Soulo BL (Black Label)

Light weight and durability do not go hand in hand. When you make fabrics and poles thinner they lose strength and durability, there’s just no way around it. So the real question is: what is lightweight enough and durable enough for you? There is no best tent. It’s about finding the one that aligns with your preferences. And we can’t tell you what those are. Personally my tent of choice is the Hillberg Anaris. It has no tent poles which is always one of the weakest links in any tent (and especially in lightweight tents). This way I know I will never have catastrophic structural failures due to windy circumstances. What are the trade offs? Large fabric panels make this tent quite noisy in the wind and really hard winds will deform it, but it won’t brake. For a lightweight tent it also has a very rugged floor that doesn’t need a footprint, which is something I value. Most ultralight tents are (in my opinion) unusable without a footprint, since the floors are so flimsy. It is also spacious, has really good ventilation and plenty of space for gear as well. But there is a limit to everything, and if I expect really hairy conditions, I bring my Hilleberg Soulo BL which is an absolute bunker. But at that point we’re in another galaxy when it comes to weight 😂

Mountain 25 is a good tent used worldwide. If price is no concern then I would definitely suggest going with a Hilleberg black or red label or Mountain Hardwear Trango 2. Any of the three will definitely last a lifetime. I wouldn’t rush though, order a free hilleberg catalog online. They have some amazing tents. I’ve personally camped in a double-poled (yea you can use two poles where one goes on hilleberg) Tarra and saw winds of 80mph. Fabric whipped a bit but sleeping at that level we always bring ear plugs.

Only four season tents retain heat.

Yes but crucially, as I pointed out, **only four season tents**. I’m not sure why you’re persisting in labouring this point when neither of your tents is a four season tent. Furthermore, as many have pointed out, the shape of the tent has nothing to do with any insulation properties, and even then, the insulation is so trivially small that it simply shouldn’t be a consideration in your choice of tent. How about actually listening to what people are saying instead of constantly arguing? 🤷‍♀️

The shape of the tent has no bearing on its warmth; primarily you should be relying on your sleep system for warmth. True four season tents (eg Hilleberg Red and Black Label), regardless of shape, do add a few degrees to the interior, but this is due to the lack of catenary curves in the fly (ie the fly extends all the way to the ground) resulting in less ventilation, and a solid inner as opposed to mesh. I’ve actually measured the difference and found that my four season tents can be up to 5°C warmer inside than outside. **A three season tent will not provide any warmth.** Sure, they may be warm (even uncomfortably so) when pitched on a sunny day, but that warmth will not be retained and will rapidly dissipate after sundown. Ultimately whether you choose a tunnel or a dome is more a matter of practicalities. Tunnels are usually quicker to pitch (ideal for wet weather) and offer the best space to weight ratio. The downside is that they need to be pitched parallel to the wind for minimum flappiness, which can be a problem if the wind changes direction overnight. Domes, on the other hand, allow slightly more flexibility with altering pitch spot since you can usually erect the tent and then find its optimum placement before pegging down. This can be really handy when you’re expecting lumpy ground. So, for me, the factors which determine which tent I’m going to take are the forecast and the expected terrain 🙂

I'm 5'4" and own several 1P tents - Hilleberg Enan, Hilleberg Soulo and Durston X-Mid 1. I find them all more than spacious enough for most trips. Not sure what to recommend for your price range though; maybe something from Wild Country or Vango, or maybe the Sierra Designs High Side. If you use walking poles, then look for an older X-Mid on eBay, as they come up fairly regularly around that price.

How hot will a Soulo really get if you're summit camping? I've been on one summit in years of going up mountains where it was 20 degrees or higher. By the time you've arrived late and left early, I honestly think you'll be fine temperature-wise.

Hilleberg Suolo has been my choice. Fantastic tent extremely solid. Quite heavy and that’s to be expected in a winter tent.

Look at the terra nova laser series or the new saga from tfs. Also out of the Vern and the soulo I’d take Vern as an all rounder because of the ventilation options, extra space and quality of life features. Find the soulo to be a bit cramped personally

Hilleberg is solid but damn those prices hurt. If you're not doing serious mountaineering the MSR Hubba series is way more reasonable and still built like a tank