Taiga 2-man bivy vs Akto Hilleberg

[noth615]

My friend and I were comparing solo style tents for backpack hunting, obviously the Akto Hilleberg is the better tent, but with the Taiga 2-bivy tent better price, size, and weight making these two tents in some sense comparable (at least on paper)


I can find lots of reviews forum posts on the Akto tent, hardly any reviews on the Taiga, does any one have any information or suggestions on either of these tents?

[BCbillies]

If it was to be my go to tent I'd go with the Atko. If it was more of an emergency shelter or spike tent then would consider the cheaper lighter option. Big difference between a single wall tent and the double wall in regards to condensation/ventilation. I was looking to buy the Taiga bivy this spring but they didn't have it in stock. My main tent is a Hilleberg and I went with the MSR Hubba NX as my spike tent. I use it without the inner tent (under 2 lbs) and it works pretty good for 2 guys spiking it. Just wish the fly went right to the ground. My partner has used the Taiga and now my MSR and said the MSR is the way to go. From what I assume you will only be using one tent for everything . . . then go with the Hille. My Hille is 8 years old and shows no signs of wear or failure. Built to last and take the elements.

[Rackmastr]

The Hilleberg Akto is a hard tent to beat for solo backpack hunting. Its bomb-proof, light enough (considering 4 season), roomy enough inside, room for your pack/boot in the vestibule....etc, etc.

Overall a pretty solid tent and one of the tents that others measure against when comparing solo tents.

[noth615]

Ok go with the Hillenberg got it , think maybe I'd pick a tent that's a solo still but can fit 2 if it need to like the Unna ,

[BgBlkDg]

I have now owned three Hille. tents and quite a few others over 45+ years and consider Hilles. to be the finest tents made.

I do not care for the design of the Taiga shelter as the flat top at the rear will not deal well with snow loads and will also tend to hold H20 thereby rendering the WPB effects less than optimal.

I have owned and used extensively an Early Winters, an original Bibler and two Integral Designs G-T tents since 1978, just sold one of my IDs to a wise and fortunate fellow and the Taiga, lacks the design features that make these work so well in harsh conditions.

The Alto, is my least favourite Hille, for several reasons, I would choose an Allak or a Jannu for two and maybe a Nallo 2 for single use. I have a Saivo, a fabulous tent, but, heavy for other than basecamp use so I kept one ID tent, a MKI-Lite for backpacking.

You cannot buy a better tent than a Hilleberg,IMHO.

[noth615]

What are the reasons that the Akto is your least Favorite Hille?

[BgBlkDg]

Design features, not freestanding, single pole under stress, flat areas on top so not as likely to shed snow as others, cramped area.

There are other alternatives in ultralight tents, so, for ME, the Akto is not an option. YMMV, of course.

[SR80]

They have a new one coming out soon, niak 1.5. Different design than the atko. Supposed to be a palace for one and could fit 2 guys in a pinch. I've talked to two different guys that are testing it and both say its their fav hille by far. Definitely worth taking a look at.

[sheephunterab]

My only issue with the Hilleberg is condensation. I much prefer the MSR Carbon Reflex.

[BgBlkDg]

They have a new one coming out soon, niak 1.5. Different design than the atko. Supposed to be a palace for one and could fit 2 guys in a pinch. I've talked to two different guys that are testing it and both say its their fav hille by far. Definitely worth taking a look at.

Agreed, a friend of mine in the USA, is a Hille. dealer and told me about this model a while back. From what I know, with a few mods made at home, this would be a fine alpine tent and one to very seriously consider.

MSR, who now make some of the legendary *Moss* tents, once THE premier American brand, also sells a Hubba Hubba model in Yurp and Blighty that would be an interesting alternative.....but, a bit costly to get here.

I wont use a tent for all-around alpine uses that is not free-standing and sad experience has brought me to this. So, perhaps Google that euro MSR and see what you think.

[srupp]

Hmm bought 2 different mountain hardware tents...ultralite and late season..would buy another before hilly..imo..
Srupp

[BCbillies]

That's about $1,300 Can for that Niak. You have till next spring to sleep on whether you are willing to drop that kind of money.
BgBlkDg . . . it would be good to get the skinny on your experience with the non freestanding tents. What make was the tent(s) and how did it(they) fail! I always say it's better to learn from others mistakes than make your own.

[BCbillies]

Hmm bought 2 different mountain hardware tents...ultralite and late season..would buy another before hilly..imo..
Srupp

My friends just got back from a northern trip. Their MH tent let them down in a big way when they were in deep! Good thing they had Red Green's favorite tape and zap straps. I have little patience for gear that doesn't perform. They are done with MH. Once bitten . . .

