Backcountry four-season shelter for party of three

By Rick Shandley

Leave it to the Swedish sense of quality and functionality to design Hilleberg Kaitum 3 four-season tent.  With almost 40 years of backcountry tent making knowhow, Hilleberg tents are wilderness shelters built to endure, comfort, and protect. If you’re the kind of person who owns the best gear you can get your hands on. You want enough room for two or three people. And you know there’s going to be at least one trip where the shelter you invest in now will pay for itself keeping you safe for just a few days, or one night, then consider the Kaitum 3.

Like most of the gear we review, this Hilleberg Kaitum 3 went on several pack trips in the backcountry. From the first time we pitched this rectangular tunnel design, the Kaitum 3 proved to be a quick set-up and sturdy weatherproof tent. Three DAC tent pole hoops run through continuous sleeves to create the skeletal framework that is anchored with DAC pegs and guy lines.

DAC V-pegs offer sturdy anchoring. Longer DAC pegs are available for deeper ground penetration. The V-pegs worked fine.

Kaitum 3 is not free standing, but it requires only four DAC, V-shaped, stakes to erect. In all but the mildest conditions, even free-standing tents are pegged out to secure them and prevent them from taking off like a tumble weed in a wind gust during set-up. Any tent that incorporates vestibules must be pegged out, free-standing or not.

Hilleberg’s own Kerlon 1200 nylon tent fabric is used for the Kaitum 3. With a tear strength of 26 lbs., the Kerlon 1200 is coated on both sides with three applications of pure silicon. In addition to being extremely light, waterproof, and strong, Kerlon 1200 is also resistant to UV light. At 1.4-ounces per square yard, a swatch of Kerlon 1200 with a ½-inch scissor cut could not be torn asunder. It would fray slightly, but the slit length would not travel. Conversely, the same sized patch of standard ripstop nylon could be halved with the same human fingers doing the shredding.

Pitching the Kaitum 3 goes like this: peg one end of the tent into the wind with one stake at each side.  Slide the DAC poles through the continuous sleeves, longest pole in the middle, then peg the other end of the rectangle to the ground. Your basic shelter is pitched.  Each pole sleeve has only one open end. The other end is a closed pocket; which leads to efficiency in set-up time and provides a pole capture point that allows the tent pole to take its shape with the tent fabric immediately. We didn’t have to work on both sides of the tent when inserting the tent poles because of the closed ends making set up fairly rapid.

Kaitum 3 on first trip in Sierra's. Note interlinked tent walls and cavernous interior.

This Kaitum 3 is a thing of beauty when it’s fully staked out taught with the Spectra guy lines shoring up a structure that’s ready for serious winds, rain, snow, and freezing weather. When you anticipate heavy snow and high wind conditions, you always have the option of running a second set of DAC poles through the pole sleeves to double-down the structural support.

A total of 18 DAC V-stakes come with the Kaitum, and we found it to be little extra effort to have both vestibules in action and both vertical doors at each end available. The vent system is located high-up on the vestibule crowns and found to be totally functional regardless of the time of year or weather conditions.

On one trip in the Gila National Forest in New Mexico, our Kaitum 3 housed three medium-sized adults on a long-mile overnighter that got down into the low 30’s. All three reported they had ample room to sleep soundly through the night without feeling packed together.  Two backpacks where housed in the rear vestibule, (facing the wind), and the third pack occupied the forward vestibule. During the night and early morning, the guy sleeping in the middle spot would enter and exit through the vestibule housing two packs. The two guys sleeping next to the tent walls would enter and exit through the vestibule housing the single pack.

The Kaitum 3 ventilation system did not allow condensation to build up inside the tent even with three souls sleeping in overnight temperatures that dropped down to freezing levels. With both vestibules fully-pitched, both entries fully zipped up, and ventilation hoods at both ends open, the airflow through the tent was more than adequate. The snow-panel ventilation hoods on each vestibule can be adjusted from inside the tent. Zippered, full no-see-up mesh panels on the inner-tent doors and full zipper-adjustable fabric panels allow you to tailor ventilation requirements in warm, cool, and cold weather.

