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@@DvineCupcake don't know about "kids tents", but it sure feels strange that people think tunnel tents are weird... Here in Sweden they seem the most common too.
Ah so you finally found Hilleberg, my favorite tent maker. They are definitely worth the money, and hold their value really well too if ever one wants to sell theirs. The big difference is wind and snow loading resistance, where many of the popular North American manufacturers do not fare well. They also put the outer walls of the tent to the ground to prevent spindrift of snow into the interior, and can stay properly ventilated while doing so.
I have a Nallo and hate it: as a real tunnel with two arcs of the same height it would be a lot better: more room and in addition the small arc creates a small angle at the end of the tent so the end of the sleeping bags get wet. And with two arcs of the same height the wind wouldnt blow over the small arc and attack the big arc. As a result the big arc is now quite far away from the end of the tent with the strings. With two arcs of the same height the wind would be stopped from both ends by the first arc. And this arc would be stabilized by strings close by. So it would be more stable. (I lived five years in tents. One year in a Nallo.)
@@The_golden_charlie If you have some rain and wind and open the tent to climb in or out the rain will get blown deep into the tent in this case. (In the tent I use now you can even use the apses for cooking in bad weather while sitting in the open entrance, which is facing downwind. And since the Nallo is a tent made to be used in winter: in a Greenlandic winter snow storm you cant cook outside: the cooker would be blown away. You have to do it in an apside facing downwind. And since you have to melt snow for drinking also even for a single person the cooker would be running for at least an hour. Do you want to open the tent for an hour with the tent facing into a snowstorm? Also you can have changing wind coming from different directions. Or you have uneven terrain: and since the tent is not high enough to sleep with the head in the direction of the end, you want the bigger arc to face uphill. What do you do if the wind is blowing from the valley at the same time? In my opinion its a failure: with two arcs of the same size you wouldnt have this disadvantages. But only advantages: mainly a lot more space. To the prize of only a very few grams.
@@tysonkampbjj Could you please be more specific and give me an example of this other options? What I mean is: the disadvantages of a smaller arc are mainly: -sleeping bag gets wet -tent is less stable in the wind -instead of having 1,5m of space to sit upright in you get 20cm. What are the advantages?
Hilleberg and similar tents like Helsport are needed here in Scandinavia year around in the mountains up north because of the winds. Even in the middle of summer there are winds that simply snap tents in half (even Hilleberg if not correctly positioned or if the wind direction change). That is what they are designed for since they are designed in Scandinavia for Scandinavia. It is a matter of saftey to have a tent like that unless the weather forecast is REALLY stable with good weather.
@@Redneckeverything Hilleberg are too heavy and overpriced for a tent made in a country where the average wage is 600 euros a month. Perhaps check out warmlite gear, made in the USA, lightweight and same price.
I got a tip about Hilleberg from an acquaintance last year and bought the Akto -- their smaller, somewhat less (but still very) robust 1p tent -- and have loved it. I feel absolutely confident taking that tent into the worst blizzard, and it's still light enough for summer use. Hillebergs are definitely more expensive, but for good reason: they test their tents for three years, in every condition, before releasing them, and they use a lot of special construction techniques to keep them high-performance (for example, the outer fly on my Akto only has a single seam, under the pole sleeve, so there are fewer opportunities for leaks). They put a ton of care into their tents, and it shows (fun fact: every single one of their tents is engineered to be easy to set up by one person with gloves on, because you might be in an emergency and really need to set up even a three-person tent on your own). Highly recommended.
They also use a wind tunnel and have their staff practice setting up tents in bad weather to see if it is actually doable. It seems so simple but is actually such a great idea that most companies don't do
Hilleberg is great. But they test it on a fabric in Estonia though. Materials are from Asia Nortent is much better, cheaper and they test them in Norway after designing them and production from fabric
Just wanted to say thanks for all your videos and advice. I’m 41 and did my first solo overnight. Only got down to 30 degrees and had a relaxing time listening to the coyotes. I was the only one in the entire area camping.
@scottg5515… I’d say that’s an absolute success story! Good for you - getting out there, challenging yourself and doing something new. We’re never too old to learn, grow or reinvent our manor of “play”. And your experience illustrates that perfectly. 👍
Bring a shovel and dig out your vestibule in front of the door. It makes putting on your boots much easier and it makes getting in and out of your tent easier. Build a snow wall around your tent to really bomb proof it.
Can’t beat the space to weight ratio of a tunnel tent for the strength they have. They are very common here in New Zealand for anyone that does more than car camping. I’ve seen plenty of these pop up freestanding tents flattened in the mountains but never had an issue with the tunnels.
To add to that Hilleberg uses silicone coated fly's which are better for UV, longevity and strength. The PE or whatever coats are used on other tents like MSR cut the cost, are easy to seal and boast unnecessarily high hydrostatic heads (tent is a short for tension in my mind, like an umbrella with no HH the tension is fundamental to the way the tent beads water,) however that coating is laminated or bonded to the nylon meaning the nylon fibers cannot open to small pin pricks and close again and the ripstop is compromised. Honestly I could write so much about this and no reviews seem to bring it up but in short Hilleberg and other companies like Back and Slingfin don't cut costs and make products that last longer.
Nice one. The biggest shock (and misunderstanding I see) when I get my backpacking friends into mountaineering is the assumption that tents are "strong enough." As you say, they can be. But when they aren't, there are some big consequences. Until you are above treeline, exposed to 60mph gusts during a foot-per-day (or worse) snowstorm, you haven't tested a winter tent's strength requirements.
I live in Manitoba if it can survive ice fishing where you're out in the open and exposed to Highwinds and -30° or colder temperatures.. it's a safe, bet it'll survive the mountains. I agree you get what you pay for and finding something that is strong and light where you know you're not gonna be able to get out of a tight situation easily you're paying for insurance .. But I just use my summer tents all year round and I've never really had an issue
I was once in a three-season tent in a semi-exposed area in middle of the spring at 7,000 feet and I was kept up all night by 25-30 mph gusts blowing the tent over. So yes, having the right tent makes a big difference. We also made a bad choice of camp site selection. The scoured surface of the snow should have been our first clue.
At 68 years old, I get too cold to ski into some high altitude area here in Colorado. But when I did, it was with a North Face Expidition tent. Holds up to wind. Has a vestibule for cooking. And more.
Six years of regular four season use on my four person Coleman, dark room tent... last summer one of the fibreglass polls split and had to be repaired with duct tape.. was still useable for a bunch of camping trips since then, but I just upgraded to some aluminum poles I bought on Amazon. Proof that you don't need expensive gear to camp out even in winter . That Coleman has never leaked although I do regularly seal, the rain fly with silicone spray. And since this is my first time, switching out to Amazon, aluminum poles, I bought two sets in case they break . And I still have the original fibreglass poles, even the one with all the duct tape on it.. I am looking at making a skirt for my nature hike, one person, bike packer tent to see how it performs in the cold. previous 2 years. I've just used a large tarp over it and it's worked fine in all seasons. For me, the difference between a summer tent, and a Fourseason tent is the size of tarp you put over it . 🤷♂️
The Hilleberg Nallo is also my go-to tent for solo winter camping. It is quite heavy but has proven countless times that it can withstand high-winds and heavy snow fall. Unlike the Soulo from Hilleberg, one will have to push against the outer from within from time to time when it snows heavily to push off the snow. The Soulo is, unfortunately, way too small for me. Winter time hiking means spending quite some time in tent...
I have a Hilleberg Saivo. I bought a set of double-poles for high wind conditions (recommended) and the footprint that goes under the tent. It packs relatively lightly for being a three person tent and two adults can easily spread out a little. On a couple of days we were mostly confined to being inside the tent during heavy rains and thunderstorms and even set up a cooking burner under the back cupola (I call them the front and back porches). We made do with a candle lantern and a portable radio to listen to music while we read books while the winds, rain and sleet pounded down outside.
@@florindagonzalez5700 Yeah you have to buy the extra separately. Hilleberg sells spare parts for almost all aspects of their tents though front inners to poles and guys
Great video, check out Kuiu Mountain star 2 , just spent a 2 day Scottish storm in it, adapts to add trekking poles making it bombproof, didn't flicker with the worst Scotland storms could throw!
I've got both the mountain star and the storm star I take the storm star in winter the mountain star is 2 drafty but agree about the trekking poles I've done that in high winds in the lake District
Here in the UK I use Hillebergs primarily because of the crazy winds and rain we can experience all year round. They are extremely sturdy and the single pitch design is also incredibly convenient in terrible weather. I like my Big Agnes but I just wouldn’t trust it here. Nice video 👍
EXCELLENT video on the types of tents for each season. I made my Tarptent Moment DW into a 4 season tent by running the optional Crossing Pole UNDER the fly and securing it with shortened, double-sided Velcro straps sewn under the fly at the locations of the exterior reinforcements for this X-ing Pole. I had to shorten the X-ing Pole about 5 inches with a small pipe cutter, crushing the excess with pliers until it broke to get it off the shock ccrd. The main pole is heavier for winter and GOES THROUGH A SLEEVE on the fly. With ALL guy lines out, side and ends, and the fly staked down this tent easily withstood 35 mph steady winds and a few 50 -60 mph gusts in an extreme windstorm here in Nevada. But my MAIN 4 season tent is the "2 1/2 person" Tarptent SCARP II. I have added a stronger main, sleeved pole and yes, placed the optional X-ing Poles UNDER the fly, securing them with the mentioned sewn-in Velcro straps and end grommets on A-shaped CF corner struts. This tent is BOMBPROOF! Both tents have 2 doors and 2 vestibules..
