2007 Rab Summit Extreme Tent REVIEW

Having spent 4 plus days tent bound in a blizzard on Mt. Logan, once upon a time, I just don't know about such a low ceilinged shelter for situations in which there is a large risk of multi day storms moving in. I was in a Bibler I-tent w/ a climbing partner in that situation and that was an experience I don't relish repeating BUT the headroom was doable for us both and very appreciated. Granted the Rab's gotta be a helluva lot more comfy than a bivy in extreme conditions. Granted also that alpinists are expected to make it all work out in less than ideal conditions. I think this is the ticket for a fast and light approach to alpine mtneering (just get out before prolonged bad weather comes in).

Speaking of which–is this the reason that the GE powers have allowed the existence of this eVENT shelter—-that it's too low to officially be considered a "tent"? I guess you came to the same conclusion, Doug. I notice that Prolite Gear lists this shelter in their bivy sack section. :-)>

What most impresses me is cooking in a sealed tent w/o condensation. Amazing. I'm kicking myself for not getting the short-lived ID eVENT TENT when I had the chance!

As to the pole downgrade, well, Rab had to save $ somewhere–keep it below that $700 pricepoint–hee, hee.

This was a very good review and I'm very happy that BPL is testing LW Alpine gear.

I would be most curious if a test that involved several competing single-wall designs using eVENT, GT, Epic, etc. would be performed that would measure both the ambient temp. and amount of air infiltration inside each tent (w/ same amount of bodies, same outside temp., wind, etc.). I'm curious about which tent (and material) traps heat best. Subjectively, Doug, how did you feel the eVENT performed in keeping in warmth and shedding wind?

You got it. The maximum height allowed for a shelter that is officially made with eVent is 70 cm, the same height as the Rab Summit Extreme. Also note that Rab always refer to it as a "shelter" never a tent.
Franco

At least one Brit outdoor equipment supplier is selling the older eVENT version of the Exped Polaris for a staggering $919.14, marked down from $1080.86!

The Nemo Tenshi was once available in eVENT—-they aren't really saying what they're using now.

The reviewer quoted a price of about $686!!, but I found it for $380 within 1 minute on the web; maybe cheaper if you search around.
For that amount of internal volume I think I would stick with a 2lb 10oz epic HiLight. Its epic fabric is very breathable and in my experience essentially waterproof in an alpine (sub-zero) environment.

But if you want eVENT for $380; here it is..
http://www.buckscountyoutfitters.com/store/product/35148/Summit-Extreme-Tent/

Kevin,
I've read somewhere that Nemo uses Toray Dermizax now.

I have posted this before, but I will try again…
Vent Air looks like eVent, feels like eVent and quacks like eVent, because it is eVent under a different name.
So a Polaris eVent and a Polaris Vent Air will have exactly the same specs and performance.
BTW if you have not seen one in person, it looks much nicer than the usual picture you see on the Net.
Franco

I got one by offering $350 to a seller on ebay. I think if you do a search on ebay, it's the only site listing this "shelter". The Rab is way overkill for my situation, but I like tinkering with gear. I've only spent one night in it so far, foggy, rainy 50F weather, no condensation. I'm six feet tall and wouldn't want any company in there. I appreciated a small tarp above to egress while raining.
Don

I wonder if there is a way to get the former (Carbon fiber) poles aftermarket?
Don

Don…
For Carbon Fiber poles: email sales@fibraplex.com and ask how much it would cost to make them. I had two COMPLETELY CUSTOM shock-corded poles made up at an extremely low cost. Just give them the length/width/tip type/and section length that you require. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at the quick response and price.

Brett-

We use actual suggested retail in our reviews. That said, WOW- you found a great deal on this tent! Thanks for sharing!

Sharing better prices and sales is a great part of forums that follow reviews on BPL.

Thanks,
Doug

Fibraplex would certainly work in this application and would ligten things up a bit but won’t be as stiff and strong as the orginal Easton poles.

You can see a great comparison of Easton 7075, Fibraplex, and Easton Carbon FX poles here.

Thanks,
Doug

Remember—none dare call it Tent! Big GE is watching.

Thanks Franco on the Polaris info. Outdoor Research, Stateside, continues to distribute and sell this (actual) tent—-how does it slip through the cracks (it would still be eVENT if your info is correct—as far as I know, their patent hasn't expired and there are no eVENT clones as of yet) ?

The factory, production line and laminate are exactly the same as before. The change of name is purely to protect GE from any litigation. By the way this info is from someone that definitely knows what is going on, not my guess.
To me the Polaris is well up there with the Biblers , the built in vestibule eliminates the fiddle factor and makes it a smaller and lighter package than a Fitzroy with the attached vestibule, even with the fourth optional pole. I think that the 70cm height limit imposed by GE for a shelter using the name eVent will put the average Joe off and limit the sales to hard core climbers that would be less prone to burn the shelter down ( or up, if you prefer).
Franco

Ohh, ohh—inside info! Thanks F.
I must confess, I'm a pyro climber and I have a lawyer on retainer (it's the American Way). >:-)>

Maybe there's hope for more eVENT tents that aren't eVENT (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) in the future. Preferably higher than 70cm.

