Nallo 2

Before I got my Nallo, I really agonised over whether to get the GT or not, because that huge vestibule is amazing. In the end, I went for the non-GT version as I’m frequently on solo trips and just didn’t want to deal with the extra weight and bulk. But I do regret it sometimes though, especially on a trip a while back when I was stuck in the tent for two days of sideways Scottish rain on a week long trip on Arran. I do think the vestibule on the standard Nallo is still pretty roomy though, certainly enough for me to get out of my wet full body kayaking drysuit, which is not easy to do in my Allak 🙂

I own a few Hillebergs and swear by them. It’s very reassuring to know your tent is going to keep you safe when the weather gets really rough. I’ve camped all over the UK with them. I’m also a photographer/videographer so am always hauling gear around. My favourite Hillebergs are the Niak and the Nallo. The Niak is technically a three season tent but I’ll handle most British weather all year round. The Nallo is brilliant because it’s very spacious, has a large vestibule and is really quick to pitch. The Niak pitches very quickly too. The Niak is very similar to the Unna, but has a vestibule. The Soulo is amazing but frankly overbuilt for most British weather. I use mine during the winter for mountain camping but only when I’m feeling unsure about the weather, as it’s bulky and heavy for its size, and takes at least ten minutes to pitch. It is very cosy though; I was in some pretty poor weather this past weekend and it shrugs off wind like nothing else. Some drawbacks to Hillebergs, apart from them being relatively heavy (compared to all the ultralight tents out there), is that the silnylon they’re made from sags a bit when wet, and they’re also not as well ventilated as a lot of newer, especially American tents. Even their three season tents lack apex vents and such, so they’re a little more prone to condensation in our humid climate. And of course they’re very expensive. But they’ll last a lifetime if you take care of them. I know people who’ve got 20+ year old Hillebergs that still look great. Not many tents last that long. Oh and yeah, ignore the YouTubers. They’re either getting loads of free tents and giving them positive reviews because they’re the flavour of the month, or they’re giving glowing reviews because they’re trying to get free tents. The only person who does tent reviews that I really trust is Matti on the Jokkmokkguiderna channel.

I have the standard Nallo. I did agonise over whether to get the GT or the standard and in the end I simply chose the lighter option. I do sometimes still wonder if I should have gone for the GT though, especially in very bad weather. But the vestibule on the standard is quite spacious too; it’s overtaken my Allak as my primary choice for sea kayaking trips as the vestibule is actually big enough to get easily changed out of wet gear in. Bonus! And that very quick two pole pitching is brilliant. I’ve never owned an Unna but as mentioned, my Niak is very similar and I absolutely love that tent. Dome tents, like geodesics, are very versatile as you can essentially put them together and then find an optimal place to peg them down. The Unna, unlike the Niak, doesn’t have a vestibule but I know most people just unclip the inner to make one when needed. I can certainly see the attraction of a very storm worthy tent than pitches faster than the Soulo, and I guess that’s the Unna’s strength. I believe the Soulo can comfortably fit people your height. I’m only 5’5” so I find the Soulo quite spacious and generally keep all my gear with me inside the tent, instead of storing any in the vestibule. I’m not sure whether you’ll be able to do that at your height, but the inner does have a slightly triangular shape to it, so there’s a space alongside where your mat goes where you could store camera gear. Your backpack would probably have to go in the vestibule though. I wouldn’t bother getting any of Hilleberg’s Black Label tents for UK camping. Their Red Label tents will handle pretty much all of our weather (their Black Label tents are basically made for arctic expedition use, and I honestly don’t understand why anyone would carry around that kind of weight when they don’t need it!).

There’s definitely a particular kind of (usually middle aged) man who buys Black Label tents and then has totally sedate camps in gentle terrain with them. The whole “hardcore tent” thing is just a weird flex 🫠 Having said that, there is a Black Label tent called the Nammatj which is really nice and looks like it has slightly better ventilation than the Nallo. But yeah I won’t carry that extra weight! I actually know someone who uses the Nallo GT as she camps with a dog, and it works really well for her. It also makes it a great option for campsite camping. I think that, unless you do a lot of summit camping or camping on unforgiving terrain that’s difficult to peg, tunnel tents generally win over geodesics. This is why, as brilliant as the Soulo is at being a tough little mofo of a tent, I prefer the Nallo. You get a better space to weight ratio, and faster pitching. Sure, if the wind changes direction overnight the tent will be a bit flappier, but I think that’s a small price to pay. Interestingly, the Nallo and Soulo are almost the same weight, yet the Nallo has more than twice the space.

The obvious choice is Hilleberg. The Nallo is a great tent; just pitch it so the vestibule faces into the wind and it’ll take pretty much any conditions that are actually hikeable in the UK. And I see that, with tedious inevitability, people are being downvoted for recommending expensive tents, despite the OP asking specifically about them.

I have consulted with a couple of mountaineers and they gave me the following thoughts: Hillebergs are heavy but amazing tents. And the more specialized DCM tents have to be taken care of. They dont do expeditions with pyramid tents, but they are crazy and go to some extreme altitudes. I have bought the nallo 2 on the second hand market for $400 and I will mainly use it with another person. So the weight will be distributed evenly. For my solo winter expeditions I will buy a mid tent. Preferably also second hand or not too expensive since I am a student and have other pretty expensive hobbies. I was looking at the naturehike summiture (not super serious). I appreciate your reply, it is the most informative and concrete piece of advice yet. I will check out the tents you suggested, class starts soon XD

I think you need to work out what you actually want, or maybe you're looking for a do-it-all tent which does not exist without compromises. Two tents is probably the best solution. If I was looking for a 2-person, 4-season tent that's a reasonable weight, I would probably go for the Hilleberg Nallo 2. If having two tents was an option, I would probably go for something like an X-Mid or Lanshan and a Hilleberg Nammatj 2.

What you've described is a Hilleberg. I don't think any other tent beats a Hilleberg in terms of strength to weight. I went with the Nammatj over the Nallo, mainly because I prefer the ventilation on the Nammatj and I prefer the door placement, but it is heavier than the Nallo. You won't be disappointed with the Nallo, or any Hilleberg for that matter, they are awesome.

I’m using a Scarp1 as my do everything. Replaces a Nallo 2 and before that. TNF west wind But there’s always a compromise. I don’t use the Scarp for really exposed pitches- I choose better forecasts, sheltered pitches etc. I wouldn’t use it in Storm David on the Cairngorm plateau.

~~Winter camping can mean many things. The Nallo isn't a 4 season tent. Specifically, it isn't adapted to snow. Those cat curves on the lower perimeter of the fly are practically impossible to bury and the spindrift will flood the interior. You will regret using the Nallo in full on winter conditions (blown snow).~~ If you have a very limited budget and need one shelter to do it all, your best bet would be a mid with as many sides as you can get/are willing to carry (i.e., a rectangular pyramid -> a hexagonal mid -> an octagonal mid). Edit: My comments about the cat cut on the fly is due to confusion with the Anjan! My apologies for the confusion! FWIW, I've personally used and owned at different points 3 of what are now called the Black Label tents and 6 of the Red Label tents.