The MSR Hubba Hubba Review

MSR is a great company with an excellent reputation so it is not surprising that their tents are such best sellers. They have a full range that extends all the way from skimpy little shelters that weight hardly anything all the way up to some pretty serious expedition and mountaineering tents.
One of their more versatile mid-range tents is the MSR Hubba Hubba. In this MSR Hubba Hubba review I tell you what I like about it, and what I don’t.

Let’s start with the name, which just seems silly to me. But get over it name for a minute, if you can, and you will find that this is an excellent backpacking tent. It is also good for all round camping in most conditions other than deep winter or on high mountains.

Main attributes

The Hubba Hubba is, first and foremost, a pretty simple tent to erect so it shouldn’t be too intimidating for novices (or your friends when they borrow it for the weekend).
In terms of weight and packing space I’d say it is about mid-range. All tents are a trade off between various factors and this one gives you a bit more room inside and decent ventilation. They’ve slimmed this tent down quite a bit at the expense of being a little less sturdy than it might have been. That said at 1.8kg (4 lbs 3 oz) it really does lift some of the weight off your shoulders on a long hike.
The vestibules are reasonable for storing gear, but not hugely large. Think of space for a pack and boots rather than a really comfortable cooking spot for two.

What I like about the Hubba

• 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

What I don’t like about the Hubba

• It’s expensive
• It’s not ideal for very stormy conditions or high mountaineering nor is it the warmest for winter use.
• A few mesh pockets on the inner would be great for keeping small bits of gear handy. Update: Please see the comments below. Appologies for the error.
• Sacrifices durability for lightness so will not hold up as well as, for instance, the North Face VE 25 over extended use in rough conditions.
• Adding a footprint adds weight and bulk.

There is a great review that you can read over at RoguePaddler that comes out pretty favourably with this conclusion:

With its superb ventilation and visibility, its single-pole convenience, its clever rainfly, and its spacious interior, the Hubba Hubba has become my tent of choice for one- or two-person expeditions.

It also won an award from Backpacker Magazine in 2005. To find out more and get the full specs go to Cascade Designs, which makes the MSR Hubba Hubba