Hilleberg Ambassadors

Alexander Barber was born and raised in Southern California. In his youth, it was the time spent fly fishing the Sierra Nevada that turned his interest to the mountains raising high above the alpine lakes and streams. He first climbed local Mt. San Antonio after a botched winter solo attempt on Mt. Whitney in his teens. When prompted on why he climbs mountains, he says, “I’ve always lived as if life begins where our comfort zones end. I’ve always been drawn to things that inspire and challenge me to be something more.” Alex now divides his time between being a professional mountain guide for RMI and his own, personal climbing ambitions. Currently his focus is on 8000 m Himalayan giants, climbing solo and without bottled oxygen.

On his love of climbing:
“I’ve been asked what it feels like for everything to culminate, to be on top. That feeling of accomplishment or exhilaration - what was it like? But I think what draws me isn’t that singular moment on the summit or any feeling of exhilaration from being there. Instead it’s a quieter and constant sense of contentment that comes from the simplicity of mountaineering, the journey along the way and being surrounded by extraordinary beauty that challenges you to conquer - not the mountain - but yourself.”

On why he uses Hilleberg tents:
“Hilleberg has remarkably combined the most sought-after attributes in tent construction. Their designs combine great strength with low weight, livability and functionality with easy set-up. Outfitting my mountaineering expeditions with Hilleberg tents in a world where missteps take a high price is a no-brainer.
I’ve found the Jannu to be well suited to my endeavors in the high mountains. Whether securing an important camp on a Himalayan giant or a partnered multi-day excursion in the Sierra Nevada. I’ve set this tent and left it for long periods of time, weathering storms without maintaining guy lines or actively manning the tent. As with all Hilleberg tents, it is built out of high quality materials minimizing wear and tear even after the most demanding expeditions.
The Soulo has been my “go to” shelter on recent Himalayan projects. The Soulo is light enough to carry on challenging ascents and it’s strength is remarkable, a veritable Bastille. It has the same well thought-out design Hilleberg is known for - strength + functionality, easy set-up and a light pack weight. On solo multi-day ascents this is the tent I carry; it increases my margin of safety and doesn’t weigh me down.”

Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Canada, Adam began bow hunting at the age of 12. By the age of 14, he was following his father, Tom, on weekend expeditions into the Rockies in pursuit of Bighorn Sheep. In addition to hunting, his passions include hiking and photographing the natural world, but it isn’t often he’ll turn down an opportunity to spend time outdoors to do just about anything from snowboarding to fly fishing. In 2012, he became the youngest person to take all four species of North American Wild Sheep with a bow. Throughout the year, a Hilleberg tent is Adam’s welcomed second home, whether that’s in the backcountry of Montana, the wilds of British Columbia, the Mackenzie Mountains of Canada’s Northwest Territories, or anywhere else. “In most seasons, if I’m going out hunting or photo shooting with a partner — my brother, my father or my girlfriend — I love the Allak for its roominess and light weight. For late season trips where the weather will almost certainly turn bad, the Nammatj 3 is the perfect balance of super strength, roominess and light weight.”

An avid mountaineer and ski adventurer, Joe Stock has climbed in New Zealand, Australia, and southeast Asia, as well as in both North and South America. In addition, he has also done some epic ski traverses in Alaska. In 2006, he and two companions completed the first ski traverse of the Neacola mountains, covering the 185 km/115 mile-long range in 22 days, encountering icefalls, avalanche-prone slopes and five storms. In 2008, he traversed the Tordrillo Mountains, where he and two friends skied 161 km/100 miles, climbed a total of 11,582 m/38,000 feet, and made ski descents off the four highest peaks, all of which are over 3352 m/11,000 feet. Joe is also an Internationally certified Mountain Guide, and regularly guides clients in Europe and South America, and, of course, in his home 'playground' of Alaska. His tent of choice: a Hilleberg Atlas. 'I once watched a six person Japanese group set up a massive dome tent in a raging storm on Denali,' says Joe. 'They crawled in, laughed, ate and slept as steam puffed from the vent into the three-day storm. Nearby, we shivered through the storm in separate tents. I vowed to find the best group dome tent available. The Hilleberg Atlas was my solution. The Atlas has become the centerpiece of my remote trips in Alaska. Whether it is for skiing, mountaineering or a New Year's party, the Atlas is my home. The tent is strong: I trust it will stay upright in a raging storm. It's roomy: there is plenty of room for six to store gear and to hang out. And it's warm: with the optional inner tent in, the double walls keep the heat in. Having the entire group together, socializing in one cozy group, brings up group moral. The Atlas is the single most impressive piece of outdoor gear I own.' (For more, see stockalpine.com)

