Design & Development:
A Continuous, Hands-On Process
We make tents. More accurately, we produce high
performance backcountry shelter solutions. That is all we do, so all of our
design and development is focused on that single idea.
For us, design always begins with a situation that
requires a solution: creating a fully free standing tent with integrated
vestibules for paddle tourers is one example (see Genesis of the Staika on the
next page). Another example: polar scientists needed a portable laboratory that
was strong enough for polar weather, light enough to be transported easily, big
enough to stand in and to sleep eight or more, and easy to pitch. Our solution
was the Atlas, which we included in our regular line after six years of use by
the polar scientists themselves.
The Hilleberg design team – all inveterate all-season
backcountry adventurers – creates the initial solution to the problem at hand
and works out the general concept. Our founder, Bo Hilleberg, heads the design
team, and his thirty-plus years of designing tents and a lifetime spent using
them as often as possible is a priceless asset. The team structure and Bo’s
vast experience is a powerfully creative mix, and many – if not most – of our
tent designs are literally born in the wilderness.
Other team members are tasked with turning idea into
reality. They complete the transformation of Bo and the team’s rough sketches
into workable patterns on the CAD system, and subsequently into useable
prototypes.
At that point, “design” morphs – at least partially – into
“development.” Every detail and every tent goes through months – and often
years – of testing before it goes into production and is available to the
market. No design or construction technique is ever implemented unless it can
live up to our exceptionally strict performance criteria.
We test any new materials and the tent prototypes
themselves both in high tech labs and in year-round field use. Internally, we
have a self-imposed rule that we all spend as many nights as possible per year
in the wilderness, in our tents.
At the same time that we are testing new ideas, we are
constantly reevaluating our in-line models. In addition, feedback from current
users is vital, since such users range from regular backpackers to
professionals in every climate and condition.
The greatest benefit of all of this experience is
innovation. Early on in our company career, we made pitching a tent a far
simpler and easier procedure: we linked the inner and outer tents so both could
be erected simultaneously. We were the first to do this, and it has become a
hallmark of our line. And we believe that it still provides the highest
performing solution for backcountry tents.
Over the years more innovations have sprung from the minds
of our team: full-length outer tents for true all-season function;
exceptionally strong, lightweight fabrics for greater reliability, versatility
and longevity; innovative vents integrated into the doors; and, most recently,
true modular tent designs that are practical and remarkably lightweight.
Hilleberg design
is a legacy of a company wide, lifelong pursuit of excellence. The result: a
number of Hilleberg innovations are now standard on tents around the world.
1973: Connected inner and outer tents for simultaneous
pitching of both.
1975: Use of silicone coated fabrics for greater strength
without added weight.
1977: Linked inner and outer tents that can be disconnected
and pitched separately for maximum versatility.
1987: Integrated door and vent for all-weather air flow.
1990: Effective vent cover on dome tents allows full,
through-the-tent venting in all weather conditions.
1995: Adjustable pole tensioner for both ease of pitching
and greater integral strength.
1998: Combined clip and pole sleeve system for easy pitching
of self-supporting tents.
2005: Fully modular tent systems that are both exceptionally
strong and remarkably light in weight.
2008: "Rain gutters" on the new dome tents to prevent water
drips into the vestibules.
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Copyright 2010©Hilleberg, Inc.