Snow-proof ventilation hoods mounted high up, and adjustable from inside tent.

In mild weather, where bugs are more a threat than rain or snow, you can use the Kaitum 3 inner tent by itself and pitches with the use of six additional pole holders. We did not take the opportunity to use the Kaitum 3 in this configuration, as all of our overnight stays where in late fall and at upper elevations where weather fronts could move in overnight and without advanced warning.

Packed trail weight for the full Kaitum 3 with inner/outer tent walls, stakes, and guy lines is 6 lbs. 13 ounces. On the high-country trips we used the Kaitum 3 for the weight vs. comfort was an acceptable tradeoff. For a person who hikes solo, or your tent requirements involve four or more people, there are smaller and larger tent options in the Hilleberg line-up of four-season tents to consider.  As for the Kaitum 3 we tested, even when just two people are to occupy the Kaitum 3, the floor plan, tunnel design and headroom make it a shelter that justified its place on the pack.

KAITUM 3 Interior

Your reward is when you slip inside the Kaitum 3. The late afternoon, high country winds can kick up all they want. Mountain shadows will bring on the dark before you’re tired bones are ready. But once you’re on the interior, you’ll find yourself in a very cool backcountry Townhouse. No kidding. There is more available room in this tunnel design than you’d think possible. It’s because of this tunnel shape that the double tent walls rise up vertically and carry the vertical rise into a gentle arch towards the top of the tent. You get 42 vertical inches in the center of the tent and 42 square feet to move around in.

Kaitum 3 with front vestibule opened up and ready for moving in as evening winds pick up.

Storage pockets are situated at four positions inside the tent for easy access even in low-light or utter darkness. These storage pockets are integrated into the inner tent wall and above the bath-tub shaped tent floor. With the bath-tub floor running the full diameter of the tent, ground water, melting snow, or muddy conditions shield the interior from intrusion.

It is this sense of having more than enough room inside the tent which all but eliminates the potential cloud of claustrophobia a person could feel when hunkered down for a couple days of serious wet or icy weather. For tall and large-bodied people, the ability to move around without bumping your head on A-framed tent walls and having enough room to sit up and play a game of cards or read a book are immediately notable.

Large vestibules at each end offer 14 square feet of storage area, enough to store your gear and allow plenty of room for entries and exits.  You can pitch the Kaitum 3 with one fully closed vestibule into the wind, and leave the opposite end of the tent completely open to the down-valley view. Leaving one end open, with the vestibules rolled back out of the way opened up to the cavernous interior and allowed us to hang out in the tent and sit for a while just sipping morning coffee and think about the day ahead.

Overall Impressions

On our first trip with the Kaitum 3, we noticed that the workmanship, hardware, and the dense multi-pass stitching of the Kaitum 3 appeared to be flawless. Every stress point was bolstered gusseted heavy nylon webbed fabrics. Because the Spectra guy lines were positioned at critical support points on the tent, they attached at two points, and they were easily adjustable, the stability of the shelter was impressive.

Set-up in backcountry meadow near Devil's Garden, Gila National Forest, NM.

Set-up is very straight forward and gets quicker and more efficient each time you pitch it. One person can pitch the Kaitum smoothly and with confidence. Once pitched, the Kaitum 3 is second to none in the roominess the tunnel design creates. At night, the Kaitum can be seen in the headlamp or flashlight beam on reflective strips at either end of the tent, but larger illumination panels would be easier to see from a distance. You’ll have no idea, until it happens to you, how much you rely on those illumination panels to find your way back to the tent on a black-on-black night in the wilderness.

Take down and pack out of the Kaitum is just as smooth and trouble free as pitching the tent. The materials, including the tent floor, Kerlon tent fabrics, the stakes and pole system, all packed down quickly and rolled up tight. Both tent walls and guy line system, all pack into the center of the collapsed tent. The fabrics are so pliable you can prevent any bulky spots just by smoothing and quickly adjusting as you roll up. The snow-proof vents at each vestibule do have a wire-like bracing structure to keep them open and rigid; these flatten out and blend with the roll-up.