I've been researching 4 season tents and the big agnes expedition is on my list, I have the summer version of it and LOVE it. Looked at teh Hillebergs as well, but just can't quantify it. I am working on a way to add my trekking poles to the cross bar of the big agnes similar to what the slingfin crossbow tent does to add strength.
A lesson learned about tents that use sleeves for the support poles -- the sleeves can freeze to the pole if they get wet (from condensation) dure to warmer temps during the day or when someone is inside warming up interior temps, then condensation freezes to ice over the colder night. I have had to use my hands to thaw the sleeves and free the poles so that I could take down the tent --- COLD !
Great presentation. At 3:00, there are a number of tents with similar cross pole design, great in many conditions also are an aquiles heel in wind to the tent doors faces. There is a possibility to support it with walking poles adding substantial rigidity and should help somewhat with snow loading too. Probably you would favour a different tent if high winds/snow is expected, but maybe can save the day with unexpected conditions.
Mesh ==freezing. I live somewhere very windy, not cold (typical spring/autumn temps are about 5C). I watched your wind test and was really impressed by how well the tarp tent performed. Had written them off as a trend, but I think I'll look again. We have shallow soil here, so self-supporting tents would do well.
great video, great comment community too, thanks! I also chuckle because my grandpa grew up on the prairies and they didn't use tents as a kid, you slept in skins in the sleigh or you cut down branches and made a quinzee. but there are too many humans on planet earth now for us all to go around cutting branches off trees just to sleep. still, $1k for a tent does hurt!
Most casual weekend winter backpackers will check the weather and not go out into a storm with 50+ mph winds and significant snowfall. IF you do end up in that situation you can step outside and knock the snow off your tent every few hours, so maybe ONCE over the course of the night should keep your roof from collapsing... 3 season Hubba Hubba should be FINE based on the scenario you proposed.
Thank you for this! Living in and recreating in the mountain west in alpine environments I have this for your viewers: get a Hilleberg or Black Diamond or equivalent 4 season tent. They will be more expensive and somewhat heavier but you will not regret this especially if the situation turns nasty 😊
Some folks even camp in Hammocks in snow territory. There are some steps you need to do and can actually use the snow as a barrier against any wind. A good top quilt and bottom quilt will keep you warm and comfortable. A rain fly ( Tarp ) over the hammock sheds the snow and depending on how it's set up even blocks the wind in 360 degrees. Picture a hammock strung inside a tent without a floor as a practical way of explaining that tarp.
I understand the vid. I understand the message. My Nemo Hornet 1p would disagree. I've had no issue with snowfall. Luck? Idk but after like 6 different times, I'm not so sure. I spray my rain fly with DWR 2x a yr. Maybe that helps? Just a casual backpacker making assumptions here. My one helpful tip, if you're doing water bottles as opposed to a bladder, invest in a few drink coozies. Flip em on the tops of your bottles. No more morning frozen water and no more boiling desert plastic water. Me and my crew are the only ones doing this. It legit helps and only costs a few grams. Make sure to get the right size, obviously.
Camping in the snow is hardcore. I've actually never even touched snow! I live in Australia in an area where it never snows, but it does get mildly cold. 0C is considered a pretty cold morning here in winter but it always warms up to 8 to 14C or so in winter. I'm looking into buying a good tent. I started out with a cheap one but want something to make me more comfortable.
I did a week in Wyoming in Bridger national forest about 3-4 years ago. I don’t know exactly what people consider extreme cold but it was about 20 degrees a few mornings If I remember correctly. Had my hammock and a tarp. I strung the tarp at each end to a solid 2 foot wide tree. Laced one end super tight to the tree to keep rain snow and wind out then did half on the other end to leave an an entrance. I was very comfortable with a 0 degree bag with a busted zipper. No heat at all. Probably the coldest weather I’ve ever been out in was my car at around -5 with the same 0 degree bag. Worst part about sleeping in these conditions is having to wear a winter hat. Did 6 months twice in the back of a ford ranger in winter when I first got my current job. Probably the coolest temperature was around 5-8 above. I love being outside.
Most people only go camping/backpacking from spring through fall (3 seasons). However, you need to be prepared to "bug out" in the event of an emergency and prepared for any season so that you can survive, which is why you should have a 4-season tent. The only negative with those pole sleeves is that the stitching that holds the sleeves to the tent can come undone.
I've had a hilleberg kaitum 3 for over 7 years now and I absolutely love it. We got it right after our daughter was born, and now with three kids still would rather all cram into it than use another tent, which we have tried, and they have failed us. We are about to need more space though, I wish there was a 5 person trekking pole tent.
I have 3 Hilleberg and 3 Dyneema tent among those a Durston X-Mid PRO. Ive used Hilleberg tents for 30 years both professionella and private. But... there are some things to know about the Hilleberg. Don't bye the Black lable tents, you don't need it! Most people are good with a Durston or a Hyperlight tent in winter to be honest. Because a black lable tent are made for artic expeditions. They are like bombshelters yes... but 99% of the time a normal person don't need it and the negative side is the weight. So therefore, if you are looking for a hilleberg tent, look at a red lable tent just as shown in this video. I van talk a lot about this. I teach winter hiking and winter survival here in Sweden. So if you have any questions just shoot. So because of the wind conditions during winter in Sweden, most people use the Hilleberg tents and theres a reason for thqt of course. My recommendation for 1person would be the Soulo red lable free-standing tent (my tent weighs 2.2kg), it the lightest most versetile 4-season Hilleberg tent in there line up and it can handle anything and the worst winter weather out there! But I agree with everything said in this video. Brilliantly done PS, in winter, use a pulk to transport your gear with skies. Mutch better then any other option. Especially if you have a heavy tent
We bought our first Nammatj 2 in 1983 and did 4 months of Himalayan trekking with it, + Finnish & Swedish Lapland. With kids next was Keron 4GT, then Akto, Nallo 3GT and now retired and kids gone, Anaris. Keron is the true bombshelter, but the weight does not matter with canoe (paddle camps with grandchildren) or with a car. Or pulk in winter.
I've watched some Scandinavian videos about winter camping in tunnel telts. They sometimes shovel snow to create a bit of a moat around the tent; usually when they expect a night time snow storm. They seem to always dig out a lot of snow from the vestibule area. I've never been snow camping so I reckon I wouldn't have come up with that brilliant idea, at least not on my first trip (or second...😁). Sure, there's a little bit of substantial effort needed to clear an at minimum 3×3 ft, 2 ft deep area of snow but hey! a little physical labour never killed anybody! Seems quite safe to do your vestibule cooking when the stove's at the bottom of a hole. The added bonus obviously is the possibility of sitting down comfortably in a sort of bench position: bum on the edge and legs down in the hole. Almost like a normal person. And you don't have to lug around your dollhouse sized $180 chair. Plus you can prepare your little toilet setup down there before you go to bed; very practical in case you wake up in the middle of night because you have to go💩 like, RIGHT NOW! Of course you're gonna be fully aware of your completely new surroundings in that situation and remember you have a massive hole in the ground right outside your tent door!
Hilleberg, Helsport, Barents Outdoor, Fjällräven are all brands that are very expensive. However, their tents offer exceptional quality and can withstand the harshest weather conditions. These tents are incredibly durable and will last for many years. The only drawback is that they tend to be heavy and the inner tent is not free-standing, making them more suitable for cold and wet climates rather than very hot areas. Personally, I own a relatively affordable Helsport tent that is exclusively sold through a local sports chain. Despite its more budget-friendly price, it still provides good value and quality. While it may not be on par with the expensive models, it is arguably the best tent in its price range.
KUIU Storm Star tent is bomb proof. Made in the USA and materials sourced in USA. Hilleberg tents are great but flappy in strong wind, the Storm Star 2p tent, great weight, and half the price of hillebergs.
While I own a heavy 4-season tunnel tent, I prefer my much lighter single pole tipi-tents for winter. My floorless "4-person" tipi weighs a bit over two lbs with the pole and stakes. The shape shrugs off heavy winds, and the snow just piles up on the sides.
As adventurous person myself. I want to buy the best products out there to save me $$. And of course, avoid the need to buy, again. At this moment, I have the North Face Mountain 25 and the Hilleberg NAMMATJ 3 GT. Both tents are quite heavy. And not really suited for the Australian climate. In short, we don’t have such snowy conditions. Well, not like what you have over there. But, on our highest peak at 1,987m ,we get some serious winds. I found the Hilleberg to be outstanding. And I haven’t used the Mountain 25 since. (Years) The unfortunate thing, they are both heavy. Just over 4KG. So, this gives me a bargain tool with the misses to buy another Hilleberg which is made for trekking. Great channel mate
lol. here in finland the tunnel tents are such a standard that it´s the experts that carry the lighter tents like the msr. of course the experts also know you can´t have the light tent in the fells and mountains and takes their tunnel instead but those needs are extremely rare. also ok quality tunnel tents can be had at under 100 bucks (my 3 person helsport was 125) but if you want something lighter like the hubba hubba or tnf triarch you have to pay 500-600 bucks! that´s why they are rare and only real enthusiasts can afford them.
