Hilleberg - Soulo (Red Label)

Nice! I’m out in the Lakes right now with my Suolo, I also wanted to have zero shelter anxiety so although it’s overkill, it’s bloody welcome summit camping in this weather. It’s a 1 nighter so I am full-winter lightweight this time. No cooking gear, few luxuries. Baseweight under 9kg. Just gotta get my podgy ass up the hill now! Looking forward to your trip pics as always, good luck on your adventure!

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

Whilst a proper four season tent (eg Hilleberg, Terra Nova, Fjallraven) will have a temperature inside that’s a few degrees warmer than outside (my Soulo/Allak tents are usually around 3-5°C warmer than outside), you shouldn’t be relying primarily on your tent to keep you warm; that’s what your clothing and sleep system are for. So you really need to be focusing on getting a sleeping bag and mat that are rated for very cold temperatures.

Personally I’d say the Nammatj is actually overkill for the UK, with the Nallo being more appropriate. The Nammatj, as well as their other Black Label tents, is literally designed for high altitude expeditions and Arctic/Antarctic environments. It’s a great tent, obviously, but there’s no real need to be carrying that weight around in the UK when a Red Label tent is more than sufficient :) I’ve camped with my RL Soulo and Allak all over the UK, throughout the year, on mountains and along exposed coast on sea kayaking trips, and they’ve always been fine. Hell, even my Yellow Label Niak was fine in 40mph winds in Scotland last year.

Since we're now heading into proper winter conditions, and as I've seen several posts both in this sub and the UKHiking sub about dealing with wintery conditions in the hills, I thought it worth posting this as I am currently packing for a weekend in the Lake District. So how do I prepare for a cold weather camp? Currently, the forecast for the area I am heading tomorrow is showing these conditions (the temperatures take windchill into account): * **High temp: -5ºC** * **Low temp: -13ºC** * **Wind speed: varying from 11mph-25mph over the course of the day, strengthening a little around midnight for a few hours** * **Max wind gusts: 40mph** This information is from the mountain-specific forecast from the Met Office for the particular fell I am planning to spend the night on. **You can get this forecast here:** [**https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/mountain**](https://weather.metoffice.gov.uk/specialist-forecasts/mountain) You can find further region-specific and peak-specific information from choosing the options further down the page. I also check **MWIS** for a broad overview of the Lake District area: [**https://www.mwis.org.uk**](https://www.mwis.org.uk) The forecast, as is usually the case with mountainous areas, is changing on an almost hourly basis, but broadly there's no getting around the fact that it'll be very cold. It's also looking a bit windy. **So my main considerations are keeping warm and having a sturdy tent.** As such, in addition to the usual gear I'd bring for any Lake District multi day trip (eg water filter, Garmin Messenger, decent power bank, head torch, first aid kit, poo kit, etc) here's what I am taking: As much as I hate lugging around a heavy tent, I am taking my **Hilleberg Soulo RL**. This tent is actually slight overkill for these conditions but I tend to be quite cautious so am taking this as it's my strongest tent and will shrug off any 40mph gusts if they actually happen. As the temperatures have been consistently low all week, I am expecting the ground to be hard, so I am bringing some **MSR Carbon Core** nail-style stakes, which are much easier to get into hard ground than others. My **sleeping bag is a** **Mountain Equipment Helium 600**; the comfort rating for this is -8ºC. This is fine despite the windchill outside, as the actual ambient temperature is forecast to be around -1ºC. Windchill is not a factor inside the tent (in fact, my Soulo is usually around 5ºC warmer inside than outside). I'm also bringing a **Sea to Summit** **liner**. This doesn't contribute significantly to thermal rating, but it does make things a bit cosier. I am bringing my **Nemo Tensor Extreme sleeping pad**. It has a R rating of 8.5 and is incredibly warm. You can actually feel the warmth radiating back at you from it. In addition to wearing appropriate layers while hiking, which includes bringing along waterproofs, I am bringing my **Rab Mythic jacket** (a very warm, very packable down jacket), **spare Darn Tough wool socks, Icebreaker wool thermals** for sleeping in, a fleece **balaclava**, and warm **gloves** (in fact, two pairs: a pair of Hestra gloves for hiking in, and a pair of Outdoor Research wool gloves for camp). I am also bringing a few of those **disposable hand warmers** (very useful in winter) and **Turbat down socks** for sleeping in. I also have a pair of booties to wear over my down socks that offer a measure of protection if I have to walk outside of the tent. It gives my feet a break from my boots. I'm bringing plenty of things to keep me feeling warm and cosy: **coffee, soups**, etc. I'm bringing dehydrated Firepot meals as I can't be bothered cooking in cold temperatures. Eating a warm meal or having a warm drink just before jumping into your sleeping bag really helps. Due to potentially icy ground conditions, I am bringing a set of **microspikes** for my boots (**Kahtoola EXOSpikes)**, although the map suggests the path on my route is mostly gravelly. But since these are reasonably light at just under 200g, they're worth bringing along. I usually hike in trail runners or Vivo barefoot boots, but because of the potential need for spikes, I am wearing my Scarpa boots for this trip. I also always use poles (**Black Diamond Pursuit**) which help with navigating icy terrain. Obviously I've invested a fair bit in decent gear over the years and I am not necessarily saying you need all these same brands and models and whatnot. But I figured that people new to winter camping may still find it useful seeing the considerations I am making and the decisions I am basing off them. Some stuff, like different tent stakes, may not necessarily be obvious to people who've not pitched on hard ground before. I'll also keep my cooking gas canister and water bottle in my sleeping bag to avoid the water freezing and the gas getting too cold to ignite. **Do not leave items vulnerable to the cold in the vestibule of your tent**. I'll also keep my power bank and phone in my sleeping bag alongside me. I have also specifically chosen a mountain that has a very direct, not steep descent in case anything goes wrong and I need to leave in the night. **Some other tips:** As winter camping involves a lot more time spent in the tent, bring something to pass the time. I download films/TV series from Netflix, etc onto my phone. I also sometimes bring my Kindle. Sundown at the moment is around 4pm; so I'm looking at probably needing something to pass at least 5-6 hours each evening. Bring a lantern for your tent. It keeps your morale up having a cosy, lit space. If you have the space, bring a bottle to wee in during the night, so you don't need to head out into the cold. I'm a woman so I also bring a pee funnel. https://preview.redd.it/x9bnana2oe2g1.jpg?width=1025&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0575976708711a5f163637540fb7cda47842bb58

