Hubba vs. Lunar Solo

[Douglas Hus]

Two solo tents, somewhat similar in design.

On average, which tent can I expect more condensation from?
(spring-summer-fall use)

Hubba http://www.msrcorp.com/tents/hubba.asp

Lunar Solo http://www.sixmoondesigns.com/shop/shopexd.asp?id=36

Things I like about (my) MSR tent -Hubba-
-sturdy free standing
-double walled, all mesh interior wall
-nice size vestibule
-at 6'2" & 200lbs, I fit in it.

Things I like about Six Moon Designs tent -Lunar Solo tent-
-light weight!
-uses treking pole for tent pole
-somewhat larger than the Hubba
-roof vent

I am not ready to use bivies or tarps yet for my outings (agressive chipmunks & bugs), so a tarp tent is an option for me.

Any general thoughts? i.e., condensation

Thanks,
Doug

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[James Pitts]

They are both great products. When I car-camp and am looking for a really posh setup I take the Hubba. I do a lot of stuff with the scouts (Boy Scouts, Cub Scouts, etc) and for these events this tent is perfect. Also, on trips where I "first-night" camp near my car I'll sometimes get lazy and toss this in the car with a cushy pad for a motel-like bed that first night. I guess I am getting soft in my old age. I have never hiked this tent in any further than this. Condensation is not an issue for me with this tent. The vestibule is indeed very nice and I love being "tarp like" in it as I can roll on my side, open the netting, and cook breakfast or make coffee without getting out of my sleeping bag. It is a SOLID tent and I have slept in all sorts of conditions with it and never had a problem. The Boy Scouts ooh and ahh over it…

Now that I type this I'll confess that I take this tent on multi-day kayak trips as well.

I have never used the Six Moon Designs Lunar Solo, being a bivy/tarp person myself, but one of my best hiking buddies owns one and is an avid fan. I will say that I am impressed with the constructions upon close inspection and he is always set up before me so it must be easy to pitch. He said it was easy to seam seal. He has never complained to me about condensation. We have camped in some pretty bad storms and he always emerges in one piece.

I would align the Lunar Solo with a Tarptent if I was to do a "side-by-side". Comparing these two tents is kind of an apples to oranges comparison. They are both enclosed tents but in a way they are more different than they are alike. It's more a matter of preference than performance.

I will say that if weight is a main consideration (fair to suggest since this was posted to BPL) then the Lunar Solo is a clear winner in this department. The pole system for the Hubba is h-e-a-v-y heavy. You can purchase a set of carbon fiber replacement poles, something which I have considered, but while the end-result is a much lighter tent it's not close to light enough for me to justify packing further than my car.

[Matthew L.]

When comparing these two shelters, it truly comes down to what you are looking for. They are really in different categories with the Hubba being a traditional double walled tent (albeit with a lot of mesh). The Lunar Solo is a very light single-walled tarptent.

I have the Lunar Solo and love it. To me it it the perennial champion of the solo shelter class. If weight is very important to you, then this is the way to go. As low as 23.5 ounces for the light floor. Condensation is present like in virtually all single-wall shelters. However mesh covers most of the lower half of the LS so it will not come in contact with you bag. All that is needed is a bandanna to take care of it. Certainly not a big issue. For the weight, you get a lot of features that make for a great tent. However I am not sure how comfortable you would be at 6"2". I have plenty of room, but I am only 5'10". That would be my only caution in this superb shelter.

The Hubba seems to have a solid reputation, but I have never used it. If weight and bulk is not a concern, then this is a viable choice.

[Thomas Knighton]

Have you looked at Henry Shire's site? IIRC, the Rainbow has the ability to freestand, and is pretty light as well. Honestly, I looked at the Hubba for about five minutes before deciding that it was just to much weight for me.

Tom

[EndoftheTrail]

Single wall tents like the Lunar is simply unbeatable in the light weight department. Alas, the bugbear is condensation, else we'd all be using single wall tents.

If you camp mostly in temperate areas (say 30F-40F and up depending on how hardy you are) with low to moderate humidity, then single wall is champ! Single wall tents need lots of venting, thus tents like the Lunar or Rainbow have 360 degree of non-closable mesh. Great for summer, but very drafty for winter. In the condensation department, when the air is still and humid, all the venting in the world won't help.

So, single or double wall — much depends on where and when you hike — and your tolerance for condensation inside your tent.

