Upgrading my Tent....looking at Hilleberg options.

[JackRabbitSlims]

My current tent is an MSR Hubba Hubba NX which has served me pretty well over the past 3 years.

I’ve had to replace the fly at the start of my current tour as it seems to have stretched over time / use and it started to touch the inner when wet and drip inside when raining.....far from desirable.

I’m currently riding the American Continent and the MSR is doing an OK job. I’ve camped out in some horrendous weather in the past months (Peru / Bolivia) and I’ve come to the decision that I’m actually not completely satisfied with this tent anymore.

It was fine for my previous “big” tours but I think it’s time to make an upgrade.

The MSR was my first and only tent.

I’ve met a ton of people on the road in the past 3 years / 40,000km plus journeys and the ones who are riding with Hille’s speak so highly of them.....I’m very seriously thinking of getting myself one

So...the question is which one?? I’ve narrowed it down to 2.... The Anjan 2, or the Rogen. Both with a footprint.

I like a 2 person tent....I have no desire to bed down each night in a coffin!!
The Rogen is freestanding which is a plus and the design / layout is quite similar to the MSR....twin vestibules are nice, especially when breaking camping in the rain.
I normally leave my 2 large Panniers on the bike and just remover the innards which are stored in dry bags....my front Panniers are usually food, cooking kit, wet weathers and repair / maintenance which I take off the bike and store in the vestibules.

The Anjan is lighter, not freestanding and I’m not sure if I’d like all my gear in that one area in the front of the tent....hard to say with out ever using it? Plus, it’s cheaper!
I have to say, these tents are not cheap and I’ll be buying mine in New Zealand, so the price will already be offensive!

I’m happy to take the hit if it’s worth it and the $$ spent is a significant upgrade from the MSR.....sounds and read like it is.

I’m asking for advice / suggestions/ experiences from those who are using or have used these tents please.


Thanks if you can help me out.

Also, if I’m missing another tent manufacturer as good and reliable as Hilleberg, please let me know. As above, I’ve only ever had the MSR.

Cheers.

[rualexander]

If you're buying in New Zealand, have a look at their Macpac tents https://www.macpac.co.nz/equipment/tents

[Ivor Tingting]

Why not contact MSR and explain what you are doing and your current dissatisfaction with the fly and they may well, can't promise, provide you with a new replacement one. I have MSR tents and love them. Admittedly I don't have the Hubba Hubba NX but the older HP and also the Elixir 2P and 1P Hubba NX and I love them all. As far as Hillebergs are concerned I think they are way over priced for what they are. If you are worried about stretching of your MSR fly then you will be just as worried if not more with the Hillebergs as they suffer from this as well. I am not paid by MSR and have no association with them. I just love their tents. Many cycle tourers use them with no problems.

You might also consider a Terra Nova Southern Cross 2 which has two entries one on each side for each person. It's a 4 season tent. Similar price to the Hubba Hubba NX but still cheaper than a Hilleberg.

https://www.outdoorgear.co.uk/Terra-Nov ... fid=176013

[jacksonz]

Hilleberg was always too expensive for me. I have a Tarptent Scarp1 that has been excellent.https://www.tarptent.com/

[pwa]

I don't use it much now because we don't do that sort of thing anymore, but we have a Hilleberg Nallo 4 that is a four person tent and was great when we had small kids, especially as the vestibule is as big as the sleeping area, so loads of storage. The quality of materials and construction is very high, and despite the very lightweight materials it is undamaged after many uses. Could you get the same high level performance without such a big hit to the wallet? I don't know, but Hilleberg do make very good tents.

[Sweep]

First, respect for your travelling exploits.

With regard to your new tent.

Am sure they are well made but must admit that I have long been a bit doubtful of very expensive tents for bike use - not as if you are carrying it on your back.

So have you considered the Robens Lodge 2 as recommended on here by Breton bikes (just do a search on here or the wider web)?

I have one - thanks to Breton Bikes.

Like your current tent, which you seem to basically like it is freestanding and it has twin vestibules.

I have sat out some fairly strong storms in mine and not felt the need to attach the guy lines, which it does come with.

Pretty well made I think.

