Anjan: One 3 season 2 person tent to rule them all?

Hi Sam,

I have an Anjan 3GT I got recently for trips with my wife.

I too had reservations about the zipper but its a non issue on the GT Version as the pole sleeve covers the zip, also the fly sheet is now a bit lower negating the splash back issue discussed on Trailspace (Hilleberg confirmed this for me). We had ours
out in a horrendous downpour for about 6 hours with no issue.

Its an outstanding tent, I like it so much I have an Anjan 2 coming tomorrow to test out for solo trips.
I can measure the packed size then.

I am posting on a phone so excuse any typos.

Hey Stephen, can you weigh it when you get it?

Am I correct in understanding that the outer fly was lengthened in newer versions due to rain splash back that some testers were noticing?

I don't think there is one perfect tent for all trips and conditions.

There is a new anjan for sale on Whiteblaze for 585 BTW. Owner decided it wasn't what he needed.

Hi Dave,

I sure will weigh it, as far as I remember the 3GT came bang on the advertised weight.

The inner was indeed lowered on the latest version. Hilleberg confirmed this via telephone. I confirmed with the retailer also.

Hi MB,

I was replying to Dave as you posted.
You are correct, there is no one perfect tent. There is always a trade off somewhere.

del

That's a really good write-up of the Anjan on OGL, and some thoughtful feedback by Max in the comments section. It seems like some early adopters still have an axe to grind. To their credit Hilleberg have made design changes to the outer tent to deal with the potential for splashback. I've had nothing but good experiences when I've spoken with Shannon and Petra – they really do stand by their products.

As a Nammatj 2 owner, I really appreciate the zip cover and the dual vents on the outer tent for really gnarly conditions. However that model is built to a whole different standard than the Anjan, and consequently weighs almost 2.5lb more. The Nallo 2 I owned briefly when I first discovered Hilleberg was disappointing as a four season tent, and relatively heavy as a three season tent. But the fact that the Anjan 3 GT weighs exactly the same as the Soulo speaks volumes about how far Hilleberg have come in addressing the needs of the non-winter camper. Initially I poo-poo'd the idea of three season Hillebergs, but I keep browsing the Anjan pages in my catalog. And yes I am really interested in learning more about the Enan coming out next spring. If it's not priced in the stratosphere (pun intended), Henry stands a good chance of losing some of his Notch / Moment DW / Stratospire / Scarp sales back to the company whose Akto design inspired the range of lighter-weight 1P alternatives. Innovation is a grand thing, particularly when the products aren't cheapened.

I'm pleasantly surprised to hear that they lowered the fly on the newer Anjans. Thanks for the info on that Stephen. That was the sole reason I never looked closely at them was because of the splash effect. There are too many Hillebergs to own and not enough time or $$$. Hahaha

I keep looking longingly at the Kaitum 3 GT. I can't believe it is nearly a foot wider in the inner tent than either the Nammatj or Keron 3's. And I really like that the huge vestibule can be opened from either the very end or the "middle"…that leaves so many options for a really nice porch to sit in to enjoy the weather. The problem is in the bigger tents, I like the Kerlon 1800 and 10mm poles. I badly wish Hilleberg would make the Keron 3 or 4 GT's with a second entrance on the end of the GT vestibule, in Kaitum style. I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

You know, some times they will modify their tents, but probably only if you place a huge order. One example I can think of is that there is a military contract version of the Keron that has a GT vestibule on both ends…drool. :)

I am also interested in the Enan Stuart. I was speaking to a Hilleberg dealer who has used one and they mentioned its much the same size as the Atko except as the head and foot end where its narrower.

Doug,

I am sure I posted some pics of the 3GT on the Hillie thread.

I think the Enan design has some significant disadvantages to the Tarptent Moment.

-It has far less headroom and less total volume. Although based on the Akto, it is smaller inside the inner tent.

-It lacks two doors and two vestibules and will likely suffer the same fate as the Akto with respect to condensation management.

-It has no top vent(s). I am blown away by this.

-It only has a single stut at the ends of the tent. I cannot imagine that it will be more stable than that of the Moment which has inverted V shaped struts.

-It is heavier and has a poor space to weight ratio.

-It cannot be rigged to be freestanding like the Moment.

-The Notch is much lighter as it permits the use of trekking poles.

-Odds are that it will be well over $400.

Just my 2C worth.

Dave – valid concerns indeed. The lack of an upper vent really stood out as a questionable design decision, and your other comments ring very true. I won't be an early adopter, but I am looking forward to reading reviews of those who are. However, I'm happy to see Hilleberg expanding beyond their traditional market, and I was much more impressed by the Anjan GT when it came out a year after the Anjan. I do wonder what else Hilleberg have on the design table for the three season market.

As for pricing, I bet it'll be even higher. The Anjan is 87% of the price of the Nallo. If the same logic prevails, the Enan would come in at $430 compared with the Akto's $498 in 2014 pricing. Add a 10% bump for 2015 pricing, which seems to be the norm for Hilleberg USA, and when the Enan is launched it could run $475.

Here is goes Dave,

Tent in Bag 1799g(with tags removed)
Tent bag 37g
Pegs 100g
Peg bag 8g
Poles. 318g
Pole bag with spare pole 50g
Inner 612g
Outer 676g

Poles 17 inch long.

Packed size 21 by 8.

The 3GT is 2356g in its bag.

Thanks Stephen

Oh forgot the 8g for the extra ground straps I asked Hillie for. The straps are so the outer can be pitched by itself.

Sam – to your opening post question about the GT vestibule: There is no standard way to pitch the shelter without the GT vestibule deployed, but you have the option to pitch that over an obstacle (rock, bush) if you have no other suitable site options. The Kerlon 1200 GT models (Nallo and Kaitum) have a really nifty option to roll up and secure the outer tent section beyond the pole in the GT vestibule. That creates a covered but open porch and shortens the length by about 40". Sadly that same function isn't available in the Anjan, Nammatj or Keron models. You can in theory roll the fabric back to the pole in the GT vestibule, but there is no way to secure it.

My solution was to get a Scarp 2 with the ripstop inner. Fast setup, 2 doors & 2 vestibules and lots of space for the weight. The ripstop inner tent has a lot of mesh at the top and is very well ventilated.

THEN I bought the crossing poles and modded the tent for 4 season use by putting the X-ing poles inside the fly. See my photos in the Winter Hiking forum under "Winterizing the Scarp 2". Now the tent can easily handle 65 mph winds with these mods and proper guying. I know because I've tested it in these conditions twice.

Doug – A word of caution about the measurement you saw for the Kaitum 3. It is a generous size, but I can only get three 20" wide pads in there with an inch or two space in between them. Granted the centre pole is longer than the poles by the doors, so the floor is narrower at head and foot. But the measurement they quote (73") seems wildly optimistic even for the width in the middle of the floor. My impression is that is closer to the outer tent width.

Surfing around for any updated information on the Enan, I came across this article on SNET, that quotes an MSRP of $625. Ouch!

http://www.snewsnet.com/news/ill-take-two-2015-tents-for-the-backpacker-and-car-camper/

WOW. That is ambitious to say the least. And no upper vent, Stuart!

I hear you on both counts, Dave. Ambitious is quite the euphemism, though. If SNEWS got the information right, that price will be a non-starter in North America.

As for the upper vent, I suppose they have to keep it different enough than the Akto to avoid cannibalising sales.