Book "1079"

[Ziljoe]

The theory about a tree causing the injuries can be thrown out of the window I think.
From what I have seen there is'nt any tree around at this elevation. Probably looking at 1klm from the top before any scrub like trees are found.

I think you might have miss understood teddy's book and explanation.

Teddy proposes that the hickers followed their original route . They did not pitch their tent on the slope where it was later found.That is ,they went over the pass which is to the east of boot rock.  They got to the ceder with skis and their tent and this is where they pitched the tent . The tent is designed to be hung between two trees .

Where the two Yuri's were found, next to the ceder there is another large ceder that had fallen. From checking the growth rings, teddy found that the tree fell in 1958-59 but did not have a full growth ring for 1959 . Plus the tree can be seen on the ground in the 1959 search photos in late February.

Coincidence,perhaps..... but there is more to it  and it will take a bit of reading to understand which is worth the investment.

[bertie]

Ahabmyth, why on earth are you posting in the book thread, when you have no idea what this book is about?
Go and find something more constructive to do.

[GlennM]

Bertie, perhaps you could,  in a nutshell explain to our forum friend the two theories regarding the tent ?

[GlennM]

Ahabmyth, congratulations on making a brief summary of the 1079 theory. Every one of your numbered questions has been addresses in the forum at sometime or another. The important difference is that in Teddy's 1079 theory, the unknown compelling force is the treefall. Alternately, on the slope where the tent was discovered,  the unknown compelling force is unidentified and an open question.

One would expect that a fallen tree would leave evidence upon the tent, and those injured inside would leave evidence upon the tent inside.There is nothing in the case files to suggest a tree fell on the tent, nor blood stains within the tent. The tent was kept for a long time before being discarded. In all that time, no one pursued that line of inquiry and looked form supporting evidence.

There is also a question about crushed material items not being found.

In either situation, slope or woods, there are actions you would expect reasonable people to do. In each case, there is nothing we can point to that says, " because of this one partical truth, be it a person, place or thing, the tragedy had to have happened this certain way". This is why sometimes we take the grand view and other times we pick nits. Do not dispair, the Jack the Ripper mystery is older.

[ahabmyth]

Thanks for that GlennM ,I am going to find it hard to find all my numbered questions in the case files.
 
I have already solved Jack the Ripper case .

Trees fell on all these 6 women and it just happened that the same guy was in the area and tried to help. He was a tree removalist that used to do artwork on tree stumps and was incredibly smart with a chainsaw.

 Anyhow back to the tree theory which IMHO was impossible.
"If" the two trees that the tent was anchored to were roughly the same size and I heard somewhere they were 15+ mtrs tall , the tent being 4mtrs long, the (now known fallen tree ) if it indeed was rotten and fell on the tent it wouldnt have fallen in a straight line as branches would force the tree to one side and perhaps hit nobody. Only people who were 2-3 mtrs away from the tent would be injured or crushed. And like you say there were no pine needles (which are hard to find on cedars) on the tent. And by the way if they rolled the tree off the injured they would find the rotten tree was dry enough for fuel.

[GlennM]

Ahabmyth, I enjoyed the humor and appreciate your assessment of the whole tree and tent conundrum. I would expect that once the occupants left the tent, there would also be the reaching back in for necessities until the situation got corrected and the tent got back into service. There is no evidence of this happening, unless Teddy's condensed milk tin qualiifies. I have my doubts.

Ultimately, the 1079 book is an other conspiracy theory/ coverup story. I feel that the premise for obfuscating the forest site and misdirecting rescuers to the slope of 1079 was a pointless exercise, fooling no one and accomplishing less. I favor a natural cause on 1079, a slab slide perhaps accelerated by a catabatic wind got them out of the tent. The wind itself may have ripped the tent over time. I think it more likely than a tree fall.

[ahabmyth]

 I fixed the tent (found 6 tins of condensed milk underneath and it still tasted good). I counted 11 slash marks so whoever did this wasnt in that much of a rush to get outI wonder if it was Igor saying to himself maybe they will give them a new tent this time.

[GlennM]

The top picture did not post, or I can not reference it.

Consider this, if an old canvas stitched together tent is getting blown apart in a fierce wind, the occupants might weigh the benefit of staying ve leaving. On the one hand, staying keeps them near their supplies, even if the essentials like skis can only be gotten to if the tent gets taken down. They have access to the stove, but not fuel. They have blankets and the canvas side of the tent for protection. They have each other.

