Hilleberg vs Others

[bridgermgmt]

All things being equal, I can see where you’re coming from, but all things aren’t equal. It’s not just the one single factor of HH, that makes the tent, or that makes it better at shedding water. Materials, tent design, and the overall construction are a few.

I think you raise an interesting point, and one that would favor hilleberg. When you consider the design, function, materials, value, weight, etc. it would appear that the weight penalty is the only real drawback of a hilleberg as it’s priced somewhere above the less capable competition and somewhere below the most capable competition. In a sense making it the Goldilocks choice when you remove bias.

I use bias to refer to your typical joe who enters the equation with a certain factor being given more weight than another John. For some, price is the most important. For others, it could be any one of 100+ factors.

For me, I have a couple seek outside tipi, several tents from ba, msr, and so on, and a few tarps and hammocks. All but 1 purchased used and all do a great job at doing 1 thing well. I’ve learned you sacrifice when you buy a jack of all trades and in some ventures that is unnecessarily dangerous.

I’ll be adding at least 1 hilleberg to my stable, and continuing to watch the growth of warmlites. Hopefully I can find an excuse to actually need such extreme wind protection in the future! Exciting

 

[Dools009]

No vestibule is a dealbreaker for me (and most people that aren't alpine climbers that I know). I've spent a few nights in Warmlites and they are great tents for what they are made for - being as light as possible for their storm worthiness and footprint size) - but they aren't a comfortable tent by any means when compared to the plethora of other options that are lighter and have more flexibility in my opinion.

You can't go wrong with a Hilleberg (i.e the Nammatj 3GT mentioned above) if you want to have just one tent that can handle anything you want to throw at it and are willing to carry more tent than you need on the days when you are camping below treeline and aren't in harsh/winter conditions.

Floorless tipi/pyramid style shelters (I have the oware 10x10 sil pyramid with bug netting) are incredibly versatile, can handle 90% of the weather that anyone would anyone would want to throw at them (including winds in the 40+ range and heavy snow loading) and can be setup to have good ventilation and TONS of space for the weight in other conditions.

I end up using my pyramid for the majority of my trips and use my Helsport x-trem tunnel tent (Norwegian version of a Nammatj style tent) only in the winter when I know that I'll have to camp in exposed above treeline spots and the chance of high winds and snow are pretty high.

 

[bcimport]

I’ve run the gamut with backpacking tents from eureka’s and north face 25 years ago to cabelas XPG one man, then an Akto, SO BT2 and now a duomid. The hille was all quality everywhere and I didn’t worry about it. But I’ve endured the worst wind I could have imagined in the duomid and never popped a stitch. This was stacking rocks on all the stakes, build a rock wall on the side getting buffeted and put all your gear in your pack because you’re sure that the tent is going to get thrashed wind. Made me a believer. So yes Hillebergs are fantastic but I think you can get the same performance for less weight and money.

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I recently decided to get a free standing Hilleberg tent because I live and hunt in Alaska and after last year I decided I wanted the best tent I could get, I don't know if I'll use it all the time but I wanted one in my quiver of shelters.

I picked up some pack weight with the Hilleberg tent but also cut some weight in some other areas so It;s more or less a draw and I wont have to worry about my tent failing.

 

[bridgermgmt]

I recently decided to get a free standing Hilleberg tent because I live and hunt in Alaska and after last year I decided I wanted the best tent I could get, I don't know if I'll use it all the time but I wanted one in my quiver of shelters.

I picked up some pack weight with the Hilleberg tent but also cut some weight in some other areas so It;s more or less a draw and I wont have to worry about my tent failing.

Just curious, how much weight did you loose and on what items? What model did you go with? Any regrets

 

[thinhorn_AK]

Just curious, how much weight did you loose and on what items? What model did you go with? Any regrets

I went from a 5 lb tent to a 7lb hilleberg, I dropped 3+lbs by switching backpacks and about 1lb switching sleeping bags. Theres some other stuff too but I havn't had the chance to weigh up everything yet.

 

[Charon]

My problem with Hillebergs: For any given (especially short) trip, you can probably find something lighter/more comfortable or (if need be) lighter and more stable than the best suited Hilleberg. There is only a very slight chance that the Hilleberg will be spot on for that particular tour, particularly weight-wise. On the other hand, you probably won’t find a better and more comfortable allrounder (for all the trips you can imagine for yourself) than a Hilleberg. But the question is: Do you really need an allrounder to handle the diversity of any adventure that is just a fortnight or so long? Are you prepared to pay the financial and weight penalties that come with such versatility?

The obvious snag is the hefty price: If I had no tents already and were to purchase an Enan, Akto or Soulo, I would probably attempt to use it as my only tent until my bank account had recovered. But whichever I chose, it would be too flimsey for some of my needs or too way heavy for others. Or even both, simultaneously. But because flimsey is more dangerous than heavy, I would most likely end up with the Soulo.

On the other hand, if you spent Soulo money on two other tents at opposite ends of your own lightness-stability scale, you would still get fine quality – and often also tents better geared to your respective trip. Overall, you could have more bandwidth for a lower weight penalty. (An equally or more stable Soulo alternative can weigh less, at the price of some comfort. And when it’s not needed, you can probably take a tarptent boasting way, way more room and air and lightness than a Soulo could ever offer.)

