Letters from the CEO's

This year we are taking a fairly sizeable step in our product development by offering, for the first time in our history, tents which are not intended for year-round use. It has been quite exciting to develop models that are optimized for use in spring, summer and fall, and to make them as light as possible, but without sacrifi cing the thing that makes all of our tents “Hilleberg tents.” That is, that the tents be compatible with Scandinavian conditions and that they uphold our design principles of reliability, ease of use, versatility, durability and comfort in a lightweight package. Because of these requirements, we have not chosen the lightest materials or designs, but have struck an excellent balance between function, strength and weight. Sure, we could have made our new 3 season tents lighter, but then they would not have felt like real “Hillebergs!”

But it is important to point out that even if all our tents bear the “Hilleberg” label, one can
not expect the exact same kind of performance from all. Compare, for example, the Nammatj, Nallo and Anjan, all of which have a similar shape. The Nammatj offers the maximum degree of reliability, ease of use, versatility, durability and comfort because of its materials, features and construction. If one chooses to use the lighter weight Nallo, there is some sacrifice in these performance attributes, and even more so if one chooses the lightest weight model, the 3 season Anjan. So even if all of our tents meet our design principles, there are still big differences between our various models.

For those who want more airy accommodations, we now offer mesh solutions, the Mesh Box and Mesh Ridge, perfect for summer trips where you want to take only a tarp, but still want to keep the bugs out.

In 2012 and 2013, we will continue our long-term partnership with Vi Skogen, with whom we plant a tree in Africa for every tent we sell. But it’s more than simply planting trees: through education in agroforestry, Vi Skogen teaches Africans how to use trees to provide better returns from their farms and to consequently improve their living standards. Learn more at www.viskogen.se.

We are excited about where we are going by expanding our line, and we feel great about supporting agroforestry. We wish everyone a happy and successful 2012 full of adventures and hope to see you in the outdoors!

Petra Hilleberg

Rolf Hilleberg