Hilleberg The Tentmaker has been producing tents for over 40 years and these tents are being used everywhere from Everest to Denali and everywhere in between. We had the chance this year to test out the Hilleberg Allak on loan from the company. Originally we were slated to test this tent in November on a mule deer hunt in western Nebraska. The temperature on our hunt’s opening day was bitter cold and the wind was blowing close to 30 mph. While it would have been a great test, the tent stayed in the truck and I stayed in a comfortable bed each night and hunted hard each day.
We finally got the tent out last week road tripping through Nebraska. I wanted to test it out before the upcoming spring turkey season. Nebraska and Kansas spring rains plus the winds can be pretty serious and having a great quality tent can be a lifesaver.
I have a deep respect for Hilleberg. The sheep guides I know use these for two to three months out of the year and they all rave about the quality of the tent. They all say they choose these tents because of the tent’s ability to withstand just about anything Mother Nature dishes out. I have heard stories of guys spending a week or more inside of one of these tents due to weather. I recommend a really good book and a deck of cards in those situations and maybe a journal.
The first time I took the Allak out of the bag was at the campsite on the Sherman Reservoir near Loup City, NE. We set up the camera to capture a time lapse of the tent set-up and pulled it out of the bag. Marjorie and I assembled the tent in just under nine minutes. I was blown away by how easy it was. We had it set, staked, blew up the sleeping pads and prepared with sleeping bags and everything in under nine minutes.
The Hilleberg Allak is a free-standing tent and was developed to be a best-in-class two-person tent that can be set up anywhere. This tent is an all-season dome tent with a focus on lighter weight (7 lbs 4 oz) versus overall strength. The Allak has a 3-pole system that can handle all but the worst conditions. What I like most about this tent besides the overall weight of the entire system are the dimensions (47” width and 88” length). At 5’10” this means I can stretch out completely in the tent.
The Hilleberg Allak is made with Kerlon 1200 on the outer tent fabric and uses 9 mm poles. The poles are slightly curved to mimic the curve of the dome and secure the tent in a pretty ingenious design. I am impressed with how they were able to get the curve into the poles and yet still get them to pack up so easily. The linked inner liner allows this system to remain completely dry in a pouring rainstorm. The base of the tent has a heavier bottom liner which extends up the side of the tent several inches, performing like a boat to keep your body dry from rain running under the tent. The Allak can be set on snow and can handle a snow load, though this model is not an arctic or expedition tent.
One of the best features of this tent for us is the dual entrances and vestibules, one on each side of the tent. On a backpacking trip, we could each enter and exit on our own side of the tent without disturbing the other person. Even better, our equipment could be set inside the vestibule and out of the elements but outside our sleeping area. The Allak has an optional footprint that covers the area of the outer tent including the vestibules which can be left attached during pitching. The footprint adds an additional 14 oz. to the overall weight. If you plan on pitching this tent in the snow you will want to invest in the sand and snow pegs as an additional option. The Allak Inner Mesh Tent is a worthy option for those who will use the tent during the hot summer months.
This is a pretty amazing tent. Our only complaint about the Hilleberg Allak? The Price. This tent retails out at $945.00 from the Hilleberg website and with the options I mentioned it only gets more expensive. And while we expect this price from a premier tentmaker, this isn’t the tent for the average person who camps once or twice a year.
While the Hilleberg Allak is not the tent for everyone, there is no question that this is one of the best tents on the market. If you spend a serious amount of time in a tent and require a tent you can carry in your pack, this is absolutely a tent you should take a serious look at.
