Help me choose a tent!

[kitesurfare]

Firstly, I would like to say thanks to you all for deciding it was worth reading this post, despite the fact it is in english, and not swedish. I do understand swedish quite well, but my spelling has a lot to be desired, so please go ahead and reply in swedish so nobody has to feel wierd.

I need some help choosing a tent, and having stalked the forums for a while now I know that you guys are a pretty diverse group and know your gear well.

I camp quite a lot, I mainly surf, so I camp often on or close to beaches where I am exposed to the wind, the first problem I have with my current gear is that the flysheet (outer) does not go down to the ground, and the side of the tent exposed to the wind is often cold at nights. The second issue I am having is access to the sleeping area, I have to climb over or be climbed over by my camping buddy to get in and out as the door is on the side in one tent, and on the other tent the zipper passes both pillows in order to be opened.

So, I am looking for a 2 or 3 man tent, access to the sleeping area from both sides through a storage area. I would like it to have an inner and outer that can both be rigged separately and it needs to be able to handle wind/ventilation in the summer and wind/rain or snow in the winter. Budget is 8000sek weight limit is max around 4.5kg.

Does anyone here own or has seen anything that fills the criteria, what tent do you have, how much did you spend, would you change anything about the tent you are using just now?

Tony.

 

[Cremytos]

Starting with the obvious; you want a tent that is free standing so that it will not be a problem putting it up on sand. As you expect heavy wind you also want at least a 3 season tent or even a 4 season if you expect the winds to be very strong (do you camp out regardless to the weather or do you retreat when a storm comes?)

Some of the other specifications you give actually is somewhat of a problem. You want a tent that can be rigged separately indicating that you do not want a tent that is a so called storm pitched tent.

Storm pitched tents (like for example Hilleberg and Bergans) almost always have the other attribute your looking for; the flysheet (outer) goes all the way down to the ground. So I actually think that if you give up one of these attributes it will be a lot easier to find a tent. Maybe you even need two tents.

A tent that will meet some of your specifications but not being a storm pitched tent is the Mountain Hardwear Skyledge 2.1 or Black Diamond Mesa.

A storm pitched tent that has flysheet all the way down is Fjällräven Akka Dome 2.

 

[eyck]

A storm pitched tent that has flysheet all the way down is Fjällräven Akka Dome 2.

Can vouch for the Fjällräven Vålå Dome II, which is the predecessor of Akka Dome II.

Have used it in Sarek several times, in winds up to 20-25 m/s, and still use it on all my paddling trips. Well-made and a fair price. But Akka Dome II is more expensive (SEK 5449).

/Mats

 

[seobserver]

Strandtält som fungerar väl är självstagande, för två är ett 3p tält att föredra då bärning inte är huvudsysselsättningen.
Stormmattor som du kan ha sandkorvar på för att det inte kommer in vind under yttertältet.
Vi gjorde så när vi dök och tältade på Cypern och i Jordanien.
Vintertid kan man givetvis ha snö i korvsäckarna.
De flesta tälttillverkare fixar det där med stormmattor, annars är det en enkel match med symaskinen hemma. Likaledes med korvarna, Skyffel att fylla dem med underlättar.
go tur

 

[kitesurfare]

Hi Cremytos,

Thanks for taking the time to reply, and in english!.

I pretty much stick out the weather no matter how bad it is, obviously when the wind is kicking up, the tent has to be away from all possible treefall dangers, and often means that I am more exposed out in the open so weather protection and storm rigging has to be priority. I need to give up one of the criteria, and clearly it has to be the ability to rig both sections separately and go with rigging in a storm with the poles on the outside, which also helps when its raining hard to get the tent up and still be dry inside.

The Mesa and the Skyledge look like great summer tents, but I think there is a little too much netting on the inner for wintertime, the Akka however looks perfect. Shame that the doors couldnt be on the same half of the tent though meaning that there would be 180degree protection from the wind for cooking etc.

What competitors are there for the FR Akka? And how is the akka for size? I dont mind taking a tight fitting 3 man instead of a 2 man specific.

