Yasuhiro Hanatani is a mountain climber based in Hokuto City, Yamagata Prefecture, situated at the southern foot of the Yatsugatake Mountains. From a young age, Yasuhiro became familiar with the ways of the mountains from playing on Mt. Rokko in Kobe, where he was born and raised. After graduating from high school, he left his hometown to go to Shinshu University in Nagano Prefecture. While pursuing studies in outdoor education, he joined the long-established Alpine Club and climbed various mountains both in Japan and overseas, including the Himalayas. After graduation, he began to engage in his own adventures while earning a living as a mountain guide. In 2012, he climbed the South Pillar of Kyashar (6,770m) for the first time, an outstanding achievement that earned him the Piolet d'Or. In 2015, he started the Himalaya Camp, a project to nurture up-and-coming mountain climbers. This project involves challenging virgin roads and peaks in the Himalayas together with members selected through public invitation. Currently, the project is on the final stretch of its one-year training course.

As it happens, one of the essentials that Hanatani always takes on the Himalayas is a NANGA sleeping bag.
"I learned of the brand through an older climbing colleague of mine, Osamu Tanabe, who was sponsored by NANGA. At the time, I simply acknowledged the brand as nothing more than a company manufacturing sleeping bags in Japan."

Hanatani's first connection with the brand occurred during an event a few years ago. After being introduced to a NANGA employee by a mutual acquaintance, he casually mentioned how good it would be to have a sleeping bag designed for two people. One thing led to another, and that dream quickly became a reality.
"I was only half-joking, thinking that it would be impossible to create such a product, but when I brought up the idea, NANGA's staff readily accepted the request and told me it was possible. So, I had some prototypes made based on the freehand sketches I drew."
The sleeping bags designed specifically for Hanatani continued their evolution; in 2016, NANGA designed a sleeping bag to accommodate three people. Needless to say, the mountaineer will always bring these sleeping bags with himself on the Himalayas.

"On normal climbing expeditions, there are certain mountains where it could be useful to have individual tents and equipment, but at such high places as the Himalayas, it becomes crucial that all equipment are as light and compact as possible. It is much more efficient to pack and carry shared equipment, as opposed to each of us packing individually, to reduce the total pack weight of the party. In a three-person expedition, it is normal to only use one tent, so I thought that it would be nice to also have sleeping bags for two or three people."

The innovative sleeping bag, designed to meet Hanatani's requirements, has a seamless interior to allow its users to share their body heat while maintaining the same comfort of use as an individual sleeping bag.

"As I had decided that the total weight had to be under 1.5 kg, I took my time in determining the ideal amount of down and size of the bag. Thanks to that effort, the sleeping bag was extremely comfortable even from the first time I actually used it on the Himalayas. I remember the other members who were blown away at how amazing the bag was after sleeping in it."