MSR - Hubba Hubba LT

My hubba hubba lasted 3 nights before harsh winds in Wales bent the poles 90 degrees. Luckily I managed to warranty the poles, clean the tent and the store accepted the return. So I got my £450 back and spent £350 on an Xmid which has been far more bomb proof in what I reckon is equally strong winds. I also found it being built inner first a big drawback as well as being very drafty inside, as the fly sits quite high up.

I have a Hubba and the ventilation with the fly on is fine (the fly has two velcro openings) , but somewhere like Scotland or Scandinavia (I live in Wales so similar climate) you simply won't avoid condensation if you are pitching on wet ground, particularly if there isn't much breeze. If the air is saturated with water it will always tend to condense on large surfaces like your rain fly.

If this is supposed to be an MSR hubba hubba I can assure you it's not. Those are brilliant tents and even the resale value is close to the original (£400~). My partner has one and it has been through a lot with barely a scratch on it. Would absolutely recommend the real deal. For £24 I would expect maybe a tent peg replacement set. They do have great pegs though

I have two MSR tents for over 20 years.  Both have been outstanding.  That said...it's been 20 years so I cannot vouch for current quality. Make sure you look at all the features you want.  Do you want free standing?  Does it have a vestibule?  Is it long enough to fit your body?  Are you camping in snow (get a four season tent, otherwise 3 season is the language you want to see).  Single wall or double wall. Recommend double unless you need very light weight. If you want a capable tent without a huge outlay of cash...look at the REI ones.  The halfdome specifically has been around for many years. They often go on sale. They also sell other top brands and often on sale or closeout so check that out.  If you buy from REI pony up the extra 20 bucks for the membership. On a tent purchase it will likely pay for itself. I'd also recommend getting the footprint to protect the bottom but you can always improvise one or go without.

Yes! I have the hubba and the hubba hubba.  Both on their second fly (just due to wear not failure) and I did have them send me a couple poles noting taking it in the snow wasn't the best idea.  Still worked though! I forgot we also have the REI 6 person - the basecamp.  It's been great for car camping.

I have two MSR tents for over 20 years.  Both have been outstanding.  That said...it's been 20 years so I cannot vouch for current quality. Make sure you look at all the features you want.  Do you want free standing?  Does it have a vestibule?  Is it long enough to fit your body?  Are you camping in snow (get a four season tent, otherwise 3 season is the language you want to see).  Single wall or double wall. Recommend double unless you need very light weight. If you want a capable tent without a huge outlay of cash...look at the REI ones.  The halfdome specifically has been around for many years. They often go on sale. They also sell other top brands and often on sale or closeout so check that out.  If you buy from REI pony up the extra 20 bucks for the membership. On a tent purchase it will likely pay for itself. I'd also recommend getting the footprint to protect the bottom but you can always improvise one or go without.

Yes! I have the hubba and the hubba hubba.  Both on their second fly (just due to wear not failure) and I did have them send me a couple poles noting taking it in the snow wasn't the best idea.  Still worked though! I forgot we also have the REI 6 person - the basecamp.  It's been great for car camping.

Same. Have hubba and hubba hubba. Both have been outstanding. Second fly for both.

Same. Have hubba and hubba hubba. Both have been outstanding. Second fly for both.