On the other hand, remaining at the tent does not improve their circumstances. If they need heat, they must find wood. If they were impacted with a snow slide, it could happen again. If they all leave together, they may survive together. Ski boots have less benefit without skis. If the crisis develops in the dark (evidenced by flashlight on slope) and if wind driven snow obscures vision, the distance to the tree line may be under estimated. Once the decision to go down slope is agreed on, there is no good reason to turn around at any point and try to go back. That would not change the situation  for the better.The scouring effect of snow on the slope and buildup in the ravine attests to the conditions.

Their situation could be reduced to the choice of staying in a deteriorating tent gradually and eventually freezing, or trying their luck in the shelter of trees and a warming fire. When you are young, you are immortal and death is something for old people. Nature is indifferent to human opinion.

[ahabmyth]

Only hours left. I assumed that the bent leg belonged to someone on the right but you cannot see anything through the backpack. Compare this pic to the one at the top ,more people seem to emerge.

[GlennM]

The den and labaz (cache) have all been identified with confidence. I suggest you go to DyatlovPass.com and look at Teddy's latest post. She has re-arranged case photos in a way that makes sense for her. There is no particular connection between the fallen tree and the den or cache. As I understand it, the fallen tree is somewhere close to the cedar tree. The advantage of the fallen tree, other than inflicting all the wounds in one fell swoop, is
On the other hand, there is a very large logistical problem surrounding moving a fallen pine tree to get stuff out. This is for the hikers as well as the conspirators. I would imaging tent contents and the skis would all suffer from an impact . If the tent were set up in the woods, I would expect to find the on site remains of an outdoor cooking fire as well as a functional tent stove with ashes. Moreover, if the stove was used ( as I think it would ), the tent would likely catch fire.There are burns on several of the hikers, but no burns on the tent.

[Ziljoe]

The guys in the top picture digging what I thought to be because of slope on the mountain seem to be digging a bit deep. But due to Teddys falling tree theory is there any chance this could have been their den or labaz.

I am guessing that you are talking about the photo with one of the group holding a ski looking at the camera and the others crouching and digging , the back packs are on the slope to the right and all the skis and ski poles are sticking out of the snow on the slope above the trench that's being dug. If this is the photo you mean , then there are at least 5 hikers along the trench line . Allowing 1 meter for each hiker to dig and rotate, then that equals a 5 meter trench minimum.

Teddy does suggest that this may have been the labaz but I would have to argue that 5 meters is too big for a labaz and it would be questionable to build a labaz on an exposed slope . How easy would it be to find on your return , especially when the weather could be doing anything?  . when building the labaz and then digging and retrieving the stored goods , first you have to unpack the back packs which would be slightly easier , but then on your return you have to pack your kit again. These are two unefficient extra stops with variables( finding the labaz in poor weather condition s for example)   , it would make more sense to build a labaz at a campsite when you have all your kit out for the evening , when cutting wood for a fire at that campsite and building the labaz it would also be good to have ready chopped wood for your return , this would then be a good rest night , all that's needed is to pitch the tent .

[ahabmyth]

.
 

[GlennM]

Ahabmyth, you can modify your post by deleting everything in it except for a period. Then save.

[ahabmyth]

Are there any theories in the group that suggest that the reason for abandoning the tent was because the tent just fell down in the storm because of not tying up the ends correctly or a ski was pulled out. I know its a long shot as these hikers could probably tie a knot simply by looking at it. A far as we know the entrance was of the type that was closed by using wooden toggles and then just pushed through an open rope knot which would be a pain especially in the weather at the time and in total darkness.. Then a brave decision was made to cut the tent to get out.


How would  the Tree theory be possible.

 According to theories a tree fell down and uprooted.The uprooted tree would need to have stood 10mtrs minimum (tent and guy ropes) away from the other Cedar. Height of the other tree say 10 - 15 metres . So the top of the tree would travel approx 25metres to hit the other "Cedar" absolutely straight - on it cant be any other way as the tent and guy ropes are in a straight line . We only guess at how large the diameter of  "The Cedar" would have been all those years ago. I think if we talked to some loggers they would say it would be virtually impossible to fall in a strait line because of the branches on both trees. However the theory as far as I know surmises that all hikers were injured, but a tree (not connected to the other tree) if uprooted on a different angle could have been responsible for "some" of the hikers injuries.
 

[GlennM]

Take a look at their bios. There is enough information to give you a feel for who they were individually. In the diaries, you get a sense of how rigidly the hike was structured. For me, they had high ideals, but in reality, they were far more relaxed fun-loving and even moody. They were kids, save one!