Rachel Ahtila is a hunting guide based in remote British Columbia, Canada, and one of the most recognizable women in her field. She started out as a young, determined horse wrangler and worked her way up to becoming a full-time guide, channeling the fire inside her to turn a passion into a career. “I think success to me was always being happy and being true, and never being afraid to lace up my boots or throw a saddle on my horse and give ‘er everything,” she says. Her resilience and willingness to take on any challenge have led her on some incredible backcountry adventures while guiding clients in rugged backcountry conditions. “At the end of the day, as a guide, not only are you taking care of yourself, but you’re taking care of someone else. So you need to have a good shelter,” she says. Her “hotel of choice,” as she calls it, is the Kaitum, and it provides her with the safety and comfort that she needs when she’s miles away from civilization, high up on an exposed mountain ridge. “My only regret in life is that I didn’t invest in a Hilleberg sooner,” she says, “That tent has literally been through hell.” No matter the conditions, Rachel knows that her Kaitum will provide her with the security she needs to keep her focus on the hunt, something she views not as just a pursuit, but as a pilgrimage. “You can strip everyone of their modern-day conveniences, and it is literally them against the mountain. There are not many things you can still do in this world where it’s like that,” she says.

When Lisa and Simon Thomas left their UK home in May 2003, their goal was to circumnavigate the planet, on their motorcycles, in one continuous journey. They thought they would be out for two years, but after almost 15-years of enduring some of the most demanding regions and conditions in the world, they are, by their estimation, “only” three quarters the way through.

The two have journeyed over 481,000 miles/774,000 km, have ridden to and through 78 countries of their planned 122, and they have traveled to the most northerly and southerly points on earth possible by motorcycle.

“After 14-years of continuous motorcycle travel we’ve come to depend on our Hilleberg Keron 4 GT. It has sheltered us from skin-tearing sand storms in Africa’s Sahara, from the biting dangers of Brazil’s Amazon, and has kept us warm in the sub zero temperatures deep in South America’s Patagonia. We ask it to perform and it does. Our Keron weighs next to nothing (12 lbs 2 oz), pitches in seconds, and is spacious enough for us to call it home. It'll continue to be one of the items of gear we depend on. The only thing that separates Lisa and me from anyone who dreams of a great adventure is that we chose to do it, and set out — and our Keron has simply allowed us to continue. Great gear can sustain you.”

For more, see www.2ridetheworld.com

If you ask Stefan Rosenboom what he does, he will simply tell you he is a freelance photographer. But that is only a small part of the story. Rosenboom, a longtime Hilleberg friend and partner, creates stunning books of words and images, produces portfolios for artist and craftsmen, and is a workshop leader for the Leica Camera Company, where he runs masterclass photo workshops in, as he puts it, 'the wild mountains of the Alps and in the really wild parts of Italy.' If pushed, he'll say, 'I never sell only pictures. I always write the text for the stories I want to tell, as well. I suppose I am a 'photographing storyteller.'' To date, he has published 12 books on both outdoor and travel and on social subjects. His latest book is The Soul of Wild Italy, and his upcoming projects are Pilgrim Routes in the World, Greenland the Other Way, and The Wild Soul of Bavaria. For all his books, he also produces multimedia slideshows and exhibitions. 'I travel a lot,' he says,'and for all of my photo projects, I walk. The speed is low, giving me time to learn to see, a process that never stops for me. On some projects, I travel with my family. Last summer, my wife Susanne and daughter Silja spent 6 weeks trekking in Greenland for a new book project, so for these kind of trips, I have to think about their comfort and safety. This includes the weather, the route, bears and wildlife, food, and, of course, equipment. When all these points are considered, it's time for a Hilleberg Keron GT! This is a tent which supports all my efforts for a safe trip to the wild places of the world. But it's not just the tent itself that provides the security; it's a combination of that, my experience, and the perfect craftsmanship from Hilleberg. I love this tent, because with the Keron GT it's possible to spend intensive time with my family in the wildest places, and then the family energy can flow, and this is fantastic!' (For more information, in German, see augenwege.de)