Hilleberg owner here, and I can say that I've tried most of their models. All their tunnel tents are more comfortable, but if I need to pitch above the treeline in strong winds, I will prefer either the Staika or the Soulo. On my last trip, I decided to switch and took the Nammatj 2GT, but the downside of these tents in very windy conditions (as with the Nallo) is that you need to be very careful when setting them up, unlike the Staika/Soulo(you can check my video "Solo snow camping in the mountains with brutal winds | Hilleberg Nammatj" to see what I mean). This is due to the way the poles are inserted. In the Nallo/Nammatj, they slide through sleeves, whereas in the Staika/Soulo, they use clips. Believe me, this makes a big difference when you're above the treeline in strong winds. I completely agree with you that there are other tents, costing a third of the price and lighter than the Hilleberg, but when I'm up there in harsh conditions, I feel much safer inside a Hilleberg. And believe me, it's not just in my head...
Our family has used Hilleberg tents for over 40 years, starting from Nammatj 2 (retired) purchased for Nepal in 1983, to Keron 4GT (now second one), Acto, Nallo 3GT and Anaris. Also other premium brands, Terra Nova geodetics mostly for Himalayan and Kun Lun adventures. One thing about the Nallo line: they are the lightest tunnel models from Hilleberg, those who really need failsafe expedition tents would choose either Nammatj GT or Keron GT models for stronger materials and even more space (Keron). Most if not all polar adventures use Keron 3GT or 4GT models, often with extra snow skirts added.
I have 3 mountaineering tents ….a Ferrino snowbound 2, Northface ve-25 and an alps mountaineering Tasmanian 2. These are all considered to be 4 season tents but they are not equally as capable. There are sub categories in 4 season tents….there are some that can go anywhere and like the Tasmanian above there are some made for subalpine use…..this is below the tree line trips. The subalpine 4 season tents are generally lighter and not as strong….cheers!
Build up a snow wall around your tent to reduce draft, even on a lower to the ground fly. Using the natural elements to augment the benefits of your tools. Such as using pine needles to scrub our titanium cookware.
I'd really like to see your take on the Kuiu Storm Star. I switched to the storm star after 60mph winds shredded my Marmot 3 season on Mt Rainier. The Storm Star is bombproof and under 6lbs (pretty good for a true 4 season).
Nice to see some Hilleberg! In Sweden they are very used, probably because it’s a Swedish company. Very reliable for mountain expeditions and has never failed me. Very much recommend.
Hilleberg tunnel tents and similar products from other brands are very popular in Finland and Norway too. They are great for the conditions in Nordic countries, perform great in windy conditions. And in winter in freezing temperatures that extra room for cooking inside the tent is really a huge plus. In -20°C and wind you really don't want go cooking outside. I have had Nallo 3 GT for several years and it truly is a great tent. Although, nowadays I mostly use Durston X-Mid in other than winter conditions because of the weight and packing size. Hilleberg classifies Nallo as "red label" tent, i.e. "lightweight 4-season tent". Hilleberg's black label tents like Keron are the real arctic expedition 4-season tents, those things can withstand almost any weather and work really well in cold winter conditions.
My Russian Bear UP-5 tent with insulated floor and wood stove does wonders in the winter, although some backpackers complain about the 100+ pounds it all weighs. With that said the Marmot Fortress UL tent worked pretty well for me after getting a 4 inch unexpected snow.
Just googled that tent... Wowzers! How many people can share the weight... I.e. how many separate parts make up that weight? Probably overkill for my occasional trips in UK and France!
The Russian Bear tent family is not designed for backpacking. It is essentially an expedition style tent designed for extreme cold weather. I have the tent in three bags; the main tent bag is about 65 pounds, the wood stove about 35 pounds, and the insulated floor about 15 pounds. I drive it to where I’m staying whether it’s by my car or off-road vehicle.
I'm a tarp and hammock guy, every season. In the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, USA it can get brutally cold, it might snow but that's becoming more rare and a foot would be record-setting. Torrential rain at times with high winds and tornadoes are not impossible. There are always trees to set up what you need and I haven't used a tent in forever. If I ever moved I'm sure I'd change my mind and seek out a good tent.
TARPTENT has the answers for 90% of backpackers. Yes, I'm a Tarptent fanboy, having owned 5 of them. Tarptent avoids the ONE bad thing most tentmakers have. Namely Tarptents can be set up with INNER TENT AND FLY TOGETHER. This avoids getting the inner tent wet setting up or taking down in rain or wet snow, a BIG deal. Plus they set up 2X as fast.
I did a lot of research before cycling around the world and brought the hilleberg nallo 2gt. Although light weight it had so many issues. The condensation was so bad we would often have wet gear on dry nights and only ever had two nights in 6 months of camping where the tent was dry which we put down to a few things. The vents were not high enough at the front, the foot end was to close to the inner which would touch especially in wind. the roof had to much flat area where droplets would form and being a very lightweight material would shake off in the slightest of wind. With it only having one entrance the risk of the zip failing and not having another entrance was to high. There was no through draft which you can get with other tents by opening opposing doors in hot conditions. Hard to put up indoors where you might use around high mosquitoes areas. I’m sure this tent has its place but it’s not for us. We ended up with a hubba hubba which he’s right it’s not brilliant in high wind and the sides could do with going down further but was an excellent tent
Thank you for this review. Currently, I have an MSR Advance Pro 2, which I've been using for many years at high altitudes and in very snowy conditions, so mostly in "survival" mode. I have a month-long trek planned in 2025 in the mountains of Greenland (much lower altitude), and I'm considering a tent with a bit more comfort than my Advance (not great against humidity, but that’s expected with a single-wall design). Ideally, I'm looking for something with a vestibule if possible but still aiming to stay lightweight, with a capacity for 1 person, or at most 2. Otherwise, there’s the Samaya (which costs a kidney). Do you know of any other models that could work as a 4-season tent for somewhat "extreme" cases that would be softer/more comfortable than the Advance but under around 1.5/1.7kg and, if possible, freestanding? The only ones I’ve found so far are the MSR Access 2 or Samaya 2, but I haven’t seen many others... If you know of any others, I’d love to hear! 👌✌
I would enjoy seeing a comparison of a quality tent, such as the Hilleberg, to some of the cheap versions, such as the Naturehike Opalus. I accept that the Hilleberg would be vastly superior (at four times the cost), but I wonder whether the cheaper tunnel tents might be better winter options than some of the more expensive dome tents.
I got the Yamaha tunnel tent it's like that for 90 bucks I also installed a stove jack on the vestable wish I could share pics on here that way I could use my wood stoves in it love the tent great tent for that price you get the tent a ground sheet and inside tent booth inside and ground sheet are removable so u can just pitch the tunnel and use it as shelter or thro some cots down and use the stove if the ground is wet
I use a One Tigris Stella in the winter and a Scaena in the other 3 seasons. Both are very durable and I've never had an issue with either plus they won't break your bank. Crazy how many people spend over $300-400 because sponsored or wealthy people told them it's the only way to go lol
I remember one time I had just set up a Hilleberg Nammatj on a mountain when a Super Puma (medium lift helicopter) decided fly right over our tent at 10 ft altitude and then land a few yards away. A guy jumped out and asked us if we had seen some guys and we pointed them in the general direction of a party we spotted earlier in the day. The guy thanked us and jumped back in. Now at this point our tent was still fine. But I swear to God, when they took off they f-ing punched it and I watched in horror as our tent repeatedly jumped 3 ft up in the air and then slammed down into the ground, deformed in ways you wouldn't believe, until the rocks we had secured it with finally gave way and it blew off. Now here's the thing, there was Nothing broken on that tent. We simply walked over and got it, and then put it up again.
I have a 4-season-tent, but I rarely use it, because it's heavier to carry. It's more comfortable, but on these short trips that I usually make in winter, I don't care much about that. I once tried the Grande Traversee du Jura on ski's in winter, with a bivy. That was even lighter, and more uncomfortable, which was one of the reasons I stopped half way. Most of the time, I use a three season tent, 400 euros. It weighs 1,7 kgs, and with snow pegs it works fine, even with some snowfall. It has a small canopy, big enough to cook and put some things in. For two people, it would be too small. But then, I can take the 4-season tent and share the weight. The rest of the Traversee du Jura, I also completed with the 3-season tent. Temperatures got not worse than -8 deg. C, so that was okay. I even used it in -22. It was too cold to prepare a kind of breakfast in the morning, so while walking, I took some biscuits and some water that I kept in the sleeping bag during the night. That was the most extreme that I experienced and it wasn't that bad. In my experience, you don't really need a 4-season tent, a good self-inflatable mattress and sleeping bag are much more important. I use an MSR stove on gasoline. And, if you stop moving and set up your tent, get into your sleeping bag while you are still warm. I even forgot my down jacket once, and with my fleece jersey, I was fine like this.
