For my recent backpacking and camping trips in the Sierra, Hilleberg let me borrow one of their Allak tents. An all season, 2-person, free standing, dome tent in a lightweight package, the Allak can take you from snow capped peaks to beach front camping.
The Allak is basically an ultralight version of Hilleberg's bomb proof Staika. Similar to the Staika, the Allak is a two door, two vestibule, all season, dome tent but weighs just 6 lbs 10 oz. To shave off more than 2 lbs of weight, Hilleberg replaced the Kerlon 1800 fabric with a lighter Kerlon 1200 fabric and cut the poles from 10 mm to 9 mm.
The support structure of the tent is made up of three poles, all the same size. The tent poles simply cross over each other to form a triangle at the top of the tent for added stability and ability to withstand heavy snow load. Short pole sleeves on each end and the simple clip system make the tent extremely quick and easy to pitch.
Hilleberg is the master of the linked inner and outer tent construction. Therefore, perhaps the best part of the Allak tent is having the rain fly hooked to the inner tent, meaning you can pitch both simultaneously in one fell swoop. The two pieces can be disconnected for use on their own if you just want a tarp type shelter or use the inner tent alone for summer.
As the Allak dome tent is completely freestanding, you don't have to use stakes or pegs to get the tent to stand up. In nice weather, you can simply pitch the tent and movie it around to your desired location. In case of windy or stormy weather, the Allak comes with 12 stakes for added strength and security, 6 for each pole end and six for the double guy lines.
All the Hilleberg tents come with guy lines. These lines can be extremely annoying when you are trying to first pitch the tent, so I would recommend tying them out of the way until needed. The guy lines utilize an easy cinch down system so you don't have to suffer the screaming barfies while fiddling with a taut-line hitch trying to tighten down your tent.
The integrated dual vestibules are roomy and sit parallel to the sleeping area, as opposed to your head and feet, making it easy for two people to get in and out of the tent as well as gain access to your gear. The dome tent design provides plenty of head room to sit, get dressed, cook, or play cards in bad weather.
Two people (and a dog!) can comfortably sleep in the Allak dome tent, though you won't have a ton of room for gear inside. To keep the weight down, the tent has only two small interior pockets on each side with enough room for maybe a headlamp and some snacks. I would have loved to see more organization pockets but that is the trade off for weight savings.
One really nice feature of the Allak is the ventilation system, which allows you to get air regardless of the conditions outside. The inner tent door panels zip apart, revealing a mesh panel to keep you safe from bugs. Two panels in the ceiling of both the inner and outer tent can be opened from the inside for extra ventilation. Similar to the door panel, the top panels of the inner tent zip apart to reveal mesh. A separate rain cover can be placed over the outer tent to protect these two open top panels from rain or snow.
Bottom Line: The Allak is the perfect all around tent. Versatile, lightweight, and durable, this all season dome tent can be used year round on all of your adventures.
The Hilleberg Allak free standing dome tent comes in two colors, red or green, and retails for $775.
