I tried minimalistic camping a couple of times with a tarp and sleeping bag combination but ended up with a swollen face from bug bites. Lesson learned: I had to get a real tent. So, after frustrating and wet attempts with inexpensive solutions, I went in the opposite direction with the Swedish manufacturer Hilleberg.

The family-owned company specializes only in tentmaking. They’re entirely made in Europe, and you can see the quality in the minute details. Take a look at their website, which has refreshingly little sales talk and focuses on useful information. As I prefer a tent to be as simple and light as possible, I chose their one-person Soulo from the offerings. This tent weighs only 2,400 grams, including all parts. There are lighter tents on the market, but then you compromise in strength or in features. For instance, they’re often not made with inner and outer tents. Having only one wall means condensation, so unless you’re camping in the arid desert, it means a wet interior by morning.

For me, one of the greatest advantages of the Soulo is that it’s freestanding. The setup manual is extremely straightforward. If you pitch without securing guides or pegs, do it in a wind-sheltered position, and it never hurts to check the weather forecast, lest you be caught out by a meteorological surprise. If foul weather is coming, at minimum, you’ll need to fix at least a couple of the oppositely located guidelines. That said, if you use the pegs and guidelines, this tent is built to withstand even the harshest conditions, which makes it a favorite amongst mountaineers.

One plus I didn’t consider when buying it is that the small one-person floor makes it easy to pitch it in tight conditions, like that narrow rock balcony along the Oregon Backcountry Discovery Route or a sheltered chapel roof in the Alps when seeking refuge from an approaching thunderstorm, essentially places you wouldn’t even consider with a bigger tent.

When pitching, the inner and outer tents usually stay connected and can be erected in three minutes. For all six guylines, add another couple of minutes, depending on the environment. In hot conditions, the inner tent can be erected by itself. For maximum airflow, there’s an optional inner tent made entirely of mesh that can be swapped for the original. I haven’t tried this because I tend to camp high in the mountains, where the extra warmth of the double-tent walls helps on cold nights. The rather small one-person aspect is advantageous as it warms up more easily from body heat.

The inside space is exactly wide enough for a 25-inch air mattress. There’s enough room for a big tank bag or two saddlebags, too. As it was designed for motorcycle traveling, there’s a vestibule area between the inner and outer tents big enough for panniers or a large duffle.

I’m an engineer, and Iove any design where I can see that much thought and testing went into it. The Soulo has a double-sided, silicone-coated, highly tear-resistant outer layer, a puncture-resistant bottom, and breathable inner tent fabrics. Useful stuff, but I can also appreciate finer points like the little loops to pull the sturdy, lightweight pegs, and an emergency spare pole section. Each detail shows the passion of this tent manufacturer. Some of the tent’s features, like locking the zipper, I only discovered after watching their video manual.

Who would be happy with this tent? Anyone who wants the most versatile and quick-to-pitch tent possible without concern for the weather conditions. Who might not be happy? Anyone who wants or needs plenty of room when solo or with a partner. Because there’s only enough space for one and some motorcycling gear, if you need something larger, take a look at Soulo’s bigger brother, the two-person Allak.

Hilleberg.com

MSRP: $925

PROS:

• Perfectly engineered details
• Versatile for cold (hostile) and warm conditions
• Easy to pitch, even without pegs
• Small footprint fits everywhere

CONS:

• It’s expensive
• Fits only one person