The North Face Mountain 25 is a top-notch expedition and winter camping tent that is one of the most robust models in our review. It's best for applications where storm-worthiness, versatility, and ample livable space are appreciated, and its heavier-than-average weight is less of a big deal. Its lighter than several other of the most classic expedition models like the Tarra, but heavier than the Hilleberg Jannu or the Black Diamond Fitzroy (the Mountain 25 is also more spacious and livable than either of those models and costs less).
Performance Comparison
The Mountain 25 is one of the most storm-worthy, livable, and versatile tents in our review.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Ease of Set-Up
The inner tent pitches with a combination of pole sleeves and a few clips on the lower sections of two of the poles. This sleeve design is ultra bomber once the entire tent is set up, but does require slightly more caution when setting up in high winds so that you don't bend or break the poles in the process. The problem with pole sleeves on a dome tent is they can turn the inner tent into a sail in strong winds while erecting the tent. If it is very windy, you'll have to hold onto the poles securely to support them, making sure they don't bend or break.
An example of one of the pole clips used on two of the poles on the Mountain 25.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Hilleberg dome tents like the Jannu and Tarra address this problem by using short pole sleeves at the bottom and pole clips for everything else.
The Mountain 25 uses a combination of pole sleeves and clips. Pole sleeves are advantageous over clips because they spread the weight more evenly, but clips are quicker and easier to set up, and the poles aren't as exposed to being bent during the actual setup process. The Mountain 25 primarily uses pole sleeves but has a few clips on either side of the two middle poles to help speed up the pitching process.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
The poles of the Mountain 25 fit securely into grommets, while the fly attaches via the same grommets underneath the main body. We think attaching the fly to the body in this manner is incredibly easy and secure. This tent has 16 much nicer-than-average DAC aluminum stakes and four snow parachutes - something our testing team found to be an excellent extra touch.
The Mountain 25 has several small features to help with setup. One of the most useful is how all the ends of the pole sleeves are color coded to match the corresponding pole. One corner of the body is also red to match the corresponding corner of the fly. While small, our testers loved these features that helped us set up the tent more efficiently when it was stormy, or we were just plain tired.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
As a whole, this contender's performance was average when it came to ease of set-up, though it does become a bomber shelter once pitched. We do think the Hillberg Jannu is easier to set up in general, especially in windier conditions. Most people will still find the Mountain 25 easier to set up than the BD Fitzroy, which is comparable in strength but sets up with poles on the inside.
The Mountain 25 isn't the lightest tent, but it is easily among the most storm-worthy. It also isn't terrible for compressed sized and overall weight, but it isn't as light most other models we tested. However, for trips like this one on a ski descent of Mt. Rainier's Fuhrer Finger where the winds were forecasted to be quite strong, we were happy to haul a little extra weight to help make sure our tent survived the night so we could enjoy the much-improved weather the following day.
Photo: Ryan O'Connell
Weather Resistance
This is where the Mountain 25 excels; it is an extreme conditions tent that has been proven to offer high performance in absolutely atrocious conditions. It excels in nearly all-mountain conditions, as it features a bomber pole design, a nice tight pitch, and several strong guy points that make it one of the strongest tents in our review.
The Mountain 25 has two peak vents on either side of the center of the tent. These vents can be opened all the way, or with the bug screen. On the fly, two stiffened sections with Velcro attachments help hold the vents open for more effective ventilation.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Compared to most of the 4 season tents in our review, with nearly all of the tents offering limited ventilation options, this tent's inner fabric handles moisture and condensation better than most. Some moisture would be present if we zipped it up in cold and dry environments, but the Mountain 25 gets noticeably less condensation than the BD Fitzroy.
The Mountain 25 equalizes four sets of guylines using a slick ring system shown here. It pulls from three points into one guyline to more effectively distribute the load. Overall, we found the Mountain 25 to be one of the more bomber and storm-worthy models in our review. If you securely tie down its six major guy points and three vestibule points (two in the front and one in the back) this tent can withstand as much as can be expected out of any 4 season tent on the market.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
It has snow flaps on the vestibule, which create a tight seal; this can help keep new snow out when buried. This not only made the tent more secure but also minimized the amount of spindrift that would enter during a storm.