TLDR - Vango make solid cheap tents. If you want fancy go MSR or Nemo. Mid range Terra Nova Wild Country make some exceptional stuff. Avoid OEX. Alpkit make some cracking stuff. For convenience go dome style self standing tents ( ie elixr or Nemo Dagger or MSR) I work in a hiking shop in Scotland and I'm an avid keen hiker and camper. One thing I'd suggest is the tent you use to wild camp, if you care about it, I wouldn't take it to festivals. This is for me any way. My tents are precious you wouldn't see me putting my nice MSR or Nemo tent in a boggy field full of drunks. Personally I'd take any old Decathalon tent to a festival one with a front entry and cross bar easy peasy. Any way wild camping it's a whole different box of frogs. I'm not going to tell you the best because that is largely dependent on what you want out of a tent. So here are some questions you need to be asking yourself and what your priorities are. Am I back packing long distance or do I want luxury? - weight - pack size - Head room - strength of the face fabric Am I a fair weather camper or am I putting my tent through serious duress? - strength of the tent - hydrostatic head - construction of the tent (so these are how the poles are orientated) - shape effects how well it handles wind (wedge low profile = better for wind however less room for you) Do I want free standing or a tent I have to tension? - free standing is great for convenience - tents you have to tension are normally lighter and more Packable. Do I need storage? - Somewhere to store gear from the rain - Vestibule for things like beer and festival stuff Where am I camping? - depends what you mean by wild camping - is it campsites - am I camping on a windy peak or near a loch/ lake Few more things to consider. -I'm sorry but no one is back packing or wild camping in a 3 man tent. You go wild camping in England in a 3 man tent chances are you'll be moved on very quickly. In Scotland. It's very different. 3 man tent you're not bringing very far and I'd be surprised if you can find many spaces in Scotland to put a big 3 man tent. Also do you want to carry a 3 man tent? I certainly don't. You CAN break it up a 1 Carey the poles 1 carry the top sheet and 1 carry the inner. -2 man is a much more sensible option. -Make sure your camping mat fits in it. -Most or if not all 2 man tents are going to be fairly straightforward to put up if you know what you're doing -Go to a hiking shop and ask the folk there. You can actually get in them and have a look yourself. - side entry is a lot easier to climb in and out of. Couple tents I'd suggest that are roughly around your price range I'd say £250 + that covet these aspects 1. Good head room, strong, easy to put up, spacious However they lack in packablity and wouldn't make the best pack packing tents. These normally have 2 side entries. 2 vestibule for cooking in and a cross bar or dome style tent for better space MSR - Elixr 2 Terra Nova - Helm Compact 2 Wild country - Axis 2 (they may not make these any more) 2. Light weight is always going to cost more or you're going to have to compromise on headspace and luxury. Lighter back packing tents tend to be single pile or a 2 poke wedge style tent Terra Nova wild country - Coshee 2 (small wedge - tiny pack size but not a lot of head room) MSR - l hubba hubba like the elixr but light and more expensive Vango - Helvellyn (cracking inexpensive 2 man with decent head room and front entry) 3. Cheap and cheerful no frills place to get your head down for festivals (this is what I'd pick) Quecha - 2 man HM100 (self standing cross pole 2 man. What more can you ask for ) Vango - Nevis 200 (bit of a darling in the hiking/ tent world everyone has a soft spot for this tent. 1 pole bang. Up. Inexpensive. Easy tent and isn't too heavy. Top picks for me. If it was up to me if you want strong and longevity get the MSR Elixr. Little bit of the heavier side but it can handle a lot. If you want a reliable tent thats solid for medium length backpacking and wild camping. Get yourself a helm compact 2 Cheap and cheerful - anything by Vango is going to be solid. Avoid OEX like the plague their stuff is dogshite. I'm sorry they have some serious major design flaws. Avoid the Phoxx 2. Alpkit have some decent tents around that price range - for example the Auronaught 2. Bonus if you made it this far https://www.ddhammocks.com/collections/tents?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=google_shopping_ads&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21929368775&gbraid=0AAAAAD-IR3dVnNRUuSjzhMDqi_nR2JXg9&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_dbABhC5ARIsAAh2Z-TBB2Q7VWM_b9wkYJ452ExPlpsaw1A2Hp7gwwht6DVUNVt8JbEmWt4aAqscEALw_wcB These guys sell big pyramid tarp style tents. That require one pole and some of them are for entire families. They range from £100 to £150+ they also have midgie nets and ground sheets you can use in conjunction with. Great for a bit of everything. And they have your superlight backpacking/ wild camping stuff I hope that helps.

We just returned our Hubba Hubba (broken pole after a few uses) and got a Nemo Dagger. The Nemo seems more durable so far, very impressed with the design.

Looking at the poles will tell you quite a bit about sturdiness. The Freelite 1 uses DAC NFL 8.7mm poles with a forked design. So one end of the tent has essentially 2 archs of 8.7mm while the other end has a single arch of 8.7mm. That would be comparable in sturdiness to other tents that also use a forked arch of 8.7mm, such as Big Agnes Fly Creek and Tiger Wall, and Nemo Hornet. Tents that use essentially dual arches of 8.7mm at both ends are going to be sturdier, like X-Dome 1+ but also BA Copper Spur, MSR Hubba, and many others. Easton Carbon 3.9 is very similar to DAC 8.7 mm in sturdiness. Then both brands of tent pole makers make numerous stiffer options but with higher weights that would likely put the tent over your 1 kg goal.

We’re hiking the PCT with a Zpacks Duplex Pro, and it’s definitely not bombproof, or even fully weatherproof. When it rains, water hits the ground and splashes inside through the mesh. If it’s windy, you’ll get wind and sand blowing into the tent. The bags also get wet in the vestibule, and even with all the airflow in the world, you still wake up with a ton of condensation in the morning. Also in strong winds the tent loosing its shape and the walls are hiting your head and feet. And yet, for 95% of the time on the trail it worth the weight. If you’re looking for something bombproof, I’d go with the MSR Hubba Hubba. It’s a bit heavy, but it will handle anything and is roomy enough for two people and their gear.

It depends really. I hike in the UK with a MSR Hubba which is inner first. Out of a hundred or so pitches I only had issues with torrential rain a few times. Drizzle is fine, it only takes a minute to stake out the inner and secure the poles so it doesn't get too wet. If the rain is worse I either head for some woods to pitch or throw the fly over everything and set up under it. If it is windy as well then it's a struggle but it always is in that weather. I followed a YT video and made up an outer first hack, basically a length of cord with four rings that you can attach the frame to do that you can go fly first. I've never had to use it.

I have the MSR Hubba, and like it a lot. It's a little heavier than some of the BA alternatives, but it's freestanding and durable (thicker material), so I can pitch it on granite shelves, with rocks used to anchor guy lines... makes a big difference, especially during bug season. Another bonus is the storage bag...it opens up (like a duffel) with compression straps on all 4 sides... easier to pack than a regular storage sack (which u stuff like a sausage)