For a tall, gangly, person stooping or crawling to get in or out of the Kaitum with either or both vestibules fully erected can be a challenge. But that’s a trade off for the full protection this shelter creates. Ease of entry and exit is a subjective decision each one of us makes in our research of a tent purchase weighed against the protection, strength, comfort, and the environments you’ll use the tent for.

Although our backpack trips were not in heavy winter conditions or wicked ugly thunderstorms, we did get overnight freezes and very stiff mountain winds in the evenings. And compared to other four-season tents we’ve owned or experienced, the Kaitum is a top-end shelter. The Hilleberg Kaitum 3 is a seriously well built, comfortable tent that is good for many years of use in all weather conditions.  At a MSRP of $775, this tent is a long-term investment that just might beat expectations.

Features:

• High strength to low weight
• Unmatched weight to space
• High reliability with “worst-case scenario” construction
• High usability: easy to pitch and pack out
• Original Hilleberg design
• Linked inner and outer tents for simultaneous pitching
• Durability for years of use
• IS0-9001 Certified

Kaitum 3 Specifications

Minimum weight:       5.15 lbs (2.7 kg)

Packed weight:           6.13 lbs. (3.1 kg)

Inner Height:               42 inches (105 cm)

Interior tent area:       42 square ft. (3.9 square meters)

Vestibule area:            14 square ft. x 2 (1.3 meters x 2)

9mm DAC Poles:          Three

DAC tent stakes:          18 V-shaped

Min. stakes to pitch:   Four

Product of:                    Sweden

Color Options:              Red or Green

TentPak Systems introduces “Grab and Go” pack and tent combination!

After the devastation of September 11^th in 2001, Galen Bench’s first was inspired to create TentPak, and “grab and go backpack” supplied with critical gear in the event you need to bug out from a hot zone.  The the tsunami that struck the Indonesian coastline of Sumatra in December 2004  was the impetus that led the Bench family to introduce TenPak to the mass market.

Originally, TentPak was designed to fill a gap in the emergency preparedness product market. Today, TentPak’s unique design patent – integrating a tent and a backpack into an all-in-one unit – has evolved into a grab-and-go solution for hikers, photographers, hunters, scouts, families, outdoor enthusiasts and emergency response teams alike.

Now it’s available in 12 different backpack models and two tent models. Each TentPak  includes a built-in two-person tent in either an all-purpose three-season or four-season expedition model. TentPak models vary in design for use in extreme situations to more recreational expeditions with varying strap features, storage design and accessories.

On average, TentPak weighs approximately 13 pounds – tent and backpack combined. Each TentPak is built on the European High Peak platform, a top selling design for more than two decades. TentPaks feature high-quality ripstop nylon and polyester fabrics, Duraflex buckles and connectors, and water resistant bags and zippers. Each backpack is also equipped with an internal rain cover to keep gear dry during inclement weather.

Beyond the convenience of providing an all-in-one tent and backpack solution, TentPak is an easy to use device. Upon arriving at a campsite, simply unroll the tent from inside the bottom of the pack and set it up. The backpack remains attached to the tent after setup. The pack stores inside of the tent or in the rain fly vestibule, even while connected, for easy access to gear and protection from small critters. For protection in bear country the pack separates from the tent for storage up a tree. And, when it’s time to break camp the tent simply rolls back into the bottom of the backpack.

With the tent stored in the bottom section of the TentPak, carrying weight is more effectively distributed across the users back instead of focusing the weight on the shoulders where tents are traditionally carried.

FreshAirJunkie is trying to arrange a product review on the TentPak, so we’ll share our thoughts after we’ve had the opportunity to get theTenPak in the field.

The Kelty FoxHole 3 is a sturdy four-season tent suitable for three people

Four season comfort, durability, great ventilation and quick set-up time are distinguishing features of the Kelty Foxhole 3 mountaineering tent. Part of the Kelty Apex Series of expedition level four-season tents, the Foxhole 3 is designed to take on inclement weather wherever you find yourself spending the night.

Kelty Foxhole 3 setup early evening in the Gila National Forest of New Mexico.

