2012 Mountain Hardwear 4 person shelter – 26 oz

[David Ure]

Here:

http://www.trailspace.com/blog/2011/08/01/mountain-hardwear-hoopla.html

[Matthew Perry]

Now that's the ticket!
Good to see MHW is using it's thinking cap for a change.

M

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

That 'Trussring' is really clever. I'd like to see that incorporated into a few other designs.

[William Zila]

Looks exactly like the old tent my grandpa brings hunting.. But it's not canvas I may pick one up just to see how the old man reacts when he sees how much things have changed :)

[Clint Wayman]

Having not seen the dimension specs, it kind of strikes me as odd that they say it SEATS four… not SLEEPS four. At 24oz, it'll still be competitive if it only sleeps two or three. Maybe I'm just being too skeptical? It reminds me of an old circus tent =)

[Benjamin Moryson]

Here are two more pics of the Hoopla 4
http://hrxxlight.com/?p=1305

[Tommy Franzen]

4 person shelters are usually 'comfortable' for two to sleep, manageable for 3 and downright crowded for 4. The MLD Supermid, at a listed weight of 24oz, has 70sq. ft of useable space and 68" peak height (compared to 64sq. ft and 50" height). But, nice to see a mainstream gear company embracing the single wall, lightweight design

[Joslyn Bloodworth]

i think size is really relative. What may be a great size for a family of four or may be way too small for four friends. I keep thinking tentmakers might do better to not try and determine how many people can fit in a tent and just list the measurments and sq ft.

I would love to see this tent in person. It looks really intriguing!

[Andy F]

It's a Shangri-La 3 with a hula-hoop sewn in!

[Richard Webster]

Check out the Hoopster and Yurtini in this link:

http://marketing.mountainhardwear.com/PR/S12_US_EQUIP.html

[David Ure]

Thanks for that link. It also shows the new 2 person, freestanding hoop double walled shelter that has a minumum weight of 2lbs, 2oz. That's impressive from a mainstream manufacturer.

[Sam Farrington]

Thank you for the link. Missed this thread when trekking this last summmer.

This would be a super improvement on the EMP Kilo, except for one thing: The inside height is under 36". Still, it is quite an achievement to bring in that much DAC alloy pole in under 2.5 lbs, pack weight. Oh well …

[John Le]

Thanks for the link, Richard. The Direkt 2 looks awesome, too. A true mountaineering tent with a packed weight of less than 3 lb? Wow.

[Dan @ Durston Gear]

"This would be a super improvement on the EMP Kilo, except for one thing:"

Why is this? They both look to be about the same weight and size to me.

IMO, the EMP Kilo 3P is going to be one of the nicest decently sized 2 person shelters for next season.

[Paul McLaughlin]

A little geometry shows that if the Hoopla is 64 sq ft and is hexagonal, it's about 8 1/2 ft from flat to flat, and almost 10 ft from point to point. Which should fit three fairly well except for the center pole getting in the way. Seats four is about right – and sleeps 2 with plenty of room for gear. Or sleeps two adults and a kid or two depending on size of kids.

also, the Direkt2 is listed as 25 sq ft. if it's rectangular (and not tapered), then it could be 46 x 78 inches, or 45 by 80. It's a little smaller than a BD Firstlight (27.3 sq ft, 48×82).

[Sam Farrington]

Maybe you are right.

Easton's site touts the Kilo as 39" high, then states it to be 91.1 cm high, which last time I checked, was still under 36". So who knows?

It all seems to come down to our being unable to rely on the manufacturers for information, and having to eyeball these products close up, or at least have the benefit of a good article, like those on BPL, to get the real story. I remember you doing a number of posts about the Easton tent, so defer to your research.

Anyway, if the MH tent were 39" high, with the strong DAC poles, with the hubbed spreader poles at the rear, the subsantial front awning, and the large floor area (for one person), IMO it would be a much better tent than the Kilo. However, that assumes no other real advantages to the Kilo, and as said, that is very hard to tell without seeing the tents close up. There are so many things, like fabric quality, coating quality, construction quality, etc, etc., that affect evaluation of a tent. So many times I have ordered what looked good on paper, and sent them back on first sight.

[C Nugget]

Curiosity Killed the Cat – Mountain Hardwear Hoopla 4
Specs & Such…

What's in the bag?

1 Mountain Hardwear Tag w/general description & specs
1 small pole repair segment
1 tube McNett 1oz 28g Seam Grip
1 illustrated instruction page for set-up
http://www.mountainhardwear.com/Hoopla%E2%84%A2-4/OU9615,default,pd.html
3 grey sacs: tent, pegs & hoop

178g or 6.3oz 12 aluminium Y shaped 7" tent stakes ~15g (~0.5oz) each
186g or 6.6oz 1 Hard Anodized Hoop or Ring for the Trussring
656g or 23.2oz 1 single wall 6 sided tent 1 door, 1 vent, 1 Ring Insertion Aid(aka:rope)
(includes 6 red reflective 5' guide lines attached to tent ~4g each x 6 = 24g or 0.85oz)

TOTAL = stakes, hoop & tent (no stuff sacs or repair included)
1020grams -or- 35.98oz -or- 2.25lbs -or- ~36oz (2lbs 2oz)

The Door:
Zipper estimated to be a 3YKK TWO WAY NON-SEPARATING COIL ZIPPER w/~2" protective exterior flap(2 small Velcro secure strips) 2 zipper pulls on track
(eg. door can be zipped shut while opening the top to increase ventilation)

