I often backpack alone, or if I do hike with a group, I prefer to sleep in my own tent. This means that a 1-person tent is just right for me. Yeah, a 2-person tent provides more room, but I don't normally like to carry the extra weight. In addition, I like to backpack during all seasons, which means that a 4-season tent is also just right for me.

Given these requirements, here's what I look for in a 1-person, 4-season tent:

• Ultralightweight
  
   
• Enough room for me and my gear
  
   
• Waterproof and snow proof
  
   
• Strong enough to put up with very gusty winds
  
   
• Easy to assemble and disassemble
  
   
• Lots of ventilation
  
   
• Built tough for the long haul

So is there any tent on the market that meets all of these needs?

Actually, there is one tent that meets all of the above requirements, and its a tent that has been around for several years. Unfortunately, the company that makes it does a poor job of marketing, so you may not have heard of it. The tent is called the Akto, and it is made by Hilleberg, a company based in Sweden.

Here is why the Akto is world class:

• It has 18.3 square feet of living space, and 8.6 square feet of vestibule space. This is the largest 1-person tents I have used. It has plenty of room for my 6' 2" frame and lots of gear, both in the tent and in the vestibule.
  
  The tent's outside dimensions are 66 inches wide (which includes the vestibule) and 88 inches long. The maximum inner height is 36", which is just enough to set up fully without hitting your head on the top.
  
   
• The Akto has an unusual design, which is hard to describe. It is best to actually see one in order to understand how it is built. But I will try to describe its design the best I can.
  
  First, the tent is a double-wall tent, but the walls are attached to each other (although they can be separated). So when you put the tent together, the inner wall and the fly are attached, which makes putting up the tent a quick job.
  
  The tent is not self-standing, which means that it must be anchored to stay upright. It does this with the help of a single pole near the center. But at each ends are short poles built into the tent that are used to help hold it off the ground. Because they are built into the structure of the tent, assembly is again made easier. The Akto also comes with the necessary guy ropes and tent stakes.
  
  The vestibule of the tent is not at the end of the tent, as is normal, but it is on the side, where you enter and exit the tent.
  
  Don't let this odd design confuse you. Once you see it, it all makes sense, and the design is one of the reasons that make this tent world class.

• For a 4-season tent, the Akto breaths very well. As you can imagine, the outer fabric is wind and waterproof, and the interior wall includes a lot of mesh to let air flow. But how does the air flow inside in the first place? At each end of the tent are zippered windows that can be opened and closed as necessary to allow air flow. Each is protected by mesh to prevent critters from getting inside. In addition, there is a single covered vent at the top of the tent. Rain or snow cannot enter this vent, protecting you and your gear from moisture. With vents at the bottom and the top of the tent, warm moist air moves from your body, up to the top of the tent, and out.
  
   
• Waterproofness for the living area of the tent is excellent. The waterproof bottom of the tent comes up on the sides like a bathtub, preventing moisture from entering into the tent. In the vestibule area, it is possible for moisture to blow in, or run in from the ground. But this is typical of any vestibule.
  
   
• One of the most amazing things about this tent is its weight. Its packed weight is only 3 pounds 8 ounces, and its minimum weight is only 2 pounds 14 ounces, making it the lightest tent I have used.
  
   
• Even though the tent is made out of ultralightweight materials, this doesn't seem to have any negative affects on the tent's strength and quality of construction. The Akto can take a lot of wind.

This tent is excellent for backpacking, cycling, trekking, paddling, mountaineering, or for any outdoor adventure where you want to keep weight to a minimum, but demand 4-season capability.

Using the Hilleberg Akto in the Real World

When I first got the tent and opened it up, I couldn't immediately figure out how it should be put up. Even with the help of the instruction sheet, it was not obvious to me. That's one reason I am not an engineer by profession. So I took the tent out and started experimenting, and quickly figured it out. As usual, it is easier than it first looked. Once you get the hang of it, the tent is easy to put up.

Another thing I noticed right away was that the aluminum tent stakes included with the tent needed to be tossed and immediately replaced with real stakes, such as ones made by MSR or Mountain Hardware. The Akto stakes were so soft that I couldn't drive them into dirt without them bending on me. But this is the only weakness I found with the tent.

Because the tent is not self-supporting, it requires the use of stakes and guy ropes to keep it upright. In some cases, it may not be easy to secure this tent, or any non-self-supporting tents, for that matter. For example, I used the tent when climbing Mount Baker last year. The area where we made camp was rock and gravel, and it was virtually impossible to drive any stake into the ground securely.  I was able to drive some of the stakes in partially, but none completely. To secure the guy ropes, I used large boulders that were located around the camping area. Obviously others use these same boulders for the same purpose.

The first night out, the winds varied from 20-40 mph or so, and the tent stayed very secure. But the next night, we had gusts exceeding 60 mph. Apparently, one gust was so strong, that it actually moved two of the boulders several inches, partially collapsing my tent. The high winds didn't seem to affect the tent at all, which was great, because it was sleeting at the time, and the last thing I needed was a hole ripped in the outer shell.

Although the tent is roomy by 1-person tent standards, it is still a compromise (and one that I don't mind). You have to essentially crawl into the tent through the vestibule. Once in the tent, the peak of 36" is just enough room to sit up, but as you might guess, the peak is only a peak, and the rest of the tent's height is much smaller, which means that you can't move around a lot in the tent. On the other hand, there is plenty of room in the living area of the tent for your gear in order to keep it dry. And in the vestibule, there is plenty of room for your backpack, boots, and other wet gear.

Recommendation

If you are looking for a 1-person, 4-season, ultralightweight tent, you can't go wrong with the Hilleberg Akto.

Product Notes

The Hilleberg Akto comes in two colors: green and red. The MSRP is $345.00. Also available for the Akto are two different footprints. One is for the living area of the tent, and the other is for the vestibule. You can use both, one or the other, or none, as you desire. If you need a tent to sleep two or more people, Hilleberg carries many other tough, lightweight tents that may very well meet your needs.