Kelty Foxhole 3 in transport on a heavy Gregory Spear backpack; 12 Spears on this hike.

Kelty’s Foxhole 3 is a freestanding tent you can guy out partially or fully depending on conditions you encounter. Kelty made good use of illumination materials on the large Kelty Foxhole 3 logos on the exterior of the tent, near the two entrances, and illuminating thread woven into the guy-out lines. At night, you can easily see where your tent is from a distance as the illumination glows perfectly clear in the headlamp or flashlight beam; even at the periphery of the beam. Also, when you are walking around outside the tent at night, the illumination strands woven into the guy lines let you know exactly where to avoid tripping accidents.

Set-up goes fairly quick as the Dac ultra-light poles configure rapidly into an external frame that anchors in deep pockets at four-corners of the tent. The entire exoskeleton uses slider-clips and hook-clips to rapidly erect the core tent body so it’s taught and ready to stash your gear.

It only takes one person to roll out the tent body, assemble the Dac-pole frame, slide four pole ends into the pockets, and clip up the tent. In addition, the guy lines can be adjusted with the ITW Lineloc guy line adjusters to batten down the hatches in severe weather. All seams are fusion welded and taped, increasing this tent’s capacity to withstand harsh environments.

Kelty Foxhole 3 tent-crown slider clip in place.

When attaching the rain fly, remember to line up the two doors of the Kelty Foxhole 3, and it's easy street for the night.

Ventilation is well thought out with or without the rain fly attached. Closable mesh panels allow you to open ventilation routes where you want air flow. With the rain fly attached, ventilation ports on the rain fly are propped open with short (about 3-inch) sections of Dac poles inserted into sleeves and secured in upright position with Velcro fasteners.

This combination of rain fly ventilation working with the main tent ventilation system allows you to fully adjust to the current conditions at your bivouac site. Even in warm weather, you can still have the full protection of the rain fly without restricting the ventilation and cool air through the tent.

The rain fly drapes over the exoskeleton — creating an air chamber between the tent walls and increased insulation – and fastens with side-release buckles to the main body of the tent. When securing the rain fly, you do have to match the two doors located caddy-corner across from each other on opposite sides of the tent. With practice, this becomes routine.

With the rain fly secured and the entire tent guyed out, you have two roomy gear-storage vestibules and two door openings you can literally stand up in to put your boots on as the walls of tent slant away from the tent floor. This design characteristic is convenient because you don’t have to step out of the tent, onto the ground, in order to stand up to full height. And these tent doors are especially nice for taller people as you won’t have to crawl out of the tent.

Interior view of Kelty Foxhole 3 window, floor, entrances, and far-side vestibule.

Hook-clip attached to Dac tent pole on Kelty Foxhole 3.

Two clear windows are welded into the rain fly at the door openings. This is a cool feature as you do not have to completely unzip the inner tent door or rain fly door to check on the weather or to figure out what kind of mammal is tossing around the bear canister 50-feet away.

Noiseless zippers worked well with the Foxhole 3. Zippers are stout enough to manage the taught tent fabric and tent walls without binding or making any racket. And because the tent design yields taught walls there are times when you have to balance the left-side zipper travel with the right-side zipper travel to close a door. But when an opening is fully zipped up, the tent wall is as tight as it needs to be to shed any moisture and withstand a snow load or stiff wind.

Having two entrances and two vestibules add comfort and convenience value to this Kelty Apex Series Foxhole 3 tent. With three people using the tent, having two doors facilitates easy access in and out of the tent. And the vestibules offer enough room to accommodate the gear for three people. When lodging just one or two people, the Foxhole 3 takes claustrophobia right out of the equation.

Fusion welded floor seams run up the sides of the tent to create a tub affect. This is great as any potential build-up of snow or water outside the tent during any single weather event is not likely to intrude into the tent. Tent floor material is 3000mm thick, polyurethane coated 70D polyester. When used with a footprint, you are assured of sleeping on as weatherproof a foundation as you could ask for in the backcountry.

Kelty Foxhole 3 rainfly vent supported by section of Dac pole and secured with velcro.

