Hilleberg Nallo 4 GT Tent

[the_camera_poser]

Anyone have any experience with this tent, or others in the range? Would it suit 4 season use in Tassie?

Cheers!

[rabbit]

Hilleberg tents are very well-made and have a good reputation.
Most if not all Hilleberg tents have a 4-season rating.

Ryan

[flyfisher]

Now you're on the right track, just what you need just a few $$$$$
FF

[Nuts]

Hey CP,

We have some Nallo 3 (slightly smaller and without the extended vestible) I will write more about them after winter as we have only used them since November and the odd light snow shower.
So far they have proved all that is said about them not a drop in heavy rain. They will suffer condensation but I really wonder how people use them... They can be closed right down unlike anything were used to here in Oz and I think this is where folks go wrong, not really understanding that they are buying a mountaineering tent. Leave the door open and the vents! (mesh closed)

Well made, unmatched weight for function and easy/quick to erect (despite the jumble they will first appear (with the guys all attached) I'd expect the 4 to be a large 3 (the 3's a large 2) If you are thinking of the family I Would go the GT with its mega vestible as it could be a bit frustrating with the single entrance in heavy weather. they are a long option though.

You must pay a lota tax to be using that as a break!

[the_camera_poser]

So Nuts- you have the door partially unzipped to avoid condensation- how does that effect the warmth of the tent? How well vented is it when totally sealed up?

[Damien]

I've got the Hilleberg Kaitum 2 and it is bombproof, i'd highly recommend the brand.
The tents have been proven in arctic and antarctic expeditions and are very well made.

[the_camera_poser]

Well, I love the vestibule in this one- and the size-to-weight can't be beaten. That vestibule would certainly come in handy with a 5 yo, not to mention all the rained-in days one can encounter here.

I owe whoever mentioned that Moontrail site a six-pack of Boags- that site is awesome, and what prices!

[Nuts]

CP, The door has separate mesh/fabric panels with a big wired chimney in the fly. The rear has a vent in both. With them closed and pitched tight they pull almost to the ground and I'd imagine they would get steamy in all but our coldest weather. With them open we have had no worries so far (perhaps 3-400 person/nights) It seems a matter of 'balance'. I cant imagine a warmer setup...

The GT models are long buts its either that or wide if you need that much space.

Perhaps you could get one of these? :

http://www.moontrail.com/hilleberg-atlas.php

Also keep in mind that we use them on platforms. I would like to test them thru winter and snow camping so we will see.

BTW I had a Swede on the last trip who reckons their conditions cool/wet are similar most of the year (if a lot colder mid- winter) They are a Swedish legend she say's...

Moontrail is a good'n and reasonable prices, Hilleberg cost about the same direct. I dont know whether you'll scrape under the tax sniffers in customs either way however. So you may pay duties also?

[the_camera_poser]

Nuts- I walked with someone in the US that used to do expeditions all over the world- up the north face of Everest, all that sort of stuff. He had one of those big basecamp dome jobs like the link you posted- that was too cool. He had all the gear. I once watched him run, I mean RUN, up a bluff around the steepness and height of Marions, from the edge of Dove Lake. He was a champ.

The thing about being a Yank is, you have all sorts of Yank friends that will repackage a nice tent like that and mail it to you as a gift, thus surpassing the customs sniffers See, we are good for something.....

I reckon the Nallo 4GT is definitely the go for us- it fits our needs exactly. I'm a *&%$#! moose, to put it bluntly, and I reckon my girls would just about strangle me if they had to spend a night with me in a 3 man tent (this has happened before, and they were pretty surly with me for the next few days.) And it is only a bit more expensive than the WE Cirque I was considering, not to mention 2 kg lighter!

Thanks for your help, all!

[tasadam]

I have the Hilleberg Nallo2 as well. An excellent tent. Strong, light-weight (2.1KG's), very easy to use. Only problem is it is expensive. I got it when the doller was over .80 US so exchange was in my favour. Get it wrong and you pay a lot more.
Moontrail offer points when you buy - you can use those points as a discount on the item if there's nothing else you want.
I use Tyvek under the tent as a groundsheet, it covers half the vestuble space as well which comes in handy for somewhere to get the boots off & on without dragging too much dirt into the tent.
There are lots of good reviews on the Nallo range if you want to google.
Some concerns were raised regarding condensation, I believe these concerns primarily related to an earlier version - improvements include the rear window and the roll-up bit at the back.
I have not had any condensation issues in the Nallo2 since I've had it - we always have the window open, and usually have the door at least half open, sometimes fully open (always flyscreen closed, but the other door open to allow ventillation). We also always have the bit at the back on the outside rolled open to assist in ventillation.

