hilleberg akto use in south west

[geoffmallo]

We'll be doing the Western Arthurs again soon. I'd love to hear from people who have used the akto and whether it's up to the wind that we might encounter.

I'm considering getting the soulo but won't carry the weight if I don't have to.

I will admit to enjoying camping in more 'exposed' spots just for the view.

Any experience?

[oldwrinkledone]

I've recently used an Akto for 5 months cycling across Northern China and Central Asia.

We had very little rain on the trip, so I can't comment about its long term waterproofness -but the few rain storms we had were fierce deluges and I remained warm, dry and cosy inside.

However wind - yes we had wind. Some wild sand storms in the lower Gobi desert, and further east towards western China - the little Akto stood up to these really well. Don't know what the wind speeds were but we had been cycling in 40 - 60 kph winds during the day, gusting to higher.

I became really fond of the little Akto - about to use it on the Overland Track in February in a return to bushwalking after too many years.

Heather

http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/HeatherB2P

[Taurë-rana]

They do look like a nice little tent, I'd like to hear more about their use in bad Tassie conditions as well if anyone has used them.

[Franco]

The Akto has a proven track record in bad weather (heavy rain and strong wind) in Europe where that design is particularly popular. Several brands there have their own version, the Akto being the benchmark. The two "negative" points commented upon by some users are the lack of good ventilation and therefore it can accumulate condensation (this is common with the 4 season down to the ground fly and mostly fabric inner tents) and the inability to hold serious snowfalls (more than 30cm of wet snow.Some will double-pole to help with this).
Curiously there are conflicting opinions on how to pitch that design in the wind, some suggest pointing the end others the side into it.
Pretty soon we should get some reviews on the similarly designed Tarptent Scarp 1. BPL (http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin ... index.html) are testing one right now.
The double door, partial mesh inner and the two extra poles of the TT should overcome some of the weak points of the Akto, nevertheless keep in mind that the Hilleberg has been around for many years (since 1995) and is still the dream tent for a lot of hikers.
A final point, some are unconfortable with the Akto's 90cm max headroom ( 99 cm with the Scarp 1)
Franco
BTW, I have only tested the Akto in my backyard.

[oldwrinkledone]

Yes, the Akto does have ventilation problems in warm weather and is not really designed with Australian summers in mind. The small insect screen doesn't allow much airflow in hot weather and the tent can be quite uncomfortably warm.

Wonderful when it's below freezing though!

Heather