Whymper tent

A Whymper tent is a ridge tent of A-frame construction used for mountaineering which was designed by Edward Whymper (1840–1911) and named after him. Whymper was the English mountaineer who was the first person to ascend the Matterhorn. Tents using his general design were in common use from the later part of the nineteenth century to the mid-twentieth century and were referred to generically as "Whymper tents". A later smaller variant of the design was called the Meade tent.

In the mid-19th century there were no tents available suitable for mountain climbing. The only tents manufactured were large ones for military use and so mountaineers needed to design and build their own. It was in this context that Whymper designed in 1862–65 and publicised his tent although he did not attempt any commercial exploitation. Whymper pioneered expedition-style mountaineering and his design was larger and much heavier than the Mummery tent designed some 25 years later by Fred Mummery (1855 – 1895) who favoured lightweight climbing.

Whymper described his design in , first published in 1869. The floor area is six feet (1.8 m) square and in cross section it is an equilateral triangle. Whymper said the tent weighed about 23 pounds (10 kg) and could accommodate four people.

Each end comprises two ash poles, each six foot six inches (2.0 m) long, fitted with iron ends and drilled near the upper ends so each pair of poles can be bolted together so that they cross. The roof is made of a single sheet of unbleached cotton canvas sewn around the four poles. A triangular sheet of canvas is sewn in to close one end and two triangular sheets form an entrance at the other end. The floor is a 9-foot (2.7 m) square of mackintosh material, sewn to the roof sheet and the closed end. The flooring extends up the sides to stop draughts. At the entrance the flooring extends upwards one foot. The entrance flaps are fitted with tapes and the roofing material is nailed to the poles for strength.

When required, the tent was unrolled and erected as a whole. A climbing rope was used to go over the crossing of each pair of poles and along the ridge underneath the roof material. The rope was held taught in front of and behind the tent but guy ropes, as such, were not used.

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