Will Copestake is young, passionate about the outdoors, exuberantly adventurous, and ambitious. Born and raised in Ullapool, Scotland, he spent his childhood exploring the spectacular local outdoor playground of the northwest Scottish Highlands. Since then, he has hiked the great walks in New Zealand, and has walked across Iceland. Between May of 2013 and May of 2014, Will circumnavigated Scotland, solo, by kayak, and climbed all the Munro mountains - roughly 1600 km (994 miles) of coastline and 282 mountains taller than 900 m (over 3000 ft). 'I hoped by doing this trip I would get to know my own home country a little better,' says Will. For this 364 day adventure, which Will calls his 'journey upon my doorstep,' he won the 2015 Adventurer of the Year award from the National Adventure Awards, which 'celebrate[s] the very best of adventure across England, Wales and Scotland.' His tent: a Hilleberg Soulo. 'I used my Hilleberg Soulo the entire trip. In the kayak, it was my home at the end of the day. In the mountains, it became everything from base camp to my home upon the summits. I decided to choose the Soulo long before my journey commenced: I had already used it in my previous three-month long expedition to explore Iceland while crossing it on foot. I wanted a tent that was light, yet strong enough to survive wind, rain, snow and whatever abuse I could throw at it. I also wanted a freestanding design, since I was often camping on rocky islands or ice where I needed the freedom to pitch easily without pegs. I have now slept under the same green nylon for more than an entire year of constant use. It is a tad dirty perhaps, but it is still just as bomb-proof as when I first bought it.' Will is currently living and working in Chilean Patagonia, where he is a full time kayaking guide, and so he was 'eager to move into a larger home,' he says. 'The Allak was a perfect solution to providing more space yet keeping the weight and pack size low. [Patagonia is] famous for unpredictable weather and, more importantly, high winds; I have experienced more gales in the last month than I could imagine, and even in 80 mph gusts on a recent trip, the tent held bomb solid all night-even if we did have to get out of bed to tie down the kayaks!' (For more information, see willcopestakemedia.com)

It is no surprise that Sarah and Eric have become cutting edge polar travelers. Their parents are Matty McNair and Paul Landry, two of the most famous and experienced polar explorers in the world. In 2004, when Eric was 20 and Sarah only 18 they skied to the South Pole for the first time. Shortly after that they did a double crossing of the Greenland Ice Cap and broke a speed record in the process.

Since then they have broken numerous record, received awards and recognition and spent many days and nights in the arctic as well as various other exotic locations around the world. At a young age they have already become some of the more experienced explorers of our time. In 2007 they started Pittarak Expeditions and through their expeditions they hope to inspire youth to get active and get outside.

We recently received a travel report from them after another successful expedition;

“On March 19th we pitched our tent outside of the community of Tuktoyaktuk. Once again Eric and I had decided to trade in the luxuries of every day life, and move back in to our red Hilleberg tent for the winter. This was the start of a journey that would take my brother and I 85 days, retracing the historical Northwest Passage, traveling by kite ski and ski.

Our home of choice was the three person Keron GT, spacious enough to live comfortably, yet cozy enough to heat up quickly. The extended vestibule was our garage used to repair sleds and later to shelter gear from the June rain.

The most important feature of an expedition tent is a combination of strength and lightweight, it needs to keep us sheltered from the big storms, but should be easy to set up in strong winds. The Keron’s hoop design accomplishes all these with grace.”

Sarah and Eric McNair-Landry
Pittarak Expeditions
www.pittarak.com

Yoshiko Miyazaki is happiest when she’s in the mountains. She travels the world in pursuit of her high-elevation passions of climbing, skiing and mountaineering while hopping from country to country to work professionally as an IFMGA-certified (International Federation of Mountain Guides Associations) Mountain Guide, and AMGA-certified (American Mountain Guide Association) Rock and Ski Guide and Alpine Guide. “I get to see scenery, experience certain conditions, and come across flora and fauna in their element which is a treat,” Yoshiko says, and she must also be “Pretty much ready to do anything, anywhere, and adapt to change in assignments.” Because she’s always on the move – either for work or to pursue her next ambitious personal challenge – her “home” is ever-changing. She splits her time away from her main base in the US between the UK, Norway, France and Japan, with yearly excursions to Antarctica where she lives for up to three months at a time while guiding for Antarctica Logistics & Expeditions.

