Freezing Solo Winter Munro Summit Wild Camp | Arrochar Alps | Hilleberg Akto
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 29 ก.ย. 2024
- Ben tests out the Hilleberg Akto for the first time in harsh winter conditions on the summit of Beinn Ime. He battles subzero temperatures and wind gusts of up to 60mph throughout the night. Watch on to find out why we returned the Terra Nova Laser Compact 1 and our first thoughts on the Hilleberg.
For this fast packing summit camp, Ben was using the Bonfus Iterus DCF pack, designed for light and fast adventures.
Join us as we talk lightweight gear, hiking, camping and all things outdoors in a stunning Scottish setting.
Some of the gear Ben used:
Kahtoola Micro Spikes: amzn.to/3IMAPeR
Arc'Teryx Gama LT Pants: amzn.to/3s1mvt7
Arc'Teryx Zeta SL Waterproof Trousers: amzn.to/3qeGylt
Soto Windmaster Stove: amzn.to/317i7x4
Therm-a-Rest Neoair XLite Sleeping Pad: amzn.to/3cVzsMs
Evernew 1.5ltr Waterbag: amzn.to/3FO3L3Q
Coros Vertix 2 Sports Watch: amzn.to/3CXYTHB
If you like the look of any of the gear Ben chats about in this video, you can purchase it for yourself, using the Amazon using the links above. It won’t cost you anymore, but we’ll get a little something back if you use our affiliate links.
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Thanks so much for watching, don't forget to like, subscribe and let us know what you think in the comments below.
See you out there.
That's the problem with the Terra Nova tents. They are made in China, that isn't a problem if you have good quality control in place. Myself and others have had problems with the Southern Cross 1 and 2 inners. Poor QC.
"Atko?" ...dude.
I’m genuinely confused by what this comment means? But yes the Akto, it’s strong, light and warm.
Thumbnail says “Atko”
In winter when carrying water, I always store the bottle with the top bottom most, this is because water freezes top down, so with the bottom at the top, the water near the lid will freeze last.
Hey 👋🏼, thanks for watching. Yeah agree on the water and that does often help until the whole thing freezes 😂 Generally keeping it in the tent near you helps too. Problem with those water bags is they don’t stand upside down, generally they lay flat. Cheers, Ben.
The Akto is a solid tent. The Terra Nova SC 1 has a solid outer that hardly moves in the wind. It moves less than the Akto. Like I said, it is just the inner fly quality that let's Terra Nova down. Also their QC.
Spot on.
Hi Ben, again another great video, fantastic view in the morning with the sun defusing through the mist. Hopefully Meg isnt getting too jealous and is on the mend.
Just wondered have you ever tried removing the line locks and using an adjustable guy line lock, its a cinching knot a bit like a prussic, will save a little more weight.
Also I noticed on the way down you were using micro spikes and wondered what you think of them ?.
I hope you and Megs have a great New Year, look forward to more vids soon.
Michael
👋🏼 hey, happy new year! It was a lovely wee outing that. Megs is able to wild camp again now 🙌🏼 with some restrictions on time on feet. I haven’t ever tried that knot 🪢, I know the prussic from our hammock setups though. Will have to look up the guy line knot.
On micro spikes I love them and often carry them in the hills as they are more versatile and much lighter than crampons. You can take them as an in case more easily. Would suggest them to everyone for British winter hills, more so than an ice axe generally.
More vids in the edit 🙌🏼
Hi Ben, nice video. Which Dyneema ribbon did you use to replace the Hilleberg guy line. Did you still used the Hilleberg toggles?
Hey Carsten 👋🏼. Glad you enjoyed the vid mate! I used 2mm dyneema cord to replace the Hilleberg spectre cord, specifically I used this one www.backpackinglight.co.uk/practical/WA109-121.html
I also replaced the lineloks with these smaller ones www.backpackinglight.co.uk/shelter-accessories/WA104-5.html
Got a video coming soon on the changes and the changes on the Allak.
Cheers, Ben.
@@OutdoorIntrigue Thanks for your quick reply. I'll try to get something similar here in Germany. Well, a pimp my Hilleberg video would be nice. Sure, you must be a weight weenie to value weight savings on a Hilleberg, but I like it :-)
@@carstenbaelkner9585 I’m definitely a gram weenie!! 🤣😂
@@OutdoorIntrigue Ben, sorry to bother you again with an equipment question. I own a Hilleberg Enan and looking for a Dyneema bag for it. The rods on the outer tent simply give a roll shape for the bag. The roll is 45cm high and a 13cm diameter, I think it might be similar to yours with an Akto. So tall and thin, that's really hard to come by in Dyneema, do you have a link, where did you get your bag?