The Tent: Hexagon shape
6 panels measuring each at ~60" in length at ground level
Flat edge to flat edge ~96 inches
Point to point ~118 inches

Ring or Hoop: made by DAC(dacfl.com) Featherlite NSL poles
green anodizing "no nitric or phosphoric acid" used (www.greenanodizing.com)
diameter of pole estimated at 8.5mm
10 curved pole segments 15.5" length
diameter of assembled hoop 45"

(website information included above provided in tent package)

General initial observations:

-instructions where not "stupid" simple. Illustrations instead of directions require time to interpret
-multiple stake re-adjustments needed when first learning to set-up structure
-tent tricky to keep dry during assembly in rain
(need to expose interior for hoop insertion)
-hoop placement off & on… like changing a bike tire (tight fitting)
-door unzipped drags on the ground unless rolled away
-smaller zipper can get stuck on exterior rain flap
-large section exposed in front of tent door(while open)
(RISK rainfall in tent from an increasing horizontal door angle outwards hoop to floor)
-general concern for fabric durability (feels like a windbreaker)
-received a faulty tent.. leaking seams.. replacement sent
-customer service excellent
(advised tent does not & should not need additional seam sealing)
-center trekking pole can be offset
-longer tent stakes for harder ground conditions could help make stronger structure
-multiple loops inside and out for guide lines, stake outs, drying lines, footprint
-could hang hoopla from top loop(eg.tree limb) instead of using trekking pole setup
(wish they had intended purpose outlined for all of the extra loops)
-door can be rolled opened & pinned back the width of 2 pannels by removing a tent stake

A BUNCH OF PICS:

[Cody Lebow]

Thanks for the review. I have been tempted to get this for group camping but doesn't look like it would fit 3 comfortably.

[C Nugget]

Thinking the tent not really meant for 3 larger people 6' or more together..
Depends on how much room you are willing to live with.

When the pole is offset there is enough room for 3 generally. (5'8"-5'10")
For this you need more length in depending on how hi off the ground you want the shelter.
In pictured setup offset pole length was fully extended at about 56" or ~140cm.

One taller person could be setup down the middle.
The mattress pictured is 25" in width and 72" in length.
There would be about a foot above and below the mat before hitting the wall & door.

Big door capable of letting in a lot of rain in entrance and exit.

Still pondering the floor-less part of it..
Seems to be a good chance of extraneous limbs finding their way outside the tent from hexagonal shape.

Of more concern is the failure of the shelter to keep from leaking & durability of the fabric… Waiting to see replacement tent.

-C

[Richard Webster]

Good review C Ash, I just got one too and agree on most points. The shelf-to-canopy seam on the glossy side of the shelf is not taped and has to be sealed. I got a Hoopster too and it has the instructions (confusing, but if you look at the seam you can see its not taped.) That explains why they included the seam grip. I plan to seal mine tomorrow by setting the tent up inside-out so I can stretch that seam and get seam sealer into all the little holes. When its dry I'll dust it with talcum powder before folding it up so it doesn't glue the walls together. I may post pictures if I remember to take them. Also found this interesting:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=60EVCvsA2ZM . There are other posts showing set-up details.

I plan to modify my Hoopster by adding another door and a stove jack –although they warn against having a fire inside :)

Another thing they didn't mention is if you you look closely at the stake out loops, they have two insertion points, one gives you a tighter set up, the other gives you a little air around the base. Add your own extension loops and you can set it up super high with lots of air all around ….good for shade but maybe not so good in the wind.

[C Nugget]

I called Mountain Hardwear customer service and they advised me that it does not need seam sealing(I assumed this as well because of the included tube). Seriously got rained out.. Seams are suspected but could have also been material. If it leaks out of the box.. it is defective. It would make sense that the repair glue & pole segment make a hoop repair kit. Unless of course customer service is clueless. Thanks for the setup video links.. I posted this hoping it may help others with info.

[Paul McLaughlin]

I have a homemade floorless dome with almost exactly these floor dimensions. It's great for two guys and gear; fits three if two are not tall and not much gear; and works okay for two adults and two small kids.

[C Nugget]

Made your own? Awesome!! Did you use sylnylon?
Any advice on how to deal with a floor less tent?

So far people have just laughed at the concept…

~c

[Richard Webster]

C Ash,
For us going floorless starts with a mind shift. With choosing to have more room and being more connected with the environment; with tent as home instead of as coffin-shaped sleeping chamber. Choosing room to move and live over better bug and critter protection.

Don't take your shoes off, divide the inside area between sleeping room, kitchen (not in bear country:), and living room — just like in traditional Tipis and Yurts. Use a small Tyvek ground cloth under your sleeping area, a mosquito head net for bugs. Sit in the opening and cook with your stove just outside. Open your shelter wide and have a downwind fire, the heat wafts in. Hot or just drizzling? Use it as a shade or light rain shelter; setting it up high, a foot or more off the ground, allows 360 degree views and venting. My wife is claustrophobic, she freaks in lightweight floored tents, that's what motivated our shift and we'll never go back to sleeping-chamber tents. Our tent is our home in the woods, not just our bedroom.

[C Nugget]

Just wondering if you received any instruction or manual that suggested seam sealing the tent?? I am not really experienced enough to know when a tent needs additional seam sealing or not just buy inspection. Customer service said that there was a manual and instructions on seam sealing the tent that where included. The only thing that I had was the pictograph page on setup.. Just wondering if I was missing something that should have been included.

~c

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