Yoshiko is drawn to the serene beauty of polar landscapes, but the extreme climate poses unique challenges. She’s experienced winds up to 90 km/h and completely whiteout conditions, “Even going from A to B just a few meters away, you could easily get lost,” she says. With ALE, she has been on multiple expeditions to the South Pole, has guided three first ascents in Antarctica, and has reached the continent’s highest peak, Mount Vinson, multiple times. Besides Antarctica, she’s climbed in a number of renowned mountain ranges, from the Alps in Europe to multiple ranges in Canada and the US and has summited Denali, the highest peak in North America numerous times, with over a dozen expeditions in total. “It’s cold, it’s uncomfortable for most, and Denali in particular, it’s hard work,” she says. But despite their demanding nature, these trips provide her with something she cannot find anywhere else. “My mind is very busy, but when I’m in the mountains it’s very freeing from all the noise and clutter and things I feel like I have to do,” she says. 

The “home” that always stays the same for Yoshiko is her Hilleberg tents. “Tents are a big part of my life,” she says, “I mostly live in tents – more than I do in a building!” When she’s in the Arctic and Antarctic, she trusts the robustness of Keron GT tents, “They handle storms in very high, consistent wind wonderfully,” she says. She has also been a dedicated Jannu user for over ten years, “With the Jannu, I know that I have a really reliable tent anywhere I go. I always feel like I have a solid, reliable house that I can pop up anytime.” She chooses the Soulo when she wants a more compact but still very strong tent, “I’m stoked to sleep in a Soulo. It feels very reliable and discrete with a small footprint. It’s quick to put up and you can tell a lot of subtle thought went into its features and options, which makes it cooler than other one person tents on the market.” In general, “for remote expeditions we only use Hilleberg tents,” she says, “The more I got to know the tents, and Hilleberg and Petra – when she talks about them you just see there’s a lot of thought going into it, rather than mass production.”

Doug Stoup pronounced like stout, but with a p, says Doug with a grin is a consummate adventurer, professional guide, and owner of Ice Axe Expeditions. He has skied to both the North and South poles more than anyone on the planet, led ski mountaineering expeditions in the Antarctic and Greenland, and run standup paddle board descents in the Amazon region. At the same time, he has pioneered locator beacons that track climate change, and he founded the Ice Axe Foundation's Impact School, which, says Doug, leads High School students on International field trips to some remote environments like the Brazilian Amazon, the Arctic Wildlife Refuge, the Congo, Greenland, the Sierras in CA, and Antarctica.
Doug is not just an adventurer; he has dedicated much of his work to making people more aware of the effects of climate change and of plastic pollution, and he is as equally passionate about the adventure as he is about the education. 'I love taking people to these extreme environments, I love nature, I love the wild frontier,' he says, 'and I will continue to push the limits of human endurance while raising awareness for philanthropic and humanitarian organizations.'
Despite his broad ranging expeditions encompassing environments from African deserts to Amazon rainforests to big mountains all over the world his passion is the far North and far South. 'I feel connected to the polar environments,' he says, 'and I have been living in Hilleberg tents for the last 20 years, as both a professional ski mountaineer and international master polar guide. One of the most important parts of an expedition is shelter, especially in the most inhospitable places on earth. The Hilleberg Keron tents are incredibly strong with a tunnel design and large vestibules. They are extremely easy to set up in strong winds and the strength and light weight features is an obvious choice for every polar expedition. I will continue to lead adventurers to the Poles and develop new and inspiring ways to get there. This season I will lead a Fat Tire Bike adventure to the Geographic South Pole. I believe that Hilleberg tents are the most important piece of gear I own' For more on Doug, see dougstoup.com, and for more on the Ice Axe Impact School, see iceaxe.org.

