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If you can stretch the budget just a llittle or do some sales hunting, consider the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2 OR MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 OR Durston X-Mid 2. [11 Best 2-Persons Tent for Camping and Backpacking](https://alaskanarrows.com/11-best-2-person-tent-camping-and-backpacking/) can help with the others. They’re are all 3-season tents with better fabrics, stronger pole architecture, roomier vestibules and more thoughtful details (doors, vents, zips) than budget models. They’ll be heavier and cost more than the Cloud-Up versions but they’re way more durable and comfortable long term, take it from me, I’ve gone on countless trips with various types of tents so yeah! If $300 is a hard cap, watch for sales or used tents online, you’ll find something!
Make sure you first start by measuring your torso and try on packs loaded before you buy! Torso length and hip-belt fit matter way more than the brand. You’re pretty tall so look at packs with XL/long/adjustable torso options and real frames so you have support for multi-day loads. Backpack shortlist: - Osprey Atmos/Aether; or - Gregory Baltoro/Deva #gear shortlist: - tent or tarp with a footprint like the MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 or Big Agnes Copper Spur. - sleeping pad like a Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XTherm (or XTherm MAX) - a stove like the MSR PocketRocket 2 or Jetboil MiniMo boiling efficiency - water supply - a Sawyer Squeeze or Katadyn BeFree works Others - [52 Last Minute Hiking and Backpacking Gears to Pack](https://alaskanarrows.com/hiking-and-camping-gears-checklist/) #underrated essentials: 1. Trekking poles 2. Good rain cover for the pack 3. Waterproof stuff-sack for electronics 4. Repair kit (cord, duct tape on a pen, extra zip ties, pole splint, needle/thread) 5. Camp shoes (ultralight sandals or crocs) 6. Gaiters for scree/snow
From the two, I’d lean towards the Hubba NX 2 tbh, it’s kinda designed with durability as it’s priority
I like my Hubba Hubba nx. I use it as a one person tent so I have room to have my rucksack and so on inside with me. The tension ridge or whatever it is on the top makes it spacious inside, and its interior height is excellent at 100cm. I am six foot and need at least 93cm to be able sit up. That 100 cm is well distributed too, it's not just at one point. I think it's great as a tent you can backpack with, about 1.5kg, but also big enough you could hang out in it for a day without feeling like you're in a coffin. My daughter really likes the sea to summit equivalent which is about the same size and price.
I had a hubba Hubba nx2 but wanted lighter so I got a hornet osmo 2P. Returned it because I couldn’t get in the tent during rain without the poorly designed fly dropping water on tent body mesh. Now I have a Durston xmid2 pro for most trips and a BA copper spur 1 if its platform tenting. I love the hubba. Old style was just too heavy. All the Durston products are fantastic!
That will be so easy to drop a ton of base weight when you get a good tent. I was at 6 lb 2 person eureka. Got a 3.75 lb MSR Hubba Hubba in 2020. Last 2-3 years I have had the extreme pleasure of carrying the just over 1 lb Durston xmid pro 2. It’s pricy but the regular xmid is much more affordable. And double wall vs single wall of the pro. Nemo Hornet and any of the BA tents are great too.
For me, MSR Hubba Hubba NX2. Been in heavy rain and wind with it, totally fine. Packs at about 1,75kg, has tons of headroom, more than average room for a 2p tent, ultrafine mesh and a bunch of nifty details. Has a particular way of setting up because of the weird single pole, but you can do it in 5 minutes once used to it. When setting up in rain there's the option to put up the outer shell first so you can keep the inner fully dry. It is a bit trickier though. Finally, I would suggest to get the version with aluminum poles instead of the US only supposedly indestructible composite ones, a few bad reviews of the latter online.
I’ve had my MSR hubba hubba nx2 for probably 9 years now…it’s still going strong no issues. I replaced the shock chord in the poles last year and it’s good as new
hubba nx for freestanding, and… to me… two of the alltime best… gossamer the one and durston xmid solid🔥
I have 3 similarly aged (3.5 years apart between all of them) and at this point we have a number of tents, mainly because I absolutely do not want them doing anything weird to my lightweight ones. I have an MSR Hubba NX just for myself, then a large canvas one for car camping and then just a pop-out decathlon one for them. The Decathlon 2-second set up is actually a game-changer so I’m not saying it’s a crappy tent, but my kids are older than yours and I *still* wouldn’t risk my nice one with them at this point.
I currently have a MSR HUBBA NX which I absolutely love and have added extra guy lines, I weigh about 92kg so it pretty much will never blow away but it won’t do me much good in 4 season environments. I spend quite alot of time on Dartmoor/ wales but looking to do summit camps towards the end of this year in the lakes/ Scotland and wondering what tent I should be saving up for. I really do like MSR and have got a lot of their kit, a brand I stand by by not interested in their access series. Looking for a fixed two wall tent that I don’t have to prop up and then add a fly sheet. I have narrowed it down to the vern or the cross. I’m hoping some people on hear have any experience with the terra nova as I have never seen it in person but a lot online. My friend has the Vern 1 and it’s a great bit of kit but was hoping someone might have experience in both.
Rankings by Use Case
Top recommendations from others in the same boat
Best for Backpacking

Top pick
Durston - X-Mid 2
Best for Beginner camping

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Gazelle Tents - T4 Hub Tent Series
Best for Comfort-focused car camping

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Gazelle Tents - T4 Hub Tent Series
Best for Hot and humid weather camping

Top pick
Durston - X-Mid 2
Best for Rain and wind

Top pick
Durston - X-Mid 2
Best for Snow and wind

Top pick
SlingFin - Portal 2





