GlennM, yes there is some fact finding as it will be a lot quicker having your guys feedback as some of you have been here for years.
Just to embellish some of your statements, I think there wasnt a flexible arrangement for heavy duties as I have read that Dubinina had been shot in the foot and that the group had lightened her load by sharing some of it. So if Zina escaped the tent weight as well, then there wasnt entire flexibility.
Just stating facts as they could have bearing for others theories.
Regarding the clothing worn by the two who stepped out of the tent first (we think ). Obviously they would have been warmer and it would have been a case of following someone to the loo like ladies do or they had a quick smoke or something else.
What has me baffled (besides everything) is the state of undress of the others. On nights like this wouldnt they just keep all their gear on to keep warm as there was not supposed to be having Igors famous stove to keep warm. Does one think that the clothes worn on exit were an assortment whether the footprints attest to this or not, and that maybe all mixed clothing was done at the Cedar "area". I have heard mention of the "chinese" torches but think i saw somewhere 2 off miners lamps,could have been a simple mix up in the dark. But again the Search party were supposed to have found the tent quite neat and orderly. I'm soooooooooooo confused.
I am thinking of going back to my original idea of arguments and Igor cracking it, and just slashing the tent as some sort of weird fateful experiment for their unsuccessful level 3 achievement.