HILLEBERG's brand story
Hilleberg is known as the king of tents in Europe. Its design integrates the inner tent and the canopy into one, which not only makes it easier to set up, but also shortens the time of setting up.
As early as 1995, it was selected as the best tent by the European industry.
Hilleberg tents are surprisingly light and strong, and have been chosen by many alpine and polar expeditions over the years.
About Bo Hilleberg
In 1971, Bo Hilleberg, a professional forester, founded his own company – Hilleberg AB.
In the same year, founder Bo met his future wife Renate Neuner during a skiing trip in Tyrol, Austria. They met and fell in love, and Renate moved to Stockholm, Sweden after getting married. Their marriage is an indispensable element in the success of Hilleberg the Tentmaker.
About Hilleberg the Tentmaker
Before meeting Renate, the start-up company initially focused on the production of forestry equipment and listed tents as one of its branch production items.
Bo, a lifelong outdoorsman full of enthusiasm, was very frustrated by the fact that the tents nowadays have been stereotyped as inner and outer tents, and that the inner tent must be set up first before the outer tent for rain protection. He often hoped and imagined that the inner and outer tents of the tent could be set up at the same time, but he did not have the sewing skills to realize this ideal design.
Bo and Renate's marriage just completes their careers. Renate is responsible for producing the physical products, while Bo is in charge of design and sales. With this division of labor and cooperation, their company is thriving.
Today, family and business are inextricably linked. Bo is now the CEO and is still responsible for design and development, while his daughter Petra is in charge of the company's markets outside Europe. Bo and his family of four have worked together to build the company's successful foundation.
The History of Hilleberg Tents - Bo and Petra tell the story of how the Hilleberg brand was born
In this video, Bo and Petra Hilleberg look back at the early days of Hilleberg, talking about how Bo designed and tested early tent concepts. He also shares how his experience in the Swedish Army inspired many of the tent designs we have today, as well as many interesting and challenging stories about the trial and error process in creating the "perfect" Hilleberg tent.
Bo Hilleberg founded his own company, Hilleberg AB, and met his future wife, Renate Neuner, on a skiing trip to Austria.
HILLEBERG launches the Keb tent, the first tent on the market with an inner tent and outer tent that can be set up simultaneously. The design of the inner and outer tents being set up simultaneously makes this tent an instant success.
Bo discovered a special silicone-coated fabric that was six to seven times stronger than other tent fabrics on the market and decided to use it on all HILLEBERG tents. The fabric was named Kerlon 1500 and had an amazing tear resistance of 15 kg (33 lbs) .
Bo improved the design of the connection between the inner and outer tents, allowing the inner and outer tents to be removed separately, and applied this design to tunnel tents.
The Keron series of tents was launched. This tent became a representative work of HILLEBERG as soon as it was launched and is still a classic symbol of the brand.
The first generation of Nallo series tents was officially launched and was well received by the market for its extremely light weight and innovative design that cleverly integrated the ventilation system into the outer tent door.
HILLEBERG launches the first "GT" series tents with extended vestibule design, including Keron GT and Nammatj GT , providing new options for users who need more storage and activity space.
HILLEBERG begins developing and producing dome tents. Pictured is the multi-colored Staika prototype produced in 1989 for Antarctic expeditions.
The Akto 1-person tent is launched, an instant success, offering true all-season functionality at a very light weight and roomy enough.
The company purchased land in Estonia and began construction of the new HILLEBERG factory, which was officially opened on February 2, 1997.
The first generation of Saivo tents was officially unveiled, using an innovative short pole sleeve and buckle system for the first time, making it easier and faster to set up multi-cross pole tents, especially in strong winds, which can effectively improve the efficiency of setting up.
In 2000, Petra Hilleberg founded Hilleberg, Inc. in Redmond, Washington, USA, as the US subsidiary of HILLEBERG.
In 2003, Rolf Hilleberg became the Executive Director of Hilleberg the Tentmaker in Sweden.
