Brand Spotlight: Sea to Summit

Sea To Summit

High Altitude Climbing Roots

Many outdoor companies are inspired by an idea or a dream. Some were born under the cliffs of Yosemite and named after Half-Dome or grand mountain ranges, others were inspired by animals and wilderness elements that represent the spirit of the outdoors. Sea to Summit is unique, even among its outdoor industry peers, as it was inspired by a single, incredible adventure and an historic mountaineering accomplishment. 

Tim Macartney-Snape was born in Tanzania in 1956, but his parents, who were of Australian and Irish descent, moved the family to Australia in 1967. Macartney-Snape grew up rock climbing there and eventually gained mountaineering experience in the Southern Alps of New Zealand. In 1978, Macartney-Snape braved poor weather, cold conditions and an electrical storm to ascend Dunagiri (7,066 m) in the Himalayas. This ascent marked the first major Himalayan summit by an Australian. Macartney-Snape continued to climb in the high Himalayan mountains, climbing Ama Dablam (6,856 m) in 1981 and Annapurna II (7,937 m) in 1983. On the North ridge of Ama Dablam, Macartney-Snape was inspired by a view of the the enormous bulk of Everest and began dreaming up his own expedition to the world's highest mountain.

 Tim Macartney-Snape and Greg Mortimer 

 In 1984, Macartney-Snape and his climbing partner Greg Mortimer planned and executed a lightweight alpine style ascent of Mount Everest via a brand new route on the North Face. They also climbed without supplemental oxygen and eschewed the use of Sherpas for support. Macartney-Snape climbed in cross-country ski boots after his mountaineering boots were lost in an avalanche, yet he was not deterred. On October 3rd the two men reached the summit, becoming the first Australians to climb the world's highest peak.

Macartney-Snape's climbing career continued, nabbing the second ascent of Gasherbrum IV (7,925 m). However, a return trip to Everest was always in the back of his mind. He had a dream of climbing Everest in a radical new style, one that would inspire the name and spirit of the company he would later found. Macartney-Snape wanted to climb Everest by traveling the full distance from the sea to the summit.

Since the earliest Everest expeditions, climbers had always began in Kathmandu, which sits at 1,400 meters. Macartney-Snape wanted to instead ascend from sea level at the Indian Ocean and travel the long, yet gradual distance from there to base camp, then ascend the mountain from there. Starting at the Bay of Bengal in February 1990, Macartney-Snape set out to trek the 745 miles through India to the Nepalese border and into Everest base camp. He arrived after 4 months of trekking and began the process of acclimatization. He wanted to ascend the peak via the West Ridge, which would allow him to bypass commercial expeditions on the highly trafficked South Col route. After weather and avalanch danger changed his plans, Macartney-Snape climbed to 8,000 meters on the South Col route carrying a tent, food, fuel and supplies on his back. Exhausted and ill, Macartney-Snape rested for a day before setting out on his summit attempt on the evening of May 10th, 1990. Fighting nausea, digestive sickness and exhaustion, he climbed through the night and brutal cold to reach the summit at 9:45 am on May 11th. Tim Macartney-Snape had climbed the entire 8,848 meters or 29,029 feet from sea level to the highest point on Earth!

 Tim Macartney-Snape on the summit of Everest

An Innovative Brand, Born out of Outdoor Experience

On his incredible expedition, Tim Macartney-Snape faced a wide variety of environmental conditions and required gear specialized to an unprecedented extent. The outdoor brands at the time could not provide the type of gear that Macartney-Snape required for his trip, so he went to his friend Roland Tyson for help. Macartney-Snape had met Tyson in Perth while giving a lecture on mountaineering. Tyson was planning his own trip to ski in the Himalayan mountains and approached Macartney-Snape for advice, which led to the two men becoming friends. Tyson, an outdoor lover and climber himself, had begun sewing his own gear in his bedroom as a teenager, eventually founding his own outdoor gear store in Perth and establishing a reputation for himself as an expert gear designer. When Macartney-Snape began planning his second Everest climb, he turned to his friend and asked him to construct custom lightweight expedition gear, some of which Macartney-Snape still uses today!

After the success of Macartney-Snape's groundbreaking Everest ascent, he returned to Australia and teamed with Roland to form Sea to Summit, named for Macartney-Snape's expedition. Together they have worked to produce innovative, high-quality outdoor gear that is reliable, durable and capable of handling the toughest conditions on the planet. Today, Sea to Summit is still an independent company, still run by Macartney-Snape and Roland. They have continued to operate in the same spirit of exploration and  innovation that inspired Macartney-Snape's Everest expedition, focusing on creating products that are lighter, more durable using cutting edge materials and intuitive designs. 

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Sea to Summit Today

Sea to Summit has established a strong reputation as a leader in the manufacturing of lightweight dry sacks, stuff sacks, packable camp cookware, paddling accessories and travel gear. Paddlers love the waterproof protection of the Sea to Summit Lightweight Dry Sack or eVent Compression Dry Sack. Backpackers and campers like the easy packing of their Compression Sacks, the lightweight Delta Plate and portable kitchen sink for camp cooking, as well as their comfortable sleeping bag liners and camp towels. Additionally, travelers love the Sea to Summit neck wallets, money belts, packing cells, and toiletry bags to keep their valuables and essential belongings safe and organized.

While the brand has built a loyal customer base and a reputation for quality and performance, they also continue to expand and produce new gear for the outdoor market. Recently, Sea to Summit has taken the lightweight expertise and materials knowledge gained from years of manufacturing and designing  outdoor products and ventured into ultralight tents, sleeping bags and sleeping pads. Sea to Summit continues to create ground breaking products that provide an incredible level of quality and reliability, while pushing beyond industry standards for performance.

Born from the loftiest of outdoor achievements, Sea to Summit has set a high standard for specialized adventure gear. When you demand quality in every element of your equipment, from your tent or sleeping pad to a small, waterproof stuff sack, or a camp towel Sea to Summit is the clear option to meet your needs.

Shop all Sea to Summit products here at GearX.com!