Hilleberg Tent thread

[Stephen M]

After many trips with my 2 buddies my Kaitum 3 has gone to a new
home to make way for it's big brother.

[victor larivee]

Lucky!

[Stephen M]

After a winter trip with my buddies two weeks ago,
I took the executive decision to upgrade from a 3p to a 4p GT.

[Jennifer Mitol]

I wish I had a need for one of these tents. They just look amazing…

I wonder if I could do a 4p GT as a tiny house…………

[Stephen M]

Hi Jen,

Its nearly as big as my first apartment ;-)

[Daryl and Daryl]

Stuart,

Thanks for the links. Videos remind me that I typically backpack in much milder conditions than some others do.

Wind didn't distort the tents much but it sure distorted the conversation. I couldn't understand a thing they were saying.

Daryl in Seattle

[Jennifer Mitol]

So I'm thinking just pitch one of these in the back corner of my brother's lot – like a tiny house, but cooler. Chuck can have the vestibule space for sleeping, I can use the shower and bathroom of my brother's house. I can use my cook set to make meals….

Hey. I might be onto something here!

[Stephen M]

I think you might be Jen,

You could string a power cord out to run a
little fridge and fan, or even a couple of solar panels on the roof :-)

Happy days.

[Jennifer Mitol]

OH MAN! he's got power back there! for a water feature that he's not using, and for some landscape lighting that isn't hooked up. but the electricity boxes are!

my only concern would be the heat of summer………but i guys that's what the pool is for, right?

[Daryl and Daryl]

Having power changes everything.

Hanging a trouble light with a 100 watt bulb inside will keep things warmer and drier.

Coffee in the morning can be heated with one of those heating coils that people take on vacations.

A fan in the summer should keep things cool enough at night.

Radio, tv, music?

[Anonymous]

"my only concern would be the heat of summer………but i guys that's what the pool is for, right?"

That and a net/mesh tent with a reflective cuben top/tarp…

[Stephen M]

It would be great Jen,

The big door has a removeable mesh insert also :-)

[Eric Blumensaadt]

The main modification was placing the crossing pole inside the fly for more support. It is partially held in place by double-sided Velcro cable ties sewn inside at the two reinforcements for the original outer X-ing pole straps. Tension also helps hold it in high winds.

I think the Akto could use this system with TWO inside X-ing poles, somewhat as I've done on my Scarp 2. (See "Winter Hiking" page and search for my "Scarp 2 Winter Mods".)

(Can't seem to get my photos to download at this time. I'll try later.)

[Stephen M]

Hi Eric,

Why not call Petra Hilleberg and mention your mods, she is great
to talk too.

[Doug Smith]

Stephen, congrats on your 4GT! Every time I see one of those huge beasts I conjure up images of family camping and weathering a storm with my wife and kids and two dogs inside, living peacefully. Hahaha. One day I'll have to get one.

Stuart, thanks for posting the comparison photos between the shades of green. And you're correct (as we discussed in PM), the new "Sand" color is a much darker shade than the old sand, and is best described as "bronze". It is an extremely nice color IMHO. It combines the benefits of stealth camping with a pleasing to look at color. Bright enough to feel roomy and yet dark enough to feel like you're actually being shaded from the hot sun.

I'd love to see some more reviews of the Anjan 2… (looking at you Stephen) hahaha. Photos and real world input on longevity are what I'm particularly interested in.

[Ryan ALLISON]

I ended up sitting down and really thinking about pros and cons, but mainly being realistic of what I actually do and need. It lead me to the Anjan 2. I decided I don't need a true mountaineering tent; I just need an extended 3 season tent.

First pitch below. What a tricky situation to get a tent pitched with a few inches of snow and frozen ground!

[Stephen M]

nm

[Doug Smith]

Ryan, great looking tent, you got it in the right color. ;-) I really like how the outer tent fabric now goes all the way to the ground.

Staking in frozen ground is not easy, nor are getting the stakes (or deadman anchors) out. I've found titanium "nail" pegs like the ones Hilleberg sells to be my favorite stakes if I'm only going to carry one. So much of the ground in CA is either very hard or very rocky, and the Ti nails are just about the only thing that go in well. When I went winter camping with my Saitaris I was super happy I'd brought my Ti nails, as they were the only thing I could pound into the several inches of ice on top of ground, where I set up my tent.

Stephen, excellent plan about the friends carrying the Keron 4. Hahahaha

[Stuart .]

I much prefer pitching on a newly stomped snow platform that I can shove my snow and sand pegs in, vs frozen tundra that nothing wants to penetrate. Like you say, Doug, retrieving the pegs next morning can be harder than placing them – the snow and sand pegs are best dug out rather than pulled. I discovered to my annoyance how soft aluminium pegs are.

Must try the ti pegs you mention next time I'm on a thinner snow base.

Edit: added pic.

[Eric Blumensaadt]

Despite Senior Daroli's contention that the Moment design derives from the Scarp design I feel that the Hilleberg Akto is the inspiration for both of them, being the best known of the early central hoop solo tents with a vestibule.

Here are photos of my "winterized" Moment DW with the optional X-ing pole inside the fly. Also shown are guy lines and, barely visible fly hem stakes in the added hem stake loops. Videos of Moment DWs in high winds clearly show the need of fly hem stakes to minimize flapping.

I feel the AKTO could also be "winterized" by adding two X-ing poles beneath the fly as I did on my 2 person Scarp 2, as shown here at BPL in the "Winter Hiking" section.

After testing this winter in the Spring Mountains north of 'Vegas I'll know if the X-ing pole or main pole need to be stronger. I really doubt that will be the case.mg src="/backpackinglight/user_uploads/1420349845_116978.jpg" alt="End view W/center ridge guy on hiking pole" width="550" height="413">

[Doug Smith]

Hey Eric, so how is adding two crossing poles to a single pole design different than the Soulo? I get that your X-poles are underneath the fly, but that seems more cumbersome.

If the goal is to be able to use one shelter for both winter and summer, with different pole configurations, I like it.

[Ken Thompson]

Kinda wish you'd start your own TT love fest thread Eric. You're just being rude.

19 posts in this thread alone, so far…

[Stephen M]

Well said Mr T.

[Doug Smith]

"Kinda wish you'd start your own TT love fest thread Eric. You're just being rude."

Hahaha… I think Ken was brave enough to say what most of us were thinking. I was just chuckling to myself yesterday because Eric has quite a lot of posts in this thread and I think every one of them is about the TT. I'm not a TT hater by any means, I'm sure they are awesome tents, but this isn't a TT thread.

Eric, you've got a lot of great photos, info, and mods to your TT, it is probably deserving of it's own thread, and it would be easier to folks using the search function to find that way.

[Theo Diekmann]

"Ryan, great looking tent, you got it in the right color. ;-) I really like how the outer tent fabric now goes all the way to the ground."

Have they really redesigned the Anjan in that way? I could not find any further (official) info on that. The high outer fly has always been one of the key reasons against the Anjan 2 for me.

[Author]

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