~~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.

I own a hilleberg and it’s the most competent of the winter tents I tried out. Very suited to Scotland.  Their red label tents should be acceptable for what you are looking for.  I’d also be mindful of the fact that when camping in woodland l, there can be a lot of beaches ready to come clattering down on your fragile canopy, so make sure you risk asses the area before pitching. Weeks of storm damage can be be forced to fall,  by even the lightest wind in our climate. 

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.

Neither, I'd get a Hilleberg tent, from the red line (expedition rated) ... but I'm biased since I have one (Jannu) and have used on of their tents whenever I was out.... even in the army ... so unless you are locked to either of these.. id check them out.

My Hilerberg Akto has withstood storms as bad as any I would want to be out in. Not designed for deep heavy snow but unless your planning on taking up ski touring or snowshoeing somewhere that shouldn't be a consideration because if it snows too heavy for an Akto you won't be walking out in just boots, it has a solid inner which helps to retain body heat which is pretty much the only source of heat you'll have most of the time. At approx 1.5kg weight it's suitable for backpacking . Though not designed for it a modified Akto was used succesfully on a solo expedition to the North Pole, not bad for a backpacking tent. If you really want the option of camping during heavy snowfall then the Scarp 1 with the crossing poles seems on paper to be the most versatile option as you can use it in summer without the extra poles though I have never used one. I've used a Hilleberg Soulo extensively in heavy snow and it performs just great but then If I just had walking boots in that kind of snow getting out would have been a survival situation so I do think it's more of a specialist tent.

For alpine, windy or snowy conditions, nothing beats a Hilleberg. Pricey though. Akto is my favorite one man shelter of all time (tunnel style). Soulo for a freestanding one man, but with a significant weight penalty. The Rogen is a sweet freestanding two man design. Has more airflow than some of their other models, but will handle wind like a champ. Excellent weight/space/weather compromise.

I've had nice nights in Norway, Sweden and the northernmost part of Finland in Hilleberg tents (Soulo, Akto and Nammatji GT) and a Fjällräven tent (discontinued Skule R / S 2). It makes sense those tents were developed by people who hike in these very areas. I don't have any doubt thre are many tents that do the job well at half the price or less, but when a storm strikes, you'll feel safe in a quality tent.

I prioritize things pretty much like this: 1) safety (strong structure/suitable for the terrain and climate), 2) comfort, 3) weight. As an example, I somewhat regret selling the Soulo and choosing the Akto instead. There's nothing wrong with the Akto, but the Soulo was just simply such a safe-feeling bastion that I had a great time with it.

Hilleberg always gets props for being a robust tent, but what a lot of people don't realise is that they're pretty lightweight for what they are! Using their classic freestanding Soulo tent as an example - I'm not sure it's possible for it to be any lighter than it already is whilst maintaining that level of robustness. So it follows, then, that wanting something with equal robustness as the Soulo but at half the weight is just unrealistic. The X-Dome has a similar strength:weight ratio as the Soulo in my opinion - but it's 40% the weight of a Soulo! Both tents achieve their relatively low weights due to excellent design and wise material choice. Most other tents that are as strong as a Soulo weigh more than a Soulo, and most tents as strong as an X-Dome weigh more than an X-Dome. And it is sad that the YouTubers have discouraged some would-be buyers. I have a lot of respect for the British wildcamping YouTubers... But I wonder why they can't imagine the unintended impact of their videos. Even though they sometimes put effort into detailing what was their fault, they must know the overall message getting through to viewers is a fear mongering one - "the tubes will break". That's unfortunate. Another thing y'all Americans should note about the British wildcamping videos is that the climate in the UK is really something else!!! Conditions change rapidly, and to extremes, in a way that perhaps doesn't occur where you live. This unpredictable weather means that a 3-season tent will sometimes leave you on the side of a mountain with your tent in pieces... Happens all the time.