Wouldn’t it be great if you could have it all in life. If I could I would want a tent that was light, strong and cheap.
Sadly, you can usually only get two out of three. One of the lightest expedition tents out there is the EV2, but it costs a bomb. Cheaper tents are usually heavier. So long as you know what you are trading off you are usually okay. So what is the tradeoff in the MSR Hubba Hubba, one of the few tent sensations over the past few years.
The first two things you need to know about the Hubba Hubba tent are that it is pretty darned light for a fully fledged tent (at 1.8 kg it doesn’t weight a heck of a lot more than some shelter tarps do, especially if the load is split between two people). The second is that it is not especially warm or useful for high mountains or deep winter mountaineering where you will encounter strong winds or heavy snowfall.
So why do I like it. Well, it is pretty easy. Like most gear from MSR it just works and is pretty well made and it represents a great balance between weight, cost and capability for people who are willing to use it within its design limits.
What is it good for?
The MSR is probably one of the best lightweight general backpacking and general use tents around. It pitches quickly and easily, you can use it with the fly alone or without the fly at all as a bug screen and it provides a decent amount of space for the weight. If you only need a 3 season tent then this is a good choice. Even if you have a serious winter or expedition tent this still makes a great choice for summer backpacking trips. The guys over at the Mountain Gear Blog in their MSR Hubba Hubba review said they liked:
- Very easy to set up
- Provides loads of airy space and has great mesh inner that you can use as for insect-free star gazing on clear nights (without the fly sheet)
- Good ventilation keeps down condensation
- The space inside is almost all useable right up to the edges, unlike many tents where you would squash up against the side
If you only do car camping and the like, then you should probably be thinking of getting something a little bigger and cheaper because weight will be less of an issue.
Similarly if you are an untralight freak who is willing to sacrifice a bit more comfort for the pleasure of having a lighter pack then you should consider a tarp or similar shelter such as the MSR Twin Sisters.
Another option that you should consider is the Marmot Earlylight, which is aiming at a similar market niche to the Hubba Hubba although it is a bit heavier.