[srupp]

Hmmm strange..2 tents 15 years..fly in ..hellacious storms..never a problem.ever..the heavy duty 4 season...incredible snow storm..
Some folks may just be unlucky or harsh on their gear..mine has been perfect.

The MH gear works..no guff..
Steven

[Islanderr]

Not to hijack the thread, but since we're on the topic of other tents....trey arch 2 by north face is a spacious 1 person tent and and comfortable two person. 7oz difference between the trey arch 1 person and 2 person so I went with the larger one. 3.5 lbs two doors 2 gear vestibules and a gear storage inside the top of tent, came with a foot print as well, sprayed that bad boy down with some anti scent water repellent (badlands) and she has never let me down, granted iv never had it in a snow storm I have had it during -5 degrees on an alpine hunt, and it was fine. Has the arch thing going on so it would never retain water or have snow collect on it anywhere. Seems like a great value since it came with footprint. My.02


looked up the hilleberg atko and that looks like an excellent tent, the hunters over at Kenetrek endorse their products quite heavily, I'm sure they can be wrong


cheers

[noth615]

After I posted this thread I kinda changed my tune on the Akto , and I am thinking about the Hille UNNA or that ultra new 1.5 cause there still a solo, but they can fit 2 people if it has to... also going to check out that north face and other various recommendations from this thread

[BgBlkDg]

That's about $1,300 Can for that Niak. You have till next spring to sleep on whether you are willing to drop that kind of money.
BgBlkDg . . . it would be good to get the skinny on your experience with the non freestanding tents. What make was the tent(s) and how did it(they) fail! I always say it's better to learn from others mistakes than make your own.

When, I started hiking in the mountains around Nelson, 1956, with friends, gear such as we know it today was unheard of and I could not afford jackshit, anyway. I was finally allowed to backpack overnight in spring, 1964, aged 17 and much the same situation applied.

So, my first tent that I bought was a single person waxed cotton rig from Pioneer, here in Vancity. It weighed about 5 lbs, was VERY well made, like all of their gear back in the day and actually worked quite well, BUT, it HAD to be guyed out to fully erect. This, is no problem, until the ground is frozen harder than the top of Gods head.

Next, I bought a no-name Vancouver-made nylon two person with the old 1*2 aluminum poles, circa 1970, it weighed a lot and also had to be guyed; it went to a college classmate for tree planting. Same issue, very hard to set stakes in frozen ground.

Then, I bought several tents and used them long and hard, a Fjallraven Expedition, a tipi style, same problem. A couple of light Blacks of Greenock single man rigs, same problem. A fine tent from Paul Petsoldt Wilderness Equip, a rugged rig, but, still NOT freestanding.

Then, Bill Nicolai, revolutionized the gear world and developed his Early Winters line of tents, the first was the Light Dimension and BOY were they costly. I bought one, it still needed one guyout in the rear, but, it was one tough little rig and I used it for 25 years. It was a deep pumpkin Yellow when I bought it in early 1978 and faded almost cream-white when I finally tossed it.

During this time, I bought a Northface dome, freestanding and used it a lot and that converted me. I also bought and used one of the first Chouinard Pyramid tents, needed stakes, but, great in most weather. Then, three Kifaru tipis, one I could not setup in the top end of Relay Creek in Sept. 2006, due to ground frozen like iron.

Finally, I discovered Integral Designs in the 1990s, have had a lot of their gear, not the current China-made crap and all of it has been excellent, with one exception. I got into Hilleberg about 2009, IIRC, and am a total fan, although they are bloody costly.

I have found that freestanding, highend mountain tents are most useful for ME and now have only two, which should do me for my remaining time in the bush.

I also bought a locally made tent from Mike Davies at Mountain Magic and it was great for a very low price, but, Hille is it for me.

[.264winmag]

Picked up the taiga bivy shelter 2 for this years sheep hunt. First night was chilly, -5 but taiga was warmer than the big agnes ul 1 I lent partner. The tent arrived shy of enough stakes to stretch out tight and windproof, couple cheapo stakes fixed that. Also found it wanted to pool water during rain down near feet, didn't leak but an extra guy line from top of door pole tightened er up to stop pooling. Not near as breathable as it's a single layer shelter if zipped up tight, leave door unzipped a touch and solves that. As for sleeping 2, it would do in a pinch but spooning may occur. I was however able to fit my pack, boots etc. inside for the night no problem. Quite roomy for 1.
All in all I think it's a great little 3 season shelter for the $. Not ideal for snow conditions but I'd feel confident it would be fine with the extra guyline set up. It's super light and compact, and made in Canada. Great people to deal with.
Cheers

[noth615]

Ah finally the Taiga bivy review, I have been looking for!!!! So it's a good mountain tent? Holds well in wind and waterproof? So you would recommend this tent to another fellow mountain hunter?

