Greetings, Tom, My wife and I love the old North Face Westwind tent, and have both the original model, without the vestibule, and the later model, with a nice vestibule. We used ours for most of an 850 mile backpack of the Pacific Crest Trail, as the year we did it, the trail was very snowy indeed! Back when we first bought it, there seemed to be a small flaw in one seam of the vestibule, but it held up well.... until one very, very windy, snowy, and icy camp at just shy of 10,802 feet! We had hacked out a place to pitch our Westwind, on an ice shelf, as night was falling quickly, and there was no way we could get to a lower elevation with the light we had left. All went well, and we fired up our trusty MSR Firefly, and made tea, soup, and then dinner. Later in the night, the winds decided to test our tent, and our pitch! Sometime that night, we could hear something ripping on our tent, and as we had no other options, we just stayed snug in our sleeping bags, waiting for morning light. As it turned out, that faulty seam in the vestibule fly had ripped open! But, that Westwind stayed up, strong and tight, even with the ripped fly. Once we got back home, we contacted TNF and sent in our ripped fly. They immediately replaced it with a brand new one, and we've continued to use that stellar tent with great success over the years, and not a single further problem! I love stoves, and we consider the MSR X-GK family, along with the Firefly, Dragonfly, and the Reactor and Windburner, to be outstanding in every way. It was good to see that you, too, find the X-GK EX to be a great stove, as have we. With a simmering plate, we can get a fairly nice simmer out of ours, too, and have made pasta and marinara sauce on that stove. Worked a treat! Thanks for your enjoyable video, showing some of our own favorite gear, doing exactly what it's designed to do! Well done! - Doc Mark
Hi Mark its great to hear of your detailed camping experiences in the Westwind and with the MSR stoves. This tent here was made about 2005 I think. It was awesome specification with a double silicone fly and fly material on the inner door, front quarter and rear quarter panels. I double poled it in the middle and that made it super strong for its weight. It definitely was my favourite tent for many years as it had such great space for one person and was still very light. Such a pity now that North Face don't make these any more and their service it not what it used to be. Tents have never been made much better than this... Have a look at some of my other videos including the six tent review where I talk about 4 North Face tents and two Hillebergs. I also have an interesting video on an old Ve25 vs a new one... ATB and thank you once again for sharing your experiences... Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Good Morning, Tom! Thank you for your very kind reply to my comments! As per your suggestion, I've watched those other tent reviews that you have posted and enjoyed them. My wife and I have bought and used 18 different tents over the years, and definitely have our favorite and most trusted models. A good and trustworthy tent helps to make any adventure even better! Add in a good stove, like those offered by MSR, or he older Optimus, Primus, Radius, et.al., and it's easy to have a good, and safe adventure, where ever you choose to go! Thanks, again and God Bless! - Mark
Loved that Tom, had not seen that one before. Relying on that tent to keep you alive in those conditions. I was bracingmyself for each trip outside.. Great stuff!
@@TOMHEANEY100 well Tom. Audio is tricky in the wind as you know. Dont be too hard on the old videos, we are not a walking pro production team after all. Though yours do represent a high bar.
Hi Tom, thanks for posting your reviews. We have been using this type of tent with great pleasure for more than 20 years. Extremely dureable, except for the groundsheet which, in my opinion, soon started to let water through. I finally wanted to have it repaired by the NorthFace because the tent became unusable. This was about 4 years ago. I asked TNF what the cost would be. To make a long story short. TNF has replaced the groundsheet and raised edges, so the complete black lower part. The seams were neatly taped again. Pinstripes and reference numbers were still visible in the repaired part… all handmade, and beautifully done like a tailors work. And now it comes… I didn't have to pay anything, they did it under warranty! What a great service, long live TheNorthFace! :)
Hi Willem, thank you for sharing your experience of this type of tent... I have had ok experiences with the groundsheets on these tents but one of them was pierced by a thistle on one occasion.. Its a pity North Face don't make this tent anymore (have a look at the Mont Epoch on TH-cam which I think is a copy) as It probably is my favourite tent. Now however 4.5kg is just too heavy to carry on my own and over the years the tent has had a fair battering so its not fair to trust the fabrics anymore in high winds. Had a few bent poles too which TNF fixed free of charge which was excellent service too. Now though on my VE25 when I needed poles repaired they didn't have any which was not so good.... ATB Tom
Thanks for your comment. that is certainly an attractive tent. I didn't know Mont Epoch as a brand. it’s really a look-a-like of the ve 25, so let's hope that things took place in good consultation with TNF :) Thanks again, and I hope to read many more reviews from you.
