GEAR REVIEW: Bergans Trollhetta 2
Manufacturer: Bergans Of Norway Weight: 2550 g, 2139 g with MSR Groundhog tent pegs.
Seasons: 3
Price: 3.800 NOK ~ 400 Euro
Pros: Price - Liveability - Weight - Weather resistance
Cons: Main zipper - Vestibule size.
Overview:
This is a lightweight double wall tunnel tent from the Norwegian brand Bergans. It’s a three season tent with enough space for two people and gear. We used this tent on our 68 day hike through the Swedish mountains and slept in it almost every night without any problems. My previous experience with Bergans tents has not been positive, but the Trollhetta 2 exceeded my expectations, and proved to be a comfortable and reliable shelter in a variety of conditions.
But there are a few things that could be better. We bought new stakes right away, the ones included with the tent are heavy and bend easily. The vestibule zipper is vulnerable. With the tent pitched properly a lot of tension is put on that zipper. When opened it is not easy to close, and most of the time we needed to use two hands. When we managed to close it I noticed that some of the zipper teeth were skipped. In addition, the poles don't sit perfectly in the pole end pockets and require a little finesse. If you are not aware of this problem they can slip out during pitching. Worst case scenario, they could tear a hole in the pole sleeve.
Pitching:
Unlike dome tents, that require the inner tent to be pitched before the fly sheet, this tent pitches the from the outside in, keeping the inner tent dry if you're putting it up in the rain.
If you're not familiar with pitching a tunnel tent it might take some some to get used to it. If not done properly it will look saggy, but once you get the hang of it, it can be put up in under five minutes with two people.
It has two tent poles that slide easily into the sleeves on the fly, and are secured with a plastic cup and an adjustable strap. Because it's not a free-standing tent, you have to secure the front two stakes and the back three, on the fly sheet, in order to get it standing. For best result, use all six guy lines as well, it prevents the fly touching the inner tent in heavy rain. For an even faster pitch in good weather it is possible to pitch the tent without any guy lines.
Although it's easy to pitch this tent, it does require some adjustment before crawling inside. As it goes for all tunnel tents, it's important to pitch it in the direction of the wind. They are designed to be aerodynamic, and can withstand strong winds, but if pitched against the wind (so that it hits the side of the tent) they are considerably weaker.
Interior Space:
This is a two person tent with enough space to comfortably spend time in without feeling claustrophobic. The inner tent slopes from the front to the rear with a comfy 90 cm height in the front. We both could sit up and change without to much hassle. Although, if you're closer to 180 cm or taller you'll have to hunch down. The inner tent is 230 cm long and 150 cm wide at the door, fits our sleeping pads with enough extra space to have small gear inside, and still have enough floorspace to play a round of cards. Taller people might have the problem with their sleeping bag touching the end of the tent. The inner tent has loops installed so it's possible to put up a clothes line, but it's not included.
The vestibule is not the biggest one. It slopes down at a steep angle and has just enough space for our big backpacks (one 70L and one 80L) without them touching the fly. It took some trial and error to figure out how to organize the vestibule so we could easily get in and out. We did not have to cook in the vestibule, it is possible if necessary, but not ideal since the space is so limited.
Summary:
It took us some time, but eventually we fell in love with the tent. It's not the lightest two man tent on the market and there are a few things that could be better. However, tunnel tents don't come cheap, but with the Bergans Trollhetta 2 you get a lot of bang for your buck. The interior space in the tent feels massive compared to a similar tent from Fjällräven, and for those rainy days the interior space is worth gold.