I have a 2 person tunnel tent with a large vestibule (from some cheaper manufacturer) and I would barely change it to anything. It's a bit heavy at 2.4 kg IIRC, but when UK winter camping - it's awesome. Because it rains often in the mountains, you rarely get dry evening or morning, so cooking food comfortably really helps. There were couple cases, when 4 of us would make food in my tent, because others had basically no space for it. Highly recommend if traveling in places where bad weather is common
I dunno... I think that nothing beats those cheap igloo tents, the ones with just two fibre glass poles in a cross. Needs to have two layers, which makes any water infiltration a non issue if the tent is stretched out properly. They're cheap, sufficiently light, and can retain a bit of heat too.
What I don't like with the Hubba tent is that it's not possible to extend the outside layer down to the ground. Sometimes you want less airflow. I have had some cold nights even in summer in Norway
Which orange Arcteryx jacket are you wearing in the video? Agree with your assessment (and often do). Hillebergs are incredibly well designed and built - I've had one which was rock solid for winter use, supporting snow and quiet in windy weather.
Love the windtest by car! Just curious: there are plenty of alternative brands with same shape like a hilleberg tent but at half the price. You may want to explain a bit more about the differences some time.
Tired of everyone pushing Hilleberg, they are too expensive and overrated. I’ve used Vango F10 tunnel tents for over a decade now in ALL conditions and even this winter in -25.c . TH-cam outdoors channels are obsessed with Hilleberg. You do not have to pay that extortionate price to go camping and quite honestly it’s not needed. Hilleberg do not have the TBS system Vango does. The main tents I use are now 13 years old and are still in great shape.
Nice tent, albeit heavy and big to carry if backpacking compared to others. That’s the problem with a winter tent overall, though as you noted there are some other choices. Personally I don’t like 3 season plus or convertible tents as it seems like you get a bit of the worst of each…quite a bit heavier and still not really good in winter. I’m always surprised how well some 3 season tents will do if properly guyed out, but definitely use a 4 season if expecting any significant snow (not really for other seasons unless in strong winds). Speaking of snow…doesn’t look like you have very much yet. Here on the Westcoast of Canada we have very little this year so far in our mountains..maybe a base of 16cm at around 1000m. Hard on ski hills (many have only a few runs open as even making snow has been tough as so warm) and could be a real problem for fire season and water levels if it doesn’t improve.
Unfortunately, I have no need for a 4-season tent out here on the East Coast. My wife and I plan to move to CO next year, so I may have to finally get my hands on one. What are your thoughts on an X-Mid Solid for a 4 season tent? I see them used in UK a bunch due to high winds they have out there. Thanks for the video Steven! Keep up the great work!
My question too. Sadly I can not attach pictures but I used X-Mid in snowy night and snow sheds off exceptionally well. Nevertheless I used a fly-only pitch in freezing temperatures.
well, ive got myself the doite zolo special 1, and its actually pretty resistent to winds and harsh climates as long as youve got a warm drink and good cold coverage
I've been dealing with the same issues as you with low light while filming in winter. You can get rid of most of that noise in your shots or the "crawling ants" by using a plugin called "Neat Video". Also those expedition tents provide a place to take a crap when there is a major storm outside and you're stuck in the tent for multiple days.
LOL! in 1992 I drove the sag wagon for my biker buddies on Ride the Rockies and all I had to do was be in the next town for each leg of the ride. Being a hick from the sticks a couple states east, the scenery is freaking awesome and driving somewhere past Rand Colorado I spied an awesome couple of mountain peaks (Parkview and Haystack Mts) and a totally freaking awesome overlook sloping up, with a perfect precipice to trek up to with my watercolors and mother green I had packed for the trip. So I parked the camperwagon and made it to the just amazing view with rock ledge seat to sit on at the edge up at the top of the overlook, and sat down an commenced to start watercolorin' and contemplate the green when I start to notice a rumbleing sound. Getting Louder. And was thinking, WTF is going on and maybe the green was a little too strong, when, I shit you not, a freaking passenger jet comes flying along pretty much at my level maybe a little higher, maybe a half mile away. and flies right between the two peaks - headed north west I guess. So I can relate man! I can relate. (if you're wondering watch the clip to the end) Thanks for the awesome videos!
My parents have had a similar tent from Hilleberg and it have survived almost 20 6ears of intensive backpacking so you can say that it is really good quality of the tents
True, but it's a bit more fussy to set up. If I have to set up my tent, alone, in a snow storm I know which one I would choose. That's why I bought a Keron 3gt.
I've always used a MSR Hubba Hubba NX, or Hubba... haven't had any problems with them. Would like to get a true 4 season winter tent. Talk about newb... that stove is not a 4 season stove for many reasons. 😅😂
@MyLifeOutdoors I am going car camping in Ocala National Forest the end of January and the weather should be in the 40s at night and 60s during the day. It may even get a little cooler than that. My 8-year-old tent leaks not only from the top but also from the window areas. I was thinking of getting a 4 mil extra large tarp and covering the tent with it (top and even the windows) and then putting the rainfly on top of that with most likely no Gap. I would raise the tarp above the windows when it's not raining. It rains pretty much every time we go there. Is this a really bad idea? I don't think there will be trees in the spot that we're at so I can't hang it above. Should I just buy a new tent? I'd rather go the tarp route because it's so much less $ and the tent still is holding up otherwise. I'm not too concerned about the temperature during the day inside the tent. I'll have the windows open. More concerned about night time temperature and the condensation.
Car camping allows for bigger risks because you can just leave if things get bad. So if you want to try the tarp first i think you certainly can. I think the worst that can happen is condensation pooling in the floor getting things wet or freezing to the walls if it gets cold enough. That tarp won’t breathe at all so if it does rain condensation is going to be so bad it will be like you still have a leak. I’d probably get a new tent but like I said the car allows for bigger risks so if you don’t want to spend the money the tarp is worth a try.
@@MyLifeOutdoors thanks for the quick reply. I only camp once a year in the same location (Ocala) and like 6-8 person instant tents. Have any recommendations under $225? Im looking at the core 6 person instant, gazelle t4 or some cheaper brands like coleman or Ozark Trail.
@@MyLifeOutdoors I'm just wondering if it makes more sense to spend the money on a 10x15 tarp and 4 extendable tarp poles and just keep the tent that I have. Check out the video at the 4 minute and 30 second mark and please let me know your pros and cons. The only downside I see is that it takes up more space because of the guy lines. th-cam.com/video/NZvH1FBxuNo/w-d-xo.html
Check out Moosejaw: geni.us/5eRAf
Use Code MLOMJ to get 10% off. Some exclusions do apply.
*Tents featured in this video:*
Three Season Tent: geni.us/zhUAT
Three Plus Season: geni.us/WwYV
Four Season Tent: geni.us/tRGAa
Just wondering what you think of inflatable tents such as
HEIMPLANET Original The Cave 2-3 Person Dome Tent
Good to see someone explain tunnel tents. I get some odd looks when I drag mine out for winter camps, but they are super snug and impervious to snow.
+1, I thought they were cat-toys and kid-toys
@@meljane8339In Norway we look at dome tents as kids tents.
@@DvineCupcakeAs a Norwegian, I can confirm this.
@@DvineCupcake don't know about "kids tents", but it sure feels strange that people think tunnel tents are weird... Here in Sweden they seem the most common too.
What makes it weird using it in winter? You sound like a couch warrior.
Ah so you finally found Hilleberg, my favorite tent maker. They are definitely worth the money, and hold their value really well too if ever one wants to sell theirs. The big difference is wind and snow loading resistance, where many of the popular North American manufacturers do not fare well. They also put the outer walls of the tent to the ground to prevent spindrift of snow into the interior, and can stay properly ventilated while doing so.
Finally u bring a Scandinavian tent in the mix ;)
Hilleberg Nallo owner here. Superb in Scottish weather. Can relax when backpacking knowing it just won't fail. A good tent is an investment.
I have a Nallo and hate it: as a real tunnel with two arcs of the same height it would be a lot better: more room and in addition the small arc creates a small angle at the end of the tent so the end of the sleeping bags get wet. And with two arcs of the same height the wind wouldnt blow over the small arc and attack the big arc. As a result the big arc is now quite far away from the end of the tent with the strings. With two arcs of the same height the wind would be stopped from both ends by the first arc. And this arc would be stabilized by strings close by. So it would be more stable. (I lived five years in tents. One year in a Nallo.)
@@scheisstag The big arc is meant to face into the wind.
@@The_golden_charlie If you have some rain and wind and open the tent to climb in or out the rain will get blown deep into the tent in this case. (In the tent I use now you can even use the apses for cooking in bad weather while sitting in the open entrance, which is facing downwind. And since the Nallo is a tent made to be used in winter: in a Greenlandic winter snow storm you cant cook outside: the cooker would be blown away. You have to do it in an apside facing downwind. And since you have to melt snow for drinking also even for a single person the cooker would be running for at least an hour. Do you want to open the tent for an hour with the tent facing into a snowstorm? Also you can have changing wind coming from different directions. Or you have uneven terrain: and since the tent is not high enough to sleep with the head in the direction of the end, you want the bigger arc to face uphill. What do you do if the wind is blowing from the valley at the same time?