Thank you very much for your positive comments. The Westwind was fantastic but they don't make it anymore... I am convinced that the quality in the Hilleberg Tents and materials are now better. There is also just so much to choose from regarding Hilleberg models and I have moved from preferring inner first pitching to outer first pitching....
I still have one of these tents. Bought it years ago, also have an old VE23. Good shape for wind is the little Westwind. I use Hillies these days. Rarely see anything about the old Westwind.
Great video Tom. This made me sooooo envious. I love this weather....cold and very windy is my perfect camping weather. The only way it could be better is if it were heavy snow too. That Mourne Mountains spot looks like its a perfect natural bottleneck for wind. Theres a place near to me called Sugerloaf which is at the feet of the Brecon Beacons nd its virtually the same....all the west and east mountains converge together tightly into a bottle neck and sugerloaf pops up bang centre of that bottle neck. I think ive got one or two vids on my channel of what its like there. Its the only place ive ever known to be consistently windy no matter the weather or season, and for that i always take any new tent out there first befoe trying it in worse weather. I used to have a VE25 but sold it, purely because its inner first, and liuving in South East wales its rains, rains and rains some more alot of the time......but its still one of only 3 tents thta i would choose to have in strong winds, sorry, that i would use from personal experience. Were money no objet i would have whgat i already have, Hilleberg Tarra, a Slingfin tent...i think thats the right spelling.....and would love to have a full Polarmond tent system. A friend of mine called Max ( has a channle called 'Max dream creator' and he is a polarmond tester, its one ultra sexy bit of gear, but exceptionally highly priced. The strongest tent ive ever used is one i still have, a RAB Summit Mountain Bivi ( its a tent is all honesty), even though its a single skin ive never had problems with moisture,, although ive always used it in the right conditions.... another, of which ive a video, is my Cuben Fiber MLD Duomid. ive a vid of that in some bad bad weather on the brecon beacons. considering its a floorless, walking pole set up ive yet to see weather/wind bother it in the slightest, and is easily the lightest tent ive ever owned. Have my heart set on a Carinthia Observer Plus next.... Anyway, really enjoying your video's, thumbs up and have subscribed. If you ever want a wee trip to south Wales, give me a shout. Take care and kindest regards Dean South Wales
Hi Dean thank you for the comments and taking the time to share so much information. As you can see I am a great fan of North Face Tents. For me once you have had a tent with a nice taught inner its hard to move to ones where the inner just hangs! I had a Hilleberg Nammatj 2 but only kept it a couple of months. Being only two poles for the whole tent leaves such large unsupported panels that flap so much in high winds! I usually pick my times to camp so can get the tent up in the dry! I am however considering a Tarra due to the ease of pitching in high winds. Do you think its much stronger than a ve25 and how taught is the inner and does it flap much in the wind?? I have also looked at the slingfin tents and love the web truss system of the hard shell although the 2 man safe house uses clips just like the MHW Trango's. Same to you if you ever fancy heading across to N.Ireland it would be great to catch up. Will take a look at some more of your vids and thanks once again for your comments. regards Tom
TOM HEANEY hi Tom, love ur video’s. Im due to take part in the seven peaks mourne mountains challenge on 21st june. Im doin it for cancer as i lost my nanny 3 weeks ago from the disease. What advice could u give me to get through it as going by ur video’s ur very experienced in that sort of terrain
Well its an older edit! Not my style anymore but some good shots and harsh conditions!! Yes a Rab alpine 600 which you were quick to spot! Hard to beat the quality and construction of Rab sleeping bags. Weight is very important but so is durability and the number of years that you will get use of it. Thank you for the comments. Tom (The Irelands No1 wild camper thing is just a bit of banter!!)