During the several trips this tent was on, at no time was there a sense the tent floor was too thin skinned or incapable of handling overnight moisture. Though we did not get into any heavy rain or snow events, there were several mornings of overnight frost and freezing; conditions that lead to condensation – none of which were a problem.

Overall, the Kelty Foxhole 3 is certainly a solid choice to consider in a four-season, all-weather tent. There are some questions as to the ability of the tent hooks to withstand super-cold conditions without breaking, or becoming brittle over time.

And the argument can be made that the main tent body may be better supported with a combination of pole sleeves (where the Dac poles pass through sections of tent sleeves on the upper portions of the tent) as well as the use of hooks to offer the strongest possible design, should the hooks fail. But this is a design philosophy tent makers continually wrestle with and improve upon.

Even though the exoskeleton pole design appears complicated at first, we found this tent to be one of the most reliable and easy tents to set up quickly with just one person doing the task.

When morning arrives, and it’s time to break camp and move on, the Foxhole three disassembles and roles up quick.

Kelty Foxhole 3 tent components ready to set up.

 Some folks just stuff the entire tent fabric into a backpack or stuff it into the stuff bag. I found it to be very convenient to fold the tent properly and roll the poles up with the tent. Each time, the tent rolled up quickly and fit into the Kelty stuff bag with no balking.

For the comfort and shelter this tent provides, the weight is negligible. And when you plan on sharing this kind of tent with more than one person, then each person can carry either, the rain fly, the main tent, or the poles as separate units and thereby distribute the load. However, even for solo trips, at its full 9.4 pounds, the Foxhole 3 would probably be the first nine pounds loaded into the pack. The Kelty Foxhole 3 tent is simply a sturdy shelter to look forward to at night.

Although each person has to assess the qualities and attributes they want in a four-season tent, the Kelty Foxhole 3 is a good shelter I’d recommend potential tent buyers to consider.

 By R. Shandley

Kelty Foxhole 3 tent without rain fly.

Kelty Foxhole 3 zipper at top of door, when closed, is taught like it's supposed to be.Kelty logo on Foxhole 3 tent pops with illumination when headlamp beam hits it at night. There's a big Kelty logo on both sides of the tent.Kelty Foxhole 3 interior with Therm-A-Rest NeoAire mattress on right, and Sierra Design Arrow Rock 30 down sleeping bag.

Kelty Foxhole 3 interior with Therm-A-Rest NeoAire mattress on right, and Sierra Design Arrow Rock 30 down sleeping bag.

Kelty logo on Foxhole 3 tent pops with illumination when headlamp beam hits it at night. There's a big Kelty logo on both sides of the tent.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Specifications:

Wall material: 70D Polyester taffeta (Dye free)

Floor material: 70D Fusion welded Polyester (3000mm thick with polyurethane [PU] coating)

Weight: 9.4 lbs.

Floor size: 45 sq. ft.

Doors: 2

Vestibules: 2

Vestibule areas: 9.4 sq. ft.

Length: 92”

Width: 79”

Height: 42”

Packed size: 8”x28”

MSRP: $419.95 U.S.

The Hilleberg Kaitum 3, is a light weight three-person shelter that’s ideal for trips where strength and comfort are a priority, but where true all-season, all-weather capability is still a necessity.

This Kaitum 3 is a two door/two vestibule tent that offers maximum usable space, outstanding comfort, and excellent strength in a incredibly lightweight package.

The Kaitum 3 uses ultralight Kerlon 1200 outer tent fabric and DAC Featherlite NSL 9 mm poles to keep total weight to a minimum while providing strength for all  conditions.  Also incorporated into the Kaitum 3 is a two door/two vestibule tunnel design, which adds outstanding comfort and flexibility.

Kaitum 3 is ideal for mobile adventures that involve moving camp frequently, and is equally well-suited for long and short back-country stays. This shelter is outstanding for use in protected terrain in any weather, and easily robust enough to handle use in exposed and/or above tree-line terrain in all but the worst conditions. For warm weather treks,  the Kaitum 3 is excellent since the front section vestibule can be completely rolled open for maximum air flow. 

