Hilleberg Akto

At the risk of sounding incredulous, I shall be going out to buy a Hilleberg Akto this weekend. Admittedly it's not the lightest, nor is it the cheapest, but I can honestly say that I've never read a bad review. Condensation issues sure, but that's to be expected with any double-skin tent, and proper ventilation should overcome the worst of this. (As an aside the person who informed me of these condensation issues, suggested that it was necessary to use a bivy bag inside the tent to stay dry. I had to point out that the sleeping bag would probably get wetter inside a bivy bag than from a little bit of moisture on the inside of a tent, a tent tending to breathe far more than even the highest quality bivy). It weighs in at 1500g, which will make it difficult to follow Fjäderlätt Jörgen's 3 for 3 method, but not impossible. If I have to invest in one specific thing for comfort, I'll make it the tent.
As my previous post is testament to, I was all set on an MLD order, however considering the fact that all MLD orders are taking 5-8 weeks to shipping, with at least another 4 weeks for that, that gives me perhaps a 3 month timescale for a new tent. I don't know how patient you are at waiting for your hard earned gear, but patience is not something I'm known for. I had looked at a TNLC, as many friends of mine swear by, but I'm not convinced of it's durability or survivability, year after year, and it's not worth the price demanded in Sweden. If I'm going to be paying 4000 SEK for a tent, well... it's said that a Hillberg is for life, not just for Christmas! Who to order from? KG Jonsson Sport & Outdoor are as a good a choice as any. I attended a job interview there back in February, and the guys working there not only know there stuff, but are great guys too, and right now they're offering a 500 SEK voucher with the purchase of any tent this summer. Actually, Hilleberg seem to be pretty strict on their wholesale pricing - there doesn't seem to be a tangible amount of money saved by purchasing online and the beauty of buying in store? Instant gratification!

SoloMid

With much deliberation, then some more deliberation, I've settled on a SoloMid. I was pointed in that direction by a friend's comment here. Gossamer Gear's The One is an interesting shelter, but for forays above the treeline - camping trips in both Scotland and the far North of Scandinavia where it would see the most use, I don't think the spinnaker and fiddly pitch is up to the job.

I'm very happy with everything I've read about Mountain Laurel Designs and Ron Bell. From what I understand he's a man that understands. The shelter itself seems pretty bombproof, having withstood the Alaskan wilderness as Andrew Skurka's shelter of choice on his Alaska-Yukon expedition which you can read about in the March 2011 issue of National Geographic. In his gear list he remarks that the "pyramid design has the highest strength/weight ratio" which is pretty much everything I'm looking for; lightweight but also durable, and able to stand up to some pretty inclement weather. He also points out that it could be carefully used in 4 seasons. If it's good enough for him and a 7 month, 7500 km expedition, then it's more than certainly good enough for the Kungsleden and I. The shot above is from the MLD website, and show's a SoloMid completely buried in the snow, but amazingly still standing and none the worse for wear. Of course this is not recommended, and in reality you'd have to keep digging it out, but I think it shows what the shelter is capable of. Picture couretsy of MLD (but I figure Ron won't mind me using it as I'm pretty much endorsing his product).

Why a SoloMid you ask? Sure another Scandinavian-living ex-pat says that it's too small, that if they were going to go that small they'd use a tarp, and that in fact the DuoMid is a perfect size for long trips. Maybe, but a SoloMid is still incredibly light, can give me full bug protection without the claustraphobia of a bivy, and sets up very stable with a PacerPole A-frame. A DuoMid would give me more space, but it would also weigh more, and here's the biggy, cost considerably more. Buying direct from MLD, and costing in 25% MOMS and a very reasonable $25 flat-rate shipping, I've priced the SoloMid (with inner) at 2700 SEK, while the DuoMid (again with inner) will set me back 3300 SEK (Forex). That's quite a difference in price, and given that I'm actually stretching my budget somewhat to accomodate the SoloMid, it would be a moot point as to whether a DuoMid is more suitable or not since the bottom line is, I can't afford one of them!

The other thing that shines bright about a SoloMid is that you can choose to have yours in beautiful sunburst yellow! Since I hike in Northern Sweden, or Scotland where I don't have to be stealthy and hide since I generally have a right to be there. Allmansrättan in Sweden; no criminal trespassing laws and a right to roam in Scotland. It's just an altogether more cheerful colour, and it makes it easier to find in a snowstorm or the middle of the night. In all I have trouble thinking of a reason not to have one! I'll have to order it in plenty of time for my Kungsleden trip in June though, since orders from MLD are taking up to 5 weeks from order to shipping, adding a few weeks on top of that for delivery. They're so popular, they struggle to keep up with demand!