antokelly

im thinking of buying the akto tent hilleberg ,ok this is my first ever tent seems to tick all the boxes but my question is ,does everything i need (tent wise ) come with it or do i have to buy anything extra.i know this seems a stupit question but i have to ask sorry.

sparky221

Most tents come with pretty much everything you need. Most people will add a ground cloth, to protect the tent bottom, and will go with lighter or stronger tent pegs than what come with the tent. I've seen the Akto and crawled into it, and it's a nice tent. The tent stakes that come with it are probably pretty good. I like the triangular ones because I always seem to find the rocks in the ground and these don't bend.

For a ground cloth, I use a lawn & garden trash bag, slit down the sides to make it long and skinny. I use a solo tent, btw. These trash bags are a heavy plastic and you can throw them away when they get too many holes in them. It will keep pine tree pitch off the bottom of your tent, help keep water and mud off your tent, etc. In the morning, remember to fold up the plastic so the side htat touches the ground is on the inside. This will keep any of the dirt you couldn't shake off from getting on your other gear, like your expensive tent.

onbike 1939

I've had an Akto and it's a great tent. The only thing you'd need to keep the floor protected from rocks and thorns would be a ground sheet. Don't buy the Akto one as it's too dear but buy a cheap lightweight tarp and cut it to the shape needed. A spare pole comes as standard but if you want the small straps that allows you to use the inner without the outer then these are extra. Enjoy, as you will own the best tent around in my opinion.

antokelly

thanks folks for that ,so its just a ground sheet i need thats good to know thanks again..

fantom1 

I'd check out the Soulo too. Freestanding and a better, more versatile design IMHO. Just out of curiosity, why are you going for a Hilleberg? There are tons of tents out there, and the Hillebergs are certainly great tents, but maybe not the best for bike camping.

antokelly

your right there are tons of tents out there and my little brain is about fryed trying to pick the wright one,the akto looks good not much weight easy to pitch (im hopeing) tryed and tested by bikers on this side of the pond (ireland) honestly i have no idea about tents if i asked the question what's the best tent and i did ill get a different answer each time .my ideal tent would be ,super easy to erect, completly storm proof,loads room ,light and packs small,and dosen't cost the earth. is there such a tent out there i would love to know thanks.

Miles2go

The Soulo is Hilleberg's one person plus gear (1+) version of the two person Staika, which we've owned and used extensively.

Here's my Hilleberg Staika Review. I'm not sure that I'd be as big a fan of the Soulo because they dropped one of the vestibules. I'd still check it out though. I've dealt with Petra in the US and couldn't be happier with the level of support in making my tent selection and knowing that they're there for me, if need be.

That reminds me, I have a classic Moss 2+ or 3 person tent that I need to sell.

Good luck with your search antokelly.

antokelly

thanks milesgo great review on that tent if only you made a vidio as well thanks ,the soulo looks fantastic but its a lot dearer than the akto and it weighs more so whats better about it emmm .

fantom1 

I have the Soulo. It's freestanding, meaning that you don't need to use any stakes to have it taught, whereas with the Akto, you do. (This means it's easier to pitch, and can be pitched on hardpacked soil) It has much better snow shedding/rough weather strength (not so meaningful for bike tours, but if you backpack)plus, more headroom, and a larger vestibule.

If you're in Ireland I suppose a very hot summer isn't something to be concerned about. The reason why I suggested taking a look at other tents is because the Hilleberg tents tend to be designed very, very sturdily for all types of weather extremes that typically aren't encountered on a bike tour. You can get a lighter, cheaper, (and possibly larger) tent that will perform just as good in the conditions if they're not extreme.

antokelly

thanks fantom1 you know your stuff alright, the only extreme weather we get over here is wind/rain but really only in winter most of the time its mild.im pushing the boat buying the akto (money wise) but i think its a real quality tent and should last me forever.thanks for the advice..