Hilleberg
Hilleberg Akto
Where it fits
- Also works for
- Bikepacking, Backpacking and wild camping, Winter mountain
Why these labels
- Bikepacking: Light and short: 1.5 kg, packs to 43 cm
- Backpacking and wild camping: Light to carry: 1.5 kg
- Winter mountain: 4-season rating
From the maker's stated use and the published specs.
- Summer wild camp: 7/10 UK, roughly May to September, nights above about 8 °C, sheltered pitches.
- Three-season hills: 7/10 UK hills in spring and autumn. Wind, rain, and nights near freezing.
- Winter camp: 8/10 UK winter or high ground. Below freezing, strong wind, possibly snow.
- Weight: 6/10 How much it adds to your pack, compared with the whole market.
One person who wants a tent that holds up in storms on Scottish hills or Dartmoor in any season
- Sleeps
- 1
- Seasons
- 4-season
- Min. weight
- 1.5 kg
- Flysheet
- 5,000 mm
- Inner length
- 220 cm
Packed size 5.7 L, 43 cm long and 13 cm across Compare with a 2-litre bottle
About one and a half 2-litre bottles long and a bit wider than one. Drawn to scale.
Where to buy
Alpinetrek £819.95 In stock. Free delivery. Free UK delivery from £85.
View at shop: AlpinetrekNordic Outdoor £819.95 In stock. Free delivery.
View at shop: Nordic OutdoorHilleberg £820 In stock. Free delivery. Hilleberg's own page showed it out of stock on 2026-10-19.
View at shop: HillebergPrices checked 2 Nov 2026 to 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 6/10How much it adds to your pack. This is the whole tent: two people sharing can split it. 6: A bit better than average.
Hilleberg's Tent Handbook 2026/2027 gives a minimum weight of 1.5 kg (1.7 kg packed), in the 1.5–1.99 kg band. Hilleberg's website and some reviews quote 1.3 kg for the lightest form (band 4); we use the handbook figure.
Rain protection
From maker's figures 8/10How well it keeps out heavy, long rain. 8: Clearly better than most.
Fly 5,000 mm is over 3,000 mm (5); the 15,000 mm floor takes nothing off. Chris Townsend says the fly and floor are both still waterproof after about 30 years, and he needs no footprint. The printed figure alone gives 8 at most: a 9 or 10 needs 3 reviews that say it stays dry in real storms.
Wind
From reviews 7/10How steady it stays in strong wind on open ground. 7: Better than most.
Chris Townsend reports many big storms with no trouble and, in a comment under the SectionHiker review, finds it better in strong winds than other single-hoop tents; SectionHiker calls its wind resistance quite good once staked, but a big wind target best used below the tree line; Backpacking UK trusts it in howling wind; Outdoor Prep (3) says the unsupported middle can be pushed in by hard wind and suggests propping the ends.
Space
From maker's figures 9/10Room to lie, sit up and keep kit inside. 9: Among the best you can buy for this.
Hilleberg's 1.7 m² inner floor ÷ 1 person = 1.7 m², over the 1.6 m² line for the top band. Reviewers say the headroom is low (93 cm) and the ends close in on your face, but the 220 cm length and the 0.8 m² porch give a lot of room for the weight.
Packed size
From maker's figures 7/10How much room it takes in your rucksack. 7: Better than most.
Packs to 43 cm long x 13 cm across: 3.1416 x 6.5 x 6.5 x 43 = 5,708 cm³, so 5.7 L, in the 4–6.9 L band. The fibreglass corner rods stop it squashing much smaller.
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Pitching*
Reviewers' average 7/10How quickly and easily one person can pitch it, including in wind and rain.
6 reviews on pitching, e.g. "The Hilleberg Akto is easy and quick to pitch as a unit, keeping the inner dry in rain.".
Reviewers disagree on this.
Condensation*
Reviewers' average 5/10How dry it stays inside on still, damp nights; higher is drier.
6 reviews on condensation, e.g. "Using the vestibule vent, end vents, and the inner tent’s screen window, nearly all internal condensation can be eliminated.".
Reviewers disagree on this.
Durability*
Reviewers' average 8/10How well the fabric, poles, zips and seams hold up over seasons of use.
6 reviews on durability, e.g. "My original Akto has since been to the Grand Canyon and the Himalayas, and on several TGO Challenges, and it’s still in excellent condition.".
Reviewers disagree on this.
In short
Good for
- One person who wants a tent that holds up in storms on Scottish hills or Dartmoor in any season
- Long walks and winter camps where you may sit out bad weather in the porch
- Anyone who values a tent that will last for decades and pitches in the rain with the inner staying dry
Strengths
- True four-season tent that stays steady in storms and heavy rain, with a strong 5,000 mm fly and a 15,000 mm floor that needs no footprint
- Inner and fly pitch as one with a single pole, in about 5 minutes
- Large 0.8 m² porch for a pack, wet kit and cooking
- 220 cm long inner and 1.7 m² floor; protected vents at both ends and a hooded door vent
- Very durable: reviewers report 3 to 30 years of use
- The fly and inner can be pitched on their own and the inner can be left out
Weaknesses
- Heavy for a solo tent: 1.5 kg minimum and 1.7 kg packed
- Not freestanding: needs 10 pegs and ground that holds them
- Low inner: 93 cm peak height, and the ends close in on your head and feet
- Condensation in humid, calm weather, and in summer the full-length fly is stuffy
- Fibreglass corner rods are hard to remove without risk of breakage, and the fabric around the porch zip can catch
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (9)
- Hilleberg: The Tent Handbook 2026/2027 (Akto page 44, fabric specifications page 13)
- The Great Outdoors: The Long ReView with Nikwax, Hilleberg Akto (Chris Townsend)
- SectionHiker: Hilleberg Akto Tent, a lightweight 4-season shelter (Philip Werner, tent loaned by Hilleberg USA)
- Backpacking UK (YouTube): Hilleberg Akto review
- Abbie Barnes, Spend More Time in the Wild (YouTube): Hilleberg Akto, 7 years on
- Joshua Johnson (YouTube): Hilleberg Akto, the best solo tent? (three-year review)
- Rob, Outdoor Prep (YouTube): Hilleberg Akto tent, honest review
- Advnture: Hilleberg Akto review
- Olympus Mountaineering: Hilleberg Akto review