a nice high peak for good head room and a dry entry vestibule. The side poles then cross each other in the rear of the tent for added strength and stability. Having vertical wall means you have useable space; and if it's a stable structure in adverse conditions, you have a winning design. But in order to make this all work, you have to have the details right. Day after day, Martin tweaked the angles of hubs and the pre-bend sections. Every time we got a revision in the pole structure we thought might be worth something, we created a pole spec; I lost track of how many Viperine pole specs there were. After endless renditions, Martin finally let me know he was done with design, and my work was to begin.
When we design a tent, we try to leave no stone unturned. Every gram, every feature is scrutinized and debated. We are gear nuts, fanatics — we have heated arguments about cord locks. The reason we design gear is because we are not satisfied with everything else offered, so we start making our own stuff. With our new pole structure, we wanted to use new features and materials, too. We had the turkey, now was time for stuffing and gravy. The hubs, skeletal clips and 1/4 inch tension lock are all super-light and completely proprietary. The window is made of a new lightweight film we have been testing for the past few years. After failing to procure enough liquid nitrogen, we had Mike Libecki test this film in Antarctica. It is 30% lighter than previous window material and does not yellow, cloud and is highly tear resistant. Another first in this tent is the use of 68D polyester rip-stop canopy which, besides providing breathable privacy, adds amazing strength to the structure of the tent because of it's low stretch nature. I am serious: set-up a Viperine tent, stake it out with the fly on and the push from the side. It's rock solid. Welded zipper flaps, guy clip anchors and our watertight guarantee round out what we think is a compelling list of reasons that separate the Viperine tent from its competitors. Oh, and the name, "Viperine" — it's a snake that eats Tadpoles and Bullfrogs.
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Comments (8)
It looks like a great tent! We realized on our last trip that our tent was starting to do strange things.. do tents actually shrink? Maybe this would be a good one to check out. Is it available yet? Need some testers? We live in the neighborhood :)
Posted by letterknit | April 21, 2007 7:52 AM
Posted on April 21, 2007 07:52
I've spoken with the Mountain Hardwear tent designers on this matter. No, apparrently tents don't shrink - a least not in any permanent sense. Fabrics can and do expand and contract based on humidity and temperature variables, but nylon that has been calendared (or squishing it for elongation purposes), won't shrink for a long time. Old tents may become excessively taut, but this can be a combination of factors including UV damage.
Posted by Dusty | April 25, 2007 12:32 PM
Posted on April 25, 2007 12:32
Hi. have seen the viperine tent at cotswolds tent show and V. interested. Is it fairly easy to put up? It seemed v.low on the roof height inside. my head was touching the roof and i'm only 5'4. Also it had been raining and because the roof is quite flat the water was starting to pool on it. Would this create a problem with leaking? hope to hear from you soon.
Posted by tracey | June 17, 2007 1:31 PM
Posted on June 17, 2007 13:31
Hi Tracey,
Thank you for your interest in the Mountain Hardwear Blog.
I wanted to get back to you and address your questions.
Firstly, I wanted to direct you to our pitching instructions: http://www.mountainhardwear.com/images/Viperine3.pdf
Here are links to product pages:
Viperine 2: http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Product.aspx?top=3&cat=27&prod=439
Viperine 3: http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Product.aspx?top=3&cat=27&prod=440
The Viperine 2 and 3 are roomy "All Mountain tents". They can be used at camp, or taken into the backcountry. They can withstand winds, snow, and rain, and are still light enough to bring on a backpacking expedition.
Per your question about height, the interior height of the Viperine 3 is 4.76 feet. This is an average height for a backpacking tent of this class. Very few backpacking tents are tall enough to stand up in.
These tents are guaranteed to be exceptionally water tight and are thoroughly tested in our rain room. Pay special attention and make sure the rainfly is pulled taut—there shouldn't be any water pooling. If you noticed water pooling on the top of the tent, this means the rain fly was not pulled taut.
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/images/innovationImages/rma_WaterGuarn.html: "Guaranteed watertight construction with fully taped fly, taped perimeter seam, welded corners and welded guy clip anchors. Rain room tested with 1200" of rain in 24 hours."
Posted by Robin at Mountain Hardwear | June 18, 2007 11:57 AM
Posted on June 18, 2007 11:57
I love this tent! Roomy, light weight, and easy to set up! It was great for me as a leader for a week at Boy Scout Summer camp. My stuff remained organized and dry. The vestibule offered lots of extra storage as well as dry entrance to the tent itself.
However, my son lost some parts over the weekend. Where can I get replacement parts (in the instructions, the item that is marked 4x and looks coiled)? He lost all 4 of these.
Thanks,
Erin
Posted by Erin Kirke | June 30, 2008 10:55 AM
Posted on June 30, 2008 10:55
Hello Erin!
Feel free to contact our Customer Service department. They will help you find the right replacement parts. You'll find all the information on our Warranty Info Page:
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/WarrantyInfo.aspx
Posted by Cynthia
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July 1, 2008 10:43 AM
Posted on July 1, 2008 10:43
I have a Hammerhead 3 and last week at Glacier NP, the center pole ferrule snapped because the pole and ferrule were not pushed together all the way. It snapped just before the small bent section that is at the top of the tent. Where can I get a replacement or how can I fix it?
Posted by Jo Ellen Kleindienst | September 1, 2008 8:05 AM
Posted on September 1, 2008 08:05
Hello Jo Ellen,
I'll forward your question to the appropriate person. In the future, you can always call our Warranty department for help with any Mountain Hardwear product. We want you to love your Mountain Hardwear!
Posted by Cynthia
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September 2, 2008 9:56 AM
Posted on September 2, 2008 09:56