Hilleberg Jannu Review

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We believe the Hillberg Jannu offers greatest strength to weight and space to weight ratios of any four-season, freestanding, double wall tent on the market. It is without question one of the highest performance tents we’ve ever reviewed. A logical pole design makes it very easy to set up, even by one person, in high winds, when wearing gloves. From the pole design, to the materials, doors, ventilation, even the guy lines- this is a stunning tent. It’s best suited to mobile adventures in exposed environments where you both strength and weight are equal priorities.

Pole Design and Setup
The Hilleberg Jannu is radically different and, in many ways, better than most other tents we’ve reviewed. The primary improvement lies in its pole design, but even minute details, such as the guy lines and stakes are better, too.

Like some single wall tents, the Jannu sets up from the outside. There are three easy steps: stake out the base of the tent, insert the poles into color-coded two-foot long sleeves, snap the poles into alternating plastic clips, and stake out the vestibules and guy lines.
Unlike most double wall tents, where the poles support the inner tent and the fly attaches on top, all Hilleberg tents have a built in inner tent. This connects to the fly with dozens of elasticized toggles and can easily be removed and pitched by itself with an optional kit. The outer tent (the poles and fly) can also serve as a lightweight, but exceptionally strong floorless single wall shelter.

The Jannu’s design is superior to the traditional double wall tent for several reasons: one, it’s significantly easier to set up even with one person (you can also keep your gloves on); two, always having the fly on top protects the inner tent from rain and snow; three, the poles stand up by themselves once inserted into the sleeves. (This make setup easier because you don’t have to balance or hold one pole while you try to set up another.) These details make setup faster and less burdensome than other tents that have a pole supported inner tent and separate rain fly. The difference is significant regardless of the conditions, but becomes greater as the weather worsens.

The Jannu’s three 9mm DAC Featherlite NSL Green poles (the best available) create an aggressive looking, angular dome tent. The floor area (36.6 sq. ft.) is the second largest of any four-season tent reviewed here. This provides plenty of space for two and can accommodate a claustrophobic third if needed. A large single door unzips in a wide arc and can stuff into one of four mesh side pockets. A 13 sq. ft. vestibule extends at a low angle above the door, providing storage space for gear or a small cooking area. The vestibule is not as high as other tents, such as the MSR Fury or Mountain Hardwear Trango which have a pole to elevate it, but the absence of a pole make the tent stronger. (Vestibule poles are usually the first to break).

Strength
Beyond rigid poles, many other features contribute to the Jannu’s exceptional strength. The rainfly fabric, Kerlon 1200, is the second strongest of any tent we’ve ever reviewed. It has a tear strength of 26.5 lbs., yet weighs only 1.47 oz/yd2. This is partially due to the fact that each side of the fabric is coated with three layers of 100% silicon, a coating far superior (and more expensive) than traditional polyurethane compounds used on most other tents. This is better because a stronger fabric is less likely to be punctured by a broken pole and less likely to tear if punctured. A better coating is more resistant to the sun’s harmful UV rays and therefore will remain its water resistance for longer.

Our testers immediately noticed the difference between the Hilleberg fabrics and those of competing tents. The Kerlon 1200 has a slick, thin, crinkly feel, where polyurethane coated fabrics feel rubbery and thick.

The Jannu’s adaptable pole design is another reason for the tent’s superior strength. As is, the Jannu is the second strongest tent we’ve ever reviewed (the company’s Tarra wins first place). But it can get even stronger!! The short sleeve-alternating clip combination allows you to insert not one, but two poles into each sleeve and clip both poles into the tent (alternating clips allows this, see photos). This system makes for an insanely strong tent. Double up all poles if you’re pitching in extremely high winds. You can also opt for greater strength and less weight by adding just two additional poles- reinforcing the corner-to-corner poles would be best- an option that adds significant strength, but less weight than a second full set. While the Jannu is already very strong, we view the ability to add more poles as a key feature (unique to Hilleberg) that makes the tent worthy of being pitched anywhere in the world. Extra poles, available through Hilleberg, sell for $46 each.

The Jannu has several small features that make it stronger, too. First, three ground straps run perpendicular to the length of the tent and absorb stress during high winds and keep the pole arcs at the proper height and tension. They can also be used as guy lines, if needed. (Only Hilleberg tents are equipped with ground straps.) Three, all guy points are heavily reinforced; the vestibule adjusters are made of metal, not plastic. Four, two strong metal clips remove stress from the vestibule zipper. Five, the guy lines are made of a Spectra-polyster blend that doesn’t absorb water and doesn’t stretch. The fact that they don’t absorb water is key. With 8-10 guy points and 8+ ft. of cord at each point, wet lines can make a tent significantly heavier. With no sheath to separate from the core, Spectra cord is also more durable. The Jannu’s guy lines come pre-rigged with camming adjusters. No, you don’t have to spend an hour cutting and attaching lines!! The camming adjusters are super easy and very fast. We much prefer them to the trucker’s hitch knot. Of all the tents we’ve reviewed, the only other one that comes close to matching the quality of the Jannu’s guy lines is the North Face Mountain 25. Furthermore, the Jannu’s guy lines attach to the tent with a six-inch loop of webbing. This wraps around the pole once and transfers the majority of the tension from the stitching to the pole. This, too, is a unique feature, and we love it.

