Any Hubba Hubba Fans Left Out There?

You really need to ask yourself if you are going out in the woods to get away from home, or have it be your home away from home.

It's called shelter for me. If you are not doing many miles and simply camping then bring the heaviest things you find.

You are right, Mr. Whynot.

And I think what Boobonnick was saying is that, you're right.

The HH is heavier, but more substantial (I guess?) and a lil bitty bit bigger in the inside. So what is important to you? lighter weight or a littlt bit of comfort?

For me I liked the HH a lot. Tiddly bit nipply in the winter though ;) I didn't mind the weight for the space and all so I got a Scarp 2. Wee bit lighter (unless you add the X poles) wider floor, and convertable in the grandest sense. Solid double wall> Mesh "double wall"> Skin only. (or mesh only for that matter) In the winter a the Scarp is a little more stable than the HH, and in the summer even cooler thanks to all the venting options.

There are lighter options is why there is less love for the HH than in the past. But it is still a solid performer.

Not sure what your other needs are but just comparing the Big Angus UL2 (1.5 person tent really) and the Hubba Hubba, a moderately sized but still kind of small 2 person tent seems to be kind of limiting yourself.

Take a look at some of the tarptent offerings like the Stratospire 2 or the Rainshadow 2. Both larger and lighter than either tent even if you don't use trekking poles. The stratospire is a double wall with 2 doors and vestibules but I also include the rainshadow because when used for two people it is huge so the main issues in a single wall don't really show up.

Funny this thread should start. I actually found a really good write-up over on HikeItLikeIt.com comparing the Copper Spur UL2, Hubba Hubba, and Quarter Dome. I especially like the photos that make the difference inner tent shapes much clear. Check it out over here.

I’m partial to my Quarter Dome T2. While I have the slightly heavier T2+ because of my height I think I’ll be hard pressed to find a better tent for comfortably camping with both my dog, and my girlfriend who isn’t about to shoe-horn her way into a single-wall tent. Moreover, I think the biggest difference between the HH/QD and the CS is that the former could both fit adults sitting upright, while the latter is really just a “technically” two person affair.

Anyhow, there’s weight and all that. Blah blah blah. I’m sure all three tents are quite nice. I’m not sure the CS’s retail price is justified if its zippers are anything like the cheapy things found on the Fly Creek UL2 though.

Now all I gotta do is get my girlfriend to carry one of the pieces of my QDT2+ and it’ll feel like I’m packing a super ultralight tent! ;-)

Thanks all…great comments. The TT Double Rainbow was on my radar, but I left it off since it's a bit of different animal than the Hubba Hubba and Copper Spur. How do you DR owners feel about condensation with its single wall? Humidity isn't too bad here in the Northeast, but we get our share of rain. Also, how does it stand up to windy/stormy conditions? Those were the two primary areas that were driving me more toward a double wall tent. Lastly, my trekking poles max out at 55cm which is the minimum to use the DR as free standing (I sometimes need to do this on wooden tent platforms). Do you think 55cm poles will work or will the ends not be taught?

Thanks

If you wanna go the Ligth weight route I'd look at the Stratospire2. All the pluses of double wall and space inside. 2.5lbs.

If Dan Durstion likes it (and he's pretty picky)its gotta be pretty good. (sounds snarky but not meant to be)

I guess the only real downfall is the largish footprint, and if you dont use trekking poles it could be interesting to pitch sometimes unless you get the poles from Henry.

Sometimes I wish I had gotten the SS2 instead of the Scarp2. 2.5lbs is sweet

I'm a Hubba Hubba fan and would love to have it in my gear closet. I'm waiting for the 9 pound 3 person department store tent I use car camping to wear out, unfortunately I don't think that will happen any time soon.

Thanks to the BPL member who sent me the PM with the Andrew Skurka article. It's a balancing act for all of us isn't it between keeping the weight down and staying within our comfort range (or, not being "stupid light" as Andrew notes)? Last year the pendulum swung all the way to one side for me and I accumulated a bunch of new gear based strictly on weight savings. My comfort level suffered and I ended up selling a new shelter, sleeping bag and sleeping pad that, while ultralight, didn't do it for me from a comfort perspective. I've been reassessing everything this past winter…hence my original post looking into double wall tents. I'm not sure quite where I'll finish, but there's something to be said for being able to button things down on a cold, stormy night.

Hoping to hear from others who have experienced this evolution!

del

I just returned from three nights on the Suwannee River in my Hubba Hubba. It was absolutely the right tent for the conditions… canoe camping (no concerns for weight or volume) and torrential rain. While I would normally take my MLD Cricket, the weather forecast convinced me I'd be better off with the HH. No leaks, no condensation, and with two vestibules, there was plenty of room out of the rain for muddy shoes. Because it's a freestanding tent, I was able to set it up under the shelter of my buddy's tarp before moving it to my chosen site.

I haven't had any experience with the Big Agnes CS, but I'll bet it offers the same advantages for these conditions as the HH.

Regardless, when going alone on foot for any significant distance (not sharing the space or load), I'd opt for the Cricket or another light alternative, even in wet conditions. The HH is just a little too heavy and bulky.

I quite like my DR. I've found it to be a very ergonomic tent- easy to set up, easy to strike, easy in and out. I'd read reviews to get an idea on how it'd perform in the conditions you'll be using it in.

I've used it in northern Minnesota in summer and fall. Not much wind. Given those caveats: I've not had problems with condensation when it's dipped into the low 30s. It's never rained more than a light sprinkle using it on trail. I have set it up in the yard during two all night rainstorms to see if rain itself was a problem. I use a body-sized big of cardboard laid flat in a tent- it's easy enough to see the any dried water spots.

As far as trekking pole length- I was able to use my DR (2008 model IIRC) fine with my Outdoor Products latch lock poles, which run a bit on the short side compared to the BD Contour Elliptic poles I've been using more recently.

Thanks, Aaron…that's great info. I think I meant to say my poles were 55 inches (not cm)long (140 cm). I think there's some sort of extender that Henry sells to help with shorter pole length, although I'm not sure I need it. Seems hard to beat the DR as a dual door/vestibule choice.

Not very humid in the northeast?
Is there anywhere in the US more humid than the Northern Atlantic or Pacific coasts?

Well, I'm in Maine. Humidity's not bad up here in the summer.

I guess it depends on on where in the northeast.
I remember it being perpetually wet in Maine and New Hampshire in the spring.

I know my usually hiking places like the Catskills seem to hover around 90% humidity even during a drought in August and last September the trails were rivers for a week long hike.

Sounds like you have my luck with rain. We had a dry summer last year, but it rained on me every time I got out.