[EndoftheTrail]

Single Wall:

Thomas mentioned Henry Shires Rainbow. I have used both the Lunar and the Rainbow. Both tents are cleverly designed and are comparable in materials, workmanship, and quality. I don't much care for the Rainbow's supposed "freestanding" characteristic, as it requires two trekking poles (which I may or may not bring, and which I may choose to use after tent setup rather than having them tied to the tent). So to me, the deciding factor is this: if you crave tons of headroom, then choose the Rainbow. 2 people can sit across each other playing cards inside! The Lunar also provides plenty of space to lie down and sit up, but sit-up space is limited to the area right under the apex. However, the Lunar is also half a pound lighter than the Rainbow.

Double Wall:

The Hubba is a very narrow solo tent with only 17 sq. ft. — not bad if that translates into very light weight. However, for comparison, the Big Agnes Seedhouse 2 SL has much more interior space (28 sq. ft.) and weighs essentially the same (1 ounce difference)! I would choose the Seedhouse SL over the Hubba both because of the huge space difference and because of tent color (the latter totally subjective of course). The Hubba does have a bigger vestibule, but again for my solo use, I just don't have that much stuff to store, and the smaller Seedhouse vestibule is still more than enough to store my pack, poles, and boots. The added interior space, however, makes for a much more comfy tent — for essentially no additional weight.

[David Neumann]

I have no experience with the Hubba, but I have owned a Lunar Solo for several years (original style – not enhanced) and have been very pleased. Condensation is an issue but one easily rectified by proper tent placement, moisture management and a pack towel or bandanna when needed. There is plenty of room inside for me and my gear, I like the large mesh entrance and vestibule. I carried mine during my 10-day JMT thru-hike in 2005 and it was awesome. Easy to set up, easy to take down, easy to pack (I stuffed mine into it's stuff sack and crammed into an outer pocket on my pack).

With the changes on the enhanced version, I think Ron has a near perfect solo tent.

[Scott Toraason]

I own the Lunar Solo E and used it on three solo trips last year. It is very compact and lightweight in my pack and I was glad I set it up several times prior to my first trip as a perfect pitch takes a little practice.

At just under six feet horizontal room is not a problem for me nor will it be for you as I had plenty of room for my long Megalite bag. Vertical room may be a little more challenging for you at 6’2” and mostly available near the center pole. How much actual headroom you have may depend on how long or short your waist is; I had sufficient headroom anywhere near the center pole. Interior room is excellent as I could store everything inside.

Condensation is not a problem where there is netting around the bottom of the tent so your sleeping bag and gear will not get wet. Be that as it may on my last trip it rained fog one night and inside of the tent was covered with condensation, as would the Hubba have been, the only difference being I had to wipe it off the inside tarp portion of the tent.

The vestibule is easy to use but is secured by Velcro, not a big deal, just not as convenient as a zipper. Front door placement and view are great.

Six Moon Designs is an excellent company to do business with and I have found the Lunar Solo E to be an outstanding three season solo tarp/tent.

[Glenn Roberts]

I own a Hubba, and for the last year or so have been using it as my primary backpacking tent (except for an experiment with tarp and bivy, which in the end I just didn't like.)

The thing I like best about the Hubba is its versatility. You can pitch it without the fly on a clear night, and effectively sleep under the stars – without the bugs. In cool weather, when the bugs aren't out, you can save some weight and pitch it with fly and groundsheet only – effectively a tarp. The fly-only setup is a quick pitch to give you shelter from the rain. And, there's the full body-and-fly pitch for weather protection, with the vestibule closed or half-open-left or half-open-right depending on rain direction.

The ability to pack body and fly separately also means the wetter fly won't "contaminate" the drier body – giving you a little bit drier tent the next night. (You can't do this with a single wall tent – of course, I've read that the single wall tent dries very quickly once pitched.)

The Hubba is small – I sometimes find my shoulders brushing against the mesh walls. Fortunately, there's pretty good separation between the mesh and the fly, so you don't end up brushing the condensation-laden fly. (Condensation is a problem in both single wall and double wall tents when they're buttoned up tight; more so in some than others, depending on vents and amount of breeze.)

I like the Hubba, a lot. But, having said that, I'm very seriously flirting with buying a TarpTent Rainbow to replace – or at least augment – it. The Rainbow is a virtual single-wall clone of the Hubba, except that it isn't inherently free-standing. It's also wider and lighter, though the vestibule is smaller (the extra width offsets this very nicely.)

I don't agree with the other posters that the Hubba is "heavy" – but then, my frame of reference is my old Eureka Timberline with the twin vestibules – about 8 pounds, all told. Even my previous Sierra Designs tents, at 4+ and 5+ pounds, were heavier. So, to me, the Hubba is a lightweight tent – but I won't mind saving another 1-2 pounds if the Rainbow works out.

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