BD Skylight vs Hilleberg Nallo3 vs Golite Valhalla 2+

Did you consider the Nallo2 GT? Huge vestibule. If you want the extra room of the 3, then I'd think the few extra ounces for the GT is well worth it for that vestibule, it's like another room!

=>Handles heavy/wet sierra snow.

The Nallo does not pitch with a tight roof. There is a large area of unsupported roof that is quite flat.

I don't want my dog to stay in the vestibule–I want to keep an eye on her to stay aware of how she is doing, so I've not considered the 2GT. I've thought of the Nallo 3GT, but it adds an extra pound, money, and bigger area required for pitching.

The top of the Nallo does look like it can be flattened out by snow–I guess that is a possibility with tunnel tents.

What are your thoughts on the Skylight (that mesh bothers me due to the spindrift factor, but everything else seems good) and the Valhalla (guyouts?)? Any other 2+ person shelters with vestibules that can compare to these?

This might not make your choice easier but…

Did you look at the Vaude Power Odyssee? I got the 2 people version a few weeks ago. It comes at 3#15oz including guy-lines, 12 pegs, one pole repair sleeve, stuff sacs, etc. I think they make a 3 pp which might fit your bill.

In any case, I was really impressed by the tent and the low weight. I will handle snow and winds without a doubt.
Cheers
Pierre

"The Nallo does not pitch with a tight roof. There is a large area of unsupported roof that is quite flat"

It is angled and heavy wet snow is slippery. It will easily slide off.

The Nallo sheds snow as well as any other tunnel tent, which is just fine as long as you keep it taught. Like any nylon tent, it needs to be re-tightened as the temps plummet, and occasionally shaken to knock off any snow that sticks.

According to Vaude, the Power Odyssee 2 person tent comes in at 5 1/2 pounds…the 3-person version comin in at over 8 pounds!

I own the Power Odyssee and it is not as heavy as most site let you believe. 2050g was the most common masse I've found online. After weighting it myself… less than 4#. No tricks, no gimmicks. 3 poles with their stuff sac, fly, inner, 12 pegs and their stuff sac, pole repair sleeve, 4 guy-lines, over kill stuff sac with roll top closure for the whole thing.

I was surprised enough that I started doubting my scale!

I cut many superfluous zipper pulls and shaved 37g.

Say what you will, that is a light tent!

+3 for the Nallo. My Nallo-2 shed snow like a champ, you could actually hear the snow slide off during the night, during heavy snow-falls. I would think the Nallo-3 would be palatial for 2 and a dog.

We used the Nallo-2 for many years and a couple of years ago purchased the Nallo-3 when our dog joined us.We like the ease/speed of setup,inner/outer connection,storm worthiness, warmth in cold weather and good ventilation in warmer conditions. The vestibule is large enough to store two packs/gear off to the sides and not restrict entrance. The footprint also covers the vestibule area to restrict ground moisture and keep things dry and clean. In rainy weather the vestibule allows us to remove rain gear before entering the sleeping area.

Is the footprint necessary to keep the vestibule covered? Couldn't a trashbag or some custom cut silnylon do the same thing? I only ask as the footprint adds 1 lb. and $60.

thanks for all the replies. I'm going to start looking for good deals online for the Nallo3.

Zack
Having had a good look at several Hillebergs at the nearest Australian dealership ( Feathered Friends in Seattle…) I am now an instant expert on them…
The custom made groundsheet attaches to the tent via toggles so that it covers exactly the area you need to without moving or sticking out. As a bonus you can leave it attached to the tent when packing up. Of course if you are into DIY, you could replicate that with lighter/cheaper fabric.
BTW, IMHO people that whinge about condensation in them should use one, particularly where the vestibule is rather large in proportion ( like the Akto)
Franco

good stuff. off to spend some money…

Anyone swap the solid fabric inner tent for the mesh inner for warmer climate camping w/ the Nallo 3? Anyone know the weight difference between the solid fabric and mesh inner?

If the weight is the same or lighter using the mesh inner, I could sell off two other tents I own (my 2-person 3-season and 4-season tents for when tarps are inappropriate).

I wasn't aware that they offered 2 different inner tents. I think you may be mistaken on this?

The only mesh on the inner tent is on the door and rear window. The rest of the fabric is water repellent, but very breathable.

I never used a ground cloth for the vestibule, but did under the inner main tent. I never had any issues with condensation, when using the inner tent.

I had the Kaitum 2 as well, but sold it unused. It was just too long in length for my usage, over 13ft long being it had 2 vestibules. If I was going to spend many a winter night in a tent, I'd go for a Kaitum 2 or 3.

But for my type of short duration trips, it didn't make sense for me to have this type of tent.

The amount of usable space with this tent is greater that what is stated by Sq. footage alone. The sidewalls from front to back are near vertical which really opens up the tents space greatly. ("Read" lots of good sit-up room)

You just missed the boat on my sale, I think, I sold it for about $150.00 less than what I paid for the tent alone, and included the footprint with it as well.

Also other than Specials at Hilleberg's website, you probably won't find any deals on "new" tents, as they hold the price on their tents, just like Western mountaineering does on their bags.

Check out http://www.moontrail.com for photos of the optional mesh inner.

http://www.moontrail.com/hilleberg-nallo-3-mesh-inner.php

Hilleberg will be offering in October an optional mesh inner tent for the Akto, Nallo 2, and Unna, however I am not clear on whether it will be available for the larger Nallo's.

Hopefully Charlie (VigilGuy) will chime in as I believe he has actually seen them first hand.

EDIT: Wow Zach is on top of things!! Thanks for the link!

Ha, once again, I guess, I'm late to the party? Where do you guys come up with this stuff? Word of mouth?

Anyway, be advised that Hilleberg's outer tents are basically heavy silnylon. When I used my Nallo-2 outer tent alone, I did get some mist-thru, under heavy prolonged rain.
It really picked-up ground condensation too, so things did get a little damp inside. IMO, You'd probably be better off with the standard inner tent for best all around use, because of the added protection it will provide.

For the Nallo 2 owners – what is the weight of the fabric inner?

"For the Nallo 2 owners – what is the weight of the fabric inner?"

2lb, 1oz, according to the Moontrail site. That's without poles or pegs.

Is that the weight of the mesh or solid fabric inner? I can only find the weight of the mesh inner on the moontrail website…

My bad, that's the weight of the mesh inner.

Do you know the weight of or could you weigh the solid fabric inner tent?