The North Face introduced the world record-breaking Spectrum 23 tent at Outdoor Retailer Summer Market (for consumer release in Spring 2006). This 3- pound 12-ounce tent broke wind tunnel records at KARI (Korea Aerospace Research Institute) by withstanding winds of 130.2 mph. The previous record was set at 100 mph by a 9-pound expedition tent. The ultralight Spectrum is a 3-season, 2-person, single-walled tent designed for done-in-a-day pursuits when fast and light packing is paramount.
“A lot of our competitors achieve light weight goals in their gear through deconstructing the product,” said Wade Woodfill, product line director, equipment. “With the Spectrum 23, we are doing the exact opposite. Weve designed and developed a new tent geometry that allows this ultralight shelter to work with the wind, not against it. The Spectrum 23 will change the way we construct all of the tents in our line, from expedition to trailhead.”
The integrity of the Spectrum 23 can in large part be contributed to an aluminum Nano-knuckle on the top cross pole of the tent. The Nano-Knuckle hub creates a hood scoop, or overhead vent, on top of the tent that when unzipped, allows wind and air to enter the tent, circulate and exit through low perimeter venting. In effect, the innovative Spectrum 23 tent works with the wind, instead of fighting against it. During wind tunnel testing, tent structure and poles held their own, ultimate failure came only when the tent stake and webbing separated from the tent body.
All of The North Face Flight Series tents incorporate DAC Featherlite aluminum poles, ultralight 1″ pole sleeves, fusion pitch system with a new ultralight Microclip and a fully seam-sealed canopy.
