SlingFan’s Home Page
Who Is SlingFin?
SlingFin was founded in 2012 to develop the best gear for use in the outdoors. Period.
Project one was tents that performed better under high mountain conditions of extreme cold and wind. Based on years of design experience and a core innovation, the now patented Webtruss, the results proved an unqualified success.
From the top of the mountain, SlingFin has subsequently worked on challenges central to backpackers and thru-hikers: weight, strength, comfort and durability. The result have been as witnessed by the reviews below.
Our founder, Martin Zemitis has 30+ years of experience first as lead tent designer at Sierra Designs and then as one of the founders and the tent designer at Mountain Hardwear. He has created and continues to create iconic designs beloved by outdoor enthusiasts.
We view our stellar reviews as a natural outgrowth of our dedicated focus on the needs of our customers undiluted by the demands of marketing niches or corporate quarterly reports. We don’t add gimmicks and claim innovation. We are focused on the deep problems of outdoor equipment design…the ones that may take months or years to solve. We go to market only when we have something worth presenting.
Our primary loyalty is to our customers: outdoor enthusiasts like you pursuing our common passion for this wonderful world of ours.
Philosophy, Videos, Podcast and etc.
- SlingFin Home Page
- SlingFin’s youTube Channel – primarily tent features and tent pitching video
- A good quick overview of SlingFin on Backcountry Skiing Canada
- An overview of SlingFin tents’ quality from Chicks Skiing and Climbing’s Chicks with Picks website.
-
- SlingFin’s Core Philosophy in Action
- Alpine Tent Design Innovation at SlingFin – The Details: a great intro to SlingFin!
Also on youTube - Alpine Tent Design Innovation at SlingFin – The Big Picture.
Also on youTube - AlpineTent Designs Trade Offs in Tent Design: another excellent intro.
Also on youTube - Measuring Livability – the Missing Tent Metric!
- Designing the SlingFin Guide Cap: the Ultimate Gimme Cap.
- More on the HardShell’s Friedrickshafen Best of Show Award
-
- More on Design Challenges and How We Met Them
- Martin Zemitis on designing a tent for Babu Chiri Sherpa to use on top of Everest
Also on youTube - Alpine Tent Design Tested on Mt Washington .
Also on youTube - WebTruss details from InterMountain and
from SlingFin
-
- General SlingFin with Wefunder references
- Wefunder promo video featuring Martin and Al
- Intrepid Entrepreneur interview with Martin that provides a great overview of SlingFin and the Wefunder campaign
- Intrepid Entrepreneur interview with Dylan from Wefunder that provides an overview of Crowdfunding using SlingFin as an example.
The Honey Badger Pack and Panier
Reviews with Links!
Our Mountaineering Alpine Zone Tents
-
-
- HardShell – “the equivalent of the Air Force One for mountain climbers and polar explorers”
- Outdoor Gear Lab
- Europe’s OutDoor Show Gold Best of Show Award.
-
Our Every Season Tents
-
-
- WindSaber – “One Tent to Rule Them All”
- Outside Magazine
One tent to rule them all. Best for: a nightout anywhere, anytime, whatever the conditions. …this four-season monster could replace all the other tents in your garage.”
- Modern Hiker
“Actually lives up to the name ‘all-season’. Strikes the right balance – light, strong, and modular.”
- Backpacker 2017 Gear Guide
“Strongest – At less than 5 pounds, this four-season double-wall is a windproof fortress that weighs a fraction as much as comparable two-person shelters.
True to its name, the WindSaber handled 60-mph gales with ease. ‘The gusts were so strong that they started to pull the stakes out of the ground, but the tent handled it like a spring breeze,’ one tester says” - Backpacker Magazine
“TENT REVIEWS: The 12 Best New Tents of 2017.”
- Gear Institute
“advanced feature set, innovative design, extreme sturdiness”.
-
Our Backpacking Treeline Tents
-
- 2Lite – “as light as anything else out there, much stronger, much more livable and cheaper too.”
- Gizmodo
“lighter than our previous favorite.”
- Gear Institute
“While the 2Lite’s 29 square foot floor area seems small, living in the tent does not.”
- Treeline Backpacker
“…supremely light weight…an exceptional value and true reliability
- Trailspace
“best for anyone looking for a three-season tent where packability and weight are at a premium: backpacking, bike touring, or thru hiking.”
- SectionHiker
“The 2Lite really shines in terms of interior livability.”
-
- CrossBow– “One Tent For All Seasons.”
- Trailspace: StormPack
“minimizes weight, yet still has the strength to stand up to virtually any weather!”
- Trailspace: with Mesh DropIn
“protected from insects…minimizing weight.”
- Trailspace: Mesh Body
” the workhorse configuration of the SlingFin CrossBow 2 family…this tent will stand up to virtually any weather”
- Trailspace: Ripstop Body
“among the most stable tents I have ever used…in the 30+ mph range this tent did not budge.”
- SkiHaus
“light but more importantly…strong, stout, and taunt.”
- Industry Outsider
“extremely lightweight, yet…strong and comfortable.”
Testimonials
- Bill Allen, Owner/Lead Guide Mountain Trip International:We’ve been using the BFD and LFD on our
Everest Expeditions since 2010, and they are still holding strong and look nearly new. The tents are
set up at high altitude for months at a time getting a massive amount of UV, but aren’t falling apart
like other tents we’ve used. The quality of material and construction is well above any other tents
we’ve used and we are definitely getting our money’s worth out of these tents. - Bill’s unsolicited email sparked this section. There’s more to come…we’re going to dig through past email and gather quotes.
Join Us
SlingFin thrives on our connection with our community.
Our designs are produced in dialog with outdoor enthusiasts that attend our
regular Design Reviews. Much of our business comes as a result of folks who have used our gear
and tell others how great it is. If you’d like to participate, drop us a line via our website,
sign up for our mailing list or follow us on Facebook.
FAQ
- Who is SlingFin?
- SlingFin is an American outdoor equipment based in Berkeley, CA. Founder, Martin Zemitis,
began designing and building gear in high school, worked as a design assistant at
companies such as The North Face, and then became the Lead Designer first at Sierra Designs and then
Mountain Hardwear. SlingFin began in 2010 with mountaineering tents. One of them won a prestigious Best of Show
Award at Europe’s main yearly outdoor trade show…the only American company so honored. This year, SlingFin
has a full line of 3 seasons tents and there are more tents plus packs, hats, and clothing in the pipeline.
Martin and crew are dedicated to producing the best possible gear focusing on the needs of outdoor enthusiasts.
They believe that outdoor brands are built by creating long term durable value for all stake-holders. - What was SlingFin’s Wefunder campaign?
- Wefunder is an investment portal. Prior to 5/16/2016, only investors with substantial asset could
invest in startups. The JOBS Act Title III changed that and democratized investing. Wefunder’s
heart is in making startup investments a viable option for everyday people whether they’re founding a business
or investing to help it get going. They’re helping companies from around the country and investors from around the world
understand and utilize the new rules.
SlingFin was one of the first companies companies to utilize their portal.
We raised over $100,000 in working capital in an offering that closed in December of 2016. Heartfelt thanks to all our investors and to the folks
at Wefunder for all the assistance!