Hi all, I have just bought a new Hilleberg Akto tent and am having trouble... I cant seem to get it to pitch properly. When I pitch it on the side opposite from the door the inner and outer skin touch. I have tried moving the lanyards to diferent angles but cant seem to get it! Does anyone have any recomendations?
Also while I am posting... does anyone have any recomendations for snow pegs?
Thanks

I've got an Akto and find it pitches so much easier when all the zips are closed - will that help?

andrew

Marc - a bit more detail please. Where abouts do the skins touch? And I'm not sure what you mean by "When I pitch it on the side opposite from the door". First thought - is the inner connected to the correct hangers? Try pitching, removing the inner entirely and then rehanging it.

Aktos pitched correctly .

Needlesports have a variety of snow pegs, but you can improvise with ice-axes, skis, poles too. Could it be that the tensioning cord under the base of the tent is incorrectly set? Or you've hung the inner from the wrong loops. Have to say that my Akto goes up perfectly.

Hi Marc,

I'll state the bleeding obvious here, and you've probably done all this already:

Have you checked that the pole is tensioned after feeding it through the pole sleeve?
(as per p4 of the PDF manual) Noting that the pole needs to go all the way through, and not get caught in the reinforcing fabric of the opposite end.

Have you checked that the cord running across the width of the tent is not twisted on something?
(as illustrated on page 8 of the PDF manual)

Have you checked that the securing pegs of the inner are all in the right place?
(as per p41 on the PDF catalogue)

Have you checked that the retaining strap running along the bottom of the door isn't too tight?

Let us know if that's helped. If not...photos. They're not really essential, but always nice to see another Akto :)

Marc, if the above doesn't help, look at the tent from the ends and see if the short poles at the ends are upright, and the main pole is not distorted one way. It's easy to get the tent leaning one way or the other by mistake.

JH that is one beautiful photo - where is it...?

a

Thanks cerddinen. I hope your not expecting some exotic location, it's simply looking across at the Cuillin from near Morar/Arisaig at sunset.

I was there again a couple of weeks ago and saw the same scene, then turned round to see the full moon rising from behind An Stac. It might not be exotic, but there's nowhere else in the world I would rather have been.

I pitched my tent again in my garden and it seemed to work ok... I am not sure why it didnt work the 1st time as I didnt do anything different!
Thanks for all the advice as its always usefll for future use! I will be using the tent for the 1st time in anger tonight in the lakes so hopefully it will all go well!

As a new user of the Akto I wonder whether I may pose one or two questions?
I am not having difficulty pitching but I have noticed that the 'catalogue' link above mentions a pitch with only 4 pegs. Has anyone tried this and how well does it work? I presume that the inner is not anchored at all in this system.
Also I am considering obtaining an Atko footprint. Again, does anyone use this and is it worth purchasing.
Many thanks in anticipation.

REC

Robin, you can pitch without anchoring the corner rings and without using the side guys. I'm not sure why anyone would want to, the 6 pegs saved aren't that heavy. The inner would hang as normal, but not be fully stretched out in the corners.

Footprint: personaly I don't see the point. The groundsheet fitted is fairly robust and I wouldn't want to pitch on scree. :o) Maybe if you habitually camped in woods a footprint would avoid the risk of broken branches poking through the groundsheet - which would explain why they seem to be more popular in the States.

I haven't bothered with a footprint either. Unnecessary extra weight, complication and expense in my opinion. There are some small holes in the groundsheet of my Akto, but they came from carrying the pole inside the rolled up tent in the stuff sack, I keep the pole separate now. In any case, small holes in the groundsheet are no big deal and are easily repaired.

Pitching with less than 10 pegs - yes, possible. Someone on OM talked about not using to 2 side guys unless windy. But as Simon says, why bother?

Footprint - I've seen someone use one. people have reasons. Someone on OM suggested using a lightweight cloth (beach towel, IIRC). For me it is extra weight and means you haven't chosen a decent pitch. Check the ground for sharps beforehand (esp stones just underground, and heather punjees).

Maybe if you habitually camped in woods a footprint would avoid the risk of broken branches poking through the groundsheet

Needs someone from a place with more trees to answer that one.

sounds daft but are you sure the inner is all clipped in properly, mine use to do the same until i checked the clips !

doesn't sound daft to me, Ben - I made the same suggestion further up the page :)

Being an absolute saddo and after reading these comments I wizzed outside and put my akto up - (its great sitting in it and thinking of past trips and more to come)and was so impressed, as always, how fast it goes up and how totally secure it feels

btw - my akto has a label saying which Hilleberg employee (in Estonia) made it - Ive forgotten so maybe I need to go put it up again to check - then if I find someone else on OM with an Akto made by the same person we could send them a thankyou card!

think I'd better go now.......

a

A footpint which covers the porch area does help reduce condensation too.

I quite often pitch mine with just 4 pegs - as long as I know the weather's going to be OK. Not sure why I do this - just because you can I suppose - sheer laziness ... The inner hangs surprisingly well, I find. Am I the only person who does this?

Nah, I've pitched with just four pegs (three and a rock once actually) and I bet plenty of other folk have as well, Ian.

There's not much point pitching with ten pegs in flat calm really. Each to their own though, eh. :)

There's not much point pitching with ten pegs in flat calm really. Each to their own though, eh. :)

I'm just a woose when it comes to expecting the wind not to get up during the night.

Pitch your own pitch ;-)