@@carstenbaelkner9585 hey buddy, this one www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/tents-shelters-c25/tent-accessories-c33/other-tent-accessories-c315/lightning-cuben-fibre-tent-bag-p2739 in size large is what I use for the Akto, it’ll fit the Enan fine too 🙌🏼
Loved the video. Beautiful scenery and good gear insights 🙂
Really glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the kind words and for commenting. ☺️
Fab video Ben. Currently looking at Hilleberg tents and hoping to take the plunge soon. Can I ask what model back pack you are using there? It looks really lightweight and looks great. Thanks in advance - Simon.
Hey Simon, the Hilleberg’s are great, expensive but worth it in my opinion. The pack is the Bonfus Iterus 38l, there’s a review of it in the channel, it’s a really good lightweight pack. Appreciate you watching!!
It would be good to see a list of all the gear Ben used (down jacket, quilt / sleeping bag, headtorch, lantern, gloves etc) not just the ones you have Amazon affiliate links for!
Fair point, and we did used to list everything but it can be a right pain to do each time. The Amazon affiliate stuff is just a tiny kickback, for what can be a decent bit of editing work. I have done lighter pack lists in the past also but I choose my gear for each trip based on the specifics of weather, route etc so that’s a pain too. Anyway excuses aside 😉 I will try list more bits. Appreciate you watching!
@@OutdoorIntrigue Yep I understand that it takes time to do but I think that attention to detail is what makes a good video. I think if vloggers are going to put any links to kit in then it's worth doing well. If people see an item of kit in the film it's natural that they want to know what it is. I find it frustrating to see links to kit that isn't in the video whilst not knowing what stove is being used for example. It doesn't need to be links, just a mention of it in the video or the description. Just my opinion!
Anyway, good stuff 👍
Cheers.
@@fellrunningguide I do agree, and I am overdue doing a full kit breakdown vid also. Feedback received 🙌🏼
Nice one , what a stunning morning to wake up to . I've been up Beinn Ime but i plan to return for a camp in the snow . I have the Akto in greeen , they are a cracking tent although i've not had mines out for a couple of years ..Enjoyed that mate ..cheers Stevie
Glad you enjoyed it! It was a cracking wee outing, lovely and cold too. Ben Ime is such a lovely Munro, offers lots of options too. I can see the summit from just behind our house which is handy if there’s no clag. So far loving the Akto 👌🏼 Happy new year! Ben & Megs.
What a fantastic trip. I've been eyeing an Hilleberg for years but like you couldn’t bring myself to pull the trigger at those prices plus it feels like you sign up to a cult when you own one! That said it’s a good indication of how good they are.
Hey Mike, I know what you mean with Hille’s! I think I am sold on them though, the quality is just unreal. Will pick up a 2 person model this year to try for sure. Hope you had a lovely Christmas and happy new year!
They’re addictive! Be careful.
Good film mate. New kit too. Always exciting. Hope you like it. Them spikes definitely looked needed for the frosty descent.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it ☺️🙏🏼 the tent has been great so far, build quality of the Akto is super impressive. 100% on the spikes too, such a useful piece of kit in winter!
The hillebergs are great tents. I almost always summit camp with a winter set up but I’m probably going to part with my Akto since I just don’t use it. I always opt to carry the soulo. I never got out once this spring or summer from injuries hopefully I will be fit for the snow 😂
The Soulo looks great, I will probably get one at some point. Heavy though! I just love our Hilleberg’s for Scottish mountain weather. We’ve got a puppy and I had hip surgery recently so we are also having a break from it, which is strange for us. Hopefully we are all back out there soon! 👍
@@OutdoorIntrigue well I hope your both back on the mend. It’s mentally exhausting when your unable to go do what you love.
@@summittaedae2323 isn’t it just! Megs is good and my hip is healing well, the puppy is getting bigger too.
@@OutdoorIntrigue that’s great news. Hope to see you all out on the summits soon. Alb
@@summittaedae2323 fingers crossed 🤞🏼. Hope your injuries are all healed!
Nice one ben. Good to hear the full story re the tent. Disappointed/surprised re the TN. Good weight cutting on the hille and as you say, likely better for the conditions you’re aiming for. Amazing morning you got! Atb Gordon
Happy New Year Gordon! I have a long history with Terra Nova’s and do like them as a brand a lot. I have had quality issues though, I have a new fix to do on the southern cross 2 again after a very rough New Years wild camp. Hopefully the Hilleberg’s last as much as they feel like they will. It was a cracking morning that.
Great video. Now you have made my mind up to get out this weekend in the Wicklow mountain's. Plus a sub
Glad you enjoyed it! Hope you have a cracking trip out this weekend 🙌🏼 Appreciate you subscribing too ☺️
Epic!!
Cheers! Glad you enjoyed it 🙏
Nice one, what a morning.