If anything serious beyond repair or bodging should happen to it you could always buy another and keep the unused bits for spares.

edit - bretonbikes review of the tent - though this review is I think for an older version with enhanced poles.

https://www.bretonbikes.com/homepage/cy ... ng-holiday

[bikepacker]

The only experience I had with MSR tents was using a Carbon Reflex for backpacking. For that it was very good but for cycle camping I much preferred Hillebergs of which I have considerable experience.

You mentioned the Anjan 2. I was loaned an Anjan 2GT to try out and it was my least favorite Hilleberg and I can’t really explain why. Maybe it was the flimsiness of the Keron 1000 flysheet, the high ground clearance of the fly or even the lack of a full length footprint, whatever I did not get on with it.

My preference was for my older Nammatj 2GT which served me for well over a 1000 nights. Second to that is the Nallo 2GT which I have used almost as much and would always recommend in preference to the Anjan.

My cycle-camping is now seriously curtailed due to health problems however should I have been able to continue I would have used a Nigor Didis 2 tent. When I saw one on a campsite at Rhayader I immediately liked it and decided to buy one. Almost as light as the Anjan 2GT it offered more room and better door arrangement. My wife a few years ago had a Nigor Wickiup so I knew they were well made from the top grade materials. My problem is now I will never get to use it so it is for sale on this forum at a bargain price. See: viewtopic.php?f=32&t=128918

Let me know if there is anything else specific to Hilleberg tunnel tents you would like to know.

[pjclinch]

Am sure they are well made but must admit that I have long been a bit doubtful of very expensive tents for bike use - not as if you are carrying it on your back.

Don't really follow the reasoning here. What you're paying for with a Hille isn't really about where/how you carry it.

What you're paying for is benchmark materials, QA, field testing and attention to detail (manifesting itself in ease of use from when you start pitching to when you finish putting it away). You can buy lighter, you can certainly buy cheaper, and if your particular requirements of design compromises don't happen to be in tune with Bo Hilleberg's it's quite possible you can buy something better suited to your needs, but there's nothing about Hille as a brand that doesn't fit with cycle touring.

When you're actually camping you're not on the bike, and it's when you're actually camping that the tent (excepting those made for extreme weight weenies) comes in to its own.

Pete.

[pjclinch]

I’ve met a ton of people on the road in the past 3 years / 40,000km plus journeys and the ones who are riding with Hille’s speak so highly of them.....I’m very seriously thinking of getting myself one

So...the question is which one?? I’ve narrowed it down to 2.... The Anjan 2, or the Rogen. Both with a footprint.

Accept no substitute for evaluating pitched examples, even if that means ordering one (perhaps several) and sending back if not completely convinced.

I like a 2 person tent....I have no desire to bed down each night in a coffin!!
The Rogen is freestanding which is a plus and the design / layout is quite similar to the MSR....twin vestibules are nice, especially when breaking camping in the rain.

First up, different manufacturers have different ideas about how much space one person needs. As, it must be said, do people. So don't assume solo is necessarily not up to the job. The Tarptent Scarp 1 gives you 2 doors and 2 porches, for example, and is no "coffin".

If you like the layout of the Hubba Hubba then the Rogen is a natural choice. Where it scores over the MSR is silicone coatings on both sides of the fly rather than outer only so it's stronger, and the poles aren't reliant on the hob joins which are a potential weakness. There's more guying as standard so that beefs it up when pitched. You can put the whole thing up in one rather than inner-first and (judging from our HH HP and other Hilles) it's probably less fiddly too.

The Anjan is lighter, not freestanding and I’m not sure if I’d like all my gear in that one area in the front of the tent....hard to say with out ever using it? Plus, it’s cheaper!

Or, at the same price and weight as the Rogen there's the Anjan 2 GT which solves your storage problems by giving you enough space to put the bike inside if you really want. These are the sorts of questions where all the paper diagrams and other people's recommendations are much less use than crawling around a pitched example and seeing what you think.

I’m happy to take the hit if it’s worth it and the $$ spent is a significant upgrade from the MSR.....sounds and read like it is.

That depends on what you regard as important in a tent and consequently if it's significant. It's like bikes, some people can see the point of a Rohloff but can't justify the cost, others think they're well worth it, others prefer derailleurs anyway.