I think a Hilleberg (Akto or Soulo, depending on your beefiest needs) is for uses that really require as much of that bandwidth as can be achieved with a single tent… because your project is something like a world cycling tour. In that case, you wouldn’t want to risk Himalayan death in a tarptent… but neither would you want to endure weeks of unnecessary discomfort in central France due to the low height of something like my Wechsel Pathfinder.

Even if your mind (and the minds of your loved ones) does not embrace such a concept as a tent budget with an upper limit, I think a Hilleberg will rarely be the best possible choice for any individual trip… unless that trip is a fairly long and significantly diverse one.That’s when comfort becomes such an overriding priority that it’s worth biting the weight bullet for Hilleberg versatility. Of course, the definition of ‘long’ (enough for that) is entirely subjective and personal.

But it’s worth bearing in mind that Hilleberg always seems to follow a certain route – determining the target stability/weather-proofness for a particular tent, and then adding (a lot of) features that make it more comfortable in more benevolent weather. That’s where all the weight comes from. The Enan might be the exception, having evolved in a different way. But I don’t think the Enan is strong enough for Christoph’s purposes anyway.

 

[TNHunter]

I would go with the nallo 3GT or nammatj 3GT. I'm leaning towards the nammatj.

I’ve got a 3 person Nammatji. It is a little heavy but I’m not a bean counter. Got a great deal on Rokslide classifieds couple of years. Bombproof, weather proof and easy to set up. I can lower the weight by carrying the outer shell. I won’t buy any other brand. From Nashville


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[Randy Newberg]

Bought Nallo 2GT back in 2007(?). Best money I've spent for comfort and dryness on multi-day trips. Could buy lighter tents, but when the weather craps and misery arrives, ten days in a rainy Alaska camp makes the Hilleberg far worth the weight difference. 300+ nights so far in that tent, everyone of them dry, warm, and comfortable . I need a vestibule, and that added it weight is also worth it when the weather goes bad.

 

[bridgermgmt]

Bought Nallo 2GT back in 2007(?). Best money I've spent for comfort and dryness on multi-day trips. Could buy lighter tents, but when the weather craps and misery arrives, ten days in a rainy Alaska camp makes the Hilleberg far worth the weight difference. 300+ nights so far in that tent, everyone of them dry, warm, and comfortable . I need a vestibule, and that added it weight is also worth it when the weather goes bad.

Any reason you went with the nallo over that anjan? And have you had any issues with condensation?

 

[Randy Newberg]

Any reason you went with the nallo over that anjan? And have you had any issues with condensation?

Anjan didn't come out until 2013(?). I already had 100+ nights in this Nallo by that time.

No condensation issues if you set it up properly and ventilate it properly, which is easy to do. That's the beauty of the inner/outer tent system of Hilleberg. You almost have to go out of your way to create a condensation problem.

 

[BroodBuster]

I got tired of buying a new tent every ten years. A Half Dome and a North Face just didn’t hold up to my abuse. Got an Atko about 10 years ago and it’s still in perfect shape.

I liked it so much I got a Nallo3 a few years later since, you know, everyone needs a family of tents.

 

[AKDoc]

Interesting and educational conversation guys...I'm also a Hilleberg guy, but not for everything.

For the past five years up here, I've used a Hilleberg Staika for week long spring bear hunting (a canoe trip in southcentral AK) and each fall for a three-week DIY drop moose and grizzly hunt in western AK. I use my Staika solo for those trips, and I have been in seriously bad wx for many, many days over the years with intensely strong winds, rain, and snow. My Staika has been bombproof, and I love it. No condensation problems of any kind, and as durable as I could ever hope it to be.

That said, I don't take my Staika on all of my outdoor trips. For August sheep hunting it is way too heavy so it stays home, and I take my KUIU Mountain Star. For pack-raft fly-fishing float trips I also leave it at home, and I take my SO 4-man tipi with stove..

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I can’t wait to get my Allak. Can’t wait.

 

[bridgermgmt]

I’m thinking a nallo or anjan, but I’m torn on going with the gut or not. Or even going with an anjan 2 and a nallo 2gt for 3 season and 4 season? Or do they overlap each other

 

[thinhorn_AK]

I’m thinking a nallo or anjan, but I’m torn on going with the gut or not. Or even going with an anjan 2 and a nallo 2gt for 3 season and 4 season? Or do they overlap each other

The nallo is a good tent but when I laid down in one, my feet hit the back slope of the wall just like people said it would. I’m 6’4 though. I’d sort of settled in a Kaitum but then decided I wanted to go free standing so I got an Allak.

 

[sneaky]

Yeah, if you're tall a Kaitum is the better choice over the Nallo. Tons of room in it. I had a Soulo I should have never sold. I'll have one again.

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[VernAK]

I've used my Tarra for several years.....not the lightest tent but as near bullet proof as I've found......I'm probably beyond sheep hunting age but it still will go to moose camps.

 

[bridgermgmt]

The nallo is a good tent but when I laid down in one, my feet hit the back slope of the wall just like people said it would. I’m 6’4 though. I’d sort of settled in a Kaitum but then decided I wanted to go free standing so I got an Allak.

I’m 6’3 size 14 boot. Would I have the same issue?

 

[bridgermgmt]

Yeah, if you're tall a Kaitum is the better choice over the Nallo. Tons of room in it. I had a Soulo I should have never sold. I'll have one again.

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Did the soulo outperform or excel in anything in particular?