I’ve collected together the various blog entries and comments about the Akto and fashioned them into a review on the main site in the Gear & Tech / Equipment subsection.
Nothing new to add to those blog posts yet, I haven’t been out solo for a while and the next trip will be a joint one in the Voyager. At this rate with the awful weather I can’t predict when the next solo pitch might be (and no, I’m not going out this weekend in the predicted deluge in the name of science, good test though it would be).
13 Comments
If you are 5′ 10″ or taller beware buying this very low tent. With a sleeping mat down and a bag you are going to be raised a couple of inches or more. Fiddly pitching indeed. You will end up with the inner tent on your face if you are not careful when laying down resulting in condensation on your face area. Small ammount of room inside especially for cooking. You would be mad to cook in the very small vestible. I read many review of many people praising the Akto but i’d suggest putting up with the little more weight and get a terra Nova Voyager to be honest. My back is still suffering from the Akto. Pitching in wind is not easy and the pole putting in is quite cumbersome and fiddly. If you are using in wet conditions then the footprint is pretty much essential. Even though pitching is actually quite quick this tent is still too heavy for what it is.
I’ve noted the low height of the Akto: I’m 5′ 7½” and my head is only just below the apex when sitting up. However the amount of floor space is significantly more than I need, ideally I would trade a foot of length for a bit more height.
I don’t cook at all but I’ve used the stove and pan to boil up some water for a hot drink in the porch, I find there is plenty of room for that.
I still have the Akto stashed away but I use a TN LaserComp now, superb weight at about 1kg and 5cm taller than the Akto. We use a Voyager for joint trips, just right for two of us but much larger than necessary for me alone. I do miss its 3-pole stability and supreme ease of pitching though.
I don’t understand about the footprint, I’ve always considered them a waste of money and unnecessary weight, I’ve never used one with any tent.
It is true that at 6.3″ I cannot sit bolt upright in the Akto without brushing my head on the roof, and that one night I pitched it badly into a howling gale and it did blow on my face, however, it is a doddle to pitch - certainly compared to the laser - it goes up outer and inner together - a god send in the wet. As for cooking in the vestibule, while I wont be entertaining a party of guests to a multi course banquet I am quite happy to cook in it, and if you have a trekking pole you can use the doorway to extend your covered area even further. I like it a lot and I would recommend it.
It is a very stable tent for a single-pole design, and great quality, plenty of people are well satisfied with it. We all have different perceptions and priorities, and if the LaserComp didn’t exist I would very probably be using it.
I sold my akto,a great tent, and bought the voyager. The best move I have ever made.I can
sit up and exit without getting soaked from the flysheet. Carry the extra weight it’s
worth it. More stable if,like me, you camp year round.
The Voyager is indeed a great stable tent and we have always had one for joint trips since it came out. I know what you mean about getting stroked with a wet flysheet when exiting from tents like the Akto and LaserComp, it’s hard to avoid!.
I think people really need to man up a little, moaning about getting at tad wet is not really a big problem when exiting a tent, I own both the Akto and the soulo and can say that this combination works brilliantly thoughout the year the Akto I have also used for all round year camping even in canada and Norway, if you pitch it right it will not fail you, however the Soulo is sturdier but is also heavier you have to weight up what is more important extra strength = more weight, or less weight and can still hanle harsh weather conditions.
In all honesty id probably say that the soulo is to much tent for most peoples needs, but it is totally bomber but you pay for that with the extra weight, the Akto is brilliant for year round wild camping in most climates throughout the year, ive used mine in Canada,Norway,Scotland,Skye,Wales and the English lakes. All in all its a great tent and I reccommend it. ( if weight is your priority, but also want a tent that can hack a pounding .
Andrew,
A wet lick from the door on exit has never bothered me, it comes with the design of these transverse single-hoop tents and doesn’t cause any difficulty. I sold the Akto in the end and stuck with the LaserComp for the lower weight, in my particular circumstances I definitely wouldn’t be out there in stormy conditions (I can’t do long treks that would take me out of range of current weather forecasts).
I’ve owned a Hilleberg Akto for 5 years now and use it with the Akto footprint for extra protection.
I’m only 5ft.7in. so have no problem with the height and there is plenty of sleeping length for much taller people.
The inner tent is easily detached and attached, for easy drying out.
The only problem I have encountered is the door zip snagging on the tent material. No damage has ever been caused by the zip but I am now careful when using this zip.
I would never cook in the vestibule. It is so easy to sit in the vestibule and cook safely just outside the tent.
Overall a brilliant tent!
Pat,
The Akto has many fans out there. The zip snagging often happens on zips with a guard flap over them, it happens on the LaserComp with the pole hood if I’m not careful.
Have had an Akto for about 6 months. I am not very experienced with lightweight backpacking but here are my impressions. Previous tents Jack Wolfskin Gossamer and Terra Nova Solar. The former is too small for regular use and the latter although it never leaked or let me down pitched inner first not easy in a Pennine winter.
The Akto is very easy to pitch but not easy to pitch properly so that the inner doesn’t droop on your face (you will need a thin sleep mat). The inner can be raised by making the tent narrower by pushing the ends of the pole in, this lifts the centre of the roof. There are various other fiddly bits some of which I can’t fathom such as the ring by the bottom of the door zip (is it for a peg?) if you fasten the footprint to it everything goes skew whiff. Why is the width of the tent (pole to pole) controlled by a piece of knotted string and the width of the door by a fiddly piece of tape/webbing? Both need a reliable and solid quick release thingy (I’m a photographer not a fuc234g tent designer.
Last time out I got a leak http://youtu.be/M0m1Sj9bbpM Hilleberg recommended I use Sil-net to seal it which I am trialling at the moment (the tent is in the garden in the rain) so far so good. The only seam which seems to vulnerable is the one above the hood.
If you get the tent wet on a multi night trip take the inner out and stash it in a dry bag, this will make subsequent use much more pleasant.
Apparently one can expect 400 quid tents to leak because they are so good? If you don’t want to bugger about with sealer get a tent with taped seams.
I don’t know why but I really like my Akto. Probably because its a bit of a tw@t like me.
Forgot to tick the update follow up doodah so having to post another comment
Crikey, this post is approaching three years old and people still find it!.
I sold my Akto ages ago. I remember a lengthy discussion on the proper length of the tensioning cord joining the pole ends and the resulting height, it does help to increase the height a bit.
I still have an tube of SilNet, never got around to using it so far. Some people recommend thinning it a little with white spirit.
I’ve grown to love my LaserComp too!.