Outdoors

Radical 1.5-lb Dyneema tent carries lighter than the clouds below it

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We've noticed Samaya is great at two things: Building award-winning ultralight tents and photographing them in unlikely camping spots
Samaya
In emergencies or especially frigid weather, two people can hunker down in the Samaya Radical 1
Samaya
The 1.5-lb Radical 1 has a Dyneema-constructed body with 20K/40K waterproof-breathable design
Samaya
The Radical 1 is a cozy one-person tent that's among the lightest in the world
Samaya
While it was designed for four-season mountaineering, the Samaya Radical 1 is great for other light, fast pursuits include backpacking, ultra running, packrafting and more
Samaya
Samaya launched the 1.5-lb Radical 1 this year and took home an ISPO Award for it last week
Samaya
Scrambling into the high alpine with the Samaya Radical 1
Samaya
Greeting the morning after a night in the 1.5-lb Samaya Radical 1 tent
Samaya
The Samaya 1 is an ultralight packable hut for the high mountains
Samaya
Hopefully the wind doesn't gust ...
Samaya
"For Mountain sports enthusiasts who are on tour with light luggage and attach importance to low weight and small pack size in their equipment, this tent is the perfect fit" — 2022 ISPO AWARD Jury

We've noticed Samaya is great at two things: Building award-winning ultralight tents and photographing them in unlikely camping spots
Samaya
View gallery - 11 images

Last year, Samaya impressed mountaineers, ski tourers and backpackers the world over with the ultralight Assaut 2 tent, grabbing itself an ISPO Gold Award. Not two full years later, it's back in the award show seats for the new Radical 1, an even lighter, smaller tent that barely breaks half a kilogram while delivering near natural-disaster-proof levels of Dyneema and Cordura protection through the worst weather the high alpine can heave at it. It's a serious tent built for serious explorers ... willing to pay a serious price.

Samaya has essentially expanded its Ultra lineup by reworking the Assaut 2 into a one-person tent, spinning Dyneema Composite Fabric into a narrow, freestanding dome supported by a pair of crisscrossing Easton carbon fiber poles. It's laminated that fabric with an expanded Teflon (ePTFE) membrane to deliver 20,000-mm waterproofing across the walls and floor, coupled with advanced 40,000-g breathability. As on the Assaut, the corners are reinforced with Cordura to provide hardwearing durability on the rock-splintered ground that awaits above tree line.

The Samaya 1 is an ultralight packable hut for the high mountains
Samaya

The Radical 1 packs down into a backpack-able package measuring just 11 x 4 in (29 x 9 cm). It weighs a mere 1.5 lb (680 g) when fully packed, and the most gram-conscious users can shave that down to a minimum packed weight of 1.4 lb (635 g).

What makes the Radical 1 really impressive isn't merely that it's one of the lightest tents in the world, it's that Samaya developed it from the ground up for four-season use – more specifically, for the extreme climates involved in high-alpine mountaineering. The select few other freestanding tents that weigh in at 2 lb (907 g) or less, such as the 1.1-lb (499-g) Terra Nova Pulse Ultra 1, 1.9-lb (862-g) Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL1 and 2-lb Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1, are built for three-season use, not winter weather.

In emergencies or especially frigid weather, two people can hunker down in the Samaya Radical 1
Samaya

The Radical 1 is designed primarily as a single-person tent, but Samaya says it can be used for two in a pinch. The floor length of 79 in (200 cm) is roomy enough for most people, but the 28 inches (70 cm) of width is sure to feel very snug for all but the sveltest, most smitten couples. That said, in cold weather it can pay to huddle up – Samaya says cold-chamber testing indicated the Radical 1 can warm up by 36° F (20 °C) in just five minutes with two people inside.

Hopefully the wind doesn't gust ...
Samaya

The Radical 1 launched earlier this year and earned Samaya another ISPO award at the 2022 ISPO show last week in Munich. The tent is available for order in Europe and the US for a price of €1,500 or US$1,500.

Source: Samaya, ISPO

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2 comments
PAV
Mountaineers have money apparently. I'm sure if I went I would wish that I had splurged on this tent.
ljaques
For when only =the= most expensive item will do! And what will they do when that super lightweight tent blows away in the howling mountain gusts?
The 40,000-g breathability is absolutely amazing.