Great info so far! Thanks : )

 

[kitesurfare]

ahh more replies while I was.... replying : )

Nice to know that I am on the right track and thanks for the feedback about the akka : )

As for the Stormskirt, it isnt a bad idea actually, generally I dont like putting extra holes in a tent, but I could always tape up the seams afterwards.. Who would I ask about putting on the stormskirt from the store?, is it something that comes from the factory, or is it something the store would do locally at a skräddare (ironically I have forgotten this word in english)

I have narrowed the tent down now to the;

Fjällräven Akka Dome
Vaude Space K2 (overkill?, although the cheapest at only 3 640,00 kr)
Hilleberg Allak (can it really be worth so much more than the Akka?)
Anything else you guys know of that I can have missed... ?

 

[Cremytos]

I think the 3 tents that you list serves the purpose.

Nowadays you pay normally for quality combined with low weight. I you want to keep the durability in the tent but still want to make it lighter you have to experiment with more expensive materials.

Vaude Space K2 - 4.6 kilo and 3640 kr
Fjällräven Akka Dome 2 - 3.6 kilo and 5495 kr
Hilleberg Allak - 2.9 kilo and 7800 kr

I actually bought a new tent quite recently and the Akka Dome 2 was one of the finalists but it lost to a 0.7 kilo lighter competitor.

 

[kitesurfare]

: ) hehehe, no hard guesses there as to what you got!

whats the space like inside? it looks amazing with both the sides open, does it feel small with everything closed up?

 

[jamo]

I have the Akka Dome II and am very happy with it. Sturdy, well designed tent with plenty of useful features. Nice size on the vestibules, conveniant with one for each occupant. Inner tent is not huge but big enough. I'm 6'3 / 191cm tall and have no complaints .

Googled this video, if you haven't seen it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppGsuvR5O7k

 

[niklaz]

I traded my Hilleberg Allak for a Soulo, from 2 to 1 person dome. Allak was a good tent but I like my tunnel tent better for 2 persons. It was a bit cramped when you are two persons. Good with two vestibules = almost always one that is not facing the wind. You can find HB tents in their outlet to save a buck or two. My tent cost 6500 and I could actually not find the supposedly damaged "stake canal" on it. http://hilleberg.se/sv/outlet

 

[kitesurfare]

hi guys, thanks for all the replies, I have been surfing pretty much all night through various youtube clips trying to find some reviews/tours of the tents.

I am very impressed by both FR and HB and their rigs, its clear you get what you pay for. I am struggling to make a decision though and need to hear from you guys that own the following tents;

FR Dome 2/3
HB Allak
HB Staika

So here are some of my thoughts... it is a little of a shame that the Allak only comes in 2 man, as it does seem a bit on the tight side because of the vestibules having such a large door. The Staika seems to make a lot better use of the sides of the tent, although lets face it, the Stalka just doesnt look as cool. I love how you rig the HB though, the short sleeves really look like the whole setup is just very smooth, where the FR seems to me that in the wind, one person may have trouble getting the tent erect?

The FR does have a lot going for it though, its small packed down as well, has a nice shelf inside and unlike the HB, the vents can be held open. I suspect that cooking is much easier in the Dome and the Staika than in the Allak should the wind turn or the rain start? I do think the blue is horribly feminine though!. It is a few thousand cheaper as well, so that means a whole bunch of new gear inside instead of the badge on the outside.

HB questions then, Allak first. How is it to cook with the Allak? does the additional footprint cover the whole of the vestibule to help combat condensation? Would you prefer the extra 10cm of the Staika inside? What problems, if any have you had?

Staika, do you wish that you got a more slimline tent?

FR, How is it to rig yourself? If you have a dome 3, was it worth the extra Kilo, or should you have bought the smaller tent? does the footprint cover the storage space on the sides too?

Thanks again for all your help folks! sorry about coming back to the thread so late!

Tony.

 

[niklaz]

All Hilleberg footprints cover the whole ground area nowadays. Before you had the option of a vestibule footprint only, which I have in my Nammatj. You can cook inside the Allak but it is a tad tight since the vestibule walls are sloping. I would never cook with anything else than a gas burner though due to the limited space above.

I had no problems with the Allak but traded to a Soulo so I have one 3-man Nammatj (for two + dog) and a 1-man (+dog) tent instead of two very similar tents. It is very easy to pitch and very silent even in strong winds despite the thin fabric since you can pitch it like a drum skin

I would have like the 10 extra cm in the Staika but appreciated the less weight when I bought it. If you get rained in it is a bit tight for dressing/undressing and so on. My Nammatj is 160 cm wide which is a lot of space.