Just thought, what if your tent fails at that high wind, in the night, or far from your automobile. Wouldn't it be wise to have a back up, like a bivy or something? Thanks, pat
Hi Patrick. Most of my locations are about 90 mins max from my car. I always have a spare head torch and plenty of power in it if I have to bail to the car. I do however consider my tent to be the most important part of my kit and only use the strongest designs available in my experience of many many previous designs. Thank you for your comments.. Tom
Hi Barry. Many to choose from. I like Luke's Mountain as it's a Summit easy enough to get to and has water supply from pond at top. More extreme is Slieve Bearnagh summit and half way you have Hares Gap. I have many vids on you tube which show various locations. Regards Tom
Just using Dac v pegs. I am going to change to Y pegs for more holding power! Loss of tension due to fabric stretch and some guy lock movement. Pegs were solid. Changing pegs as Hilleberg Soulo depends a bit more on guy lines i feel...
Hey Tom thanks for putting these vids up. I think they are great, and can learn something new from them. I live in Snowdonia. I use a single pole tent during the winter in sheltered spots in the mountains. We had a good few inches of snow a couple of days ago (was not forecast) which obviously not ideal and you get the feeling, that you just got away with it. Will be getting appropriate tent for next year. Is this the macpac? I was looking at the minaret.I probably won't be doing summit camping but still a bit more exposed than i have been. Saying that though i really like the look of the tent your using. 👍 its just a question of is it unnecessary weight for me to carry, and do i need this kind of protection for the kind of camping i do, to consider. All the best Tom.steve
Get Busy Living. Thank you for your feedback. Interesting and impressive that you can diagnose Narcissism by the fact that I call myself Ireland's No1 Wild Camper! Just a bit of humor and banter really with the name, nothing else. I'm not trying to impress anyone just sharing my experiences with other people interested in wild camping and I have had a few decent comments and number of views on my videos so I must be doing something right! On a slightly more serious note I have done a fair bit of wild camping all over Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Alps, Pyrenees and Antarctica in winds and snow up to 100mph and temperatures down to minus 20 degrees. I have used the following expedition tents of The North Face, (VE25, MTN24, 25, MTN35) Mountain Hardwear Trango2, Terra Nova Equipment Quasar and Mountain Hyperspace and Hilleberg black label tents. So I would be very interested that you take the time to send me details on others that have done this so I can learn from their experiences too! Happing camping regards Tom
Greetings, Tom, My wife and I love the old North Face Westwind tent, and have both the original model, without the vestibule, and the later model, with a nice vestibule. We used ours for most of an 850 mile backpack of the Pacific Crest Trail, as the year we did it, the trail was very snowy indeed! Back when we first bought it, there seemed to be a small flaw in one seam of the vestibule, but it held up well.... until one very, very windy, snowy, and icy camp at just shy of 10,802 feet! We had hacked out a place to pitch our Westwind, on an ice shelf, as night was falling quickly, and there was no way we could get to a lower elevation with the light we had left. All went well, and we fired up our trusty MSR Firefly, and made tea, soup, and then dinner. Later in the night, the winds decided to test our tent, and our pitch! Sometime that night, we could hear something ripping on our tent, and as we had no other options, we just stayed snug in our sleeping bags, waiting for morning light. As it turned out, that faulty seam in the vestibule fly had ripped open! But, that Westwind stayed up, strong and tight, even with the ripped fly. Once we got back home, we contacted TNF and sent in our ripped fly. They immediately replaced it with a brand new one, and we've continued to use that stellar tent with great success over the years, and not a single further problem! I love stoves, and we consider the MSR X-GK family, along with the Firefly, Dragonfly, and the Reactor and Windburner, to be outstanding in every way. It was good to see that you, too, find the X-GK EX to be a great stove, as have we. With a simmering plate, we can get a fairly nice simmer out of ours, too, and have made pasta and marinara sauce on that stove. Worked a treat! Thanks for your enjoyable video, showing some of our own favorite gear, doing exactly what it's designed to do! Well done! - Doc Mark