We’ll have the Hilleberg Kaitum 3  (price point: $775) on several upcoming backpacking trips in the Sierra Nevada mountain range as we move into Fall and Winter conditions in the high-country. Our usual trailhead begins at the 10,300 ft. elevation level and should bring us plenty of weather and conditions to evaluate the tent in a variety situations. Two colors are available: Red or Green.

If your backcountry ventures take you up in elevation where thunderstorms, wind and plummeting night time temperatures are a normal part of your trip,  then consider the Kelty Apex Series Foxhole and Marauder tents.

A four-season tent built for all conditions, the Foxhole is an affordable shelter made for camping in a variety of environments. A hubbed, two-pole design combines with clip attachment points for quick and easy set up. Fusion welded tent floor and fly result in lighter, more durable and fully waterproof seams. The Foxhole has two doors and two vestibules for quick access to gear while a welded window in the vestibule lets you check the weather from your sleeping bag.

The Foxhole’s closable mesh panels and vented fly regulate temperature. DAC Featherlite NSL poles reduce weight while adding strength. Available in a two-person version for $379.95 and three-person versions for $419.95.

Designed to excel in adverse conditions where reliability is essential, the Kelty Marauder is built to withstand the elements. Five-pole construction keeps the Marauder standing tall in snow, wind and rain while the fly connects securely with side release buckles. Fusion welded tent floor and rainfly are stitch-free, resulting in supremely durable, watertight seams. A large front and smaller rear vestibule provide ample space to stow gear while closable mesh panels and a vented fly regulate temperature. DAC Featherlite NSL poles reduce weight while adding strength and a clear, welded window provides a view of the world outside. Available in a 2-person version for $419.95 and 3-person versions for $499.95.

You can see the full line-up of Kelty shelters and backpacking gear at: www.kelty.com .

Sierra Designs Lightning XT 4-person tent.

Thanks to sweepstakes partners Visit Wales and Virgin Atlantic Airways, Sierra Designs is sending one lucky winner and a friend to Wales for a week of exploring the beautiful and expansive Welsh countryside.  The trip will include airfare, hotel stays at the beginning and end of the trip, Sierra Designs gear, and BritRail passes for custom travel throughout Wales.

Wales, a land of historic castles (641 at last count), green pastures, and endless coastline is an outdoor enthusiast’s dream come true with abundant opportunities for hiking, biking, trekking, climbing, camping, caving, and that uniquely Welsh adventure, coasteering.

“One month into our Wales Adventure Sweepstakes and we’re already seeing hundreds of people entering to win,” said Kenny Ballard, president of Sierra Designs. “A trip like this really resonates with an outdoor community eager for new experiences and exciting adventures.  Including the award-winning Lighting XT 4 and a variety of other Sierra Designs gear certainly helps to draw attention.”

Included in the grand prize package is a Sierra Designs Lighting XT 4 Tent, two award-winning Verde 20 sleeping bags and two sets of legendary waterproof hiking gear:  the Cyclone Eco Jackets & Pants. This prize package also includes round-trip airfare for two on Virgin Atlantic Airways, two nights lodging in a luxury yurt at the Graig Wen resort, a BritRail FlexiPass for transportation around Wales and to Snowdonia National Park, and two nights at Escape, a five-star boutique bed and breakfast, prior to flying home.  

The sweepstakes is running through September 30, 2009, and the winner will be notified.  For a complete description of the prizes as well as sweepstakes terms & conditions, go to:

 http://www.travelwales.org/server.php?show=ConWebDoc.10346. 

About Wales:

Wales is a country about the size of Massachusetts: 200 miles long and 70 miles across at its widest point.  Wales and England and Scotland are the 3 distinct countries that make up the island of Britain. Wales is “a peninsula on the western flank of England, facing Ireland,” as writer Jan Morris aptly says.  The people of Wales are called Welsh and many still speak the ancient Welsh language (as well as English). Wales is the host nation for golf’s Ryder Cup competition in 2010, the sporting world’s third-most watched event.  The Ryder Cup will be played at the Celtic Manor Resort near Newport, Wales in October 2010.