Milosz Pierwola grew up believing that his passion for exploring was only a fantasy, and that his place was in the courtroom as an attorney. At 29, the reality dawned on him that working towards his goals of reaching the most remote destinations on earth could not happen if he was sitting behind a desk in a climate controlled room.
That year, in 2013, he ejected from his career and culture, and dove into exploring the world without looking back. After graduating from NOLS, Milo received his first real harsh environment experience as well as an introduction to using Hilleberg tents by completing Polar Expedition Training with world record holders Eric Larsen and Ryan Waters on frozen Lake Winnipeg during the polar vortex of Canadian winter in 2014.
Hilleberg tents are used in this environment because of how devastatingly harsh it is. Dangerously low temperatures combined with gale force winds, snow, ice, and complete white-outs necessitate rugged and easy to use equipment because exposing any skin to the environment runs the risk of frost bite. Therefore, all expedition gear must be able to be operated with heavy gloves under extreme duress and withstand some of nature's hardest. As Eric demonstrated, Hilleberg tents could be prepared in such a way that setting them up was as easy as unrolling, connecting two poles, and staking down the lines. Additional features such as vents, and a separate, hanging inner-tent locked a micro-environment inside and provided noticeable relief from frost build up generated by humidity from our bodies and breath. In addition, when the winds turned in the middle of the night and the tents poles and fabric were put to the test, not only did the materials hold up but rotating the tents to face the wind took mere minutes.
On his own adventures, Milo uses an Akto. The tent has proven itself time and time again in a wide variety of environments to be durable, spacious, efficient, and pleasantly attractive. My Akto still looks the same today as the day I received it, without any noticeable wear and tear, and I look forward to its accompanying me to my next destination.
In 2015, Milo founded his project World in 360, based in New York. He films his expeditions and adventures using 360 degree cameras, then shares the films he produces, which are designed for Virtual Reality headsets, with otherwise housebound patients in hospitals, foster homes, inpatient care centers, and elderly facilities, thus allowing disabled people to experience authentic adventure.
Currently, he has partnered with the Himalayan Stove Project a humanitarian nonprofit dedicated to preserving the Himalayan environment and improving the health of the local people to produce a 360 / VR look at the Everest region. The documentary series will allow audiences to step inside sacred monasteries, temples, and Nepalese homes, as well as Everest Base Camp (17,600-ft.). The goal is to provide an intimate look at climbers preparing to summit the world's tallest mountain while at the same time highlighting the impact of the Himalayan Stove Project on the people of the Nepal.

Find out more about Milosz Pierwola on his website: adventuremilo.com

Born and raised in Montana, USA, Mark began hunting, fishing, and roaming the mountains with his parents from a very early age. Deeper forays into the mountains after elk led him into mountaineering, for which he discovered an abiding passion. 'I met Alex Lowe when I was in college,' Mark says, 'and he really left an impression.' Mark has since been on climbing expeditions all over the world, interspersed with equally adventurous hunting and fishing trips.

'I have been incredibly fortunate; I've made my hobbies and passions my livelihood, so I've been to some amazing places. I've spent six months in New Zealand chasing monster Brown Trout, and I've spent a month climbing on Denali, in Alaska, where we lived in two connected Atlas tents. Talk about living in luxury - the Atlas system is amazing! The importance of having a bomber base camp can't be underestimated. When you're living with five other guys in a tent for a month you need a ton of space for people, gear, and food. The Atlases provided us with the launching pad we needed to complete our route objectives in style!'

Founder of Seacat Creative, Mark has put his talents as professional photographer and videographer to use capturing the outdoors, especially hunting and fishing, for a wide range of clients. He spends a significant portion of every year out, in the wild, either hunting, fishing, or climbing - and taking video and photos - and he relies on his Hilleberg tents. 'I really love the Soulo for a lot of things. It's hard to beat that tent for its strength and freestanding ability. It's almost always my go-to,' says Mark 'I do a late season hunt in Montana, and I love the Saitaris for that. That tent is so bomber, and I know that it will hold up to anything, and we get dumped on with snow. This is my favorite trip of the year! And for early season trip with no snow, the Niak. It is perfect for two people if you want to go really light.'

Freya Hoffmeister is one of the most (if not 'the' most) accomplished sea kayaking adventurers in the world. She recently completed the first leg of her current expedition 'No.3 - The North Island', the first circumnavigation of North America: From March to August 2017, she covered the entire western coastline reaching from Pacific City, OR, to Kodiak, AK. This expedition will be her third continental circumnavigation. During her other trips around Iceland, New Zealand South, Australia, South America and Ireland, she has chosen Hilleberg tents, using both the Allak and the Staika, and she has chosen the Allak again for this expedition.

'I prefer the high Swedish quality of Hilleberg tents as a first-class bush accommodation on my hardcore sea kayak expeditions. They are my 'Hilleberg Hotel!' My current trip will take me all the way around North America in two half loops, starting twice in Seattle and finishing twice in New York City. It's an insane distance of more than 50,000 km, through the Northwest Passage and the Panama Canal, fully inside the big Gulf of Mexico and Gulf of California as well as across Hudson Bay, all over what will probably be the next ten years! I again chose to use my favorite tent, the Hilleberg Allak.' (For more information on this expedition, her previous adventures, and to read her blog entries and trip reports, go to freyahoffmeister.com)

In May 2015, she completed her 'The Second Continent' expedition to become the first person to circumnavigate South America. She set out in August 2011, and completed the 16,000 miles/27,000 km journey in 24 stages. For this expedition, she primarily used her Allak, but she also used a Staika. 'Around the infamous windy southern end of South America, I was relying on the rock-stable and -solid Hilleberg Staika, camping once in some incredible wind speeds of over 100 knots.'