[.264winmag]

Ah finally the Taiga bivy review, I have been looking for!!!! So it's a good mountain tent? Holds well in wind and waterproof? So you would recommend this tent to another fellow mountain hunter?

Absolutely recommend it for a lightweight shelter at that price. Only other tent I have to compare to though is the big agnes UL1. I prefer the Taiga and it was much more affordable. I've no experience with these super duper high end rigs mentioned, but it's 2# and sheep worthy.
The Taiga is indeed 100% rain and wind proof so far, but the extra stakes and guyline off front are a must in IMO. Don't think I've any pics of it all rigged up but can set up and take some when I get a chance.
Condensation can and will be an issue from the interior unless vented properly as said. Very hot inside during day so drys quick.
Its a good buy that I look forward to using for years to come.

[noth615]

Absolutely recommend it for a lightweight shelter at that price. Only other tent I have to compare to though is the big agnes UL1. I prefer the Taiga and it was much more affordable. I've no experience with these super duper high end rigs mentioned, but it's 2# and sheep worthy.
The Taiga is indeed 100% rain and wind proof so far, but the extra stakes and guyline off front are a must in IMO. Don't think I've any pics of it all rigged up but can set up and take some when I get a chance.
Condensation can and will be an issue from the interior unless vented properly as said. Very hot inside during day so drys quick.
Its a good buy that I look forward to using for years to come.

Thanks man I appreciate your recommendations!

[.264winmag]

Thanks man I appreciate your recommendations!
You bet.
Thing I've found with the ultralight weight gear I've collected and used is that there are sacrifices made to keep the weight down. No bells and whistles if you will. My SG pack has zero external pockets or zippers, only top access etc. My sleeping bag is a lightweight down 'short' size, barely long enough too cram into. One little shift and I'm off the edge of my thermorest. Etc. etc. And most of all these LW products are not bombproof, care has to be taken when using or the gear will just not last like other heavier products. They are durable under regular use, just don't expect to run over with pickup and be fine kind of durability. Packing camp on the back through the mountains is hard work, I sacrifice bombproof for weight savings. Need to cut weight to pack meat:)

[BgBlkDg]

Every item of gear one uses(wants) is always a compromise and the choices should, IMHO, be made, FIRST, on the basis of safety and reliability and then on weight and versatility. These last are always interactive and can be adjusted according to the demands of a given trip.

We are so fortunate now to have the superb gear available that we do, almost all gear is FAR superior to that available when I started and the recent plethora of hunting-specific backpacking gear is mind-boggling.....and often intended, IMO, to *catch* the less experienced or those who want to be part of *the scene*.

One important point raised by *264*, is modifying your own gear; I have done this since I started and one can often improve a given item considerably. Extra guylines, stake loops, cutting needless straps, zipper pulls and even removing pockets from packs to cut weight are all easy to do and can make an item more capable for your specific needs.

I like to setup any tent or shelter on my lawn in summer and finetune it before use and have avoided certain issues by so doing, it takes little time and can be fun.

We really are lucky now, even at 69, with some of the latest super-light gear, at least some mountain treks and hunts are still doable for me and items such as my recent purchase of a Paradox-Seek Outside Divide pack which I freakin love, make this possible.

Good luck with the Taiga shelter, I also have found them very nice people and it is certainly priced right.

[Apolonius]

I used a single person tent last year.Not freestanding.Like BgBlkDg says DO NOT buy a freestanding tent.Sheep hunting or mountain hunting is void of trees.Sacrifice on the weight a bit.If it is safer and worry free ,go for the heavier one.My tent last year was lighter by 2 pounds from my old Alpenlite.But i would give anything if i had my Alpenlite up there, some horrible nights.Do not believe it is better if it is expensive.Go with the older guys experience....they survived those mountains to be old.And remember ,the picture of a ram on the tent doesn't put a ram on the wall.

[.264winmag]

Mountain hunting could always end you up sleeping on the mountain in the clothes you have on. That's the reality of chasing animals that live there, that is if you want to be successful. I'm not hiking 35km into the mountains with gear that weighs twice as much in the name of safety, how about packing half the weight to travel safer IMO. Each to there own buts it's no place for luxuries, it's survival, pack for bare bone survival not comfort and you'll have better luck after that mountain critter.

[sheephunterab]

Comfort goes a long ways in ensuring you stay in the mountains longer....especially when the weather turns bad! The older you get the more you appreciate it.

