Palace, Palacio

My palace arrived.  My new home.  My new Hilleberg Niak Tent from Hilleberg The Tent Maker.  I am enamored with Hilleberg, their staff and their tents.  

I wrote a little blog post about my wonderful experience with the Staika tent.  Here is the link to my blog post http://www.missrider.com/blog/hilleberg-staika-tent-experience.  Jajaja, it takes a little longer to view the blog as it needs to upload all the videos I shared with you.

When I compare the Staika with the Niak, it seems like I will loose a little bit of space because it has one vestibule.  However, it still feels like a palace inside.   Motorcycle helmet, boots, jacket and riding pants will all fit nicely inside the tent.  Okay, I like to have my riding gear protected from the elements!!  I try to keep spiders out of my clothes...... or any other critters that may get confused and be attracted to my sweet perfume, just like the bear did here: http://www.missrider.com/blog/bear-destruction-bay

Now, for the most important stuff about the Niak.  It is incredibly lightweight and strong ( packed weight of 1.7 kg/3 lbs 12 oz).  It will fit inside my small motorcycle panniers or a small bag on my seat with all my camping gear.  The materials and engineering are superb!!  The fabric is extremely thin but I can tell it carries a punch.  When the tent is pitched, it has 4 or so inches at the bottom that keeps the water out and the outer cover is cut just right to allow air flow.  The zipper ends have these large locking loops to keep it from running up easily, securing it tight.  Phenomenal technology.  I selected the green model.  Sometime ago there was a discussion about the best color for a tent.  It stuck me that green received the highest ratings by the members.  Green will camouflage in the fields during wild camping if and when I cannot find a place and need to hide  :-))

The zipper quality on the Staika is by far the best I've experienced in tents.  The new Niak uses the same.  It does not pinch like so many other tents do.   The zipper has a very thick cover to keep the moisture out.  Trust me, I've had many tents in my life and there is a reason why I am enamored with Hillberg's tents.  All other tents in my past life always created stress in the middle of the night when the zipper pinched, no more with Hilleberg!!  I am stress free.

I think I like it inside the bag to keep it clean and dry with my sleeping bag and bed.

I pitched the tent without reading the instructions.  Petra sends you a cute little brochure on how to pitch it and take it down to ensure it is folded properly.  After I packed it, I read the instructions and there are 2 methods. I just shoved it into the little bag like a parachute as my brother taught me to do many moons ago using Method 2.   The under cover made it hard to shove into the bag. Method 1 seems more my style so I can wipe off excess ground stuff prior to packing.  By the way, Petra looks wonderful in the instructions.  It is nice when a company takes the time to create illustrations with detailed instructions.  The best part is how the CEO of the company (Petra) is actually doing the work.  It is a family company.  

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There have been times that I put my tents inside the bath tub to wash them.  This new Niak is going to make my life so much easier because it is so light.  Hanging it to dry in the shower or anywhere in the motel/hotel will be a breeze.  I also have a feeling that it will be quick to dry after rain storms.

Pitching the tent without the outer shell is going to be fantastic when the weather is extremely hot.  Look above at the illustrated picture, click on it and you will notice the inner layer.  The tent could be used two ways, one with a little shelter to hang out next to the fire, the inner one to enjoy the air flow.  I could see myself in an exotic place under  palms trees enjoying the shade and fresh air while resting inside my yellow palace.

Thank you Hilleberg for making wonderful tents and providing the tent at half cost.  Stay tuned for my upcoming adventure with this tent and a small motorcycle while I tour the Trans Labrador Highway in Canada and the island of Newfoundland.  There will be plenty of wild camping opportunities during this ride.