Hilleberg Niak Tent

Hilleberg is a well known name amongst anyone who knows anything about tents. Famed for their strength and durability, as well as their light weight and packability, they’re equally famed for their extremely high price tags, stoking many a discussion as to whether or not they’re worth the investment. I’m unashamedly a big Hilleberg fan, owning three of their tents and two of their tarps. Yes, they cost an arm and a leg, but if your budget allows it, they’re worth it.

As an avid camper and expedition kayaker, I’ve had ample use of the Niak over the past few seasons, having purchased it primarily for its 1.7kg weight and reasonably small pack size, as it needed to fit inside my sea kayak and easily into my pack for solo backpacking trips.

Honestly, I don’t know why we don’t hear more about this tent – it’s lightweight, tough as nails, pitches in one, pitches very quickly, is very silent in the wind – what’s not to love? It’s worth mentioning that, despite being a three season tent, this tent is more than sufficient for most of the UK all year round (except Scottish, and perhaps some Cumbrian mountain areas), so don’t be put off by the Yellow Label rating as many do.

Sure, the vestibule isn’t as big as some others, but this needn’t be an issue (especially as you can always additionally pitch a tarp over the entrance to provide additional space for cooking, if need be; since I have been using the tent solo, I have more than enough space in the tent itself for my gear, leaving the vestibule purely for my shoes and stove.

The dome design means it deals with changeable wind a little better than tunnel tents. While this is billed as a two man tent, it would be a little snug for two adults, although probably not a problem if you’re camping with your significant other if they can tolerate sharing a vestibule/entrance.

So what do I like about this little tent?

It’s small and light but spacious

It’s a perfect tent for solo adventurers or couples who prefer to travel light but still want a shelter that will hold up to significant potential conditions. Weighing in at just under 1.7 kg, it’s incredibly portable and easy to carry. The tent packs down neatly, and like all Hilleberg tents, the bag is slightly oversized, which makes it very easy to pack the tent; a particular boon when the tent is wet. For fellow sea kayakers, this tent fits neatly alongside the skeg box in the rear hatch of my P&H Cetus MV (and fits similarly in a Virgo, Scorpio or Volan).

While the Niak is a compact tent, it doesn’t compromise on interior space. With a length of 220 cm and a width of 120 cm (with an additional 65cm in the vestibule), there’s plenty of room for one person and enough space to accommodate two cozy campers if needed; in fact, this interior space is only marginally smaller, and only on the head side, than Hilleberg’s other two man tents like the Allak 2. The largely vertical walls enhance the usable space, allowing for easy movement inside the tent.

Setting it up couldn’t be easier

Hilleberg’s classic Nordic design sensibility of simplicity has the Niak pitched simply with two poles which slide into their respective sleeves with ease; the corners where you insert them have tensioners allowing you to tighten things up once you’re pitched. Even in challenging weather conditions, I found the tent quick to pitch, allowing me to get to that all-important tea/coffee/beer part of camp time quicker, with less time fumbling with poles. The tent comes supplied with a spare pole section in case of breakage, and new poles are easily found online should the worst happen. The tent comes supplied with ten ultralight Y-pegs, of which only six are strictly necessary (I find it mostly unnecessary to peg out the floor/footprint).

The tent’s footprint is purchased separately, and can be attached to the rest of the tent for all-in-one pitching. Whilst not strictly necessary, as the tent’s bathtub floor has a 12000 mm hydrostatic head, it does nevertheless protect the floor from abrasion over time.

It holds up to the weather

Hilleberg tents are particularly renowned for their resistance to inclement weather, and I’ve found the Niak a reliable shelter in a variety of conditions. Its dome design offers excellent stability, even in very windy environments (I’ve used it in winds up to 45mph in Scotland), and the thin, silk-like fabric used by Hilleberg means that even during gusty nights, you aren’t kept awake by noisy flapping (MSR Elixir, I am looking at you here…). The lightweight proprietary Kerlon 1000 fabric used in its construction, as with all Hilleberg Yellow Label tents, provides impressive durability while offering superb protection against rain. Having spent many a windy and rainy night in the Niak, it’s more than proven its weather proofness, while also being reasonably easy to shake dry(ish!) in the morning before being packed away.

The ventilation is great

The Niak has excellent ventilation, created by the catenary shaped fly (the arched shape of the flysheet base), and extended by a section at the back of the tent which has a line allowing it to be pegged further out, which promote airflow and reduce condensation. I’ve never had any significant issue with condensation in this tent; after heavy rain or exceptionally heavy dew without wind, the inside of the fly does have some, but that’s true of absolutely any tent.

It’s a tough little mofo

The Niak, like all Hillebergs, is built to last. A lot of people feel they should automatically go for the Red and Black Label tents, whilst overlooking the excellent offerings in the Yellow Label, as they erroneously believe they’re not particularly tough; this is simply not the case at all. Whilst the likes of the Niak and other Yellow Label tents are not your best option for camping on the top of mountains, or in extremely exposed areas like the Arctic or similar, they’re generally fine for pretty much anywhere else. The lighter weight Kerlon 1000 is still highly tear resistant and waterproof.

It’s simple but still well thought-out

Like most tents, the Niak has a few pockets and small loops on the inner, providing space to stash small items to hand, or hang a small washing line or items like camping lanterns.

Conclusion

For backpackers and other travelling campers seeking a compact, reliable, and versatile tent, the Hilleberg Niak is an exceptional choice. The Akto, Enan and Soulo may be the celebrities of Hilleberg’s one person lineup, but the Niak deserves recognition too. Apart from its light weight and small pack size, the Niak’s greatest strength is surely its simplicity; being a basic dome tent, the no-faff pitching is most welcome at the end of a long day. Yes, there’s no getting around the eye-watering price, but a Hilleberg is a tent for life.

Pros
Compact
Lightweight
Five minute, all-in-one pitch time
Extremely tough

Cons
High price (around £900 in 2023)
Small vestibule makes the inner vulnerable to rain when opening the entrance in wet weather
Single entrance makes it less than ideal for two campers