The Mountain 25 offered plenty of living space and proved to be one of the more comfortable models we tested for two people to hang out in for extended periods of time. It's ample venting also helps to manage moisture and internal temperature, making it a good option for more moderate climates or occasional three-season use. Here, the Mountain 25 is set up on the edge of the treeline in Boston Basin, North Cascades National Park.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Livability
Offering 32 square feet of floor space, it feels super cush inside and is a great option for expedition style climbing and base camping use.
This tent has 32 square feet of internal space, making it among the most spacious model in our review. It's shown here with two full-sized Therm-a-Rest pads and there is still enough room for some gear without feeling too crowded.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
It's one of the more comfortable and livable two-person 4 season tents we tested. If you are looking for a base camp style tent for Alaska, Patagonian, or Himalayan living, then it should be near the top of your list.
On top of having one of the more spacious interiors, the Mountain 25 features a hooped 8 square foot vestibule. We have cooked over two dozen nights in this vestibule and found it big enough for two packs with plenty of room to crawl past them when entering or exiting the tent.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
For comfort and livability, our testers loved all the mesh pockets, and spacious (eight square foot) hooped front vestibule; the vestibule easily fit two packs and still has enough room to get in and out of the tent while shedding wet layers before entering the central part of the tent. We cooked over two dozen nights in the vestibule, and we made extensive use of the snow flaps. They helped create a nice secure place that also helped anchor the entire tent. The smaller three square foot vestibule was big enough to store boots or one to two mostly empty packs, but only if you leaned them against the main wall of the inner tent.
The Mountain 25 features two large pockets on each side as well as two "attic" pockets above, which can be a great place for an alarm, listening to music, or watching a movie on your smartphone.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Durability
Overall, this is a pretty bomber tent that is one of the burlier options in our review. The latest version uses a different fly than the older one. While technically thinner, it should hold up better over time in several ways. The new fly features 40D nylon and 1500 mm PU/silicone coating, which offers superior longevity and will hold its water-resistance longer than the previous polyester fly. The previous fly was considerably more prone to hydrolysis (chemical breakup) than silnylon fabrics (now featured on the current version) that might last twice as long in wet conditions. It uses high-quality DAC poles that are an industry standard. Beyond most company warranties, our testers found the newest model to be above average for construction quality, and we even felt like it was better than the previous model.
Weight/Packed Size
We love that this tent tips the scales at around eight and a half pounds. This weight savings can be huge when you're huffing and puffing, trying to suck in thin air. For folks not looking for as much of an expedition focused tent, it is easy to get a tent that is still just as versatile, maybe only a little bit smaller, but several pounds lighter.
The Mountain 25 is one of the more adaptable and versatile 4 season models in our review. Its inner fabric handles moisture and condensation better than most, and in addition to its two vents at the top, each door has a mesh option for better ventilation.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Versatility
The design allows the tent to excel in a wider range of conditions and seasons than nearly all of the lighter single wall tents and many of the double-wall tents in our review. The Mountain 25 is a better choice for most three-season low elevation camping endeavors because of its above-average ability to handle moisture and condensation.
The Mountain 25 (second from left) is a bomber, comfortable shelter that will excel for expedition style climbing and winter camping, but is also light and versatile enough for the occasional 3-season backpacking trip.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Value
The Mountain 25 is a decent value if you need an expedition tent. It is cheaper than the similarly designed but single-walled Black Diamond Fitzroy. It's also comparable to the Hilleberg models, many of which cost much more.
The Mountain 25 is a versatile tent. It's undoubtedly burly enough for expedition use, from Alaska to the Himalayas, but it's also comfortable enough for winter camping and occasional three-season use.
Photo: Ian Nicholson
Conclusion
The North Face Mountain 25 is a sweet expedition and winter camping tent. It is light enough that it's serviceable for other applications like general mountaineering in the lower 48. However, if you see yourself mostly mountaineering in the lower 48, we'd recommend something a little lighter and more packable.
