Most outdoor enthusiasts will be aware that Hilleberg make great tents – and the Keron is a fantastic example of the proven designs, top quality materials and flawless production used by the Swedish-based company. But as much as I like this tent – it isn’t suitable for everyone.

If you are an ultralight or long distance backpacker you will find the 4.6kg claimed weight unacceptable. If you normally camp in warm weather and/or protected conditions this tent is overkill. If you want to go car camping you will find a big dome tent that will do the job for a fraction of the price (albeit much weaker and heavier).

But if you are looking for a bullet-proof 4 person “all rounder” this tent is a great choice. I think it is well sized for a family of 4 and we can just fit 1 Exped LW (Long Wide) mat and 3 standard width Exped mats in. If I was going on a cold weather man-trip it would be very comfortable for 3 people.

The vertical wall at the foot end is a key difference between the Keron/ Kaitum models and the more compact Nammatj/Nallo tents which have a sloping and tapering foot end. Although the sloping foot end results in a lighter tent – in some conditions users may experience condensation and moisture problems wetting the foot of their sleeping bag. If I was going to buy the Nammatj or Nallo I would certainly consider the GT (extended vestibule option) as these models only have 1 vestibule/entrance. But the 2 vestibules of the Keron provide sufficient space for my needs.

When you are taking little people into the mountains – the last thing you want to worry about is whether your tent will still be standing in the morning.

I have had this tent for about a year now and used it on a handful of trips. I haven’t used it in adverse conditions yet but I am confident that it can handle anything I am going to encounter in the Australian bush.

It is generally accepted that a tunnel tent won’t handle snow loading as well as dome or geodesic style tent – and I agree that the large, flat sections on the top of this tent could tend to build up with snow and sag a bit. I can’t see that being much of a problem for me as I am unlikely to leave the tent unattended for any length of time in heavy snowfall. I am happy to trade off the extra strength of a dome tent for the increased internal volume of the tunnel.

Single pitch……

All Hilleberg tents are a single pitch design meaning the outer and inner tent are attached. This makes it far easier and quicker to setup than most tents that require the inner to be setup with the poles and then the outer thrown over the top and connected separately – especially in rainy or windy conditions. You can disconnect the Keron outer and inner in a few minutes and erect either the inner tent on it’s own (warm weather bug protection) or the outer on it’s own (bad weather group shelter) but I doubt that I will ever use it in either of these modes. My other hiking tent (Exped Auriga) is also a single pitch design which is great and I expect any future tents I buy will also be single pitch.

Bretto Rating: 9/10

Would I buy it again: Yes.

Further details and specs can be found here:

http://www.hilleberg.com/home/products/keron/keron4.php