Hilleberg

Hilleberg Niak

Owner:             Thomas
Used since:       2021
Tested by:        Thomas
Review by:       Thomas
Primary Use:    3-Season Hiking/Camping (non-snow)

Review:
I had luckily not to use an EPIRB in my life yet and hope I never have to. But that aside, I upgraded to this new PLB after my previous one from GME was expired and the replacement battery would have cost almost as much as a brand new one. Since I am always trying to reduce my pack weight and size wherever I can - this PLB is unreal. Its so small and light, you have to take care to not loose it somewhere.

Pros:
- Spacious for 1 person + kit
- Light weight for its size (~ 1.7kg without footprint)
- Amazing build quality and strength as usual for any Hilleberg Tent
- Easy setup and super fast to pitch and take down
- True outer pitch first
- Free standing (can be pitched without any tent pegs in the worst case)

Cons:
- None other than for solo multi-day hiking the weight is not ideal

Comment:
The main advantage of this tent for me is that is is truly free standing, outer pitch first and can be pitched very quickly due to its simple construction.

Manufacturer Website:
https://hilleberg.com/eng/tent/yellow-label-tents/niak/

Hilleberg Soulo 1-Person Expedition Tent

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/

Hilleberg Enan 1-Person Tent

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Owner:             Thomas
Used since:      2020
Tested by:        Thomas
Review by:       Thomas
Primary Use:    Light Weight Multi-Day Hiking, 3 Season

Review:
The design of this tent is very similar to my previous Macpac Sololight tent that I have used for many years. What attracted me to this version from Hilleberg was the fact that I am very impressed with the manufacturing quality of Hilleberg (based on my experience with my Hilleberg Soulo) and that this fairly new 1-person tent is even lighter than the Macpac. I thought I can combine top build quality with reducing weight. As always with a Hilleberg tent, it comes with a hefty price tag of approx. 1k AUD.

I have now used this tent for 1.5 years across all seasons (except on snow). The tent is a lot warmer than the Macpac Sololight, primarily due to the fact that the side walls go all the way to the floor. Putting the tent up is kind of the same awkward way as the Macpac, which I guess is as good as it gets with this type of design. Its not very time consuming or difficult but I am overall not a fan of the way this tent has to be stood up.

As much as I like the build quality and weight of this tent, there are a few major drawbacks for me:

  • The condensation inside the tent in cooler months is insane, probably mainly due to the walls going all the way to the floor. Ventilation is certainly worse than in the Macpac Sololight, but then the Sololight is also not as warm. So I guess a trade off between ventilation, warmth and condensation depending on what season you use the tent in.

  • The space around the head and shoulders inside is VERY narrow. Not sure why but it feels a lot smaller than in the Macpac Sololight. The main issue with this is when it is windy or rains. In windy conditions, the sidewalls will touch your head and face as the tent moves with the wind, thats really annoying when you try to sleep. Never had that issue in the Macpac.

  • The tent is not very strong in windy conditions - despite its product description, I found that this tent is very weak even in moderate winds. It would nee additional anger points along the side walls to help with stability like the Macpac has. Although the Macpac is also not suitable for strong winds, it certainly holds up better than the Enan.

So overall, I have to admit while I like the quality of the tent, I would not buy it again or suggest it to anyone because of the drawbacks mentioned above.

Pros:
- Excellent manufacturing quality, very reliable
- Very light weight makes it ideal for multi-day hikes
- Hilleberg sells an excellent tent footprint tailored for this tent

Cons:
- Expensive
- Ventilation sucks - too hot in summer, too much condensation during colder months
- Too narrow inner tent around the head and shoulders. Side walls move too much in windy conditions and touch head
- Does not cope well in windy conditions

Manufacturer Website:
https://hilleberg.com/eng/tent/yellow-label-tents/enan/