Naturehike - Star River 2

I’ve got the Star River and rate it. Packs down quite small and weight is acceptable. I’ve used it throughout winter in Snowdonia and the Peak District and it’s been sound.

Check out the Naturehike range - there are some great options that fit your criteria. I personally use the Star River 2 for solo backpacking and paid around £130 for it on AliExpress. It’s a fantastic tent for the price. It’s really well made, easy to put up and has tonnes of room for me and my kit. I’d recommend the 20D Nylon version over the 210T for the reduced weight. There is also an ultralight version made with 15D if you prefer something lighter. I haven’t used it so can’t comment directly. Backpacking U.K. did a helpful review on the Star River 2 that shows the tent’s size and setup: https://youtu.be/QCZ-UdQA164?si=Pi3ju2kGZDwSqyPR Some friends of mine use the Cloud Up 2 and are also happy with their tents. It is slightly lighter and has a smaller pack size, but I prefer the Star River 2 for the extra space and its side-entrance doors, which make getting in and out much easier.

What is your budget? Naturehike while decent (i have had 2, and still have 1) i would not class as 4 seasons. the pole structure on star river is very similar to Cloud Up, and i think it will collapse in strong wind. MSR elixir - great tent - but again, i wouldnt be confident in it during strong winds - check youtube for vids on this. You can try an MSR access2 - i had this but decided it was too big for my preference. I have since settled on Tarptent Scapr1 or check their latest offering, the Arcdome - not cheap mind.

My girlfriend and I use the nature hike star river 2 and it’s been great so far!

I use the nature hike star river 2, cloud up 1 and 2. Awesome durable tents that are incredible quality for the price.

I have a cloud up 1, star river 2, and a friend just got a mongar 2. It's essential to get through silnylon fly IMO. I've been through hours of rain and have never had a drop in my tent. OP, look at the mongar 2. I believe it's smaller and the side entry is a huge improvement. It also has a lot more room under the fly for gear.

The alternative is Star River 2. Updated version is tad bit lighter and offers well designed way to split the packed tent. On a budget, best bought directly from Asia. I won't advise NH Taga(r) 1 as the first choice to start, because while the tent is great (for lower people), it comes with some tradeoffs. Same goes for a sleeping pad on a budget. If you want to go for CCF - then buy 10-15 EUR Z-Lite clone from Asia. Inflatable? While I love my robust Sea-to-Summit Ultralight Insulated, newest Naturhike inflatable pads that are around here for a season or two are great bang for a buck (especially the thicker, grey ones). Sleeping bag will be huge PITA. At the moment all decent, down bags are pretty expensive. Cheapest, reasonbale would be Fjord Nansen Nordkapp line (avoid 'dry down' with hydrophobic treatment, if you can pay more it's generally better to go for goose down rather than duck one) and if you want to go for goose down, then Fjord Nansen Svalbard Goose line. Generally other brands like: Pajak, Małachowski, Cumulus, Aura/Yeti, Robert's will be slightly or even more expensive unless on huge sales. Otherwise, go for cheapest synthetic and accept the bulk. Cookware is relatively simple. BRS-3000T for minimal burner, Kovea Ti Supalite for still superlight and small middleground, Pocket Rocket / Amicus / Windmaster OR Campingmoon XD-2F for something slightly bigger and more convenient with bigger pots. Pots of choice - cheap alu / chitanium Toaks 550/900mL / scout's steel mess-tin. Some filter - Sawyer Squeeze + chemical backup (Calcium hypochlorite /powder/) and you're good to go!

People have made the comparison to the Naturehike Star River 2 but this comes in at much lighter and doesn't have an identical design (a little longer for us tall people). I just bought the Star River 2 but I'm looking at this for a little better packability. Could you clarify on "full Canadian after-sales support"? Would I have difficulties with any warranty scenarios as an American? The weight reduction is great, but that also leaves concerns about the 10D durability.

Will depend exactly what you're comfortable with, and how much gear you have, but the Naturehike 2 person tents are pretty much big enough to actually fit two people. Vestibules are substantial. I mention this because I belive they are in stock online (in the UK at least). The Star River is probably better for cold than the Mongar. Very similar design but less mesh in the inner.

The Star River has less mesh on the inside. That is the main difference. It means it is better for camping in slightly lower temperatures, but it is still not approaching a winter tent.

I have the Star River 2. Wouldn't say it's particularly noisy, and have had no real zip issues. It's a great tent. The main criticism I would have is that the inner door rolls down to floor level when unzipped. It can be secured there, but it's not ideal, especially if you're particularly wet as you're getting into the tent.

Everyone's comments on Naturehike led me to getting the Star River 2 (I wanted it for the two doors). I've only set it up inside to test it but so far I've been extremely pleased with the build and quality.

I'm looking to reduce weight in my backpack. Currently I'm using the Naturehike Star River 2 which is a great tent and has worked well for me! However it weighs 2.6 kilogram or 5+ pounds including ground sheet. Before this, I've used their Cloud up 2 tent which was also great but lacked headspace so it was basically only for sleeping in it. Since I have very good experiences with the Naturehike tents I figured I wanna try their new Mongar which is a lot lighter. Almost 2 pounds lighter than my current tent. I didn't go for the Mongar before because I preferred a little less mesh. Exactly what the Star river 2 offered. The new one seems to have a bit more closed fabric The new Mongar seems like a great tent! But I have some concerns/questions about it. Firstly the 15D nylon. Does it sag when wet? This was the reason I opted for the 210T polyester on the Star River 2 and it hasn't let me down yet. Some people I know use MSR's and they sag quite a lot, even touching the inner tent which causes dripping. I truly want to avoid this. This is also a reason I'm looking to a Durston X-mid 2 for instance which doesn't say but has different challenges like not being free standing. I'm also wondering if with the new design the inner tent will get wet on the long ends of the tent. Seems like the fly doesn't go fully over the long ends which exposes the inner tent more? And what about setting it up fly first? For instance when it's raining? Not sure if this tent can do that. Lastly I'm wondering how easy it is to set up the sunshade canopy. It looks like an awesome option! Anyway, if You've been using this tent or can tell anything about it I'd love to hear! It seems like a great alternative to some other UL tents for it's price so far. 👍🏼

I agree on the Naturehike products. I've been using the Star River 2 for 2,5 years before now upgrading to the Mongar 2 UL. It's great but did sag quite a lot. Always had my star in polyester. The outer and inner are really close together so touch sometimes. But for the rest a great tent! I might want to go all the way one day and get a Durston X-Dome 2