How about the Exped Vega ? Another clever design. I have not seen this one ,yet, but it looks a nice shelter for mixed weather, particularly when two may be stuck inside under prolonged rain periods. 34sq feet plus another 18 for the vestibules, tot weight about 70 oz. Needs two trekking poles. Think of it as an heavy duty, four season Lunar Duo.
Franco

Thanks to Franco for giving me the courage to mention this again here on this forum. Before the switch to Air Vent, I spoke with one of the owners of Exped about the coming change from eVENT. I was told at that time that the Polaris would continue to be made with the same fabric (eVENT) but under a different name, and my advice on naming was solicited (I don't work for Exped, just an enthusiastic friend). The Polaris is still being made with eVENT. I have one. The middle pole used to be optional but I think it is now included standard–anyway, I'd strongly recommend getting it if you intend to use the tent in heavy snow.
The Polaris has ventilation options on all four sides of the tent, plus that "magic" fabric (actually on three sides only, since the vestibule is made of silnylon: where condensation is relatively harmless, of course). Zero condensation in my limited use of the tent.

Hello everyone,

I just heard from Mary Buchmayr, the US PR person for Rab and she gave some additional information about the Rab Summit Extreme. The most important is that in the US this tent has a MUCH cheaper $450 price tag (still 350Quid in the UK). Here is the other information that she shared:

"That said, I do want to address a couple of things. First is the price.
You were correct in the UK pricing but for the US market this tent is $450.
It is available at Libertymountain.com. Also, regarding the Outdoor Designs
brand: Outdoor Designs is a sister company to Rab – both subsidiaries of Equip UK. The Summit Extreme is a Rab tent but it was originally brought over under the Outdoor Designs label as Outdoor Designs was the first line to become available here.

Finally, regarding the switch from Carbon poles to Aluminum poles, this was largely due to supply and quality issues. While the Carbon poles may have been stronger, they were not unbreakable and a break in one of the Carbon poles would be a critical failure as it couldn't be repaired in the field.
This was a primary consideration in changing this feature of the tent. As you said in your review, this tent was built for the most extreme alpine environments, so it is to those users that the decision was made to ensure that the tent was field reparable in as many instances as possible."

Thanks for the additional information Mary!

Hi Doug – thanks for the update

I bought a Summit Extreme a few months ago but haven't had the chance to use it yet. As I am based in the UK it would be interesting to get an explanation from Rab over their pricing policy. Why is it that their own home grown customers have a much heftier RRP? (and they're not the only UK company doing this, for example US customers get the INOV8s at a much lower RRP than UK customers)

I wonder what the Nemo Tenshi is now constructed with? Is it also still eVent by another name?
Don

Mr. Johnson, Franco is reporting he measured this tent height at 89cm, not 70cm. Edit: Thanks for correcting that, and thanks to Franco for the info.
We have a viable eVENT tent on the market!

Judging from the photos of Doug in the BPL review (he is a little over 6'), the tent is higher than 70 cm and probably is the 89 cm (35") measured by Franco. However, that is still one short tent for a 6 footer and I would reserve this tent as a final summit assault style shelter (if I had this). This might work for some of you wee folk.:-)>

Hello all,

I stand corrected. I just measured the tent again and the correct interior height is 85.5 cm or 33.7 inches.

Sorry about that error. I do all of my own measurements but somehow made a mistake here. Sorry for the confusion. The published review has been editted to include this change.

Doug

Let me make my position clear.
1) It is entirely possible that my measuring tape was at an angle, hence the 1" difference in the measurement. My point was to prove that it is not 70 cm in height.
( I asked the only other customer in the area to take the picture, the staff were not aware of what I was doing)
2) I very much enjoyed the professional review by Doug and have no problem with it apart from the
point in question
3) After searching the net for info on this shelter, I found that every single outlet had the same erroneous specs.
4) The shop where the tent was on display often has different tent specs on their brochures and Point Of Sale material from the ones published by the manufacturers. In fact this prompted me a few years ago to challenge one of the local brands and all I got from them was BS. Eventually the official specs were amended but are still not accurate. ( and yes, I averaged several tents to come to my "acceptable" weight). In the case of the Summit they (strangely enough) had the same wrong specs as everybody else.
5) I have no interest in this tent personally, however I think that it is a better version of the Bibler and ID of similar design. ( I am not a climber,nor a masochist) If I needed to carry a shelter on an "Everest" type expedition solo , this would be it.
Franco

The 28" height is still in the first paragraph.

Prolite Gear says the fabric is exchange lite event, while other sites say the fabric is exchange lite gore tex..confusing.