Backcountry Comfort:

An Essential Element of Performance

“Comfort” is an integral component in a tent, since it includes things like keeping water out, floor space enough to sort gear, and head room enough to allow occupants to move around with ease. In reality, “Comfort” is a measure of the tent’s versatility and its ability to handle any condition. It encompasses the venting system certainly, but just as vital are the general design, overall ergonomics, vestibule space, and size and placement of the doors.

We use double wall designs in our tents because these offer the greatest ventilation and breathability possibilities, and because we firmly believe that simultaneous pitching of the outer and inner tents – something all Hilleberg tents feature – means you can get out of the weather quicker, and stay drier longer. And two layers of tent fabric are better than one for creating a buffer between you and the elements. Our inner tents can, of course, be detached from the outer and used separately, just as the outer can be used individually, as well.

Our linked inner and outer tents add another “comfort” dimension, as well: pitch your tent during a midday break, disconnect the inner tent, and you’ve got an impromptu shelter that gets you out of the wind and weather.

All Hilleberg tents have spacious inner tents with vertical or near-vertical inner walls. This creates more useable space and more headroom while still keeping the tent lightweight.

Vestibules on Hilleberg tents are at least big enough to handle the gear of the occupants. But our vestibules are also an integral part of the venting system: there are either actual vents built in, or the outer tent doors (or door on single entrance models) are constructed so that the top can act as a vent, and still be protected from the elements.

Outer tent doors are also situated to keep the weather off the inner doors, and to provide easy entry and exiting. In dual door/vestibule models, one entrance can always be placed out of the wind.

Inner tent doors are just as well-conceived. They, too, are part of the venting system: all have no-see-um mesh panels with equal-sized, zipper adjustable fabric panel covers. This provides you with the ability to regulate air flow while still keeping out spindrift.

overall reliability plus low weight: the foundation that underpins every other aspect of “comfort” in all Hilleberg tents.

Well Thought Out Doors

Allows full and easy access while also keeping the weather off the inner tent door and acting as part of the venting system.

Spacious, Bright Interiors

Let you fully enjoy your backcountry sojourn in any weather. From a good night’s sleep to a leisurely breakfast, Hilleberg tents have it all!

Large Mesh Panels on Inner Doors

Adds to both the venting and the views! Equal-sized, adjustable fabric panels allow for full or partial coverage.

Roomy Vestibules

Provide both gear storage and protection for the inner tent door. GT vestibules add even more space.

Detachable Inner Tents

Simply detach the inner for a fine group gathering spot in camp or an impromptu lunch shelter during a day’s outing.

the fine art of venting

Building functional tent ventilation systems is an art –but one grounded firmly in science. The problem: your tent needs to keep out the weather yet let in enough air to battle condensation and keep you comfortable. A poorly placed mesh panel can create a rain or snow storm in your tent, and an outer tent that does not go all the way to the ground can let wetness and snow in. At the same time, there must be a way to move moisture out of the tent, to limit condensation.

No tent is completely immune to condensation: in some conditions, it is simply unavoidable. Cold temperatures with high humidity is especially likely to create condensation in a tent, as is rainy weather, or the moisture-laden air of coastal areas. Even tarps will collect condensation in these sorts of conditions. Wet gear (and humans or dogs) in the tent or vestibule will also contribute to condensation problems. And if the humidity outside the tent is higher than within, it is simply not possible to vent that moisture laden air – unless you have a heater and a fan!

All Hilleberg venting systems are built to function no matter the weather. In all our tents, at least one main vent is placed high up, to harness the chimney effect, which moves warm, moist air upward – and, thanks to the vent’s placement – out of the tent. The main vents also have corresponding, adjustable components in both the inner and outer tents, so you can have less or more venting, as you choose (and as the weather dictates). Hence the vent covers on our dome tents, which cover highly effective roof vents, and the uniquely placed “tunnel” vents on our tunnel tents.

To supplement the main venting, inner tent doors have no-see-um mesh panels covered with equal sized, zipper-adjustable fabric panels, which allow for both venting and weather protection options. In addition, our double wall design is integral to our effective venting, and to fighting condensation. In single wall tents – or in any tent’s vestibule – rain hitting the outside of the tent can knock condensed moisture off the walls inside, which can make it seem as though the tent (or vestibule) is leaking. Our outer tents keep the weather out. Our inner tents, whose fabric is both very breathable and highly water repellent, lets moisture vapor escape into the space between outer and inner tents. There it cools, and turns to droplets, and the inner tent fabric’s water repellency prevents the liquid moisture from penetrating back into the tent.

the facts about condensation

Condensation is the exact opposite of evaporation. Air inside an occupied tent is warm and humid – which means it has lots of “evaporated” water molecules zipping around in it. That warmer, moister air rises and hits the tent wall (which is cooler because of conductive cooling), and those water vapor molecules slow down and “stick” to the cooler surface: they “condense” out of the air and onto the tent wall. The same thing can happen between your sleeping pad and the floor of the tent. Hilleberg tents combat this process with:

· Vents situated high up to let warm, moist air out.

· Double wall design with water repellent, breathable inner tent fabric to let vapor pass through, and to keep actual water out.

· More venting via mesh panels in the inner tent doors.

Hilleberg venting solutions

all weather venting system

Air can move freely in a Hilleberg tent, even if it is dug down deep in the snow, or covered by high grass, since the main vents are placed high up. In addition, mesh in the doors, backed with adjustable fabric panels, allows air to move into and out of the inner tent.

breathable, water repellent inner tents

Our inner tent fabrics are highly breathable yet remarkably water repellent: moisture vapor passes through them quite easily, yet they can actually carry water, bucket-like. In addition, they have impressive air permeability, so that air can circulate better throughout the tent, thus helping fight condensation and increase overall comfort.

model-optimized vents

Vents in Hilleberg tents come in all shapes and sizes, each engineered for that particular model’s design.

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