User Review: The North Face Mountain 25

The North Face Mountain 25
Above: The current Mountain 25, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed December 10, 2008 by Spiritwind

Rating:
Design: Four Season Freestanding Portable Igloo
Sleeps: 2
Ease of Setup: Rome wasn't built in a day either
Weight: 9+
Price Paid: $375

When I was shopping for a four season backpacking tent I read every review of every tent I could find.
There are a lot of reviews for the Mountain 25 and almost all of them say the same thing. This tent is all around SOLID! Weighing in at a hefty 9+ pounds it ought to be.

For use in high winds, cold and snow...this tent is amazing.

It takes longer to set up than any other tent I have experience with. This isn't a bad thing though..it's the reality of what it takes to get such a rock solid shelter.

The doors could be bigger but the weight would go up.

As is this tent has been well thought out and designed.
Clips would be nice instead of pole sleeves but that would effect stability. The venting options with the dual doors and roof vents are great. The pockets are a nice feature and the interior space and headroom is plenty enough to invite the neighbors over for a game of UNO when the weather outside is frightful. There are plenty of tech reviews and stats in other reviews so I won't go there.

This design has been around a long, long time and there are many of these tents in use today for a very good reason.

Tent makers often change their designs and don't offer the same tent years after year...that isn't the case with the Mountain 25 and many other companies have their own versions of this palace of a winter tent.

If you're in the market for a true four season shelter that will laugh at Mommy Nature...this is a good pick. If you don't go with the Mountain 25...it's still a good tent to use as a comparison to whatever you think is better.

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