In my opinion its a failure: with two arcs of the same size you wouldnt have this disadvantages. But only advantages: mainly a lot more space. To the prize of only a very few grams.
@@scheisstag They have other options to suit your use case
@@tysonkampbjj Could you please be more specific and give me an example of this other options?
What I mean is: the disadvantages of a smaller arc are mainly: -sleeping bag gets wet -tent is less stable in the wind -instead of having 1,5m of space to sit upright in you get 20cm.
What are the advantages?
Hilleberg and similar tents like Helsport are needed here in Scandinavia year around in the mountains up north because of the winds. Even in the middle of summer there are winds that simply snap tents in half (even Hilleberg if not correctly positioned or if the wind direction change). That is what they are designed for since they are designed in Scandinavia for Scandinavia.
It is a matter of saftey to have a tent like that unless the weather forecast is REALLY stable with good weather.
@@Redneckeverything Hilleberg are too heavy and overpriced for a tent made in a country where the average wage is 600 euros a month.
Perhaps check out warmlite gear, made in the USA, lightweight and same price.
I got a tip about Hilleberg from an acquaintance last year and bought the Akto -- their smaller, somewhat less (but still very) robust 1p tent -- and have loved it. I feel absolutely confident taking that tent into the worst blizzard, and it's still light enough for summer use. Hillebergs are definitely more expensive, but for good reason: they test their tents for three years, in every condition, before releasing them, and they use a lot of special construction techniques to keep them high-performance (for example, the outer fly on my Akto only has a single seam, under the pole sleeve, so there are fewer opportunities for leaks). They put a ton of care into their tents, and it shows (fun fact: every single one of their tents is engineered to be easy to set up by one person with gloves on, because you might be in an emergency and really need to set up even a three-person tent on your own).
Highly recommended.
They also use a wind tunnel and have their staff practice setting up tents in bad weather to see if it is actually doable.
It seems so simple but is actually such a great idea that most companies don't do
Cannot recommend Hilleberg enough for their tarps alone. Seriously the best quality camping gear I’ve had the pleasure of using
Hilleberg is great. But they test it on a fabric in Estonia though. Materials are from Asia
Nortent is much better, cheaper and they test them in Norway after designing them and production from fabric
Just wanted to say thanks for all your videos and advice. I’m 41 and did my first solo overnight. Only got down to 30 degrees and had a relaxing time listening to the coyotes. I was the only one in the entire area camping.
@scottg5515… I’d say that’s an absolute success story! Good for you - getting out there, challenging yourself and doing something new. We’re never too old to learn, grow or reinvent our manor of “play”. And your experience illustrates that perfectly. 👍
Bring a shovel and dig out your vestibule in front of the door. It makes putting on your boots much easier and it makes getting in and out of your tent easier. Build a snow wall around your tent to really bomb proof it.
Can’t beat the space to weight ratio of a tunnel tent for the strength they have. They are very common here in New Zealand for anyone that does more than car camping. I’ve seen plenty of these pop up freestanding tents flattened in the mountains but never had an issue with the tunnels.
To add to that Hilleberg uses silicone coated fly's which are better for UV, longevity and strength. The PE or whatever coats are used on other tents like MSR cut the cost, are easy to seal and boast unnecessarily high hydrostatic heads (tent is a short for tension in my mind, like an umbrella with no HH the tension is fundamental to the way the tent beads water,) however that coating is laminated or bonded to the nylon meaning the nylon fibers cannot open to small pin pricks and close again and the ripstop is compromised. Honestly I could write so much about this and no reviews seem to bring it up but in short Hilleberg and other companies like Back and Slingfin don't cut costs and make products that last longer.
Nemo does the same with the Kunai.
Nice one. The biggest shock (and misunderstanding I see) when I get my backpacking friends into mountaineering is the assumption that tents are "strong enough." As you say, they can be. But when they aren't, there are some big consequences. Until you are above treeline, exposed to 60mph gusts during a foot-per-day (or worse) snowstorm, you haven't tested a winter tent's strength requirements.
I live in Manitoba if it can survive ice fishing where you're out in the open and exposed to Highwinds and -30° or colder temperatures.. it's a safe, bet it'll survive the mountains.
I agree you get what you pay for and finding something that is strong and light where you know you're not gonna be able to get out of a tight situation easily you're paying for insurance ..
But I just use my summer tents all year round and I've never really had an issue
I was once in a three-season tent in a semi-exposed area in middle of the spring at 7,000 feet and I was kept up all night by 25-30 mph gusts blowing the tent over. So yes, having the right tent makes a big difference. We also made a bad choice of camp site selection. The scoured surface of the snow should have been our first clue.
At 68 years old, I get too cold to ski into some high altitude area here in Colorado. But when I did, it was with a North Face Expidition tent. Holds up to wind. Has a vestibule for cooking. And more.
Six years of regular four season use on my four person Coleman, dark room tent... last summer one of the fibreglass polls split and had to be repaired with duct tape.. was still useable for a bunch of camping trips since then, but I just upgraded to some aluminum poles I bought on Amazon.
Proof that you don't need expensive gear to camp out even in winter . That Coleman has never leaked although I do regularly seal, the rain fly with silicone spray.
And since this is my first time, switching out to Amazon, aluminum poles, I bought two sets in case they break . And I still have the original fibreglass poles, even the one with all the duct tape on it..
I am looking at making a skirt for my nature hike, one person, bike packer tent to see how it performs in the cold. previous 2 years. I've just used a large tarp over it and it's worked fine in all seasons.
For me, the difference between a summer tent, and a Fourseason tent is the size of tarp you put over it . 🤷♂️
He gets paid to promote expensive gear. Shhh.
The Hilleberg Nallo is also my go-to tent for solo winter camping. It is quite heavy but has proven countless times that it can withstand high-winds and heavy snow fall. Unlike the Soulo from Hilleberg, one will have to push against the outer from within from time to time when it snows heavily to push off the snow. The Soulo is, unfortunately, way too small for me. Winter time hiking means spending quite some time in tent...
I have a Hilleberg Saivo. I bought a set of double-poles for high wind conditions (recommended) and the footprint that goes under the tent. It packs relatively lightly for being a three person tent and two adults can easily spread out a little.
On a couple of days we were mostly confined to being inside the tent during heavy rains and thunderstorms and even set up a cooking burner under the back cupola (I call them the front and back porches). We made do with a candle lantern and a portable radio to listen to music while we read books while the winds, rain and sleet pounded down outside.
Do you by the 2nd pair of poles separately? Or how does it work?
@@florindagonzalez5700 Yeah you have to buy the extra separately. Hilleberg sells spare parts for almost all aspects of their tents though front inners to poles and guys
Great video, check out Kuiu Mountain star 2 , just spent a 2 day Scottish storm in it, adapts to add trekking poles making it bombproof, didn't flicker with the worst Scotland storms could throw!
I've got both the mountain star and the storm star I take the storm star in winter the mountain star is 2 drafty but agree about the trekking poles I've done that in high winds in the lake District
Here in the UK I use Hillebergs primarily because of the crazy winds and rain we can experience all year round. They are extremely sturdy and the single pitch design is also incredibly convenient in terrible weather. I like my Big Agnes but I just wouldn’t trust it here. Nice video 👍
EXCELLENT video on the types of tents for each season.
I made my Tarptent Moment DW into a 4 season tent by running the optional Crossing Pole UNDER the fly and securing it with shortened, double-sided Velcro straps sewn under the fly at the locations of the exterior reinforcements for this X-ing Pole. I had to shorten the X-ing Pole about 5 inches with a small pipe cutter, crushing the excess with pliers until it broke to get it off the shock ccrd. The main pole is heavier for winter and GOES THROUGH A SLEEVE on the fly. With ALL guy lines out, side and ends, and the fly staked down this tent easily withstood 35 mph steady winds and a few 50 -60 mph gusts in an extreme windstorm here in Nevada.
But my MAIN 4 season tent is the "2 1/2 person" Tarptent SCARP II. I have added a stronger main, sleeved pole and yes, placed the optional X-ing Poles UNDER the fly, securing them with the mentioned sewn-in Velcro straps and end grommets on A-shaped CF corner struts. This tent is BOMBPROOF! Both tents have 2 doors and 2 vestibules..
I've been researching 4 season tents and the big agnes expedition is on my list, I have the summer version of it and LOVE it. Looked at teh Hillebergs as well, but just can't quantify it. I am working on a way to add my trekking poles to the cross bar of the big agnes similar to what the slingfin crossbow tent does to add strength.
I really like my Alps mountaineering Tasmanian 2. It's a true 4th season tent, got it for
I had the 3 great tent one of the few left
Hey man your tent seems very good, tell me not so heavy to walk with 3 kg? im thinking to take this one with my bicycle
A lesson learned about tents that use sleeves for the support poles -- the sleeves can freeze to the pole if they get wet (from condensation) dure to warmer temps during the day or when someone is inside warming up interior temps, then condensation freezes to ice over the colder night. I have had to use my hands to thaw the sleeves and free the poles so that I could take down the tent --- COLD !
