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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/