Red tent It is part number 2223101 and comes with a foot print, although that number may have been Taunton Leisure’s instead of Hilleberg. **NOW SOLD**
The Hilleberg Soulo looks like a great one man tent... until I looked at the price. Sure, if you're into expeditions/mountaineering/trekking in extreme conditions/climates and only the best will do then it's probably the way to go. However, for casual bike camping in the warmer areas of Europe then IMHO any Vango or Coleman cheapie tent will suffice as a shelter.
I used to buy my tents from Millets before they went bust during the Christmas period a few years ago. They sold all of their surplus at cut prices. It truly was " The winter of our discount tents "......................
I'd love a Hilleberg, as we all like to buy the best, within reason. I disagree 'any cheapie tent will suffice' though. Tents need putting up and taking down, which is quick and easy with these. They won't be wet through with condensation, so you have to dry them out prior to setting off on your day, along with your wet sleeping bag, or pack them and enjoy them wet at the next stop. A cheapie is 100% the wrong choice, BUT, there is cheaper than the best of course.I mean, we don't all ride a Pikes Peak do we...
Well, feel free indulge yourself of course, shrouds have no pockets etc. I don't have any issues you seem to infer a cheaper tent will have with my Vango Banshee, IIRC it was around £100 but that was a few years ago. Of course if raining when you're packing the outer will be wet, does the Hileberg somehow get around that problem? No doubt the expensive tents are made from better materials and will likely stand up to expedition type abuse and weather better. But at 8x the price mine is disposable and in the mean time up to the task of providing decent shelter on the biking trips I go on. Used it for about 4 years before more recently going for the hotel option. Was going to be used again next month until my GF decided to come to Corsica with me, now we're in hotels. I'm all for quality and pleasure in use but don't get it with the gaping price differential here. Accept that we're all different though.
Yes, any other tent will be wet if anyone is daft enough to camp in the rain I was referring to condensation in more basic tents, plus the Hileberg is pitched inner/outer/ground sheet in one 5 minute or less operation, so it's 'less wet'. Don't get me wrong, there's loads of great tents at a much lower price point, my main point of disagreement is that those tents will suffice for European trips. But again, depends on the definition of suffice. I recently toured Wales (100% dry) and used a three man second hand Sierra Designs three man and it was fine, but condensation was a pain, as was pitching (20 mins) and packing away. There is some advantage in a freestanding tent which takes minutes to pitch and pack. Anyway, lucky to have agreed to buy the Soulo from here - anyone want a Sierra Designs - it'll suffice...
If you're going somewhere where you can guarantee you can camp amid trees, a tarp and hammock combo can be a great lightweight bikers' solution.