Hi Mark its great to hear of your detailed camping experiences in the Westwind and with the MSR stoves. This tent here was made about 2005 I think. It was awesome specification with a double silicone fly and fly material on the inner door, front quarter and rear quarter panels. I double poled it in the middle and that made it super strong for its weight. It definitely was my favourite tent for many years as it had such great space for one person and was still very light. Such a pity now that North Face don't make these any more and their service it not what it used to be. Tents have never been made much better than this... Have a look at some of my other videos including the six tent review where I talk about 4 North Face tents and two Hillebergs. I also have an interesting video on an old Ve25 vs a new one... ATB and thank you once again for sharing your experiences... Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 Good Morning, Tom! Thank you for your very kind reply to my comments! As per your suggestion, I've watched those other tent reviews that you have posted and enjoyed them. My wife and I have bought and used 18 different tents over the years, and definitely have our favorite and most trusted models. A good and trustworthy tent helps to make any adventure even better! Add in a good stove, like those offered by MSR, or he older Optimus, Primus, Radius, et.al., and it's easy to have a good, and safe adventure, where ever you choose to go! Thanks, again and God Bless! - Mark
Loved that Tom, had not seen that one before. Relying on that tent to keep you alive in those conditions. I was bracingmyself for each trip outside.. Great stuff!
Hi Dave, its an old one with poor audio but some good footage in extreme conditions so that's why I have kept it on the channel.... ATB Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 well Tom. Audio is tricky in the wind as you know. Dont be too hard on the old videos, we are not a walking pro production team after all. Though yours do represent a high bar.
Hi Tom, thanks for posting your reviews. We have been using this type of tent with great pleasure for more than 20 years. Extremely dureable, except for the groundsheet which, in my opinion, soon started to let water through. I finally wanted to have it repaired by the NorthFace because the tent became unusable. This was about 4 years ago. I asked TNF what the cost would be. To make a long story short. TNF has replaced the groundsheet and raised edges, so the complete black lower part. The seams were neatly taped again. Pinstripes and reference numbers were still visible in the repaired part… all handmade, and beautifully done like a tailors work. And now it comes… I didn't have to pay anything, they did it under warranty! What a great service, long live TheNorthFace! :)
Hi Willem, thank you for sharing your experience of this type of tent... I have had ok experiences with the groundsheets on these tents but one of them was pierced by a thistle on one occasion.. Its a pity North Face don't make this tent anymore (have a look at the Mont Epoch on TH-cam which I think is a copy) as It probably is my favourite tent. Now however 4.5kg is just too heavy to carry on my own and over the years the tent has had a fair battering so its not fair to trust the fabrics anymore in high winds. Had a few bent poles too which TNF fixed free of charge which was excellent service too. Now though on my VE25 when I needed poles repaired they didn't have any which was not so good.... ATB Tom
Thanks for your comment. that is certainly an attractive tent. I didn't know Mont Epoch as a brand. it’s really a look-a-like of the ve 25, so let's hope that things took place in good consultation with TNF :) Thanks again, and I hope to read many more reviews from you.
I see we both owned the Norhtface Westwind (I have slept in it for over 20 years!) and we both moved on to a Hilleberg. Very nice videos, love them.