Ventilation is a key component of tent design. A well-vented tent will bring in cold air down low while letting hot, humid air escape from the top. The Jannu does exactly this with its large customizable top vent. There are numerous options: the inner tent’s vent has both a solid nylon and mesh cover; the fly has a breathable solid nylon panel (not waterproof) above the inner tent’s vent, and above that lies a large Kerlon 1200 cover (see photos). All zippers are accessed from the inside. The cover attaches with two toggles on one side and two hooks on the other. The hooks allow you to easily remove the vent for setup and take down (to allow access to pole clips). The vent cover is substantial in size and guys out on three sides. This provides excellent ventilation during bad conditions and, when coupled with a partially open door, effectively combats condensation. All testers were very impressed with the Jannu’s excellent ventilation.

The tent’s vestibule design is yet another good feature. Unlike most tents, the Jannu’s vestibule has a continuous zipper that hits the ground in two places, making a large arc. The zipper starts at the lower left corner by the front left pole and curves up, around, and back down to the front right guy point on the vestibule. There are multiple configurations for opening: the left side is best for getting in and out quickly and the center is best for loading up gear or for periods of good weather.

The Jannu holds another strong suit: versatility. Removing the inner tent leaves a super strong floorless tarp tent that light hikers will love. While the tent is already light enough to carry backpacking, the tarp tent leaves the Jannu’s best attributes intact while shaving a pound or two.

The Jannu comes with a minimalist, lightweight stuff sack made of Kerlon 1200. This is designed to be light enough to come with you and can be filled and buried dead man style for an anchor point.

The stakes, too, are high quality. The Jannu includes fifteen DAC V-stakes. This is the exact number you need to stake out every point on the tent. (No other manufacturer includes the sufficient number.) These stakes have cord loops at the top that make them easier to remove and less likely to loose. When camping on snow or sand, larger and wider stakes are better. Hilleberg sells excellent sand and snow stakes that come with a line and clip attached so that you don’t lose them.


Download the Jannu's Pitching Instructions here

Dislikes
While the Jannu is an exceptionally well-designed tent, it’s not without flaws. We have two minor complaints. First, the Jannu has clinky metal zipper pulls that are small, hard to grab with gloves, and knock against each other in the wind, creating a high-pitched jingle. Replacing these with cord would make the zippers easier to find, the doors easier to open, and would eliminate the annoying jingle of metal zipper pulls. Second, the top vent cover wraps over the front of the tent and obstructs the vestibule zipper. While it provides important coverage for ventilation, it also makes it harder to open the vestibule. We suggest increasing the space between the cover and the zipper. Adding reflective guy lines would be another improvement. There are currently four reflective points on the top of the tent, but reflective lines would make the tent is easier to see at night. This is important because guy lines are notorious trip wires. Being able to see them at night reduces the probability of someone tripping over them. The North Face Mountain 25 uses a slightly thinner reflective Spectra cord. A thicker version of this would be ideal for the Jannu.

The Jannu is designed for alpine assaults where low weight and strength are of equal importance. In order to reduce weight the Jannu sacrifices some livability. It has a very large floor, but the walls are not as steep, or the peak as high, as the Hilleberg Tarra. There’s still plenty of space for weathering a storm- much more than appears at first glance. Two people can mostly sit up, one in the back and one in the front, and play cards or cook. We believe the Jannu is sufficiently livable for all but polar crossings and extended base camps. While most tents sacrifice strength for weight, the Jannu strikes an excellent balance between the two and remains our top choice of the majority winter trips.

The Jannu costs $735, a hefty sum for a tent. The numerous points above suggest that it’s far better than the majority of the competition. The question is do you need the super strong fabric, the ability to add extra poles, the Spectra guy lines with camming adjusters, etc., or can you make do with something slightly heavier and not as strong (MSR Fury)? Our opinion: we believe the Jannu is totally worth it for extended trips into remote areas.

Best Application
High altitude mountaineering and basecamping.

Value
The Jannu is an extremely expensive but very high quality tent. It’s worth every penny if your adventures demand the strength it provides.

Other versions and accessories
The Jannu is available in two colors!! (No other tent manufacturer gives you this option.) Choose either red or green. We prefer red for high visibility excursions, such as those on snow. The green, which is very successful at camouflaging the tent, abides by Leave No Trace principles. Take your pick.

Accessories include a footprint, extra V stakes, snow and sand stakes, extra poles, and a pole holder kit that allows you to pitch the inner tent by itself.