Hilleberg Akto tent

mike ives

Looking to do some cycling and walking camping trips in 2011 and need a lightweight tent. I am considering purchasing one of the above or posssibly another similar type. Has anyone any experience of using the above or can suggest an alternative?

Looking for lightweight and small packability.

dilemna

Vaude Taurus Ultralight 2 person tent 1.9kg with small porch. Very easy to put up and take down. Can pitch fly first. Ideal tent for one as you can get all gear inside - panniers with room to spare. MRP £275. Can generally get them for about £220. Very highly recommended. I have had mine 4 years and used it every year and it has never let me down. Very durable and still like new.

http://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/ ... _tent.html

HTH.

niblue

The Akto isn't the lightest although it's not a bad weight at 1.5kg or so. If you want something lighter (and also a bit cheaper) I'd suggest looking at the Terra Nova Laser range. They vary from super-light with the sub 0.8kg Photon to the 1.2kg Laser which is either a roomy one-person or a cosy 2 person.

I use a Big Agnes Seedhouse SL1 which is also pretty light (something like 1.2kg or so) but a lot cheaper at around £150 or so (I bought mine in a sale in the US and it wasn't much over £100). Quite roomy as well.

GyatsoLa

Have a look at the tarptent range - tarptent.com, a lot of long distance tourers seem to be going for them now. They are incredibly light, but reasonably robust. I used a Scarp 1 for a three month tour in the Rockies this year and it worked extremely well, I've no complaints aout its performance.

tatanab

You will find very many people who love their Akto, and an equal number who do not. I fall into the second group.

I bought one in about 2004 and used it for probably 5 nights in the run up to a big tour. I found I did not like that I could not sit upright in it (I am 5ft 9ins); the inner is not taut (fair enough because it pitches outer first or al in one) so the inner is only a very short distance from your face when sleeping. It was simply not somewhere I'd want to be for more than one or two nights. I bought another tent before my trip.

I don't worry too much about weight, 2kg is fine, I put more emphasis on room in the tent and a small pack size. At present I use a Hilleberg Unna, before that I had the old design of Terra Nova Solar (no longer available) which I really liked.

MichaelW

I am 5'10" and used an Akto for the North Sea coastal route to Bergen, 6 weeks from late July to late Sept. Conditions were generally cool to cold with a lot of damp or rain and a few storms.
The single hoop is tensioned by a chord which can be tightened for more height. They come with some variance in the chord length so vary in sitting height.
I found the sitting height of the Akto to be better positioned relative to the vestibule than lighter weight solo tents.
Akto is extremely good in high winds , I have total confidence that it can ride out the harshest storm. It is not so good on ventilation, a common complaint. Its better for cool weather conditions. The fly reaches right down to ground level so no wind can get beneath but neither can airflow. The end vents and upper vent need to be unzipped in all conditions except driving rain. I position my sandals, sideways under the fly to get more venting.

I used a footprint which fits well and providesd dry storage and sitting. It is easy to remove and store/clean separately when muddy but can remain part of the tent for ease of use.

The vestibule is too small for safe cooking, I wouldnt try it. You can sit inside and cook outside. Some people unhook the inner for cooking. The door flap retaining loops are a not so effective, the flaps can unfurl so beware if you do cook.

It is very tough and durable, quick and easy to pitch even in the dark and very quick to takedown and stow. Moving the tent to a better located pitch was easy enough to do.
I found the best way to dry it was to "fly" it like a kite, holding on to one end. It can be pitched on hard ground without pegs, using stones or logs for the guys.
I carried mine crossways on the rear rack, tied down by and old inner tube.

The outer is a good colour for descreet camping but carry some fluorescent/reflective tabs so other campers can see the pegs. The inner is a pleasant colour and generally a nice place to be. It does hang loose but you need to tighten your guy lines last thing at night for more space.

I like it a lot

mike ives

Many thanks to everyone for the replies. The information is so helpful and has given me a lot to research. I'm sure from the replies I will be much less likely to make a mistake in what I purchase and therefore enjoy my trips that much more.

Much appreciated.

andrew_s

Alternatives to the Akto with a similar layout are:
Terra Nova Laser Comp, Vaude Power Lizard and TarpTent Scarp 1.

The first two are lighter (1kg), and therefore less durable, but with only one strut at each end, and less of the area given to the porch and more to the inner. The Scarp is similar in weight to the Akto, and has a porch each side.

For cycling, the Power Lizard has an advantage in that the poles break down to 35cm sections, short enough to fit inside a pannier (LC, Akto 45cm, Scarp 50cm).

The Laser Comp is known to be noisy in strong wind, to need careful setup to get a taught pitch, and the purchase of proper pegs.

The Scarp is only available from the US (add import duty/VAT/processing charges), or possibly from http://www.sackundpack.de in Germany.

The Vaude hasn't been available long enough for good user reports

I've got an Akto, which I really like for the ease of pitching especially, but at the full £395 price I'd certainly look at one of the others (mine was £225 in a 2008 F&T sale)

MichaelW

When comparing floor area note that the Akto retains usable height at both ends due to the end walls being almost vertical and leaning out rather than sloping down as usual.