Hilleberg Anjan 2 GT Review

This tent excels at keeping out the elements and providing ample storage for all our gear in its extended vestibule. What you get in weather protection, you pay for in weight. It comes with the territory though, so if you want an all-star storm chaser, this is for you. Because of its excellent weather resistance and durability, the Hilleberg Anjan 2 GT is one of the top tents in this review.

Performance Comparison

This caterpillar-looking tent performs well in cold weather.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

Comfort

For all of the praise that this tent receives, its interior sleeping area is not the most comfortable. Though its tunnel design does create a decent amount of space for its weight, the 39-inch peak height of the inner tent is a tight fit for a 6-foot sleeper. The inner tent slopes down from the head to the foot fairly steeply. The interior floor is 51 inches wide at the front door, 43 inches at the foot, and is 86 inches long. This contender is not as spacious as tents with two side doors, but it is no doubt meant to feel cozy, and it does; the low ceiling keeps heat close to the sleepers.

The massive 27 square foot vestibule takes up more than a third of the total footprint of this tent. While living out of the tent in campgrounds, our testers managed to fit two 60-liter backpacks, two 30-liter backpacks, and shoes inside the vestibule. In nice weather, a third person could even conceivably sleep in it. This tent also comes with an adjustable clothesline inside, which we found useful for socks and hats. The two side pockets are not huge but are convenient for keeping small items like gloves or a watch close at hand, so you know where to find them in the middle of the night.

It comes with a sleeping section for two and a massive vestibule for gear storage.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

Ease of Set-Up

This model features a tunnel design that differs significantly from a traditional freestanding design. Consequently, it takes a few times to get used to it and quite a bit of time to set up. The concept is simple enough: three poles slide through sleeves on the exterior of the tent. Tension from guy lines holds the body upright. This "outside first" approach keeps the inner tent drier if you are forced to pitch during a storm.

However, it also requires a lot of dexterity, which can be especially difficult in cold weather. The guylines come pre-attached, which is a big plus, but there is just a lot of cord to manage.

Sliding the poles through their sleeves on the tent is somewhat time-consuming.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

Weather Resistance

This tent receives top honors for its weather resistance because it offers superb protection from all of the elements. We have spent many hours sitting out storms — it even made it through a pelting hailstorm with ice balls the size of nickels! It's advertised as a three-season tent with many features found on four-season models. The extended vestibule of the GT allows backpackers the opportunity to hunker down and spread out while waiting out a storm.

Key points like the reinforced vestibule zippers and the bathtub floor protect from splashback and spindrift. In fact, we found the floor to be just about waterproof on its own without a ground cloth. Similarly, the inner tent is made primarily of a solid nylon fabric that blocks blowing sand and snow, and better sheds condensation that drips from the roof — a significant advantage over most backpacking tents that have mesh inner tent walls.

The tent floor feels almost rubberized. Some snow melted on the inside, but it also means that slush on the outside can't force its way in either.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

In terms of ventilation, this model is a little bit of a mixed bag. Because of the shorter dimensions of the interior, you may have your sleeping bag touch the end of the tent and get damp from condensation. However, there is a fairly substantial swatch of mesh at the foot end, at the mesh door vents into the vestibule, which provides a lot more volume for moisture to disperse.

The fly hugs the ground to limit interior exposure to wind and rain.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

Durability

The Anjan 2 GT is one of the most durable tents that we tested. By most standards, the tent is overbuilt for three-season conditions. This tent uses metal rings on the four corner guy points to reduce wear on its already burly webbing loops. It uses strong plastic and metal hardware for friction adjustments, and the zippers are robust. Its floor fabric is significantly more durable than the fly. All in all, this is a tent that is built to last.

Hilleberg uses Kerlon 1000 for the waterproof rain fly. This fabric is a silicone impregnated ripstop nylon that's impressively strong for a three-season tent. Our only word of caution in terms of durability is because of the nature of the hoop-style pitch, it is important to 'push' the poles out of their sleeves on the outside of the tent, rather than 'pull' them, otherwise, you run the risk of tearing the fabric or breaking the elastic pole cord.

Large, hefty zipper pulls and rubberized zipper flaps are just a couple of pieces of hardware that tell us this tent is meant to last.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

The stakes included with the Anjan 2 GT are oddly ultra-lightweight. Normally, we would say this is an advantage, but they somehow don't match the gravitas of the rest of the tent. We found them to be serviceable, but since this tent requires stakes and a good pitch to stand upright, if you have already invested the chunk of change in the tent, you may as well pick up some stakes that you know you can trust to hold in the snowpack.

Weight & Packed Size

At four pounds, 12 ounces, this award winner sacrifices weight for all of its weather-resistance and durability features. However, we think the bulk is well worth it if you know you will find yourself in an early or late-season snowstorm.

This model isn't blowing anyone away with its packability. If you are looking for faster and lighter, there are plenty of other options out there, but they come with the tradeoff of reduced durability.

Coming in under five pounds, it's not the lightest tent, but it is reliable.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

While still earning above-average scores, there were other contenders in our fleet that did outperform it in this metric; however, it's necessary to consider what other metrics are important to you, as well as what adventures you're planning to embark on.

Lightweight stakes are one way that this tent tries to limit the extra ounces.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch

Value

We think the Anjan 2 GT will be overkill for most folks, but this tent is a good value for the user who requires exceptional durability and weather resistance. It is one of the most expensive options in our review and is ideal for backpackers that plan on spending time in inclement weather, want the extended vestibule, or want the best of the best for durability and weather resistance.

Conclusion

The Hilleberg Anjan 2 GT is a great pick for tough weather. If we were to recommend just one tent to friends and family who want to stretch their tent to the limits of the seasons (and price was not a factor), this would be the one. Whether your interests include backpacking or multiple activities like car camping, bike touring, or kayaking, this model has you covered through all three (and a half!) seasons.

If you need to hunker down in the cold, this tent is a good option.

Photo: Ben Applebaum-Bauch