Once again I'm amazed at how light you get your full pack for a winter camp.
I suppose i could have lighter gear but there comes a price point where you decide maybe heavier to maybe not pay as much.
Ah you went the red as well 😉⛺👍
It was a cracking morning! As you say weight, price, comfort all come as a trade off to some degree, so it’s always a personal choice for sure mate. The red is just so nice! I would traditionally always go for muted colours, but as I generally always camp in the Scottish hills away from people I decided to go bold. 😂
Great video with stunning views. It is probably wise to spend heavily on a tent, because it is the first line of defence against the elements. If it keeps you safe, it is money well spent. Also a Hilleberg will outlast cheaper tents due to its build quality.
Thanks for watching! Definitely worth spending more on some of the bigger items, especially your shelter. Hilleberg’s are at the extreme end of price which is pretty off putting for many. They are indeed incredibly built though and likely to last years. For lower level camping and lesser wind speeds I think there are a lot of other great shelter options. I have to say I am blown away by the Hilleberg quality though! Cheers, Ben.
Nice crispy camp. When training to be a para in the early 80's the winters were really really good and no matter what we couldn't poor from our water bottles on a winters morning. Good to hear of the tent deal. Mark
Would love an 80’s winter about now! I bet that training was pretty amazing!? Hope you had a lovely Christmas and new year Mark.
@@OutdoorIntrigue The 70's and 80's winters were awesome - proper cold. When training in them it was a mental battle. Christmas was on my own but I was cool. Take care both - see you out there.
A great camp, obeys the UK rule:: COLD is always better than WET.
Thanks very much appreciate you watching! Couldn’t agree more, cold is always better than wet, far too often it’s bloody cold and wet 😂
I moved from Scotland to Sweden and don't miss the rain at all. Much drier and colder climate here and it is SO much better.
cracking view in the morning.
So good!
Damn, that looked a cold one. Nice work, made up for you with the Akto, and in red as well, very nice. That morning filming looked stunning, what a view, what a light, got me itching to get back out there, as soon as I can sort out a sleep system.
Stunning work, happy adventures in your Hille, thanks again for sharing 👍
It was Baltic! Beautiful though. The wind made it more challenging with cold conditions in the tent. Loving the Akto so far, quality is really something. What you thinking for your winter sleep system?? Happy new year btw 🥳
@@OutdoorIntrigue Hi Ben, I really need to get a sleep pad with a decent R rating, I have a Sea to Summit which is very comfortable but low R rating. My quilt I comfortable at 5c so you can imaging that’s something I need to look at changing for the colder nights as well… also looking at some Merino base layers, hoping they would help keep me warm.
Glad you’re enjoying the Hilleberg, eye watering prices but I love the quality of the materials and construction, very sturdy shelters…
Look forward to seeing more of your adventures in the future 👍
@@scotsnomad7395 highly recommend the neoair xlite it’s good pretty much year round. The xtherm is warmer but generally unnecessary. There are other options for sure but none as light for the warmth. Winter quilts or good sleeping bags do cost a whack but generally if you buy quality they will give you years of service. I have an old Rab alpine bag that’s still going strong after about 15 years. Base layers definitely help, merino or synthetic both have their advantages. Hope you get your setup all sorted mate.
AT LAST! a proper test for the akto well done. i spent SO much time on research for my replacement tent last year, and ended up with the akto. the weight is bound to be higher as it uses really strong outer fabric. i laugh at the `elitist` comments so hard when i am inside the akto with the wind and rain battering outside. if you cant afford one, fine, but i drive a crappy car, its priorities isnt it? great weight saving tips, i will be giving these a try.
Hey mate 👋🏼, glad you enjoyed the vid. Given the Akto a good few battering this winter, and it’s been brilliant! It is just top notch, the manufacturing quality is ridiculously high. Absolutely agree it isn’t elitist it’s just priorities. My life is the mountains so I spend my money on it and not other things. Got a vid just going live on the weight saving bits, I’ve found them to be good so far. Cheers for commenting mate ☺️🙏
I want to know what research you did when you bought an Akto over a Fjällräven Abisko 1 . It's the better tent in every possible metric
@@Spyyyder1 Which metrics are those then? They are reasonably similar, but the Fjallraven isn’t clearly better at all.
Great video and conditions 🙂❄️
Thank you so much!!
Liked and subbed.
Thanks very much, really appreciate you watching! 🙏😊
@@OutdoorIntrigue Thoroughly enjoyed it.
@@dougieranger That’s awesome 👏
Cool video. What a view! +1 😎
When the winds are so high you can't stand and there are no where to hide, you got to go with the best windpitchers. I have modified my Akto somewhat, but overall a solid tent off the rack.