When we were looking at buying, we were considering the Nallo3, but ended up buying the Nallo2 - good thing, as there is stacks of room for my wife and I.
The Nallo3 would have been way too big for us.

[the_camera_poser]

Outstanding guys. I know it's dear, but I'm willing to pay extra for 1) low weight, 2) roomy with useable vestibule, 3) quality.

Added to my list!

[Ent]

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[the_camera_poser]

excellent review- thanks!

[tasadam]

The Katium is long, and I mean looooong

That was the reason why I ended up going for the Nallo. The two vestubles was something I was used to with my old tent, and something I initially wanted.
Looked long and hard at the dimensions of the Katium and the Nallo2 before deciding on one vestuble. A small shift to the way we pack our gear up for the night, but now we're used to it and it's fine.
We used to store our packs & wet weather gear in the smaller rear vestuble of the snowcave and have boots, cooking etc in the front vestuble.
Now we have two packs one on top of the other on the side of the vestuble, food bag goes in the pack. Billy & stove on top of the pack so I can hear it clanking if there's a rogue animal looking for a feed, boots & water bottles on other side of vestuble and plenty of room to fit boots and exit the tent in the middle area, also enough room to cook and the inner is really easy to detach and fold in to make a bigger vestuble for CAREFUL indoor cooking in the vestuble.
Lighting a shellite stove in a vestuble is something you need to be good at before trying the first time - you don't get a chance to recover from one bad experience. I find the camera tripod helps hold the door out of the way.
We didn't buy the custom groundsheet, we have a piece of Tyvek that works well, covers the underside of the tent as well as half the vestuble area, good for keeping debris from being dragged into the tent.

[Ent]

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[tasadam]

An excellent point re body length (height).
I have also read where sompe people need to wrap the ends of their sleeping bags in Nallo tents so the bags don't get wet by toughing the sloping back.
I'm just under 6 feet (178cm) and my wife is shorter, so it doesn't bother us.

[Nuts]

With the Nallo it does help a lot to hitch up(as well as out) the centre support/ guy on the centre (rear/outer)

[tasadam]

With the Nallo it does help a lot to hitch up(as well as out) the centre support/ guy on the centre (rear/outer)

Agreed, I always do. I can see the point though, on the taller folk amongst us (or is that "longer" when in the tent).

A very cold morning. Hilleberg Nallo2

D2C_8558.JPG (54.11 KiB) Viewed 25884 times

Very cold indeed...

D2C_8607.JPG (49.05 KiB) Viewed 25882 times

[the_camera_poser]

Adam, I'll still try to get by and see that one of yours. I'm very keen on them- can't make my mind up between cheap/disposable vs. bombproof and expensive.

[Nuts]

That does indeed look Cold. We hitch them up (on a branch or over a stick) for the taller timber

[Ent]

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[the_camera_poser]

All true Brett- I do agree. You can find bargains though- you just have to be persistent in looking and lucky in timing. But I'm not sure anything "affordable" will do as well as a Hilleberg or a Bibler, especially in a no warning wind/snow storm on the Central Plateau with my 5 year old over Easter. Which brings up the third element, which is safety. It's fine to say there's always a hut nearby, but there's not always a hut nearby, and people get lost, particularly in bad weather, and a tent is a crucial bit of safety gear. So, when considering it's for the safety of my family, maybe the extra expense is a no-brainer. If it was just me, I'd just go for a bivy, as I'm always miserable sleeping out anyhow.

[Ent]

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[tasadam]

Brett an excellent and informative post.

Often the best tents (packs, etc) are ones that appear quite plain but have a lot of careful thought put into the compromises. Sadly many manufactures that started off that way are now just marketing brands so with these brands their models seam to be on a downward path due to cost saving or being burdened by gimmicks. It is amazing when I compare my two tents based on "specification" compared to actual use. Both read well and will keep you safe and dry in high winds but one is a shelter and the other is a home with the distinguishing factors being rather simple design differences and/or differing opinion to cost saving.