The case files lead me to believe the group was cohesive but somewhat lax at their last camp. They moved to the forest as a group. They all likely went to the ravine as a group. From there, three went back toward the tent as a group. The ravine 4 died,as a group. Loyalty and obedience can be mandated as in the military, or earned as in civilian affairs. The test comes in a crisis. Soldiers abandon their post, sailors mutiny and civilians revolt...or they stick together.

For me, they got caught out in poor conditions and no matter their choices, the clock ran out. I would suspect, without proof, that they waited too long before committing to action.  I like the idea of a slab slide on 1079 being the impetus for all subsequent choices including actions at the cedar and the ravine.

[Axelrod]

I like the idea of a slab slide on 1079 being the impetus for all subsequent choices including actions at the cedar and the ravine.

You are already constantly repeating this spam about a snow slide, and you write it in almost every topic. Do you want people to believe this? Do you think you are so smart? Then write this text in your signature and do not clutter your messages with this text
You can think for yourself as you like. If this solution calms you down, then think for yourself, but what is the point of conducting propaganda for those who do not believe in it?
What is the point of repeating this spam in every topic if it is not confirmed by observations after the incident? After all, according to the laws of physics and mathematical calculations, this cannot be.
With the same success, you can talk about fireballs that rolled down the mountain and scared tourists (according to the stories of the Mansi). Maybe the Mansi are smart too.
Yes, my relative (Axelrod Moisei Abramovich) after thinking about this problem in his old age had problems with his head and thinking, and he decided that there was a landslide, although he did not write this in his testimony of 1959. He wrote that the slope of the mountain did not play any role. Only these words of his have legal force.

I hope that the readers of the forum are sensible.

[GlennM]

Axelrod, it is called an " ad hominum" logical fallacy.

[GlennM]

It is a poorly composed photo. The photographer should have better things to do.

[ahabmyth]

Look what I found ,we know it was part of their gear but can anyone remember seeing or mentioning anything at all about the CROSSCUT - SAW they were supposed to be carrying. And if so why didn't  the two Yuris use the saw down by The Cedar. ( did they leave it in the Labaz ). Or forgot they had it.

[Ziljoe]

The Very Last Pic (maybe). Dont know if anyone has noticed but in this pic it looks like one of the hikers is in trouble. If we look at the leg sticking out whose can it be and is he/she in trouble, it appears to me like the two people on each side of his/hers leg are providing assistance of some sort. Besides the leg there is a sliver of what could be the persons head. You can see that these 2 people who are assisting dont have skis-shovels in their hands.
If this person is in trouble, they must be in a bad way judging by the angle of their leg. Probably Zina is the person in the dark colour, she liked black.

 

If you look at the other picture showing the same scene but is taken a few seconds before or after this photo , you will be able to work out that it is a person's arm , the hand is resting on the snow and the person is crouching. I am not aware of Zina liking black but the figure in the darker storm jacket is holding a ski pole . I don't think anyone is in trouble in this photo , by all appearances, the people in the photo are digging a hole in the snow ..

[Ziljoe]

We know it was part of their gear but can anyone remember seeing or mentioning anything at all about the CROSSCUT - SAW they were supposed to be carrying. And if so why didnt  the two Yuris use the saw down by The Cedar. ( did they leave it in the Labaz ).

The case files say there was a saw found in the tent.

Sheet 2

Protocol

camp site found of Igor Dyatlov group

28.02.59 the prosecutor city of Ivdel Jr Counselor of Justice Tempalov in the presence of witnesses: comrade Maslennikov and Brusnitsin Vadim Dmitriyevich living in Sverdlovsk, Sheynkmana St № III, room 31, Sharavin Mihail Petrovich living in Sverdlovsk, Vtuzgorodok, housing 9, room № 201, Kurikov Stepan Nikolaevich living in Ivdel region village Suevat Paun (Paul - ed.), have written this report upon finding the place where Dyatlov group of hikers stayed overnight. Camp site is located on the northeast slope of mountain 1079 at the source of Auspiya river. The camp site site is located 300 meters from the top of the mountain 1079 on a slope of 30°. The campsite is a snow-leveled area with 8 pairs of skis at the bottom. The tent is stretched out on ski poles, fixed with ropes, 9 backpacks with various personal belongings of the group members were laid down at the bottom of the tent, quilted jackets, storm jackets were put on top, 9 pairs of felt boots were found where the heads must have been, men's trousers were also found, and three pairs of felt boots, warm fur coats, socks, hat, ski caps, utensils, buckets, stove, ax, saw, blankets, food: two bags of rusks, condensed milk, sugar, concentrates, notebooks, itinerary and many other small items and documents, camera and accessories to a camera.