The major gripe I had with my Akto was the unintuitive guylines at the ends. One fix later and it's now child's play. The higher the wind the better. 😁
Hey 👋🏼, it’s some view isn’t it!
We get so much high wind in the Scottish mountains that carrying a tent that can handle it is a must, especially if you like to pitch high and don’t want to worry about your rent every time.. I’m loving the Akto, used it a few more times lately on snowy mountain camps and it’s brilliant. I’ve added a 10mm pole, and changed the guylines for dyneema and cut all the zips off and replaced with cordage. Saved some weight and made it less noisy! How’d you mod your guylines??
Also agree, bring on the wind 💨 🤣😂
@@OutdoorIntrigue I'll definitely try to cut off weight as well. That sounds like a great idea. Thank you. Hitherto I've done the easy way and just threw out the whole inner and saved half a kilo 🤪 lol
I went up to 2x 10mm. poles and the tent stood like a rock when I could not. I got a 20sec video from inside my red drum. The only thing that worry me of your mod are the minor line locks. Probably with a fair bit of legal guarantees, Hilleberg advertised their 3mm giant line locks can endure 80 kg (176lb.)
Conversely, Mountain Laureal Designs rate their 1.5 mm dyneema lines to an impressive 181 kg (400lb.), but their mini line locks to only 34 kg (76lb.). I don't know if that is enough. Especially when the forces a wind apply increases exponentially with higher wind speed. Personally I'd look into that one, especially the main anchor line.
I could do a video on akto guylines if you got questions, but I got the idea from Peter Vacco's Arctic 2017 video. He explained it quite well.
@@willek1335 That’s one way to cut weight! Leave the whole inner! Ha. It’s an interesting point around the line loks and not one I’d given that much thought. I’ll have to look into the numbers a little, but clam cleat don’t seem to give break strength numbers on their own site. I’ve used the mini line loks on tents for years and on my terra nova one had them endure 70mph gusts. The tents poles usually fail well before guys snap, in strength terms. Interesting though. I’ll have to check out the video you mention and get back to you if I’ve got questions. Appreciate the pointers!! 🙌🏼
Twice I've been out in my Allak and I'm impressed with that as well so far.
Shame about the Terra Nova not living upto expectation
I am definitely picking up an Allak 2 this year, been wanting one for ages. What’s it like with wind noise? Terra Nova’s are mostly great, but I’ve had some quality issues with them over the years more than once.
@@OutdoorIntrigue not had my Allak out in really bad weather yet.
My 1st time i managed to drop into a dip to get out the worst of the wind.
To be fair I've not had any complaints with my Wild Country Zephros 2XL.
Always been no a bad 3 season tent
@@summitwithstevie6934 they do make good tents Terra nova don’t get me wrong, but they aren’t to the quality of a Hilleberg I realise. Price/weight/durability again another trade off as with most things ayy.
Beautiful images in the morning 😍 And nicely shot 👌
Cheers pal, it was a beautiful morning, absolutely Baltic though. 🥶 😂
Had a few hileberg tents from the akto to the tarra. Surprised you wanted to reduce the weight of the Akto as it seemed weightless. It is also a delight as packs so small. The issue I had with it was condensation, the inner would be soaked in the morning, but not an issue aslong as you wipe it before sitting up. In high winds , too dangerous to cook in the vestibule as it gets punched in, also , wouldn't sit up in high winds as the pole belts you on the head. The highest wind speeds I used it in was 90mph winds, it got ripped out of the ground, but that was my fault, as let the wind shoot into the door, the tent was doing fine though before that though.
If you upgrade to a 10mm pole there’s much less flex in the vestibule. I cook in it fine in high winds. Condensation is definitely an issue, but I’ve found it to be an issue in all tents. Weight wise, it can never be light enough 😉 I’ve got to question your 90mph statement, as at that speed I don’t think the tent would survive, did you measure the wind speeds? I can see it doing ok in 60mph, so maybe it could handle 90. Appreciate you watching and commenting!
@@OutdoorIntrigueDidn't measure it, 90mph were forcast however. It is however a red label, another red label, the katium was tested to destruction by an outdoor magazine, a pole breaking head on into the wind at over 100mph, 85mph side on.
@@DemiGod.. they are incredible tents aren’t they!
@@OutdoorIntrigue They are. Recently got an anjan 2 and another akto, the incident I spoke off was 30 years ago, but on youtube you will see people measuring similar speeds in the akto such as here th-cam.com/video/t8eiMYmTILY/w-d-xo.html . One change i will make with the new akto is to add guylines to the pole at 90 degrees to the current pole guylines staking them out into the wind.
Excellent content! How much condensation did you experience with the Akto? Thank you!
The condensation is generally the worst part of using an Akto but at those temperatures there was none, it was all just ice.