The North Face  VE 25 Tent with Footprint

I say 3 seasons because I don't like using this tent in the summer. It is a great tent for snow loads and ice, and does a great job keeping the rain out. Ventilation is always a problem and that is why I prefer a summer tent for summer time use and I use the VE-25 for the other 3 seasons. I prefer 2 people and gear in this tent to 3 people as it is rated. I've been hiking/camping the Inland NW the past 40 years and used many tents, but none compare to this one for serious weather conditions. For summer time play I like using a tent I can stand up in and with greater ventilation. This tent has saved my butt many a time in harsh winter conditions.

The build quality and the thickness of the nylon they used is great and it doesnt look like other tents. You can understand the quality, i ttried rei, msr, kelty, alps mountainring. They were light. They are like regular cars with different brand, but this is a TANK. Very very heavy and a little big for my bag pack, I dont see if you have less than 50L back pack literraly you wont able to put your other stuff in. It is really big and heavy. 10LB with a footprint all materials it becomes around 11lb. I definitely recommend if you look for a tent you would like to use years and years no issues with tears and water leak. Setup is easy. It comes with sand filling tent holders foot attachments. Great for winter, but not great for backpacking for a long walk and climbing. I live in TX but this tent belongs to north.

Not this version exactly, but my VE-25 is going on 33 years of flawless service and still bomber. Extensive winter use in the Sierra, summer in Baja, and more than lots of nights in the Cordierra Blanca. Wind, rain, snow, sun, heat, all slept through cozy inside. I would get the updated version here (the second door would be nice) if my old one weren't so strong. A veratible mansion alone, easy backpacking with two (split the weight), fine with three (the night time egress is when that second door comes into play) and doable for four. Currently my sleep quarters as I build a house in Peru.

I have owned and used many tents from The North Face as well as other well-known brands. This one is the best by far. I have had it for two years and three 10-day trips to the Kamishak Coast in Alaska. Not high altitude but some very serious weather and no easy or quick assistance in case of problems. Lots of room imside for two people and gear. I would not suggest three people although they would fit. This tent has never taken a drop of water inside. The ventilation features are terrific and the main vestibule is the most useful of any I have seen. Fantastic in wind with lots of guy lines and points. The only thing I don't care for is the little plastic window. It is not of any use and I suspect it might be the weak point in terms of the tent's longevity. This tent is certainly overkill for most locations and types of camping but it is great for the one's I visit here in Alaska.

DAC VE-25 tent poles. This is my second VE-25. I purchased the first one in 1997. That one has been all over the planet with me including the Himalayas several times. The Easton poles for that tent are still great 24 years later. This newer version VE-25 with the DAC poles has an issue in that the elastic cord up the center has degraded at an unbelievably fast rate. It has lost most of its elasticity which makes setting up and taking down very difficult as the joints don't stay together. This tent has only been used once and is stored in the same crate in a cool dry place as my decades older VE-25 that has no issues at all. I'm at a loss to explain this. I take extreme care of my equipment as my life could depend on it. This care is evidenced by my original VE-25 that's still in great condition even though I've spent several 100's of nights in it on sometimes horrible terrain and in extreme weather. Luckily for me I pulled both tents out and set them up in preparation for another Himalayan trip in May giving me time to get this sorted out and not instead going to set it up at advanced base camp and finding out its defective. Very disappointing and could have been disastrous. I expect that TNF will warranty replace but this is unacceptable. Side note: My Mountain 24, also with Easton poles, that I use for high camps is also in near perfect condition after decades. I hope whatever problem there was with these DAC poles has now been remediated or what guarantee do I have the replacements won't also go to crud in a short time frame as well?

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I got this tent and was really happy with it for a year or 3. I used it occasionally. I guess I slept in it for maybe max. 30 nights in total. Last time I set it up, the elastic chord in the poles weren't elastic anymore. I managed to put it up anyway, but it took a very long time because the poleparts wouldn't stay together. Later that night there was heavy rainfall and the plastic window just fell out. I found it on the ground the next morning. My previous TNF tent lasted for almost 15 years. It was a great tent before the problems started. But these tents should last way longer than 4-5 years of very light use.

[This review was collected as part of a promotion.] I bought this tent twice, the first had to get returned because the tent itself had a puncture straight out of the bag on the first day. It also did not have the window on the rainfly on the vestibule which was one of the features I was really excited about. I ordered another one hoping it would come with the correct rainfly as shown on the picture with the window on the vestibule and unfortunately it did not. I called customer service to see if there was a new design for the tent that I didn't know about and surely they confirmed there wasn't. Why do the new VE 25's come without the window on the vestibule? Other than that, the tent itself is very durable and great quality.

The VE25 is like the Beatles, it stands the test of time. Great design, well made, sturdy and it is an all around tent. I have been in heavy 100 km+ wind storms, major 24 hour rain down pours I feel very happy with my VE25. North Face has been updating the design since it was first build in the late 1970's. The latest design is the continuing evolution of one of the most reliable and trusted tents ever made. I love my tent and it has kept me dry and warm for over last 2 years. I have done winter camping and summer camping and everything in between. It is a great tent, I highly recommend it!

Bought one in 1990. used on three Mount McKinley (Denali) expeditions. at 14,000 ft. 4 days, 40 below and 40 mph winds. Three guys, to be able to zip oneself in the vestibule and keep rest zipped in tent was Gwad sent. Took any carbon monoxide issues away. Another trip got 4 feet of snow per hour for half a day. It would pile two feet up on your head just standing there. The VE-25 stayed strong and never gave up her shape with mountains of snow on her......could shake off with ease.) I dont think any one owns a tent like this...one just takes care of it for your kids or the next person.

I have seen the model advertised and it looks nothing like my tent. I have no port window, no rear vestibule and the tent fly should have tubes made for the pole to pass through. This one only has little velcro straps. I hate it. I waited over 14 minutes on hold today and no one answered. I will try again tomorrow. This is the first horrible product I have ever gotten from REI. I bought tons of gear through the years and never took anything back, but this is not even going to make it out of the apt.