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.

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

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'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.

~~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.

Lightweight and strong are always going to be somewhat at odds with each other. The more you go towards one side, you compromise the other. Personally I’m a big fan of the Hilleberg Akto. It’s light enough but a very strong proper four season tent. I like mine a lot. In the Hille range you’ve got the Soulo which is a step up in strength but heavier, and something like the Enan which is lighter but less robust. IMO the Akto hits the sweet spot for four season UK summit camping. Someone above mentioned the Tarptent Scarp which is a similar kind of tent. The Fjallraven Abisko also falls into the same bracket. None of these are cheap but they are brilliant quality and brilliant strength to weight ratio.

Hilleberg Soulo or Staika tents. I have both - easy to set up and bombproof. But expensive - hand made in Estonia for Hilleberg.

Would go Hilleberg. The Soulo has poor ventilation. The Akto has way better ventilation and also much lighter. The downside being head space. The Nammatj 2 I just awesome, and it too has very good ventilation, the downside being it's much heavier at 3kg.

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.