Thank you very much for your positive comments. The Westwind was fantastic but they don't make it anymore... I am convinced that the quality in the Hilleberg Tents and materials are now better. There is also just so much to choose from regarding Hilleberg models and I have moved from preferring inner first pitching to outer first pitching....
I still have one of these tents. Bought it years ago, also have an old VE23. Good shape for wind is the little Westwind. I use Hillies these days. Rarely see anything about the old Westwind.
Hi thank you for your comments, its a pity North Face don't make these any more so as a result like yourself I have moved to Hilleberg... ATB Tom
Very enjoyable many thanks .your tent did a great job . I myself prefer the hilleberg tents,( better looking) .once again thanks for taking us along
Hi Michael Glad you enjoyed it. Have moved towards Hilleberg myself as you can see in some of my recent uploads... Tom
Great video Tom. This made me sooooo envious. I love this weather....cold and very windy is my perfect camping weather. The only way it could be better is if it were heavy snow too. That Mourne Mountains spot looks like its a perfect natural bottleneck for wind. Theres a place near to me called Sugerloaf which is at the feet of the Brecon Beacons nd its virtually the same....all the west and east mountains converge together tightly into a bottle neck and sugerloaf pops up bang centre of that bottle neck. I think ive got one or two vids on my channel of what its like there. Its the only place ive ever known to be consistently windy no matter the weather or season, and for that i always take any new tent out there first befoe trying it in worse weather. I used to have a VE25 but sold it, purely because its inner first, and liuving in South East wales its rains, rains and rains some more alot of the time......but its still one of only 3 tents thta i would choose to have in strong winds, sorry, that i would use from personal experience. Were money no objet i would have whgat i already have, Hilleberg Tarra, a Slingfin tent...i think thats the right spelling.....and would love to have a full Polarmond tent system. A friend of mine called Max ( has a channle called 'Max dream creator' and he is a polarmond tester, its one ultra sexy bit of gear, but exceptionally highly priced. The strongest tent ive ever used is one i still have, a RAB Summit Mountain Bivi ( its a tent is all honesty), even though its a single skin ive never had problems with moisture,, although ive always used it in the right conditions....
another, of which ive a video, is my Cuben Fiber MLD Duomid. ive a vid of that in some bad bad weather on the brecon beacons. considering its a floorless, walking pole set up ive yet to see weather/wind bother it in the slightest, and is easily the lightest tent ive ever owned.
Have my heart set on a Carinthia Observer Plus next....
Anyway, really enjoying your video's, thumbs up and have subscribed. If you ever want a wee trip to south Wales, give me a shout.
Take care and kindest regards
Dean
South Wales
Hi Dean thank you for the comments and taking the time to share so much information. As you can see I am a great fan of North Face Tents. For me once you have had a tent with a nice taught inner its hard to move to ones where the inner just hangs! I had a Hilleberg Nammatj 2 but only kept it a couple of months. Being only two poles for the whole tent leaves such large unsupported panels that flap so much in high winds! I usually pick my times to camp so can get the tent up in the dry! I am however considering a Tarra due to the ease of pitching in high winds. Do you think its much stronger than a ve25 and how taught is the inner and does it flap much in the wind?? I have also looked at the slingfin tents and love the web truss system of the hard shell although the 2 man safe house uses clips just like the MHW Trango's. Same to you if you ever fancy heading across to N.Ireland it would be great to catch up. Will take a look at some more of your vids and thanks once again for your comments. regards Tom
TOM HEANEY hi Tom, love ur video’s. Im due to take part in the seven peaks mourne mountains challenge on 21st june. Im doin it for cancer as i lost my nanny 3 weeks ago from the disease. What advice could u give me to get through it as going by ur video’s ur very experienced in that sort of terrain
Well its an older edit! Not my style anymore but some good shots and harsh conditions!! Yes a Rab alpine 600 which you were quick to spot! Hard to beat the quality and construction of Rab sleeping bags. Weight is very important but so is durability and the number of years that you will get use of it. Thank you for the comments. Tom (The Irelands No1 wild camper thing is just a bit of banter!!)
