3 man is usually just literally 3 people side by side like sardines, not necessarily comfortable for 3 people. If you want space AND space for backpacks you need to be looking for at least 4man.
3 people with 90L packs in are never going to fit in a 3 man. Do you all need to be in 1 tent? 90L is a lot of gear too, if you can reduce that at all that would help. I’ve had groups away for multiple weeks manage with 65L each.
Yeah that’s cool, probably because it’s more of an expedition tent and the sleeping space is only half of it, usually tent manufacturers try to stick the maximum amount of people you could technically/possibly fit in on the label.
It’s also about £1000 over OPs budget though, but pretty impressive it’s only 3kg!
Unusual but I have a Nallo3GT and you'd get everyone in there if they're prepared to be good friends. We can get in three tapered mats.
Packs would have to go in the vestibule but it's huge. I've had three people with smaller packs in there with space to sit around them. Helps that you can fold the sleeping compartment back.
I bought the three man thinking advertised man +1 but shouldn't have. Too used to three man tents where the men would have to spoon to fit!
Completely agree that 90L is a massive amount of stuff and OP would benefit from cutting down. Imagine carrying that for 4 days!
Haha yeah that's why I didn't suggest it! Cheaper when I bought it many years ago but they've always been pricey tents. That said it's the kind of tent your kids will inherit.
We shaved a bit off by replacing guys and pegs and it comes in at something like 2.9kg packed now. Bombproof tent if you have the budget, it's been in some really wild wind and rain and never ripped or leaked. And the vestibule is a godsend in bad weather.
Someone linked a remarkably priced Naturehike below, it's actually a little bigger than the Nallo. Not nearly as wind resistant or waterproof on paper (don't think I'm keen on a 20D 3000mm HH floor!) but for many people perfectly acceptable. It says 3.1kg which is a little doubtful. I'd love to be proved wrong and see that on a scale.
> but sharing, in prolonged bad weather, for more than one night, I'd go for the 2+
Great point, to expand on this we found tent shape mattered a lot.
Wife and I have a Nallo 2 GT and a Nallo 3 which are tunnels like the F10's. Same shape but the GT has an extended vestibule, which can be folded back if necessary.
We use the 2 GT for poor weather and multiple nights. The bed space is enough as some kit can be left in the vestibule with an extended groundsheet. Vestibule is nice and high for cooking.
The 3 has more bedroom space but the vestibule is less ideal for cooking, and that's where we really notice when it's pouring down. It's a better summer tent when you want more space in the inner away from midgies.
We could manage with a Nallo 2 and the short vestibule, but when it's horrible outside it's really nice to have the head space. As you say the extra 400g is worth it for comfort.
lol. I’ve brought HMG or BD mids on Denali as kitchen tents for every time I’ve been up there. You set them up on the surface and dig down to make cooking surfaces and benches, and surround it with a block wall. Works great up to 14k camp. Then we use Hilleberg Nallo 3 GT’s with two sets of poles for 17k where the wind gets super gnarly.
Think about the Nallo GT as well, it gives you oodles more space in the porch compared to the Nallo for little weight penalty. I love mine and have used it from windy and rainy Dartmoor to windy and snowy Norway.
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 have a Hilleberg Nammatj and a Storm Star. I would 100% save the extra and get a Hilleberg, I know they are a lot of money but I've not owned another tent that matches Hilleberg in quality and easy of use.
The Nallo is a fine tent too, and lighter, but the Nammatj has better ventilation and slightly more room.
I really like the look of the Vern, I think it's one of the best looking tents. The Storm Star is a great tent, but I don't know, it doesn't really excite me. Super taught which means it's very quiet in the wind, though. The only thing I would consider with the Storm Star is that it uses the thinner DAC poles meant for weight saving, which I don't think are appropriate for a 4-season tent, and there has been a number of people with broken Storm Star poles, and it is very difficult to get a new set of poles for the Storm Star. I believe there is someone making sets and selling them on eBay for the SS, but I don't know what the quality is like, I don't think they are DAC poles.
Pretty much all of the Hilleberg red and black label.
Nallo and Soulo are classics. Nallo has more space for its weight and the GT has a wonderful vestibule.
Soulo is the strongest 1 person and if you want to go overboard with the strength and camp in 70mph regularly then you can get black label version.
Tarra if you want insane strength but will be heavy for one person.
Unna is another good one, nice space, not as strong as a Nallo or Soulo but hardly weak, but it does like a vestibule (many unclip one corner).
Terra Nova Quasar is another very strong tent, 7 crossing points in its geodesic shape so can cope with snow loading unbelievably well. But it is an inner pitch first which in rain isn't ideal.
Slingfin make some good 4 season tents, the crossbow for example, contrary to common belief it isn't necessarily an inner pitch first but it is a bit of a hassle to set up the fly and then put the inner inside. But they use internal guylines as well so are stronger than the shape would suggest resulting in a spacious, relatively low weight tent.
I personally have the Nordisk Seiland, more or less a Nallo GT. Slightly bigger and with better ventilation but slightly thinner fly fabric. I've had it in pretty high winds, but have seen a wind tunnel test up to 80mph with single poles. Have also used with friends a couple times and works well, lots of space in the vestibule.
Tarptent Scarp is another UK classic, very strong for its weight, sorts out the space issues facing the Hilleberg Akto, just slightly bigger but makes a big difference in long nights, and the crossing poles allow it to cope with high snow loading.
Also the Arcdome, very similar to the Unna, but has a vestibule, cheaper as well and comes with a 2p version. We'll see over the coming years, but looking at the design it might actually be slightly stronger than an Unna.
Nortent does have strong tents, but they are a bit heavy on the marketing. The Vern is a bit well known for having some strength issues when it first came out, though looking at the Varde I can't see those in the same way (but the double door does mean that regardless of which way the wind is blowing one of the storm flaps will be in the wrong orientation).
Almost anything by Samaya, but they make Hilleberg look cheap so there is that. They specialise in breathable single wall tents, and are the only manufacturer that is generally agreed to have manufacturing quality above Hilleberg.
And lastly, possibly good fit, possibly not, the MLD Trailstar. When lots of people say four season here they just mean they want it strong for wind, in which case this is a large, very lightweight tent capable of performing in over 60mph. But it's design doesn't lend well to snow loading so if you will be doing lots of winter camps where it may snow heavily overnight it won't be a good option. But if all you care about is wind performance then you won't find anything as good for nearly the same weight.
Tom Heaney on YouTube has some fantastic reviews of tents, buys all his tents or borrows from friends, no sponsorships. He's also the only YouTuber I have seen that holds the wind speed measure in the right place instead of walking off a few paces towards the ridge which results in higher wind speeds than what the tent faces. He has a wonderful video "the best two-person four season tent" comparing the Tarra, Quasar and Staika. And he personally loves Samaya.
Really, there's lots of tents so I'd recommend choosing a type of tent, tunnel, geodesic, dome based on what you most value, be it strength, space, strength per weight. Then after choosing what type, choose the exact tent.
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