Great presentation.
At 3:00, there are a number of tents with similar cross pole design, great in many conditions also are an aquiles heel in wind to the tent doors faces. There is a possibility to support it with walking poles adding substantial rigidity and should help somewhat with snow loading too. Probably you would favour a different tent if high winds/snow is expected, but maybe can save the day with unexpected conditions.
moosejaw went out of business according to google :(
Mesh ==freezing.
I live somewhere very windy, not cold (typical spring/autumn temps are about 5C).
I watched your wind test and was really impressed by how well the tarp tent performed. Had written them off as a trend, but I think I'll look again.
We have shallow soil here, so self-supporting tents would do well.
great video, great comment community too, thanks! I also chuckle because my grandpa grew up on the prairies and they didn't use tents as a kid, you slept in skins in the sleigh or you cut down branches and made a quinzee. but there are too many humans on planet earth now for us all to go around cutting branches off trees just to sleep. still, $1k for a tent does hurt!
Most casual weekend winter backpackers will check the weather and not go out into a storm with 50+ mph winds and significant snowfall. IF you do end up in that situation you can step outside and knock the snow off your tent every few hours, so maybe ONCE over the course of the night should keep your roof from collapsing... 3 season Hubba Hubba should be FINE based on the scenario you proposed.
Thank you for this! Living in and recreating in the mountain west in alpine environments I have this for your viewers: get a Hilleberg or Black Diamond or equivalent 4 season tent. They will be more expensive and somewhat heavier but you will not regret this especially if the situation turns nasty 😊
By the time you need the most expensive one you already know how to be comfortable in the cheap one.
Some folks even camp in Hammocks in snow territory. There are some steps you need to do and can actually use the snow as a barrier against any wind. A good top quilt and bottom quilt will keep you warm and comfortable. A rain fly ( Tarp ) over the hammock sheds the snow and depending on how it's set up even blocks the wind in 360 degrees. Picture a hammock strung inside a tent without a floor as a practical way of explaining that tarp.
I understand the vid. I understand the message. My Nemo Hornet 1p would disagree. I've had no issue with snowfall. Luck? Idk but after like 6 different times, I'm not so sure. I spray my rain fly with DWR 2x a yr. Maybe that helps? Just a casual backpacker making assumptions here. My one helpful tip, if you're doing water bottles as opposed to a bladder, invest in a few drink coozies. Flip em on the tops of your bottles. No more morning frozen water and no more boiling desert plastic water. Me and my crew are the only ones doing this. It legit helps and only costs a few grams. Make sure to get the right size, obviously.
Helsport is my favorite. They also make truly expedition worthy tents.
Outstanding advice and well explained. Listen to this man or suffer at your own peril.
Camping in the snow is hardcore. I've actually never even touched snow! I live in Australia in an area where it never snows, but it does get mildly cold. 0C is considered a pretty cold morning here in winter but it always warms up to 8 to 14C or so in winter. I'm looking into buying a good tent. I started out with a cheap one but want something to make me more comfortable.
I did a week in Wyoming in Bridger national forest about 3-4 years ago. I don’t know exactly what people consider extreme cold but it was about 20 degrees a few mornings If I remember correctly. Had my hammock and a tarp. I strung the tarp at each end to a solid 2 foot wide tree. Laced one end super tight to the tree to keep rain snow and wind out then did half on the other end to leave an an entrance. I was very comfortable with a 0 degree bag with a busted zipper. No heat at all. Probably the coldest weather I’ve ever been out in was my car at around -5 with the same 0 degree bag. Worst part about sleeping in these conditions is having to wear a winter hat. Did 6 months twice in the back of a ford ranger in winter when I first got my current job. Probably the coolest temperature was around 5-8 above. I love being outside.
Most people only go camping/backpacking from spring through fall (3 seasons). However, you need to be prepared to "bug out" in the event of an emergency and prepared for any season so that you can survive, which is why you should have a 4-season tent. The only negative with those pole sleeves is that the stitching that holds the sleeves to the tent can come undone.
I've had a hilleberg kaitum 3 for over 7 years now and I absolutely love it. We got it right after our daughter was born, and now with three kids still would rather all cram into it than use another tent, which we have tried, and they have failed us. We are about to need more space though, I wish there was a 5 person trekking pole tent.
I have 3 Hilleberg and 3 Dyneema tent among those a Durston X-Mid PRO. Ive used Hilleberg tents for 30 years both professionella and private. But... there are some things to know about the Hilleberg. Don't bye the Black lable tents, you don't need it! Most people are good with a Durston or a Hyperlight tent in winter to be honest. Because a black lable tent are made for artic expeditions. They are like bombshelters yes... but 99% of the time a normal person don't need it and the negative side is the weight. So therefore, if you are looking for a hilleberg tent, look at a red lable tent just as shown in this video.
I van talk a lot about this. I teach winter hiking and winter survival here in Sweden. So if you have any questions just shoot. So because of the wind conditions during winter in Sweden, most people use the Hilleberg tents and theres a reason for thqt of course. My recommendation for 1person would be the Soulo red lable free-standing tent (my tent weighs 2.2kg), it the lightest most versetile 4-season Hilleberg tent in there line up and it can handle anything and the worst winter weather out there! But I agree with everything said in this video. Brilliantly done
PS, in winter, use a pulk to transport your gear with skies. Mutch better then any other option. Especially if you have a heavy tent
Hey! Do you have a contact with more information? I am moving to Sweden next year and would love to take a course in winter hiking. Thanks
hey man same if i can ask u some question i will be very happy!
We bought our first Nammatj 2 in 1983 and did 4 months of Himalayan trekking with it, + Finnish & Swedish Lapland. With kids next was Keron 4GT, then Akto, Nallo 3GT and now retired and kids gone, Anaris. Keron is the true bombshelter, but the weight does not matter with canoe (paddle camps with grandchildren) or with a car. Or pulk in winter.
Gotta love the winter migration of the great Colorado aeroplane. 🤣. These gear vids suck me right into gearhead heaven. Merci.
I use an HMG UltaMid 2 or 4 for my 4 season backpacking and tenting. I love the UltaMid 4 in the winter - so much room.
Am I old school for loving my teepee hot tent? However, now I might look into a four seasons.
I've watched some Scandinavian videos about winter camping in tunnel telts. They sometimes shovel snow to create a bit of a moat around the tent; usually when they expect a night time snow storm. They seem to always dig out a lot of snow from the vestibule area. I've never been snow camping so I reckon I wouldn't have come up with that brilliant idea, at least not on my first trip (or second...😁). Sure, there's a little bit of substantial effort needed to clear an at minimum 3×3 ft, 2 ft deep area of snow but hey! a little physical labour never killed anybody! Seems quite safe to do your vestibule cooking when the stove's at the bottom of a hole. The added bonus obviously is the possibility of sitting down comfortably in a sort of bench position: bum on the edge and legs down in the hole. Almost like a normal person. And you don't have to lug around your dollhouse sized $180 chair. Plus you can prepare your little toilet setup down there before you go to bed; very practical in case you wake up in the middle of night because you have to go💩 like, RIGHT NOW! Of course you're gonna be fully aware of your completely new surroundings in that situation and remember you have a massive hole in the ground right outside your tent door!
That wind test on top of the car was awesome that made my day thank you for the scientific tests
Hilleberg, Helsport, Barents Outdoor, Fjällräven are all brands that are very expensive. However, their tents offer exceptional quality and can withstand the harshest weather conditions. These tents are incredibly durable and will last for many years.
The only drawback is that they tend to be heavy and the inner tent is not free-standing, making them more suitable for cold and wet climates rather than very hot areas.
Personally, I own a relatively affordable Helsport tent that is exclusively sold through a local sports chain. Despite its more budget-friendly price, it still provides good value and quality. While it may not be on par with the expensive models, it is arguably the best tent in its price range.
KUIU Storm Star tent is bomb proof. Made in the USA and materials sourced in USA. Hilleberg tents are great but flappy in strong wind, the Storm Star 2p tent, great weight, and half the price of hillebergs.
The vestibule in the Hilleberg GT models on snow is fantastic.
While I own a heavy 4-season tunnel tent, I prefer my much lighter single pole tipi-tents for winter. My floorless "4-person" tipi weighs a bit over two lbs with the pole and stakes. The shape shrugs off heavy winds, and the snow just piles up on the sides.
I think I commented for you to review Hilleberg 2-3 times 😅 So glad to see it! 😁
I couldn’t have done it without Moosejaw. They made it all possible.
As adventurous person myself. I want to buy the best products out there to save me $$. And of course, avoid the need to buy, again.
At this moment, I have the North Face Mountain 25 and the Hilleberg NAMMATJ 3 GT.
Both tents are quite heavy. And not really suited for the Australian climate. In short, we don’t have such snowy conditions. Well, not like what you have over there.
But, on our highest peak at 1,987m ,we get some serious winds. I found the Hilleberg to be outstanding. And I haven’t used the Mountain 25 since. (Years)
The unfortunate thing, they are both heavy. Just over 4KG. So, this gives me a bargain tool with the misses to buy another Hilleberg which is made for trekking.