Also, if I’m missing another tent manufacturer as good and reliable as Hilleberg, please let me know. As above, I’ve only ever had the MSR.

Hop over the border in to Norway and you've got Helsport, with similar design ethos, materials and prices. The main thing against them is distribution which (outside of Norway, at least) tends not to be as good.
Tarptent have an excellent reputation, though a different ethos: they're built from lighter stuff than Hilles, but that's not better/worse objectively, it's just a different point to put the design compromise line.

[Ivor Tingting]

I’ve met a ton of people on the road in the past 3 years / 40,000km plus journeys and the ones who are riding with Hille’s speak so highly of them.....I’m very seriously thinking of getting myself one

So...the question is which one?? I’ve narrowed it down to 2.... The Anjan 2, or the Rogen. Both with a footprint.

Accept no substitute for evaluating pitched examples, even if that means ordering one (perhaps several) and sending back if not completely convinced.

I like a 2 person tent....I have no desire to bed down each night in a coffin!!
The Rogen is freestanding which is a plus and the design / layout is quite similar to the MSR....twin vestibules are nice, especially when breaking camping in the rain.

First up, different manufacturers have different ideas about how much space one person needs. As, it must be said, do people. So don't assume solo is necessarily not up to the job. The Tarptent Scarp 1 gives you 2 doors and 2 porches, for example, and is no "coffin".

If you like the layout of the Hubba Hubba then the Rogen is a natural choice. Where it scores over the MSR is silicone coatings on both sides of the fly rather than outer only so it's stronger, and the poles aren't relaint on the hob joins which are a potential weakness. There's more guying as standard so that beefs it up when pitched. You can put the whole thing up in one rather than inner-first and (judging from our HH HP and other Hilles) it's probably less fiddly too.

The Anjan is lighter, not freestanding and I’m not sure if I’d like all my gear in that one area in the front of the tent....hard to say with out ever using it? Plus, it’s cheaper!

Or, at the same price and weight as the Rogen there's the Anjan 2 GT which solves your storage problems by giving you enough space to put the bike inside if you really want. These are the sorts of questions where all the paper diagrams and other people's recommendations are much less use than crawling around a pitched example and seeing what you think.

I’m happy to take the hit if it’s worth it and the $$ spent is a significant upgrade from the MSR.....sounds and read like it is.

That depends on what you regard as important in a tent and consequently if it's significant. It's like bikes, some people can see the point of a Rohloff but can't justify the cost, others think they're well worth it, others prefer derailleurs anyway.

Also, if I’m missing another tent manufacturer as good and reliable as Hilleberg, please let me know. As above, I’ve only ever had the MSR.

Hop over the border in to Norway and you've got Helsport, with similar design ethos, materials and prices. The main thing against them is distribution which (outside of Norway, at least) tends not to be as good.
Tarptent have an excellent reputation, though a different ethos: they're built from lighter stuff than Hilles, but that's not better/worse objectively, it's just a different point to put the design compromise line.

OP says he will be buying in NZ so perhaps a little difficult.

[pjclinch]

Hop over the border in to Norway and you've got Helsport, with similar design ethos, materials and prices. The main thing against them is distribution which (outside of Norway, at least) tends not to be as good.

OP says he will be buying in NZ so perhaps a little difficult.

Meaning in terms of perspective, from Sweden, home of Hilleberg, to Norway, home of Helsport. Also available in other places, however, and it's generally down to who is interested in importing Brand X to Country Y.

[horizon]

My current tent is an MSR Hubba Hubba NX which has served me pretty well over the past 3 years.

I’ve had to replace the fly at the start of my current tour as it seems to have stretched over time / use and it started to touch the inner when wet and drip inside when raining.....far from desirable.

AFAIK, this tent is made from nylon, the disadvantages of which you have described above and include sagging when wet. However nylon does have advantages and is used (again AFAIK) in expensive tents.

It made me decide against a nylon tent last year. There may be other aspects to this so i'm posting it in the hope of eliciting other comments/views.

Here is a demonstration video (near bottom of page):

https://www.tgomagazine.co.uk/gear-news ... -in-tents/

[Ivor Tingting]

My current tent is an MSR Hubba Hubba NX which has served me pretty well over the past 3 years.

