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Hilleberg Nallo 3GT

Cooking pasta on MSR Whisperlite camping stove
MSR Whisperlite camping stove
January 19, 2018
Giant Trooper bicycle against a graffiti wall
Giant Trooper
January 18, 2018
 

Hilleberg Nallo 3GT


On the inside of our Hilleberg Nallo 3GT tent is written "this tent is designed for some serious wilderness trekking". That's what we need when we travel with our bikes or go hiking in the mountains. We decided to buy the Hilleberg Nallo 3GT version and this is what we think about it after using it more than two years during our world trip:

Hilleberg Nallo 3GT

(+) 4 seasons
Our plan was to go to Patagonia and to the Andes. The Hilleberg Nallo 3GT is a red label tent which is 4-season proof. This means that the outer tent touches the ground, the inner tent mesh is closed and the tent is designed to withold strong wind and snow. This way, a 4-season tent offers better protection against extreme weather conditions. During our ski adventure we were super happy with our tent and slept comfortably in extreme cold .You can really feel the difference on a cold evening. Inside the tent, especially in the sleeping compartment, the temperature is about 5 degrees higher than outside.
(+) Extended vestibule
We know that we were going to spent a lot of time in our tent in the evenings. The GT version has a has an extended vestibule. It has space enough to put all our bicycle panniers and we can still sit comfortable with the two of us.
(+) 3 person tent
We chose the '3' because of the extra space. It makes things just a bit more comfortable and on the bike those 200 gr don't matter. Still, the 3 person version seems small to really sleep with three people because with two sleeping mats the sleeping compartment is already reasonably well filled.
 
(+) Quality
Hilleberg tents are expensive, but you get what you pay for. After more than 250 nights in our Hilleberg tent in all kinds of weather conditions, the tent is still in excellent condition. Hilleberg uses the strongest materials and that price pays itself forward on the long term. On average, the tent has cost us less than € 4 per night so far.
(+) Kerlon 1200
Hilleberg uses Kerlon 1200 material for the outer shell of the tent. It is extremely strong and above all tear resistant. Cheaper materials will tear open if there is a cut in the sail, but Kerlon 1200 can hardly tear. In Peru we camped in the yard of a Warmshower that had two lovely cats. When we crawled into our tent in the evening, we saw a bunch small holes above us. The cats had climbed up the inside of the tent. We swore at the cats, but at the same time we were happy with the quality of the tent because the holes where not torn and easy to repair.
(-) Zipper problems
It is a known problem with Hilleberg tents and we are also bothered by it. After about 100 nights in the tent, the zipper of the side entrance began to struggle. In the beginning you get the zipper closed, but after a while it is impossible to close the zipper. It should not be that Hilleberg will not have a solution for this known problem after so many years, especially if you pay so much for a tent. We contacted Hilleberg with this problem and they sent us a package with new sliders to solve the problem.
(-) Stand alone
We have been sleeping a lot of times inside a garage, or under a roof on a concrete floor. Putting the tent pegs in the floor isn't possible and the Hilleberg Nallo 3GT isn't a stand alone tent. You need stones or use the bicycle bags to set up the tent. Also, in case of hot climates, it isn't possible to only set up the inner tent stand alone. First of all you need extra pole holders (€30), but still stand alone isn't possible. This might be the biggest downside of the Hilleberg Nallo 3GT. Therefore we use our North Face Talus 2 tent for summer camping.
Our opinion
The Hilleberg Nallo 3GT is a brilliant tent for outdoor survival. The materials are top quality, except the zippers, it's warm inside and there is a lot of space to store all the bicycle bags and sit dry. During a world trip you will probably sleep in different climates and strange locations, sometimes inside. This tent is big and doesn't fit in a small room, and it isn't possible to set it up stand alone. In our opinion this tent is perfect for an adventure in the nature, but not for a world trip. Another Hilleberg Tent, like the Hilleberg Allak might be a better option.

Check our their website to find your perfect Hilleberg tent.

 

Packing lists

We have used our Hilleberg tent while cycling, hiking, canoeing and skiing. It is one of our favourite items on our packing lists. Do you want to know what we all take on our adventures? You can find it in the packing lists:
Packing list for a summer hike
Packing list for a canoe trip
Packing list for a winter adventure
Packing list for bicycle touring