All items found were transferred for an inventory and delivery to ... base chief search group Evgeniy Maslennikov Polikarpovich for which this protocol was drawn up.

There are no bodies found in the tent.

Attorney city of Ivdel

Jr Counselor of Justice / Tempalov /

Witnesses:
1) Brusnitsin
2) Sharavin
3) Kurikov

The head of the unit
4) Maslennikov[/u]

[ahabmyth]

Yeah thanks for that Ziljoe you have just confirmed the fact that a saw was part of their inventory. Actually I think it was GlennM who had also found the manifest of the gear they took with them and a saw was on the very end of the list. I just thought I would make the point as a tool like this would have been a game changer in the fight to keep a fire going. Although because of its size it might not exactly be the goto tool when you are rushing out of the tent. If as what has been proposed that it was quite an orderly exit then it wasnt a clever idea to forget a tool of this importance. I am at a loss to imagine this tool maybe not have the level of use that it could have as they can cut through ice too yet we see them digging with skis ???.



Maybe they just didnt see the saw.

[Ziljoe]

An impertinent question ;- Do sportsmen get paid for doing this or is it an amateur sport. I keep on hearing about this UPL, is it the university of the Urals. As they are usually involved and hand out money for these "projects" , sorry but I dont know what the system does or did work in Russia.





Common sense isn't all that common.

I'm not sure exactly what your question is but I'll try to answer. Tourism , hiking by foot , river rafting and cross country skiing were a common pastime . This is also true in many other countries. In the UK the duke of Edinburgh award was created.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Duke_of_Edinburgh%27s_Award

There was also the scouts, girl guides etc. At my college when I was studying radio communications there were a number of activities including sailing , canoeing and hiking etc. It's basically the same for every activity today, there are courses that you join and you get certificates .

In 1971 there was a tragdagy in the UK where students died in a snow storm . I recommend the reading of this one because it can give us an insight to what happens when things go wrong in cold weather and what happens to the human body along with the will to survive and save others . There is reference to legs and hands being frozen solid but one of the leaders still crawling in that condition when found ,and others that stripping out of their sleeping bags due to feeling too hot. There is also an excellent piece written from the rescuers perspective and their own struggle in the weather.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cairngorm_Plateau_disaster

Basically, every country encourages youth activity and unfortunately sometimes things go wrong . There were at least 3 other organised hikes in 1959 close to Dyatlov pass( also 11 hikes further away I think) . They both ran into their own troubles including burning one of their own tents and others suffering from the cold..some of these students had hiked with various members of the Dyatlov group in previous years.

 We can research every country and we will find numerous examples of groups of people falling to the environment and nature. It's a risk people take and quiet often , even the most experienced and well equipped get caught out .

[Ziljoe]

Yeah thanks for that Ziljoe you have just confirmed the fact that a saw was part of their inventory. Actually I think it was GlennM who had also found the manifest of the gear they took with them and a saw was on the very end of the list. I just thought I would make the point as a tool like this would have been a game changer in the fight to keep a fire going. Although because of its size it might not exactly be the goto tool when you are rushing out of the tent. If as what has been proposed that it was quite an orderly exit then it wasnt a clever idea to forget a tool of this importance. I am at a loss to imagine this tool maybe not have the level of use that it could have as they can cut through ice too yet we see them digging with skis ???.



Maybe they just didnt see the saw.

You are welcome , there are a number of contradictions in the case files about how things were found and reported. I wouldn't say this is unusual given the amount of people that were interviewed and the nature of the investigation. When I say the nature of investigation, I mean the late urgency in starting the search and rescue. The UPI was slow in taking action and this seems to be from the assumption that most hikers turn up late for one reason or another , also there may have been confusion about one of the other groups being reported as being late to return at the same time as the Dyatlov group . So two groups were reported as being late but it was thought it was just one group. This perhaps added to the slow response, not that it would have mattered as the Dyatlov group accident happened on or about the 1st of February and the alarm was raised on the 12-15th of February.