I’ve had to replace the fly at the start of my current tour as it seems to have stretched over time / use and it started to touch the inner when wet and drip inside when raining.....far from desirable.

AFAIK, this tent is made from nylon, the disadvantages of which you have described above and include sagging when wet. However nylon does have advantages and is used (again AFAIK) in expensive tents.

It made me decide against a nylon tent last year. There may be other aspects to this so i'm posting it in the hope of eliciting other comments/views.

Here is a demonstration video (near bottom of page):

https://www.tgomagazine.co.uk/gear-news ... -in-tents/

The Hubba NX series of tents do have Nylon fly sheets which makes them lighter. Their cheaper Elixir range have polyester based fly sheets which makes them slightly heavier but some might say more robust and durable which is why I went for the Elixir 2 instead.

[PH]

I’ve met a ton of people on the road in the past 3 years / 40,000km plus journeys and the ones who are riding with Hille’s speak so highly of them.....I’m very seriously thinking of getting myself one Cheers.

Which label Hillie's were those waxing lyrical using? I can't see the lighter three season ranges being much more robust than the other quality tents around the same weight, MSR among them. You may prefer the design and features and consider them worth paying for, but IMO several long tours over a three year period is the expected lifespan of a lightweght tent, for most of us that equates to a decade or more use.
For me, before it came down to choosing brand, I'd want to decide between an expedition quality tent in the hope of longevity or a lighter option in the expectation of a shorter life. I'd probably go for the latter unless contemplating some extreme conditions that required the former. From experience the longer a tour the more careless I become with things like choosing the ideal pitch. The main issue with Hillie's I've heard of people having is with the zips - One couple needed theirs replacing and were told they were not taking enough care of servicing them, I can't see zip maintenance ever becoming part of my touring routine.
OT maybe, but the only two tents I've seen badly damaged would have happened regardless of cost - one attacked by a goat and the other blown into a barbed wire fence (While we watched from the safety of the toilet block!)

[pjclinch]

Which label Hillie's were those waxing lyrical using? I can't see the lighter three season ranges being much more robust than the other quality tents around the same weight, MSR among them.

Not many tents have silicone coating both sides, typically (MSR included) it's silicone one side and PU the other so the seam taping sticks. But the PU coating heat ages the fabric, and the seam taping heat-ages the fabric, so the tent ends up with substantially lower tear strength (mainly because seam taping means you can put a "guaranteed waterproof fly!" on the swing tag, as far as I can tell).

For me, before it came down to choosing brand, I'd want to decide between an expedition quality tent in the hope of longevity or a lighter option in the expectation of a shorter life. I'd probably go for the latter unless contemplating some extreme conditions that required the former. From experience the longer a tour the more careless I become with things like choosing the ideal pitch.

This is all sound thinking, though one of the main things that will wear out quicker on a light tent is the groundsheet and using a footprint gives you an option for just beefing up the more vulnerable bit. Because of the fabric used without PU backer and seam tape, the fly materials in a Rogen actually have better tear strength than quite a lot of "expedition tents". Because Hille aren't keen on lightness for the sake of lightness even the Yellow Label have 9mm DAC poles, again better than many "expedition" tents.

The main issue with Hillie's I've heard of people having is with the zips - One couple needed theirs replacing and were told they were not taking enough care of servicing them, I can't see zip maintenance ever becoming part of my touring routine.

They're YKKs which is about as good as you'll get, and you'll generally have the same ones in any decent tent. But zips are major points of failure in bags, tents, jackets... not taking care of them (when it's pretty easy) doesn't make much sense to me. Take the stress off them when doing them up, keep them clean (toothbrush at the end of the trip), precede them when doing up with a finger and that's most of your problems dealt with.

OT maybe, but the only two tents I've seen badly damaged would have happened regardless of cost - one attacked by a goat and the other blown into a barbed wire fence (While we watched from the safety of the toilet block!)

In either case better tear strength is going to minimise the damage. Take a piece of silicone-both-sides high tenacity nylon and it's very hard to rip, even if you make a cut in it first with scissors and even at the lighter end of the fabric range. In this case ripstop means just what it says. Do that with a PU coated nylon and it's really easy to rip it to shreds.

Pete.