This is an interesting point.
Nothing to do with bushwalking, but something very relevant is a description of what is going on with the cheaper manufacture of washing machines -
http://www.washerhelp.co.uk/reviews/miele-overview.html

What's wrong with cheaper washing machines?

The trouble with many washing machines these days, is that their design and reliability seems to be dictated almost entirely by costs. The majority of washing machine manufacturers are fighting out a long running price war, which will probably end up with them all being taken over by large global companies until there are just one or two companies making washing machines worldwide. Already, many apparently competing washing machines are actually owned by the same companies.
In an ideal world, companies making a product should make it as well as they possibly can, and then sell it at what it costs, plus the profit margin. Unfortunately though, this results in a product costing a lot more than the average person is prepared to pay. So manufacturers usually do it the other way round. They find out or guess what most people will pay and build the product to sell at that price. This usually results in a lot of corners being cut, then as competition increases, these products can become lower and lower in quality until they become rubbish - but most people still buy them because they won't pay for a "proper" one. People usually get what they pay for. Frankly, if you've had nothing but trouble for many years with your washing machines and think they are rubbish, it's possibly because you won't pay up for a good one. To be fair though, most people just don't think of it like this, or aren't even aware that high quality washing machines are available.

And on the article goes - a good read on manufacturing principles in general, even though they are specifically talking about washing machines you can see the principles would be very similar in a lot of "cheaper" items.

As they say, you get what you pay for.

[Ent]

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[sthughes]

In regard to the whole cost versus quality thing, the worst thing is that in many instances cost and quality are unrelated. Instead it may be two identical items simply with different brands printed on them at the end of the assembly line. One is "high" quality and hence expensive, the other is considered cheap crap , despite being the identical item repackaged (Holden Barina??) (it's especially the case with electrical goods). It's not always easy to tell 'brand hype' from genuine guality, especially in this age of online shopping
None the less I largely agree genuine quality is worth extra. Marketing of quality products, as quality products, is the key. If people don't know it is definitely better they have no reason to cough up extra cash for it. The mistake may be that rather than spend the money to convince people their products are superior, companies fall into the trap of simply aiming to match a competitors price. It has the same result of maintaining sales, at least in the short term, but costs less.

[Ent]

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[sthughes]

So ends today's rant.

Ahh but a good rant, you seem to manage quality AND quantity in your "rants" - well done

[Nuts]

It's easy to get lost in the detail. Hilleberg tents may be near the top of the tree but when it comes down to it are they really necessary here for most?

I think of my first Overland trip. As a poor student the K-mart A frame was a big purchase. Our slow progress on the track saw us camp at Pinestone Creek. It seemed like a good spot until the wind picked up and the snow started. Later that night we experienced a full blown gale that blew the tent from its moorings. I placed rocks on the guylines and crawled back in, it was a bit of a worry but the scariest part was the leeches that slid up and squeezed thru the mesh, an unstoppable army of them it seemed at the time. We 'survived', and had no other real dramas with the tent in the ten days.

Many years later I experienced the same conditions in the very same spot, this time in a (leading brand) tunnel design. Flattened to the ground with the force (to the point where we resembled cling wrapped snags) the only problem encountered was the same one, the pegs gave way and again, out looking for more solid anchor points.

While I wouldnt suggest a K-mart tent to anyone by choice, for decades before that the A frame was all that was available and I very much doubt that it was the tent itself that caused any real disasters. Not to the point that the marketers would have us believe anyhow...

While there are probably more dangerous locations, I havent yet experienced stronger winds than that A frame night. Even wrapped in the tent, experience would be the key as to what actions you took from there and the outcome. The 'crutch' of good gear is, I believe, just as dangerous as lack of experience. The Nallo is a fine tent, no doubt, but even it has its limits. Seems to me that lack of experience would negate the list of minor benefits besides the weight carried.

Just because the funds arent available shouldn't be a stopper, there are many cheaper designs that would suffice...In the real world use, I doubt there would be many that would lead to more than an uncomfortable night or two....

I also wonder what direction tents will head. How much weight is yet to be stripped from a tent such as the Nallo and at what additional cost?

[Ent]

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