I've been sleeping in Hilleberg tents for probably close to a year of my life. They are very robust at a great (though not ultra-light) weight. I own a Jannu and a Keron 3 GT.
Hilleberg tents do seem nice in terms of the fabrics they use and the design. However, as the long-haul cyclist community has found, the zippers give out appallingly early for such an expensive, artisanal product. (By the end of the Carretera Austral there seemed to be more Hilleberg owners with broken zippers than with working zippers.)
I owned a Hilleberg Nallo GT-class tent that did seem like the five-star hotel of tents, but when the zipper gave out after less than five months of use, I decided in future to simply go with an MSR Hubba-class tent that doesn’t feel much of a step down in comfort, and is less than half the price, so I can replace it if need be and still have spent less than I would for one Hilleberg.
I wonder how much of the zipper failures are due to lack of maintenance. I use a tooth brush to clean them after each long trip and lubricate them with a little silicone grease. I bought my Jannu in 2007 and haven't had a problem with any of its zippers, ever. I've only had my Keron for 5 years so I can't attest to its longevity yet :)
In my entire life, I’ve never heard of the need to clean and lubricate a zipper. Heck, I’ve got decade old jeans with a zipper than can be washed in harsh detergent, survive an accidental off in a bike, and still open and close.
If your zipper needs maintenance every time you use it, you need a different zipper.
I do this after the tent has been out in the desert dust for a few weeks. Debris will accumulate in the zipper and will increase friction and grind down the plastic (tent zippers aren't made out of metal like you jeans zippers, for weight reasons).
Spending a few hours after a long trip to care for my gear is a great way to ensure it won't fail on the next trip. Especially with tent zippers, you don't want a failure in a storm as that could be unpleasant or even life threatening.
Instructions how to do this are in the owners manual in the maintenance section (although they recommend not using any grease, which I ignored).
Or bagpipes. Many pipers these days use a synthetic bag with a zipper, those need maintenance often. Much easier than the maintenance hide bags need though!
HUUUUGE fan of Hilleberg. I have a Nammatj I've had for nearly 8 years and it's going strong. And I've taken it to the Andes, the Himalaya, and even deserts.