[.264winmag]

Comfort goes a long ways in ensuring you stay in the mountains longer....especially when the weather turns bad! The older you get the more you appreciate it.
I'll sleep under the stars for a 40"er, when I'm older perhaps not but until then I'm going in light and as far as I have to. 3 days in ultralight opens more windows than one day in loaded to the tits. And with all those luxuries where is the meat going? I know how much our packs weigh going in and out, I'm in decent shape and can pack as much as the next guy. Makes me wonder? Pretty sure gear is not being left behind in favour of meat, there are places where two trips are possible though.

[sheephunterab]

Sleeping under the stars is easy...it's sleeping under thunder clouds dropping inches of rain for several days on end that I was speaking of.

[375shooter]

The older I get, the lighter I want my pack to be. (My rifle has to be light too.) Comfort is secondary but I think with the gear available today, you can have both.

[sheephunterab]

The older I get, the lighter I want my pack to be. (My rifle has to be light too.) Comfort is secondary but I think with the gear available today, you can have both.

LOL...a lot of truth to that. The new gear sure helps keep us old guys in the mountains for many more years! I remember 80+ pound packs back in the 80s and that was just the bare essentials for a week.

[BCbillies]

I used a single person tent last year.Not freestanding.Like BgBlkDg says DO NOT buy a freestanding tent.Sheep hunting or mountain hunting is void of trees.Sacrifice on the weight a bit.If it is safer and worry free ,go for the heavier one.My tent last year was lighter by 2 pounds from my old Alpenlite.But i would give anything if i had my Alpenlite up there, some horrible nights.Do not believe it is better if it is expensive.Go with the older guys experience....they survived those mountains to be old.And remember ,the picture of a ram on the tent doesn't put a ram on the wall.

I think you're confused . . . BgBlkDg says to buy a freestanding tent! No pegging down of tent and no guylines.

[.264winmag]

Sleeping under the stars is easy...it's sleeping under thunder clouds dropping inches of rain for several days on end that I was speaking of.
Well that's just unlucky, big fire and days of counting sheep I guess. Haven't had to deal with that yet, 7 multi-day mountain treks and just squalls!

[BgBlkDg]

You are NOT an "old guy", even I am not really "old" and I recall some Kootenay mountain men in their 70s who could and did pack loads on Trapper Nelson No3s, that would amaze you.

I completely "get" the point .264 is making here and have always very deliberately bought the best, cutting edge gear to lower weight and increase function, but, one must still remember that you MUST be prepared for that opening day snowstorm which if you do not have the right gear will kill you.

I much prefer to sleep under a tarp in a bivy, but, while I can and have done this above treeline, it is dicey and a solid tent, pad and good bag makes a huge difference. I have experienced over a foot of snow just before Dominion Day while on a tower on the "East Slopes" in Alberta and far worse in northern BC's coastal mountains north of Stewart.

So, there is a balance and with todays gear, it is not difficult to find that.IMHO.

[sheephunterab]

Well that's just unlucky, big fire and days of counting sheep I guess. Haven't had to deal with that yet, 7 multi-day mountain treks and just squalls!

Yes you have been lucky. This was opening day last year. This was just the start of three days of snow....18 wet inches fell.
https://scontent-sea1-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xta1/t31.0-8/10453026_10153314392940400_7722667839771913464_o.j pg

[.264winmag]

Yuck! Opening day for what the mulie rut? Lol
Ive cancelled trips for that kind of weather forecast...

[sheephunterab]

Ive cancelled trips for that kind of weather forecast...

No need with the right gear! I learned long ago if you have the gear to tough out the bad weather the rewards are typically pretty good. I've got pics from a hundred hunts like that.

[.264winmag]

No need with the right gear! I learned long ago if you have the gear to tough out the bad weather the rewards are typically pretty good. I've got pics from a hundred hunts like that.
True for all hunts, just rather put weather odds in my favour for 30km+ mountain hunts. I've got pics from a 100% of them

[sheephunterab]

True for all hunts, just rather put weather odds in my favour for 30km+ mountain hunts.

Truthfully I've never worried about it...Good gear and you are good to go. The weather is so rarely good in the mountains.......lol

[Apolonius]

Sorry ,there you got me.Yes i meant freestanding.Thanks BCillies

[BgBlkDg]

I think you're confused . . . BgBlkDg says to buy a freestanding tent! No pegging down of tent and no guylines.

That is NOT what I said, but, whatever.

I always anchor my shelters, but, sometimes with other methods than pegs driven into the soil.

Very simple, an easy thing to do.