I have been backpacking for the better part of 25 years and it was just recently that I discovered probably one of the best tents made for all types of use.  From the casual summer camping to the expedition artic tundra this tent has been there and done that with excellent success.  Go figure!  It took me this long to discover this manufacturer!  Hilleberg the tentmaker!

Let me start with the conditions at which I camped.  Ever been in the rain nonstop for three days in a less than marginal tent?  How about camping in the mountains of Western New York where you retire to your sleeping bag at a temp. of 50deg. F and wake up to 6 plus inches of snow and your tent is all but 5 inches from your face!  Sounds like fun huh?  From that to everything in between is where I have been and thank goodness I had the skills to survive through it.  When I ventured out on my own some 25 years ago I decided to gear up and on the advice of some so called campers I went to Sears, yup I did, and bought a Hillary Tent, named after the great adventurer Sir Edmund Hillary.  Remember the rain storm I mentioned earlier?  You guessed it!  I knew nothing of footprints, seam sealing and full covering rain flys!  Upon my return I was as mad as ____ insert what you like for effect!  And I demanded a refund because the so-called knowledgeable salesman feed me a sack of it!  Lessons learned!

After extensive research and speaking with "real" outdoors folks I had a basic understanding of the qualities a good tent should have.  My next tent, with seam sealer and a footprint was a geodome tent made by Sierra Designs (Quest).  This tent had a full fly with vestibule, a footprint and bombproof guyline attachments.  Proved to be a winner when I was camping with a companion in NY.  Ever hear the crashing of awning filled to capacity with water and screams from folks with bad tents?  Its pretty funny when its not you and you experienced it once before.  Most definately and improvement over the first tent.

Now fast forwarding 25 years to the future to vastly improved gear and advanced knowledge of backpacking.  I still find that there is much more to learn.  That is where Hilleberg enters the picture.  First and foremost about this comapny is the customer service!  WOW, it does not get any better than that.  When was the last time you received a call from the owner of the big name tent manufacturers about a problem with your tent?  Second is the quality of these tents.  Each and every tent bears the name of the person who assembled it and what's even more impressive is the attention to detail given to each tent!  The materials are stronger than the other tent makers in the industry and due to the expense of said material, other makes do not use it.  I guess the bottom line is more important that quality.  Every aspect of the tent is well thought out, from guy line supports to ventilation and interior space.  Be forewarned though, this quality does not come cheaply, their tents start at 365.00 and go up from there.  But trust me, the extra money is well spent as the tent will last you for a long time.

The material, called Kerlon, has superior tear strength and the seams do not need to be sealed due to the way in which the material is sewn.  The tent is also treated with a process called silconization which impregnates the fibers and creates an excellent waterproofing.  I was so much so impressed with this tent that I sold ALL of my tents and switched to Hilleberg.  If you are looking to upgrade to a tent that surpasses them all, i highly suggest that you look at their website and browse the catalog.  I could go on and on, but i will let you decide for yourself.  Have fun and be safe.