Hilleberg Staika

Review Date
September 1, 2007

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Reviewed by: Ron(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $600.00 at Hilleberg

Summary:
Here are the attributes I’ve only found together in my Hilleberg Staika:

1) Very strong geodesic hexagonal design. Utilizing 3 10mm diameter poles of equal length.

2) Completely freestanding. Plus it can be staked out for added strength in bad weather.

3) The entire tent goes up together. This keeps the inner tent dry even if the Staika is being erected in a downpour. I've had to pack it away soaked in a drybag for five hours. Then set it up in a new camp to find the inner tent body completely dry!! Not a fluke as I've since found.

4) Long, two-person inner tent body with two doors. 91" / 230cm long inner tent.

5) Fully adjustable venting through the tent body. Using no-seeum mesh/cloth panels that run overhead.

6) Plenty of storage area. Two big vestibules of equal size that can be accessed easily from within the tent.

7) Venting right through the top of the tent body and rainfly, even in the rain! This is a huge plus.

8) Directionally opposed doors allow for cross-flow circulation through the tent, regardless of if the wind is coming from the north, south, east or west.

9) Incredible attention to detail and handmade by one person.

10) At 7.4 pounds, the Staika is light given its size, heavy-duty construction and capabilities.

Customer Service:
I've never needed anything for the Staika but I've spoken to Petra several times, prior to our adventures. She's always told me they could get whatever we needed sent out in short notice. I've heard that's truly the case. I paid full retail for my Staika so I haven't been swayed by the need to support sponsorships.

Similar Products Used:
This tent is by far the best one I've found for my varied camping needs. I not only backpack, but also tour by motorcycle and touring bicycle as well. I bought the Staika summers ago, following two years of considering products worldwide; every tent I could find. At this point my I have used it extensively. When I pick up a solo tent it will likely be the Hilleberg Unna. It's a 1+ person tent, of similar design with venting up through the top.

Review Date
October 22, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
1.75 of 5, 4 votes

Reviewed by: Marco(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker

Price Paid:  $600.00 at USA

Summary:
Sure, Hilleberg are pricy, but I can only conclude that they produce tents that seem to top the 4 season tent-range for quite a while. All their tents are 4-season proof, does any other brand offer this quality? As for the Staika, using their magnificent Kerlon 1800, probably the strongest fly in the tent-world, in a succesfull dome-shaped tent could only end up in a great product.

Review Date
April 30, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.80 of 5, 5 votes

Reviewed by: Peter (Unregistered User) ,  Snowboarder , from Emeryville, CA, USA

Price Paid:  $595.00 at Mail order

Summary:
This is a great tent!!!

After months (and months) of research I was just about to hand over my credit card on a Bibler Ahwahnee. But something didn’t feel right. It was not the price – mostly it was that door! It seems like a good idea until you think about how you’re going to get in and out (and ventilate) in really wet weather. Sure, you can use the vestibule, but that adds weight. Then I listened to some good advice and researched the Hilleberg tents.

I wanted a self-standing tent, with plenty of room. I was retiring my previous tent, a Macpac Minaret (I still love this tent) and wanted to try something different after spending 15 years in this very-cozy little tunnel design. I had just spent 10-days camping in the Caribbean and reconfirmed that two doors were important for flow-through ventilation.

I chose the Staika and am very happy with this decision. The tent is very well made – the name of the person who built it is stitched on the inner. Aston Martin does this with their car engines. It means that someone, somewhere is proud enough of the quality to say, “I made this”! It’s a double-walled self-standing hexagonal dome. The inner is rectangular. This provides two vestibules. Each side of the inner has a set of zips arranged in an inverted “T” – so you can open up each side completely along the length of the vestibule. Half of each sidewall is lined with no-see-um mesh. The two doors are positioned on opposite sides of the hexagon and, when opened, form a straight flow-through for ventilation. The top of the tent contains two vents above the doors, and a little “umbrella” covers this area. It works well.

The tent can be pitched together, or the inner and outers pitched separately. If you’re camped in the Sahara and a freak rainstorm suddenly appears then throwing the outer over an already pitched inner is probably a little klutzy. But it can be done. What you do get is exceptionally easy pitching of the whole tent. You lay out the tent (and stake the corners if you want). As you slot the poles into the sleeves the hoop structure rises up from the ground while the tent stays low and un-erected. Then you walk around the tent attaching the clips on the outer to the hoops formed by the poles. It’s easy, very fast, and storm-proof. I don’t know why most American tents still insist on erecting the inner and then flinging the fly over the (already rain drenched) inner.

The Staika is still lightweight – lighter than the other 4-season tents of this size, maybe with the exception of the aforementioned Ahwahnee. Have a look at the other Hilleberg tents if you really want to trim down those ounces (the Niak and Unna come to mind). I cannot recommend this tent highly enough. My old Macpac can now retire safe in the knowledge that another quality shelter protects us.

Customer Service:
Prompt, helpful and enthusiastic. You can tell they're proud of their products.

Similar Products Used:
Macpac, Mountain Hardwear, Northface, Sierra Designs, Wild Country, Ultimate

Review Date
February 7, 2003

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 4 of 5

Visitors rate this review
4.00 of 5, 1 votes

Reviewed by: wayne_chan(Unregistered User) ,  Backpacker , from Luleå, Sweden

Price Paid:  $5000.00

Summary:
I really don't understand the other previous review. The Staika is a great tent. The beautiful thing about Hilleberg tents, which I didn't know until I moved to Sweden, was that you can set up the outer fly before the inner tent, meaning that if it's raining, you don't get the inner tent soaked before putting on the fly. Double doors each with their own vestibule large enough for a pack and boots and some extras. Good ventilation, and top quality construction. And very easy to set up. Sure, Hilleberg tents are a little pricey, but I know lots of Swedes who still have their tents in top shape after numerous years of hard use. But you pay for you get, and here in Sweden, where we have our share of outdoors and mountains, they are the best tents out there. If you find that Hilleberg is too expensive, don't buy it. I payed 5000 Swedish kronor, not US$, and have never regretted it. People who know top quality don't usually worry about price, and rather concentrate on features and the years of use they will be getting.

Customer Service:
Never needed them.

Similar Products Used:
TNF Aerospace, TNF VE-25.