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Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Sun 12 Jun, 2011 1:46 pm

Hi all. First time poster after some tent advice from Hilleberg owners/users

I am interested in a Hilleberg Nallo 2 or Nammatj 2 tent for hiking in the Victorian high country and throughout Tasmania, including the odd encounter with snow. The Nammatj may be a bit more bomb proof than I need. However, it is only about 200g heavier than my current old tent, so would consider it depending on answers to following question about condensation and wet sleeping bag in a Nallo.

I realise condensation is a fact of life in a tent, but would appreciate comments from owners / users of these 2 tents on the following.

My concern with Nallo 2 concerns condensation and reports of the foot of sleeping bags getting wet from pressing against the sloping back wall of tent.
I am 179 cm tall (my bushwalking mate is 183 cm) and want to avoid having to use breathable rain jacket to keep foot of my faithful old sleeping bag dry, if possible. Rain jacket is already in use as a pillow!

Is it common for your sleeping bag to come into contact with the sloping back wall of the Nallo or Nammatj and get wet?
Is that due to condensation on the inside of the inner tent, or does the inner tent make contact with the wet underside of the tent fly?

Does the Nammatj with its 2 vents up high on the tent walls vent more effectively than the Nallo with the rolled up area at the base of the back wall?

When the Nallo vent at the base of the back wall is rolled up, does rain splash or blow onto the back wall of the inner tent?

If moving each morning, how do you deal with overnight condensation before packing up? e.g wipe down inside of fly or de-attach inner tent from outer tent to enable shaking / drying in sun separately?

Does it take long to separate inner tent from outer tent and to re attach it?

If using a footprint/ groundsheet in vestibule, is condensation reduced noticeably?

Other non condensation issues:

Vestibules :
Seems to be massive in the Nallo.
Is there room for 2 x 80 litre packs in the Nammatj vestibule while still enabling easy access to inner tent? Are packs stored one on top of the other or propped against each other while standing upright.

Tent flapping in high winds:
I have read elsewhere that the Nallo 2 can be quite noisy with the flapping of the light fabric in a strong wind. Have users found this to be more pronounced than with other tents?
Is the Nammatj, with its heavier material less prone to noisy flapping?

UV resistance and tent durability:
I have read the more heavy duty tent fabric used in the Nammatj has a “somewhat” higher UV resistance to the fabric used in the Nallo. I also read a post somewhere of a green Nallo tent turning a browny colour over time due to UV exposure. Any comments on the long term durability of these Hilleberg tents in South East Australian conditions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Re: Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Mon 13 Jun, 2011 9:42 pm

Hi Youngie,

Ive just gotten a nammatj for an overseas expedition next year but havnt used it yet so cant really comment on your questions. Never seen a Nallo either so cant compare. However I would say that unless you are good bum-buddies with your mate, go for the 3 person so you can leave your packs inside in between the two of you.Much easier to play cards inside and sort your gear. Just think before you leave for a trip, you probably have all your gear spread out across the room because its easier to sort things that way rather than to sort it in your little toilet cubicle.

Regarding kerlon 1200 vs 1800, the kerlon 1200 can easily handle the worst of whatever Australia has to dish out. Just get a spare pole set if you anticipate gnarly winds because I did have my 9mm poles in the Jannu snap with hardcore winds. Having both a Hilleberg dome and tunnel, my impression is that the tunnel is easier to errect in high winds. With any heavy dump of snow anticipated though, i'd go the jannu.

The Nammatj 3 is quoted as 3.1kg but mine weighed in at 2.85kg without the pegs, so its abit underweight I guess.
As an expedition tent its poinless to quote its weight with the standard pegs included. For a real expeditions, you really want to be using anchors like MSR coyotes, SMC flukes, skis and deadmans.

Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Mon 13 Jun, 2011 10:36 pm

I own a Hilleberg Nammatj 2 GT, I can't comment on the Nallo, but my Nammatj 2GT with both ventilation open at each end, I've not suffered any condensation on the inner tent. I believe the extra window on the Nammatj is a huge benefit over the Nallo.

Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Mon 13 Jun, 2011 10:47 pm

The beauty with the Hilleberg tents is the inner is very quick and easy to remove, what I do if there is a lot of condensation on the outer tent fly, I remove the dry inner and pack that away separately inside my backpack, when I arrive to next camp site, erect the outer than attach the inner, i also use this method when it rains or look like it might rain.

The Hilleberg Nammtj is a great tent but a little heavy if your backpacking on your own, a perfect tent if your sharing with someone, as one can carry the inner tent and pegs and the other carry the fly and poles.

There's plenty of room for two people and all there gear, particularly with the larger vestibule on the GT.

It only takes me about a minute if that to remove and replace the inner tent.

Re: Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Tue 14 Jun, 2011 2:16 am

I think the ideal tent would be the Nammatj 2 made with Kerlon 1200 and the thinner poles. It would be heavier than the Nallo 2 but lighter than the Nammatj. That's the tent I'd have ordered if they sold it. But they didn't so we decided to get a Nallo 3 instead. We haven't had any serious condensation issues with it, at least no more than any other tent when it rains multiple days in a row and all the clothes are wet. We've never used in hot humid conditions though.

The Nallo does flap loudly in the wind. It might be more a function of the two pole design than the fabric. I think you'd want to close that back flap if it was really raining. Condensation does transfer to the inner when packing it unless you seperate the inner/outer. I've always thought it easier to just wipe down the floor after repitching it that evening.

Re: Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Thu 16 Jun, 2011 6:37 pm

G'day Ninja. Look forward to hearing how your Nammatj goes. No man love with my mate so 3 person tent is a good idea that I hadn't considered. Surprisingly little difference in weight if you step up from 2 person to 3 person.
Likewise, I hadn't thought of getting a spare pole set to deal with a full on gale. Thanks for that advice. Certainly given me some food for thought

Re: Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Thu 16 Jun, 2011 7:10 pm

I am thinking the same Phillipsart, that the extra window on the Nammatj should in theory provide for a better ventilated tent than the Nallo's design.

It's handy to have an idea of how long it takes to remove and replace the inner tent. I am pretty good at stuffing around in the morning before we break camp.
Removing the inner tent to pack up so that it doesn't get wet when packed with the inner could provide me with another way to stuff around.

Great pictures of your tent on a different thread. I like the red colour so you see the tent easily in murky weather.

Personally, the huge vestibule space of the GT's doesn't suit me, but it's obviously ideal for a lot of families and cyclists etc.

Re: Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Thu 16 Jun, 2011 7:30 pm

Thanks for your comments guys. The Nammatj 2 design with Kerlon 1200 and lighter poles would be ideal.

At the moment I like the Nallo as it is light and has plenty of room in the vestibule.
However, I have a question mark over the condensation and possible damp feet of the sleeping bag, particularly in light of comments about closing the back flap if it was really raining.


The attraction of the Nammatj 2 is that it appears more durable with bigger, stronger poles, a heavier duty tent floor and more uv resistant outer tent fabric, plus the design may provide a bit better ventilation. Given there is a bit of coin to be outlayed on the purchase, something that is going to last is a consideration.

Obviously the weight is also a consideration, but the Nammatj is only marginally heavier than my current tent, so the extra weight of the Nammatj over the Nallo hasn't ruled it right out of contention.

That said, I'm sure that both tents would be fantastic.

Re: Hilleberg Nallo 2 vs Nammatj 2 questions

Sun 19 Jun, 2011 1:13 pm

I've had the Nallo up in fairly heavy rain and still kept the rear ventilation open. Never had a problem with water getting in (yet).

Condensation is easily avoided if there's a through breeze. As long as the wind is aimed straight at either the front or rear vent, the inside should stay dry.

And removing the inner takes about two minutes max once you know what you're doing. Maybe a little longer to replace it, but not much. Definitely the best way to go when packing up on a wet morning.
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