Great channel mate
Nice. :)
But the EXPERT level should be sleeping under the stars ... :D
Ahhh the dead “expert” level. . .
@@lisaphares2286 Hopefully not. :)
I haven't pitched a tent for a few decades. But I'm no expert though. :D
Idiot
lol. here in finland the tunnel tents are such a standard that it´s the experts that carry the lighter tents like the msr. of course the experts also know you can´t have the light tent in the fells and mountains and takes their tunnel instead but those needs are extremely rare.
also ok quality tunnel tents can be had at under 100 bucks (my 3 person helsport was 125) but if you want something lighter like the hubba hubba or tnf triarch you have to pay 500-600 bucks! that´s why they are rare and only real enthusiasts can afford them.
Outstanding information thanks for sharing. Job well done.
Hilleberg owner here, and I can say that I've tried most of their models. All their tunnel tents are more comfortable, but if I need to pitch above the treeline in strong winds, I will prefer either the Staika or the Soulo. On my last trip, I decided to switch and took the Nammatj 2GT, but the downside of these tents in very windy conditions (as with the Nallo) is that you need to be very careful when setting them up, unlike the Staika/Soulo(you can check my video "Solo snow camping in the mountains with brutal winds | Hilleberg Nammatj" to see what I mean). This is due to the way the poles are inserted. In the Nallo/Nammatj, they slide through sleeves, whereas in the Staika/Soulo, they use clips. Believe me, this makes a big difference when you're above the treeline in strong winds. I completely agree with you that there are other tents, costing a third of the price and lighter than the Hilleberg, but when I'm up there in harsh conditions, I feel much safer inside a Hilleberg. And believe me, it's not just in my head...
Our family has used Hilleberg tents for over 40 years, starting from Nammatj 2 (retired) purchased for Nepal in 1983, to Keron 4GT (now second one), Acto, Nallo 3GT and Anaris. Also other premium brands, Terra Nova geodetics mostly for Himalayan and Kun Lun adventures. One thing about the Nallo line: they are the lightest tunnel models from Hilleberg, those who really need failsafe expedition tents would choose either Nammatj GT or Keron GT models for stronger materials and even more space (Keron). Most if not all polar adventures use Keron 3GT or 4GT models, often with extra snow skirts added.
Hikkeberg saitaris or Keron GT whit double poles are super good winter tents. Whit snow flaps. Also very easy to pickup during storm winds.
I have 3 mountaineering tents ….a Ferrino snowbound 2, Northface ve-25 and an alps mountaineering Tasmanian 2. These are all considered to be 4 season tents but they are not equally as capable. There are sub categories in 4 season tents….there are some that can go anywhere and like the Tasmanian above there are some made for subalpine use…..this is below the tree line trips. The subalpine 4 season tents are generally lighter and not as strong….cheers!
Build up a snow wall around your tent to reduce draft, even on a lower to the ground fly. Using the natural elements to augment the benefits of your tools. Such as using pine needles to scrub our titanium cookware.
I'd really like to see your take on the Kuiu Storm Star. I switched to the storm star after 60mph winds shredded my Marmot 3 season on Mt Rainier. The Storm Star is bombproof and under 6lbs (pretty good for a true 4 season).
Three season is all I need -- not going camping in the winter. Easy Peasy.
Nice to see some Hilleberg!
In Sweden they are very used, probably because it’s a Swedish company. Very reliable for mountain expeditions and has never failed me. Very much recommend.
Hilleberg tunnel tents and similar products from other brands are very popular in Finland and Norway too. They are great for the conditions in Nordic countries, perform great in windy conditions. And in winter in freezing temperatures that extra room for cooking inside the tent is really a huge plus. In -20°C and wind you really don't want go cooking outside.
I have had Nallo 3 GT for several years and it truly is a great tent. Although, nowadays I mostly use Durston X-Mid in other than winter conditions because of the weight and packing size.
Hilleberg classifies Nallo as "red label" tent, i.e. "lightweight 4-season tent". Hilleberg's black label tents like Keron are the real arctic expedition 4-season tents, those things can withstand almost any weather and work really well in cold winter conditions.
@@Anttik_ I usually actually use the Keron GT. It really is a bunker!
Very insightful. I know that one day my Eureka Dome from 1995 will die, but it might not be before I do. That thing has been through everything.
My Russian Bear UP-5 tent with insulated floor and wood stove does wonders in the winter, although some backpackers complain about the 100+ pounds it all weighs. With that said the Marmot Fortress UL tent worked pretty well for me after getting a 4 inch unexpected snow.
Just googled that tent... Wowzers! How many people can share the weight... I.e. how many separate parts make up that weight? Probably overkill for my occasional trips in UK and France!
The Russian Bear tent family is not designed for backpacking. It is essentially an expedition style tent designed for extreme cold weather. I have the tent in three bags; the main tent bag is about 65 pounds, the wood stove about 35 pounds, and the insulated floor about 15 pounds. I drive it to where I’m staying whether it’s by my car or off-road vehicle.
Congrats on the Moosejaw sponsorship, I do love their site
I'm a tarp and hammock guy, every season. In the Red River Gorge in Kentucky, USA it can get brutally cold, it might snow but that's becoming more rare and a foot would be record-setting. Torrential rain at times with high winds and tornadoes are not impossible. There are always trees to set up what you need and I haven't used a tent in forever. If I ever moved I'm sure I'd change my mind and seek out a good tent.
I went winter camping in a $50 amazon tent in mid Ontario. Hit -15C overnight and i slept alright. Heat pads were needed though.
I'd be really curious to see a similar video to this but with hot tents (or maybe an introduction to hot tents?) Great video as always!
TARPTENT has the answers for 90% of backpackers. Yes, I'm a Tarptent fanboy, having owned 5 of them.
Tarptent avoids the ONE bad thing most tentmakers have. Namely Tarptents can be set up with INNER TENT AND FLY TOGETHER. This avoids getting the inner tent wet setting up or taking down in rain or wet snow, a BIG deal. Plus they set up 2X as fast.
Great video! Accurate assessment for snow conditions, thanks for sharing. North Face Assault 2 is also a good option.
I did a lot of research before cycling around the world and brought the hilleberg nallo 2gt. Although light weight it had so many issues. The condensation was so bad we would often have wet gear on dry nights and only ever had two nights in 6 months of camping where the tent was dry which we put down to a few things. The vents were not high enough at the front, the foot end was to close to the inner which would touch especially in wind. the roof had to much flat area where droplets would form and being a very lightweight material would shake off in the slightest of wind. With it only having one entrance the risk of the zip failing and not having another entrance was to high. There was no through draft which you can get with other tents by opening opposing doors in hot conditions. Hard to put up indoors where you might use around high mosquitoes areas. I’m sure this tent has its place but it’s not for us. We ended up with a hubba hubba which he’s right it’s not brilliant in high wind and the sides could do with going down further but was an excellent tent
Thank you for this review. Currently, I have an MSR Advance Pro 2, which I've been using for many years at high altitudes and in very snowy conditions, so mostly in "survival" mode. I have a month-long trek planned in 2025 in the mountains of Greenland (much lower altitude), and I'm considering a tent with a bit more comfort than my Advance (not great against humidity, but that’s expected with a single-wall design). Ideally, I'm looking for something with a vestibule if possible but still aiming to stay lightweight, with a capacity for 1 person, or at most 2. Otherwise, there’s the Samaya (which costs a kidney). Do you know of any other models that could work as a 4-season tent for somewhat "extreme" cases that would be softer/more comfortable than the Advance but under around 1.5/1.7kg and, if possible, freestanding? The only ones I’ve found so far are the MSR Access 2 or Samaya 2, but I haven’t seen many others... If you know of any others, I’d love to hear! 👌✌
I had a flying diamond when it first came out and it seen a lot of winter weather. It did a great job
You should also check out some of the Norwegian winter tents from Helsport, Barents and Bergans
I would enjoy seeing a comparison of a quality tent, such as the Hilleberg, to some of the cheap versions, such as the Naturehike Opalus. I accept that the Hilleberg would be vastly superior (at four times the cost), but I wonder whether the cheaper tunnel tents might be better winter options than some of the more expensive dome tents.
I got the Yamaha tunnel tent it's like that for 90 bucks I also installed a stove jack on the vestable wish I could share pics on here that way I could use my wood stoves in it love the tent great tent for that price you get the tent a ground sheet and inside tent booth inside and ground sheet are removable so u can just pitch the tunnel and use it as shelter or thro some cots down and use the stove if the ground is wet
I use a One Tigris Stella in the winter and a Scaena in the other 3 seasons. Both are very durable and I've never had an issue with either plus they won't break your bank. Crazy how many people spend over $300-400 because sponsored or wealthy people told them it's the only way to go lol
Luke has your cheque in the post.
Yeah, unfortunately most of these videos are just ads shilling expensive gear
In real expeditions tents must have 2 sets of poles and they must be able to be used same time! Super important in heavy snow storms!