Still got my westy from years ago & still use it ( original pale blue ) great wee tent🍺
Hi Bill, I used my Westwind many many times for its amazing combination of strength to weight to space. A fab one person tent.... ATB Tom
Informative video
Thank you Alan for your comments. ATB Tom
Just thought, what if your tent fails at that high wind, in the night, or far from your automobile. Wouldn't it be wise to have a back up, like a bivy or something? Thanks, pat
Hi Patrick. Most of my locations are about 90 mins max from my car. I always have a spare head torch and plenty of power in it if I have to bail to the car. I do however consider my tent to be the most important part of my kit and only use the strongest designs available in my experience of many many previous designs. Thank you for your comments.. Tom
no fkn way, when you got out of the tent . just brill
Its all good fun, thank you for your comments.. Tom
Great video
Glad you enjoyed it. Tom
Brilliant video there Tom - I like that. Incidentally, was that a Rab Alpine 600 bag?
Hi Shamus, yes yes a good old Rob Alpine 600 it still lofts like a champ... ATB Tom
Hi Tom, I'm planning a wild camp in the mourne in the coming days (tent) is there a location you would recommend?
Hi Barry. Many to choose from. I like Luke's Mountain as it's a Summit easy enough to get to and has water supply from pond at top. More extreme is Slieve Bearnagh summit and half way you have Hares Gap. I have many vids on you tube which show various locations. Regards Tom
Apologies I may have missed it but what tent were you using?
Scott Deas . Its an old North Face Westwind. I have it double poled in the middle pole as thats where most of the wind stress is !
hi Tom, what pegs do u use in these conditions. was any of the loss of tension due to peg slipping or just guy tensioner movement?
Just using Dac v pegs. I am going to change to Y pegs for more holding power! Loss of tension due to fabric stretch and some guy lock movement. Pegs were solid. Changing pegs as Hilleberg Soulo depends a bit more on guy lines i feel...
Hey Tom thanks for putting these vids up. I think they are great, and can learn something new from them. I live in Snowdonia. I use a single pole tent during the winter in sheltered spots in the mountains. We had a good few inches of snow a couple of days ago (was not forecast) which obviously not ideal and you get the feeling, that you just got away with it. Will be getting appropriate tent for next year. Is this the macpac? I was looking at the minaret.I probably won't be doing summit camping but still a bit more exposed than i have been. Saying that though i really like the look of the tent your using. 👍 its just a question of is it unnecessary weight for me to carry, and do i need this kind of protection for the kind of camping i do, to consider. All the best Tom.steve
Steve Gahan Hi Steve thank you for your info and comments. Regards Tom
Ye madman! 😂
Its only a bit of fun and tent testing..... Tom
@@TOMHEANEY100 I know ye! Fair play!
How do you know you are number one? Narcissists are delusional. Pride does not impress me, humbleness and honesty does.
Get Busy Living. Thank you for your feedback. Interesting and impressive that you can diagnose Narcissism by the fact that I call myself Ireland's No1 Wild Camper! Just a bit of humor and banter really with the name, nothing else. I'm not trying to impress anyone just sharing my experiences with other people interested in wild camping and I have had a few decent comments and number of views on my videos so I must be doing something right! On a slightly more serious note I have done a fair bit of wild camping all over Ireland, Scotland, Wales, the Alps, Pyrenees and Antarctica in winds and snow up to 100mph and temperatures down to minus 20 degrees. I have used the following expedition tents of The North Face, (VE25, MTN24, 25, MTN35) Mountain Hardwear Trango2, Terra Nova Equipment Quasar and Mountain Hyperspace and Hilleberg black label tents. So I would be very interested that you take the time to send me details on others that have done this so I can learn from their experiences too! Happing camping regards Tom