Two years earlier she completed her first continental circumnavigation. The 'Race Around Australia' Expedition, which took her roughly a year to complete, entailed 9400 mile/15000 km of paddling, and had been done only once before in the last 30 years. It is considered one of the most challenging sea kayaking routes in the world.

Prior to that, in 2007, Freya kayaked around Iceland in a record 33 days. As a follow up, she set out to become the first woman to circumnavigate New Zealand's South Island by sea kayak. 70 days later, she had succeeded, setting a new solo record in the process, and feeling very pleased with the protection afforded by her Allak.

Sebastian Copeland is a renowned British-French-American polar explorer, climate analyst, photographer and, above all, a storyteller. He began his professional career as a photographer in New York city, doing work across various industries including but not limited to advertising and fashion. And although for many years this was a highly successful avenue, over time Sebastian recognized that it was not truly his passion. “It’s never been me. I’ve always been an outlier,” he says. “My take on the kind of work that I do is that my work needs to have a purpose, it needs to be grounded in something that’s bigger than just the aesthetics of it.”

Around 1999, he began to use his skills as a greater tool to advocate for the climate. An experienced mountaineer and climber, he was drawn to both the mystique and the challenge that the polar regions offered. “I figured the tools in my kit are that I’m authentically interested in this issue, I have a skillset with my camera,” he says, “and I have a propensity for pain that can be extended for a long time,” he adds, only partly joking. The places he has been to – the Antarctic, the North Pole, the Canadian Arctic, Greenland, to name a few – are some of the coldest, most indifferent in the world, and yet he finds that they are being changed on a systemic level. Each of his five books captures this change from the perspective of his camera lens.

One of his recent books, Polar Explorations: To the Ends of the Earth, showcases scenes from various expeditions, including a 2009 expedition with partner Keith Heger where the two trekked on foot to the geographical North Pole. It also portrays a 2010 expedition in Greenland with partner Eric McNair-Landry. The two set a world record for longest distance traveled on kites and skis over a twenty hour period and spent a total of 43 days crossing the Greenland ice sheet. And during the 2011-2012 season, he and Eric partnered up again to set three world records for the first east/west transcontinental crossing of Antarctica by skis and kites during an 84-day mission. “Those were really nice, big trips. To a large extent, they don’t come very often. You spend almost four months out on the ice. It’s not something that really happens a lot these days anymore,” he says.

All of Sebastian’s expeditions have required immense personal strength and professional skill. “This has been a very rewarding journey at many, many different levels,” he says. “It hasn’t been as financially rewarding as doing commercial work, but it’s been so much more than that. My greatest satisfaction is being able to have the multitude of epiphanies that I’ve had.” Simply completing these journeys is difficult enough alone; recording them artistically for others to see and interpret in a meaningful way only adds to the challenge. “Landscape photography is all about humility. You need to put in the time, be very patient and you need to be very humble about certain circumstances that just simply may not align. Last arctic season in Greenland I took a picture that literally took me more than 10 years to take,” he says. His photography has been featured in galleries in the United States, Europe and around the world, and he has addressed audiences at the United Nations, as well as governments and institutions around the globe. For his work, Sebastian has been named photographer of the year a total of four times and in 2017, he was named one of the world's top 25 adventurers of the last 25 years.

Sebastian continues to explore the ice today, though things look different than when he first started. To access these remote and formidable places he relies on Hilleberg tents, which he has been using consistently for over 20 years. “Hilleberg tents are light and bomb proof,” he says. “Pinned down for seven consecutive days in hurricane strength winds high on the Greenland ice, my Keron 3 GT provided a safety and dependability you do not want to question in this type of situation. Hilleberg is the gold standard for extreme adventure.” To make a home in such uninhabitable places for weeks at a time, Sebastian must completely trust his tent. It is the only thing that separates him from the bitter arctic storms he so often encounters. “You’re just a stain on a canvas on an ice sheet, and given the conditions there is no chance of being rescued in the midst of this chaos. Nature is just amazing because it’s so raw. Our responsibility is to partake in it responsibly, and not just with respect to honoring your footprint, but also honoring our lives and making sure that we survive in there.” For him, there is no choice other than Hilleberg. “There’s no question that this is the best equipment out on the ice. It’s very clear. For those of us who do really immersive and repetitive trips you just come to see it. Everybody is in agreement,” he says.

For more see sebastiancopelandadventures.com