About us
What We Do
HAETeC is the High Altitude Equipment Testing Company.
We are not a lab. We are a field testing company that lives with the product in the real world — mountains, elevation, and all the environmental conditions your end users will face. We operate between 8,000–10,000+ feet, where the environment is punishingly consistent in its demands: high UV exposure, rapid temperature shifts, wind, precipitation, and constant atmospheric pressure on every material and component. We don’t simulate. We don’t run sterile, repetitive lab drills that have no bearing on actual use. We live with the gear for the duration of the test. We use it like a customer would — and then some — and we document everything.
Our goal: to give you defensible, photographic, and written proof of how your product actually performs so you can:
• Confirm vendor specifications are being met in the real world.
• Identify potential failure points before they become expensive.
• Confidently market your product with data to back your claims.
• Improve design, material choice, or manufacturing based on field reality.
Why HAETeC
Choosing HAETeC means you are choosing a testing partner that:
• Lives the environment: We immerse ourselves in the same conditions your customer will face.
• Adapts standards to reality: Where ISO/IEC, ASTM, or MIL-STD methods apply, we integrate them — but in a way that fits the uncontrolled environment of the field. When a lab method doesn’t fit, we adapt and explain why.
• Is independent and unbiased: We are not influencers, marketers, or product resellers. We test gear. We report what’s true
• Protects your specifications: Our job is to verify if what you paid for is what you got. If it isn’t, you find out early — with evidence.
• Delivers usable assets: Our work produces both data and visual documentation. Beyond engineering value, you can license imagery for marketing, investor relations, or internal design archives.
How Engagements Work
1. Select a Tier (Basecamp, Ascent, Summit, Expedition).
2. We execute in the field according to that tier’s scope and duration.
3. We document everything with logs, notes, and photographic evidence.
4. We produce the report — page count and photo count scale by tier.
5. You can upgrade at any time — we extend the current project, carry forward all existing data, and continue without restart.
6. Add media packages if desired — get more out of the images generated during testing.
7. Receive optional OMTW/Public Review discount by allowing selected imagery for HAETeC promotional use.
Du Jour Feature Modules — What They Are & Why They’re Required
Du Jour modules are targeted product feature focus areas we commit to capturing in every test.
They are mandatory because they ensure consistent, comparable, and relevant data across different product categories, without having to write a separate test plan for every type of item we test.
This lets us:
• Document critical product features in a way that is consistent from one test to the next.
• Keep testing adaptable — tents, jackets, packs, electronics — without rewriting the manual for each category.
• Ensure clients always get focused feature proof that has cross-project comparability.
How it works:
• Basecamp: Minimum of 1 Du Jour module.
• Ascent: Up to 2 modules.
• Summit: Up to 3 modules.
• Expedition: Unlimited/custom modules.
Standard modules:
1. Closure / Seal / Access Mechanism
2. Compression / Stow / Storage State
3. Ventilation / Drainage / Heat Exchange
4. Internal Utility Feature
5. Mounting / Anchoring / Integration Point
6. Branding Detail (obscured/abstract)
Advanced or custom modules (Summit & Expedition tiers):
• Control / Input / Activation Interface
• Chemical / Bio / Liquid Interface
• Setup Geometry Conflict
• UV or Thermal Indicators
• Client-specific module (with operator approval)
BASECAMP TIER
$2,500 - 7 Days
Purpose: Establish a verified performance baseline.
Scope:
• Packaging review.
• Initial setup assessment.
• First exposure to environment.
• Identification of early-stage weaknesses.
• Optional passive exposure.
Deliverables:
• 2–3 page report.
• 5 curated images embedded.
• 1 Du Jour module documented.
Why upgrade to Ascent:
Basecamp tells you if it’s ready; Ascent shows how it lasts under daily use. OMTW Discount: $250.
ASCENT TIER
$7,500 - 4 Weeks
Purpose: Measure durability over sustained, real-world daily use.
Scope:
• All Basecamp inclusions.
• Daily-use logging for 4 weeks.
• Passive exposure for full test duration.
• Wear pattern and performance drift documentation.
Deliverables:
• 6–8 page report.
• 15 curated images embedded.
• Up to 2 Du Jour modules documented.
Why upgrade to Summit:
Ascent gives one-environment longevity; Summit validates across multiple environments.
OMTW Discount: $500.
SUMMIT TIER
$15,000 — 6 Weeks
Purpose: Prove performance across multiple, demanding environments.
Scope:
• All Ascent inclusions.
• Deployment in 3 or more distinct zones (UV-heavy, humid, alpine, etc.).
• High-resolution degradation mapping.
Deliverables:
• 12–15 page report.
• 20 curated images embedded.
• Up to 3 Du Jour modules documented.
Why upgrade to Expedition: Summit proves cross-condition performance; Expedition pushes to limits and beyond.
OMTW Discount: $750.
EXPEDITION TIER
$30,000+ (Custom) — 3–6+ Months
Purpose: Full lifecycle proof, from first use to failure and recovery.
Scope:
• All Summit inclusions.
• Multi-zone rotation over months.
• Unlimited photo and video logging.
• Optional destructive testing.
• Post-repair recovery performance analysis.
Deliverables:
• 20+ page comprehensive report.
• Unlimited curated images embedded.
• Unlimited/custom Du Jour modules documented.
Why stay here: Expedition produces the largest, richest dataset and media archive possible — leverage it with media licensing for maximum ROI.
Upgrade Ladder & Mechanics
• Basecamp → Ascent: Extend from 1 week to 4 weeks continuous-use proof.
• Ascent → Summit: Expand from one-environment to multi-environment validation.
• Summit → Expedition: Push to full lifecycle testing, optional destructive limits, and recovery performance.
Rules:
• Upgrades never restart a project.
• All prior data, logs, and images carry forward into the upgraded report.
• The report is amended with a revision suffix (R1, R2, etc.).
• Commercial terms for upgrades are set in the Statement of Work.
Add-Ons & Media Licensing
Standard Media Package ” $500
• Curated report images plus unused shots (JPEG).
• Internal, promotional, or design use.
• No resale/third-party redistribution. Attribution required.
RAW Archive License ” $1,250
• All RAW images captured, edited and unedited, with metadata.
• Internal archival, design, QA, or investor use.
• Public use requires Standard Media Package. Attribution required.
Public Review / OMTW Discount
• Allow select images for HAETeC promotional use.
• Discount per tier: Basecamp $250 / Ascent $500 / Summit $750 / Expedition case-by-case.
• Client controls final image selection.