We got a decent storm and I was finally able to come out and play. I brought out the Tarp 5 and boy am, I pleased with it. I was able to cook my steak and relax in the rain while staying dry.
I bet! I used to like in Portland, so very similar weather to Seattle. Great hearing from you as well! Those freeze dried mushrooms you sent were amazing by the way! Thank you again for those…
Thanks Richard! Nice hearing from you. We should be getting some more good storms, so I should be able to pull a couple more videos soon, hopefully! All the best…
For a moment there I thought you were going to utter the quote "garlic, rosemary and salt" from the cult film Withnail & i. Love the sound of the rain whilst cooking. Chin chin
Great video! I love the tarp setup. Looks almost like it was designed for this tent, even color matched! I've had the red Hilleberg Niak for about a year and love it so far. I have a slightly larger and much cheaper tarp I think I will give this a try with when car camping. If it works out well I might invest in something more lightweight for backpacking in inclement weather. Curious what rain gear you have, and how you felt it held up? I know you said you should have kept your rain pants on, so I assume you had them on when setting up the tent/tarp, and I see your jacket is a Saloman, but what model? Thanks in advance!
Hi Alex great to see you out in tent again. Like me you sure do love your tents! I also had a leak in the zipper seam stitching on my Hilleberg Jannu. Seam sealed it and it’s sorted now. Didn’t do as tidy a job as you tho! How do you rate the Niak? I’ve looked at it several times but have always been deterred by a perceived lack of strength against wind and the fact the vestibule opens over the inner so rain getting into inner when you open the fly. You should try the exped mega pillow. 170 grams and it’s almost as large as a normal pillow and super comfortable. Cheers. Gary
Hi Gary, it’s been a while indeed. Hoping to do some more camping soon as I’d like to test out a couple more tents. I think the Niak is a great tent that I would have no problem taking into the backcountry. The important item is that it needs to be either double poled or paired with 10 mm poles, to be able to withstand any significant wind. The Unna is another option, but you would need the mesh insert for warmer weather as the tent isn’t as airy and also 10 mm poles are needed, as it has the same overall design as the Niak (with all that it gets expensive and it’s a heavier shelter). Back to the Niak; as for rain getting onto the inner, that is definitely an issue, but if the wind isn’t too strong, you can always zip the vestibule door about a third of the way down or so, and that will help keep rain off the inner. The best way I would summarize the Niak, is that it is a great tent, but not perfect (Still on a mission to find one, lol). Thanks for the recommendation on the pillow! I will look it up… Hope that was helpful! 🍻
Hi, I’m leaving to Colombia in a month to travel South America by bicycle for a year and need some advice. Mostly focussing on bikepacking and gravel roads trough the Andes. I’m doubting between the hilleberg Niak and Soulo. Weight is an important factor for me as will ride trough the Andes. Chances are very low I will camp in the snow. Because I have warm sleeping bag I was wondering if I could go lighter by choosing the Niak. I asked some bikepackers and most of them tell me a three season tent would be enough (for example a hubba hubba but I prefer Hilleberg). The Niak is lighter, more for three seasons than four and less weatherproof. I like the additional space compared to to the Soulo but I’m a bit afraid of it holding itself in rough weather. Probably I starting camping in Peru (so not in Colombia) The Soulo is heavier but more weatherproof. It’s quite a lot heavier than the Niak, the livability and room is less but it’s build like a tank. I’m afraid it will be to hot in some parts of my journey but probably will be happy in stormy and cold conditions. I’m packing a -12 comfort degrees Celsius sleeping bag tough. What would your advice be? Best regards, Emile
Hi Emile, Sounds like you’ll be going on a great adventure! If you’re really set on getting a Hilleberg for the trip then I would personally go with the Niak. The Soulo would be too small for that length of time. Also the Soulo runs pretty hot (mostly due to the rainfly extending to the ground and solid inner), even with the vent and door open. That being said I would definitely replace 5 pegs that come with the tent for longer ones (have a look at 9” easton Nano pegs), for the guylines and vestibule door. The ones that come with the Niak are only 4” and practically useless should you encounter soft soil. Also I would think about getting 10mm poles to replace the 9mm ones to make the tent stronger for high winds. Snow wise, I think the Niak would hold up easily to 6 or so inches of snow, possibly more. Overall the Niak is a great shelter. it’s versatile. The Soulo is great for winter camping on peaks but overkill for most other situations. Hope that helps! Let me know if you have any other questions. All the best, Alex
Hey buddy! Funny you should ask. I was attempting to do a wild camp a couple of days ago on one of the nearby local mountains and I had to bail out (embarrassing video coming soon, lol). But yeah, we’ve been getting hammered here with one storm after another…
@@alexonthemountain8343 Sorry to hear bud, i live in Chicago and we've been getting forecasts about the torrential rain in California and i thought about dang is Alex doing a video and is he ok 😂 Can't wait to see the video, n keep safe my friend.
@@sebastianwhpx298 Thanks I appreciate it. You live near some pretty great outdoor spots. Around Lake Superior (if I recall correctly) there are some nice places to hike and camp. Cheers 👍
@alexonthemountain8343 the Soto Field Hopper I am familiar with is much shorter, and I thought it was only a two panel table. Is this an earlier model? I like the longer legs.
@@windsup2day my sincere apologies, you are absolutely correct. I’ve just searched my past sales online (Amazon, ebay,…) and cannot seem to find it. Here are the dimensions: 18”D x 27”W x 18”H. I hope that helps. Perhaps you could find a table with similar measurements?