I remember one time I had just set up a Hilleberg Nammatj on a mountain when a Super Puma (medium lift helicopter) decided fly right over our tent at 10 ft altitude and then land a few yards away. A guy jumped out and asked us if we had seen some guys and we pointed them in the general direction of a party we spotted earlier in the day. The guy thanked us and jumped back in. Now at this point our tent was still fine. But I swear to God, when they took off they f-ing punched it and I watched in horror as our tent repeatedly jumped 3 ft up in the air and then slammed down into the ground, deformed in ways you wouldn't believe, until the rocks we had secured it with finally gave way and it blew off.
Now here's the thing, there was Nothing broken on that tent. We simply walked over and got it, and then put it up again.
I have a 4-season-tent, but I rarely use it, because it's heavier to carry. It's more comfortable, but on these short trips that I usually make in winter, I don't care much about that.
I once tried the Grande Traversee du Jura on ski's in winter, with a bivy. That was even lighter, and more uncomfortable, which was one of the reasons I stopped half way.
Most of the time, I use a three season tent, 400 euros. It weighs 1,7 kgs, and with snow pegs it works fine, even with some snowfall. It has a small canopy, big enough to cook and put some things in. For two people, it would be too small. But then, I can take the 4-season tent and share the weight.
The rest of the Traversee du Jura, I also completed with the 3-season tent. Temperatures got not worse than -8 deg. C, so that was okay.
I even used it in -22. It was too cold to prepare a kind of breakfast in the morning, so while walking, I took some biscuits and some water that I kept in the sleeping bag during the night. That was the most extreme that I experienced and it wasn't that bad.
In my experience, you don't really need a 4-season tent, a good self-inflatable mattress and sleeping bag are much more important. I use an MSR stove on gasoline. And, if you stop moving and set up your tent, get into your sleeping bag while you are still warm. I even forgot my down jacket once, and with my fleece jersey, I was fine like this.
Just the video I needed. Currently shopping for one.
I have a 2 person tunnel tent with a large vestibule (from some cheaper manufacturer) and I would barely change it to anything. It's a bit heavy at 2.4 kg IIRC, but when UK winter camping - it's awesome. Because it rains often in the mountains, you rarely get dry evening or morning, so cooking food comfortably really helps. There were couple cases, when 4 of us would make food in my tent, because others had basically no space for it. Highly recommend if traveling in places where bad weather is common
That's because there's no winter in UK!
Gotta love a true 4 season tent!
I dunno... I think that nothing beats those cheap igloo tents, the ones with just two fibre glass poles in a cross. Needs to have two layers, which makes any water infiltration a non issue if the tent is stretched out properly. They're cheap, sufficiently light, and can retain a bit of heat too.
What I don't like with the Hubba tent is that it's not possible to extend the outside layer down to the ground. Sometimes you want less airflow. I have had some cold nights even in summer in Norway
Thank you for showing a real heavy duty tent for once 👍XD
Which orange Arcteryx jacket are you wearing in the video? Agree with your assessment (and often do). Hillebergs are incredibly well designed and built - I've had one which was rock solid for winter use, supporting snow and quiet in windy weather.
Love the windtest by car! Just curious: there are plenty of alternative brands with same shape like a hilleberg tent but at half the price. You may want to explain a bit more about the differences some time.
Tired of everyone pushing Hilleberg, they are too expensive and overrated.
I’ve used Vango F10 tunnel tents for over a decade now in ALL conditions and even this winter in -25.c .
TH-cam outdoors channels are obsessed with Hilleberg. You do not have to pay that extortionate price to go camping and quite honestly it’s not needed.
Hilleberg do not have the TBS system Vango does. The main tents I use are now 13 years old and are still in great shape.
Nice tent, albeit heavy and big to carry if backpacking compared to others. That’s the problem with a winter tent overall, though as you noted there are some other choices. Personally I don’t like 3 season plus or convertible tents as it seems like you get a bit of the worst of each…quite a bit heavier and still not really good in winter. I’m always surprised how well some 3 season tents will do if properly guyed out, but definitely use a 4 season if expecting any significant snow (not really for other seasons unless in strong winds). Speaking of snow…doesn’t look like you have very much yet. Here on the Westcoast of Canada we have very little this year so far in our mountains..maybe a base of 16cm at around 1000m. Hard on ski hills (many have only a few runs open as even making snow has been tough as so warm) and could be a real problem for fire season and water levels if it doesn’t improve.
So, for a pro to become an expert he just needs to buy a new tent. 👍
Unfortunately, I have no need for a 4-season tent out here on the East Coast. My wife and I plan to move to CO next year, so I may have to finally get my hands on one. What are your thoughts on an X-Mid Solid for a 4 season tent? I see them used in UK a bunch due to high winds they have out there. Thanks for the video Steven! Keep up the great work!
My question too. Sadly I can not attach pictures but I used X-Mid in snowy night and snow sheds off exceptionally well. Nevertheless I used a fly-only pitch in freezing temperatures.
well, ive got myself the doite zolo special 1, and its actually pretty resistent to winds and harsh climates as long as youve got a warm drink and good cold coverage
I've been dealing with the same issues as you with low light while filming in winter. You can get rid of most of that noise in your shots or the "crawling ants" by using a plugin called "Neat Video". Also those expedition tents provide a place to take a crap when there is a major storm outside and you're stuck in the tent for multiple days.
Ive got a friend who told me about Hilleberg. He's into high country sheep hunting, is out and about in every type of weather.
Great vid. I have a Hilleberg Keron - so good, love it.
Two of the best tunnel tents I'be owned are tje robens 2ex and the hoolie 3etc. Excellent for the weather here in the UK...even the odd snowfall 👍🌟
LOL! in 1992 I drove the sag wagon for my biker buddies on Ride the Rockies and all I had to do was be in the next town for each leg of the ride. Being a hick from the sticks a couple states east, the scenery is freaking awesome and driving somewhere past Rand Colorado I spied an awesome couple of mountain peaks (Parkview and Haystack Mts) and a totally freaking awesome overlook sloping up, with a perfect precipice to trek up to with my watercolors and mother green I had packed for the trip. So I parked the camperwagon and made it to the just amazing view with rock ledge seat to sit on at the edge up at the top of the overlook, and sat down an commenced to start watercolorin' and contemplate the green when I start to notice a rumbleing sound. Getting Louder. And was thinking, WTF is going on and maybe the green was a little too strong, when, I shit you not, a freaking passenger jet comes flying along pretty much at my level maybe a little higher, maybe a half mile away. and flies right between the two peaks - headed north west I guess.
So I can relate man! I can relate. (if you're wondering watch the clip to the end)
Thanks for the awesome videos!
My parents have had a similar tent from Hilleberg and it have survived almost 20 6ears of intensive backpacking so you can say that it is really good quality of the tents
Ment years not 6ears
@@dalskidan3627
It's funnier to read it as surviving 20 bears though
The Staika from Hilleberg is better than the tunnel. Since you don’t have to think about wind changing direction during a storm.
True, but it's a bit more fussy to set up. If I have to set up my tent, alone, in a snow storm I know which one I would choose. That's why I bought a Keron 3gt.
I've always used a MSR Hubba Hubba NX, or Hubba... haven't had any problems with them. Would like to get a true 4 season winter tent. Talk about newb... that stove is not a 4 season stove for many reasons. 😅😂
1:57 How much snow do you think is going to collect on the tent when the winds are that intense?
@MyLifeOutdoors I am going car camping in Ocala National Forest the end of January and the weather should be in the 40s at night and 60s during the day. It may even get a little cooler than that. My 8-year-old tent leaks not only from the top but also from the window areas. I was thinking of getting a 4 mil extra large tarp and covering the tent with it (top and even the windows) and then putting the rainfly on top of that with most likely no Gap. I would raise the tarp above the windows when it's not raining. It rains pretty much every time we go there. Is this a really bad idea? I don't think there will be trees in the spot that we're at so I can't hang it above. Should I just buy a new tent? I'd rather go the tarp route because it's so much less $ and the tent still is holding up otherwise. I'm not too concerned about the temperature during the day inside the tent. I'll have the windows open. More concerned about night time temperature and the condensation.
Car camping allows for bigger risks because you can just leave if things get bad. So if you want to try the tarp first i think you certainly can. I think the worst that can happen is condensation pooling in the floor getting things wet or freezing to the walls if it gets cold enough. That tarp won’t breathe at all so if it does rain condensation is going to be so bad it will be like you still have a leak. I’d probably get a new tent but like I said the car allows for bigger risks so if you don’t want to spend the money the tarp is worth a try.
@@MyLifeOutdoors thanks for the quick reply. I only camp once a year in the same location (Ocala) and like 6-8 person instant tents. Have any recommendations under $225? Im looking at the core 6 person instant, gazelle t4 or some cheaper brands like coleman or Ozark Trail.
@@MyLifeOutdoors I'm just wondering if it makes more sense to spend the money on a 10x15 tarp and 4 extendable tarp poles and just keep the tent that I have. Check out the video at the 4 minute and 30 second mark and please let me know your pros and cons. The only downside I see is that it takes up more space because of the guy lines. th-cam.com/video/NZvH1FBxuNo/w-d-xo.html