Built like a tank. Lightweight, considering its strength and sturdiness. Roomy, for the size. Compact enough to fit in tight campsites. Excellent performance in adverse conditions. Fast pitching. Full-length rainfly. Good ventilation for a four-season tent.

Hilleberg, a small, unassuming Swedish company, has been quietly churning out some of the sturdiest, toughest, most wind- and weather- resistant, best-made backcountry shelters you can buy for decades. The Akto was first released in 1995 and has seen only one design change in all those years. This is why Hilleberg has something of a cult following. Hilleberg tents are also very expensive, which has always left me wondering, “Are they worth it?”

To find out, I had Hilleberg send me its iconic four-season, one-person, hoop-style tent—the Akto. With a retail price of $740 (though you can find it for less on sale), it's not cheap, but after using it for nearly two weeks this fall and into winter, I think it's absolutely worth the money. The Akto is the best tent I've ever used by a very wide margin. It's not perfect, but it's the best solo tent you can buy, and I'm pretty sure it's the only thing made of nylon that might have a shot at making our Buy It For Life guide.

Think Different

The Akto was a groundbreaking tent when it arrived on the scene in 1995. (For reference, the name means “alone” in the language of the Sami, the indigenous people of northern Scandinavia.) Back then, almost no one was making four-season one-person tents, no one was using silicone nylon—now the standard fabric for lightweight tents—and no one was making hoop tents. Fast-forward to today, and while a significant portion of ...