The Swiss professional mountaineer Nicolas Hojac relies on the products of the French high-end supplier Samaya not only for his expeditions in the Himalayas, but also for his speed climbs in the Alps. Here he reveals what fascinates him about the ultra-light tents and bivouac bags.
Since 2020 sets Nicolas Hojac in his adventures on Samaya. The mountaineer answers the question why as follows: "Your products are very light and robust enough for my applications. In addition, the tents with a breathable membrane offer good moisture transport to the outside. You only notice this if you have had a "bad" tent before."
Nanovent® technology: Maximum breathability and water resistance
The membrane mentioned by Hojac is the core of Samaya's sophisticated Nanovent® technology. This ensures that the French manufacturer's high-end bivouac equipment is waterproof, breathable and air permeable to an unprecedented level. And this is how it works:
The Nanovent® membranes consist of a random interweaving of polyurethane filaments in the nanometer range (1 billion times smaller than 1 meter). By controlling the density of the mesh created by electrospinning, the pores of the membrane are dimensioned so that they are too small to allow water droplets to pass through, but large enough to allow water vapor to pass through.
The unique membrane blocks water droplets but allows water vapor to escape, ensuring optimal ventilation.
The inner layer is made of hydrophilic nylon, which absorbs moisture and distributes water over a large area when condensation occurs, allowing it to dry more quickly. The outer layer is a hydrophobic nylon (treated to be water-repellent) that promotes a fluid flow of water across its surface.
By effectively wicking away moisture, condensation is reduced, allowing you to rest comfortably in the tent even under extreme conditions.
"So far, I've had very good experiences with this technology, whether it's with tents or bivouac sacks. You usually only notice the difference when you use another product that doesn't have this high level of breathability," says Nicolas Hojac. There are very big differences, especially with bivouac sacks.
Products precisely tailored to the intended use
Depending on the project, region and altitude, Nicolas Hojac uses different products from Samaya. In addition to the waterproof and breathable sleeping bag NANO BIVY The Swiss professional mountaineer has two ultralight tents Samaya2.0 and Samaya ASSAUT2 ULTRA and the expedition tent Samaya BASE CAMP in addition.
"When I go on an expedition, I rely on a top base camp tent where I can sit out longer periods of bad weather," says Hojac. On the mountain itself, as well as here in the Alps, he travels light and relies on tents like the Ultra."
Thanks to the Dyneema fabric, the Samaya tents are also very robust in relation to their weight.
Nicolas Hojac
Ultralight yet robust
Samaya offers very innovative products, especially with its tents, which are perfect for his expeditions and projects, enthuses the 32-year-old. On the 6543-meter-high Mt. Shivling in the Indian Himalayas, the weather was often very bad during the expedition in 2022. "A waterproof tent is very valuable and essential."
He, Jonas Schild, Andi Schnarf and Stephan Siegrist were regularly snowed in on the mountain. "It is also important that the tent does not give way under the weight of the snow." Fortunately, they did not have strong winds, but they were prepared for that. "As far as I know, the tents at Samaya are tested for wind resistance using a discarded snow cannon."
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Credits: Cover picture Nicolas Hojac | Red Bull Content Pool