Hilleberg Niak

When I bought this tent I expected a lot, as it´s an expensive tent, made by a manufacturer who brag about being the best of the best.



+ The weight is good.

+ Reasonably easy to pitch.



- The price. Way to expensive.

- Unevenly sticthed and too close to the end of the fabric, which made the fabric rip.

- A cardinal error in construction; a support line is attached to the largest fabric area, with no reinforcement. The point of the attachment of the line ripped the fabric in a wind less than 15m/s. So much for the "strongest fabric on the market". Cheap Ferrinos and Vaudes stood solid next to the Hilleberg.

- Extreme condensation, due to bad ventilation possibilities and a fabric which is way too tightly vowen.

- If you open the vestibule, rain or snow will fall straight down onto the tent floor.

- Weak tent poles.

- Very "silky" fabric which makes the tent harder to handle, than most other tents when packing/pitching.

- A bad asymetrical design of the tent door, where you always need both hands to open or close.

- The wind stability is bad. It was almost laying flat to the ground at 14-15m/s.

- It has some odd details which made the base construction more complicated then it has to be.



The worst tent I´ve ever tried, (not counting "gas station tents" for $25). I have tried some other Hillebergs and they are better, but I have no clue how the company has earned the top notch reputation they have. The other ones I´ve tried are of mid range quality, but at a way too high price.

Isn't it discontinued ? I assume for good reason.
In the past I had a similar experience. After years
of using several Fjaellraven tents (they made very
good ones centuries ago), I purchased one of their
first geodetic ones, very high priced. Is was full
crap (designwise). One year later it was gone from
their catalogue. I found someone who liked it,
though ;-)
Peter