Coming back to the saw , we don't know if they used the saw to cut into the snow bank where they pitched their tent , we only have the one/two photos of them with the skis digging what we believe to be the trench for the tent. I doubt the saw would have been needed for this, there are videos of modern researchers using skis to dig a trench at the location without much trouble , we also don't know the size of this saw. There is a picture of a large cross cut saw from one of the previous hikes next to a tent and it looks huge, too big to carry on your back in my opinion . Interestingly there is also no mention of large trees or logs being found at the hikers other campsites but they would have had to process some wood to make their out door fires.

I think the orderly exit of the tent means they left the area of the tent in an orderly fashion , this is concluded by the footprints found going down the slope , I think the statement means that the gate of the footprints were close together as to show there was no running and that they were walking side by side. Further down the slope at one of the stone ridges , it is reported that it looked like the hikers had stopped for a moment before continuing and that the prints diverged. ( Perhaps a pause by the group to make a decision as what to do?)

We also don't really know what the weather was doing at the moment they left the tent . We only know that the wind was strong the day before, I would argue that the wind wouldn't have been strong when they erected the tent because a strong wind would be the very reason to descend to the treeline . Although not impossible, it would be difficult to erect the tent in such conditions, we also don't find the the two spare skis used as the support structure for the middle of the tent. I don't know if this is used just for when the stove is being used or as additional support in exposed areas . What I do know though  is, if camping exposed ,you build your tent to expect the worst .

I sometimes wonder if the incident happened in the morning but was still dark , perhaps they had taken wood from the day before but had used the wood up , the stove had been stored and the ski support dismantled.( Or maybe the stove was yet to be installed?)

I would suspect there would be some kind of system to entering and exiting the tent ( this is hinted at in the diaries) , what I mean is that not everyone could get dressed or undressed at the same time ( there's just not enough room) . The last thing you want is someone wanting a pee at the far end of the tent , having to get dressed , climbing over everyone , opening the door to let out heat , coming back , perhaps covered in snow , undressing and crawling back to their space.

We also have some of the hikers with socks and various clothing stuffed inside their clothing , also some are inside out. This suggests preparation for going to sleep to dry clothing out or keep it warm for the next day.

Rustem having only one boot leads me to believe he was either taking footwear off or putting it on when something happened, I can't see there being time to get partially dressed and not have time to grab a saw, ax or blanket .

[SURI]

Rustem having only one boot leads me to believe he was either taking footwear off or putting it on when something happened, I can't see there being time to get partially dressed and not have time to grab a saw, ax or blanket .

Slobodin wanted to put on his boots to go see what was happening in front of the tent. In the urgency of the situation unfolding in front of the tent, however, he did not have time to put on the second pair of boots.

After that, only Doroshenko and Krivonischenko remained in the tent.

Lebedev Vladimir Aleksandrovich
"...apparently someone stayed in the tent much later than others..."
https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-313-315?rbid=17743

They stayed in the tent longer than the others, which is why a picture of a "light object" could be taken. They had more time to stay in the tent, because the threat was currently focused on the tourists in front of the tent.

[Ziljoe]

Rustem having only one boot leads me to believe he was either taking footwear off or putting it on when something happened, I can't see there being time to get partially dressed and not have time to grab a saw, ax or blanket .

Slobodin wanted to put on his boots to go see what was happening in front of the tent. In the urgency of the situation unfolding in front of the tent, however, he did not have time to put on the second pair of boots.

After that, only Doroshenko and Krivonischenko remained in the tent.

Lebedev Vladimir Aleksandrovich
"...apparently someone stayed in the tent much later than others..."
https://dyatlovpass.com/case-files-313-315?rbid=17743

They stayed in the tent longer than the others, which is why a picture of a "light object" could be taken. They had more time to stay in the tent, because the threat was currently focused on the tourists in front of the tent.

I understand this is your interpretation SURI. There is nothing to say this was or wasn't the case .

Regarding the photo with the" light object", there is no evidence to what it is or when it was taken , the speculation is that it was the last shot taken  by the person responsible for developing the film to use up the the last frame as to be able to remove the film from the camera . Unfortunately there is no proof that the image was taken at the time of the incident.

Also , if he had time to find and gather the camera, take it out of the camera case , make an attempt to adjust the exposure and focus to be able to take a night shot , then I would think he would have time to put on the other boot .

I don't know how you workout the chronological order of people exiting the tent as I do not think there's enough information to determine this.

The full sentence from your quote of someone staying in the tent is this .

"In the tent we found a ski pole with the upper end cut off along a neat end cut and another cut made. This suggests that apparently someone stayed in the tent much later than the others, maybe for a day. Because a person with nothing better to do would not cut a pole that could still be useful.