HILLEBERG launches the fully modular Atlas group tent. This tent is completely self-supporting, can accommodate up to 8 people, and can be freely configured according to usage needs. It provides a variety of inner tent options, and you can even connect multiple Atlas tents together to create a larger space.
HILLEBERG introduces two new tents: the two-person Allak and the single-person Soulo . Both tents are made of Kerlon 1200 high-strength outer tent fabric, are fully self-supporting, and have vestibule space (Allak has two vestibules, Soulo has one vestibule). Both tents are spacious, strong, and very light.
HILLEBERG launches the Altai group tent. This tent is inspired by the Mongolian yurt. It has a simple structure and is lightweight. It can accommodate more than 6 people for sleeping, or be used as a dining or gathering space for multiple people. In 2011, Altai also launched optional inner tents and ground fabrics to enhance flexibility and comfort.
The four-person Saitaris and the new and improved three-person Saivo dome tent are officially launched. These two tents are designed for the most demanding environments and use an innovative pole system that combines full-length pole sleeves with short pole sleeves and buckle design, so that even in the face of a large dome tent, one person can easily and quickly set up in bad weather.
In 2012, HILLEBERG launched its first three-season tents, including the Anjan series tunnel tent and the Rogen series dome tent. These tents are made of 9mm poles and the new ultra-lightweight outer tent fabric Kerlon 1000 .
In 2013, HILLEBERG systematically classified its tents according to structure and materials, and launched four major label series: Black Label , Red Label , Yellow Label and Blue Label , to help users quickly choose the most suitable tent according to their needs.
HILLEBERG launched the Enan single-person tent and the Niak double-person tent, both of which belong to the lightweight Yellow Label series . At the same time, it also launched the large, fully modular group tent Stalon XL in the Blue Label series , providing more space and flexible configuration for team activities.
In addition, Petra Hilleberg takes over as CEO of the HILLEBERG Group, succeeding her father Bo Hilleberg in leading the company, while Bo continues to serve as Chairman of the Board.
HILLEBERG has completely redesigned the original Yellow Label tents - Anjan , Anjan GT and Rogen - to enhance overall performance and user experience. At the same time, the Kaitum family has added new members, the four-person Kaitum 4 and Kaitum 4 GT , providing users who need more space with lightweight, spacious and multi-season options.
HILLEBERG launches the Mesh Tent 1 , an ultra-lightweight one-person mesh tent with a sewn-in groundsheet, designed for minimalist summer backpacking and providing ideal protection from mosquitoes and insects.
The Allak series has added a new member, the three-person tent Allak 3 , and the original Allak has been officially renamed Allak 2 .
At the same time, Petra Hilleberg , CEO of the HILLEBERG Group and President of the US branch, has officially taken over as President of HILLEBERG's European headquarters , Hilleberg the Tentmaker AB , and is fully responsible for the group's European business.
The new Yellow Label tent Anaris is officially launched. Inspired by HILLEBERG's first tent Keb , Anaris is extremely light, spacious and comfortable, with excellent ventilation and high flexibility. The inner tent and outer tent can be used separately, and the vestibule doors on both sides and the side walls of the outer tent can also be fully rolled up, bringing more changes and freedom of use.
HILLEBERG celebrates its 50th anniversary! And launches several new tents:
- Helags joins the Yellow Label range , a spacious, lightweight tunnel tent with dual entrances and a double vestibule for convenience and comfort, perfect for lightweight trips in changeable weather.
- Soulo BL is officially launched. This is an enhanced and upgraded version of the popular single-person tent Soulo in the Red Label series . It belongs to the Black Label series and has a more sturdy structure and materials, and is designed for extremely harsh environments.
The new four-person Saivo 4 joins the Black Label series . At the same time, both Saivo tents are fully upgraded, with one standard-sized vestibule and one enlarged vestibule as standard, and a camping pole design to provide more space and comfort, suitable for long-term use in extreme environments.
In addition, the Rogen series has also expanded its lineup and launched the three-person tent Rogen 3 , which belongs to the Yellow Label series . It is lightweight, well ventilated and has convenient space, providing a better choice for summer hiking or lightweight travel.
