Owner: Thomas
Used since: 2018
Tested by: Thomas
Review by: Thomas
Primary Use: Winter hiking and camping, primarily on snow
Review:
It is without a doubt THE best tent I have ever owned in my life (and I owned a lot of tents that I used around the world). The price point indicates that this piece of equipment is not for the occasional weekend camper that shies away from anything other than perfect sunshine and comfortable climate camping.
The tent is expensive and while some may argue that for what it does it is light - to me it is a heavy and bulky tent when you go on extended solo hiking trips. BUT - the tent really shines in bad weather and extreme conditions. I used this tent exclusively for winter camping on snow. You will appreciate its quality once you find safe and comfortable shelter during a heavy snow storm outside. You won’t question its price or its weight when the wind, rain and snow hammers on the outside of the tent while you are staying dry and warm in your sleeping bag inside, the tent not giving way to the harsh weather that unfolds outside.
The ease of putting the tent up even under harsh conditions is a pleasure. A true outer-first construction allows you to quickly pitch the outer, clip it on to the 3 poles and then crawl inside and pitch the inner while keeping out of the wind and rain/snow.
While you could use this tent anywhere anytime, I would not recommend it for warm climates because the ventilation is generally poor due to the side walls going all the way to the ground (this prevents from snow getting blown underneath the outer fly and inside. So in warm weather, you won’t get much airflow. It is also not suitable for lightweight hiking, the tent is bulky and heavy for a 1 person tent (due to its build quality and materials used). I would use this tent only in cold conditions, on the high mountains, in the snow or other harsh conditions where protection from the elements is key.
Used this tent extensively every winter for 4 years now and there are ZERO signs of wear and tear. The build quality is second to none.
Pros:
- Superb build quality
- Strong design that can withstand the strongest storms, whether it be snow or rain or just wind
- True outer-first pitch design, with a quick clip-on system
- Inner tent can be pitched later to keep it dry
- 10 points for guy lines to give the tent super strength in strong winds
- Outer fly tent walls go all the way to the ground to keep snow and rain out in windy conditions and keep the inside warmer.
Cons:
- Only downside when pitching the outer fly is the many guy lines get easily tangled, which can be quite annoying and time consuming to untangle in unpleasant weather.
- Generally poor ventilation due to tent fly going all the way to the ground (which is however essential to keep rain and snow out in windy conditions and also keep the inside warmer)
Manufacturer Website:
https://hilleberg.com/eng/tent/red-label-tents/soulo/
