Essay: Our Eureka! Tent Designer
Kurt Heisler - Eureka! Headquarters
Thu, May 03, 2001 7:20AM

Meeting with Eric two years ago, after the 1999 Mallory & Irvine Research Expedition, it was fun to talk about product and see his love and enthusiasm for tents. I don't climb (at least not on the grand scale that Eric does,) but I do share the love of the mountains and know the connection one feels with the earth and its spirits by being in a tent when nature is showing you its power and beauty.

I jumped at the opportunity to build custom tents for this climb, and I strove to build the BEST tent in the world. My passion for this is real, and my sole objective was to make sure this shelter would keep your climbers safe and alive. I'm extremely happy to hear that, at least so far, it is doing just that.

Please keep us updated, this is a fascinating expedition, and one that I and Eureka! tents are proud to be a part of. I believe most people aware of it think this is a worthwhile expedition. It also has captured the imagination of all explorers (armchair and real.) I became cognizant of this when I received a phone call from my high school English teacher, with whom I had not spoken in 20 years. He called after reading in the paper that Eureka! was making tents for this historical expedition. He wanted me to know that as a boy he had read about Mallory and Irvine, Hillary, Bird and other famous explorers, and that he was proud to know I was contributing to such a notable cause. This man is well into his eighties, but still is following the next generation of adventures.

Today I received an e-mail from an employee of one of Eureka's competitors, with a photo of the 5th Season tents high on the mountain, buried in snow. It shows me that we are all tied by the common bond of outdoor adventure. Eric and his team are doing what we all wish we could if we had the strength and skill. I am extremely happy that Eureka! could help him. Send Eric and the team my best wishes for success.

Kurt Heisler, Eureka! Tent Designer to the Stars

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