The word "suggest " is used , this is speculation on his part and I fail to see how he concludes that some stayed and extra day because of an cut ski pole. The problem we have is that everything in the tent had been moved at least once before the formal inspection and various items had been used by the searchers to dig around the tent and ski poles used as make shift probes if my understanding is correct. Likewise , some of the skis were given to the sappers with metal detectors as they arrived without any. I would need to check with the chronology of this but it may have been the day before the formal inspection, if that is the case , then everything was definitely moved. I think this is why we have a number of different statements to the tent layout .

However, the statement goes on to say.

"In one place of the tent it was torn and then fastened with a pin."

This is interesting as it might mean someone stayed in the tent and used a pin. A pin is not a long-term solution to fixing a tent , especially one that might experience strong winds on an exposed mountain side . A small rip can easily extend to a large rip if the material is not stitched . They were stitching the tent the days before , so I thought this would have been addressed earlier.

I don't know if this pin could be a clue to a different set of circumstances and I am not trying to criticise your version of events. Plus it's good for me to re-read the case files.

If anyone stayed later in the tent , then I would argue that they would be the best dressed and equipped, unfortunately none of the group seemed fully equipped to survive independent of the tent and it's resources for a longtime or in the cold . If some were retrieving wood , they don't have the saw , axes , knives or means to carry wood back to the tent, the same goes for water.

 There is one torch on the slope which is not taken with them. This is the one in the on position. I don't think this would be thrown away either . Interestingly enough , if my memory serves me correctly, in the last winter expedition this year, they reported that is as easy to see without a torch as it is with a torch. In winter in the dark and right conditions you can navigate without to much difficulty, the eyes adjust and obviously the snow reflects what light there is.


I do think the torch may have a significance due to its location and the fact it was turned on.

[SURI]

Now you have confused Krivonischenko with Slobodin. Slobodin didn't take any photos with one boot, he was already in front of the tent and couldn't return. Why should the last two in the tent dress up any extra? How could they have known they were going to the forest? At that moment, no one knew.

I don't know why overlooking Krivonischenko's night photo of the lights object. Why should I speculate that it was taken by someone else and somewhere else? Chronologically, the night photo follows on from the previous hike up the slope.

Not only the cut of the ski pole, but also Krivonischenko's last photo from a camera mounted on a tripod suggest that someone had been in the tent longer than the others. This would not have been possible in a crowded tent full of panic.

[Ziljoe]

Now you have confused Krivonischenko with Slobodin. Slobodin didn't take any photos with one boot, he was already in front of the tent and couldn't return. Why should the last two in the tent dress up any extra? How could they have known they were going to the forest? At that moment, no one knew.

I don't know why overlooking Krivonischenko's night photo of the lights object. Why should I speculate that it was taken by someone else and somewhere else? Chronologically, the night photo follows on from the previous hike up the slope.

Not only the cut of the ski pole, but also Krivonischenko's last photo from a camera mounted on a tripod suggest that someone had been in the tent longer than the others. This would not have been possible in a crowded tent full of panic.

I agree, I am confused. As I understand it what you are saying, the last two in the tent would have time to dress better, otherwise, what were they doing with their time. If there's an emergency you deal with it ?

The last photo has no has no accountability, no one knows when it was taken . The photo doesn't follow any thing , it's just a photo. It's not a smart phone or digital camera, it's a random shot of nothing.

To mount a camera on a tripod is not a quick thing to do.a tripod is to stabilise the exposure or a timed shot to take a remote photo .it's exactly as you say , no one is going to fiddle with a tripod to take a photo. I don't know your age but film camera photos take a certain amount of work..

[SURI]

I don't think the night shot is random. It illustrates well what happened that night and how events unfolded.

The last two in the tent had no need to dress in any special way or take anything with them, as they did not know what would happen next, how the situation in front of the tent will develop. The tent hadn't been cut through yet, and of course they didn't expect to die later.

The most important are 3 milestones in the entire incident. The mistake is made by the one who overlooks them.

1) Krivonischenko's one last picture
2) Slobodin's one boot
3) Zolotaryov's camera/case and subsequent demaged pictures

Each of the named actually represents one subgroup (cedar, slope, ravine) and it suggests what situation a certain subgroup was in at the time of the incident.

[GlennM]

If the tent was rotten, we should expect to see wind blown frayed edges on loose ends of canvas. Frayed canvas does not preserve directional cut marks.  Since directional cut marks were identified, this argues for rapid burial of the tent, or it indicates rough treatment of the tent when it was retrieved by rescuers.