Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 Shelter Review

[Ryan Jordan]

Companion forum thread to:

Hyperlite Mountain Gear UltaMid 2 Shelter Review

[Jerry Adams]

Nice review, thanks!

How are the Cuben panels connected? And at the diagonal ridge seams?

Tape and sewed? What kind of tape?

[Kevin Sawchuk]

Perhaps the design has changed but an aggressive caternary cut in the corner seams really wasted space at the edges in the version of this that I have. I initially purchased it for winter use but the poor pitch made it unusable for snowy nights.

Does the new design address these issues?

[James Marco]

A fair review. I would have liked more on the basic construction and layout. EG: cat cut, type of seams as mentioned above. Cuben is generally stitched and glued for maximum strength. Hard to tell from the pics.

[Greg Mihalik]

Kevin,
I have never seen a HMG UltraMid, so this is a WAG….

…but I did use a MLD DuoMid for a couple of years. And when I first got it I set it up wrong,
pole to short, or at too much of an angle, that greatly accentuated the cat-cut corners. It looked like about 18" of the walls were nearly parallel to the ground. Once I added about 6" of height to my pitch the walls straightened out, and I had a lot of useable space. And that 6" still allowed me to pitch tight to the ground.

Looking that the photos in the review, the corners looks pretty good.

So I have to wonder if you have a setup issue, or if in fact they improved things…

[Kenda Willey]

Thank you for another solo/duo tent to mull over! Between ZPack's Solplex, MLD's Duomid, and now this one, the decision's getting harder instead of easier.

[J-L]

Small typo: the MLD Duomid's listed height is 54''

[Ross L]

I think the Ruta Locura Lone Peak should be also included in the comparisons. Its wind shedding conical shape would be of particular interest to those who regularly camp above treeline. I have found the rectangular designs, while being perhaps more roomy, do not fare as well in high winds.

[Gary Pikovsky]

What about the fantastically made mids from Locus Gear? I'm quite surprised they weren't included in the reference chart. Just got mine a few weeks ago and it's the best mid I've seen. Major attention to details and level of quality that's second to none. hypo://www.locusgear.com

Gary

[Greg Mihalik]

Ross,
Gary,
Others,

You've got the products in hand. Use Will's data, add your own for the two person version, and post the table here. How hard can that be?

I'd like to see how they compare and I'm sure others would too.

Oh, yeh….

Nice Job Will!

I appreciate the effort and the results.

[Ross L]

Here you go Greg…

Ruta Locura Lone Peak
Specifications:

Height: 5.5 Foot Tall/ 66 inches
Square Footage: 60 Square Feet
Foot Print: 9 foot by 10.5 feet
Fabric: Cubic Tech's CT2E.08 Laminate, .75 oz sq yd
Weight: Tent canopy, and stuff sacks: 18oz,
Stakes: 4oz, Pole: 7oz, Total weight: 29oz
(1lbs, 13oz)
Stakes: A mix of carbon fiber and aluminum
Pole: Carbon fiber
Price: $690 ___In Stock___

Nice review Will, many thanks.

[Greg Mihalik]

Ross,
I still need the fabric weight, and the height.

Thanks.

[Ken Thompson]

Materials Body is CF8-ct2k08 0.78 oz/yd2 (26.5 g/m2) Cuben Fiber,

Dimensions 83 in (211 cm) wide, 107 in (500 cm) deep, 64 in (163 cm) high, providing 63 ft2 (5.85 m2) of floor area; measured dimensions 80.75 in (205 cm) wide, 104 in (264 cm) deep, 61 in (155 cm) high.

[rmeurant]

There are some trade-offs that aren't really addressed, though I do like the large top venting.

One is the greater height and overall dimensions of the HMG mid, which imply greater wind resistance, greater weight, more and/or larger pegs etc.

I would imagine that also means that a two-pole connector like the Locus Gear DPTE can't be used (without lengthy pole extensions), to free up the central space that provides the greatest headroom. Hence one could argue that the Locus Khufu (or DuoMid), used with a DPTE, might actually provide greater unhindered internal space.

So there is an issue of scale (I used to get real frustrated in the BearPaw PyraTent, with the effort required to reach the closed lower zip from within – the plan dimensions make it too distant for easy access – maybe BP could provide arm extenders). By contrast, the Khufu just fits so much better.

…

[Ross L]

Greg
Fabric weight is .75 oz sq yd, height is 66 inches.

[Greg Mihalik]

A Comparison Table, including a Ruta Locura Lone Peak

Edit: Corrected weights and measures.

[Ross L]

Greg
Looks like you inadvertently used the Ultamid fabric weight and dimensions for the Lone Peak on your revised comparison chart.
Cheers
Ross

[Andy Jarman]

Thanks for this article, very interesting. Can you just check your metric conversions (under the photo and again in the table), 500cm means the thing is about 16ft long doesn't it!?

I have always been put off by the lack of mossie proofing in a mid and when I need privacy and a bugless nights sleep I have stuck with my heavy old Hubba (when will they put a roof vent on those things, sometimes its drier outside than in!) .

In Australia we rarely encounter real soil to put pegs into, so the hexamid is sadly a non starter here (hence the Hubba which holds itself up). A four cornered mid is a bit more enticing, we have plenty of rocks!!

[Will Rietveld]

Hi all, sorry I'm slow responding to your comments. We gave a LW backpacking presentation yesterday evening, and this morning we are leaving for a 4-day hut trip. I think I need to slow down, someday. I will respond to questions and make corrections to the article early next week when I return. Cheers! Will

[Jerry Adams]

In my experience, vents like that do very little. Not enough area.

If it's not windy or raining and condensation is a problem, leave door open all the way. It would be better if door went all the way to the peak. That provides enough area to do some venting, but you can still get condensation.

[JP]

–

[Andy Jarman]

Having complained about no mossie net (my post above) I took a look at the Bear Paw Pyra 2. Lo ! it can be fitted with an internal mossie net/bug bivy, hurrah.

Now, what I'd really like to know is why would I look at an HMG Ulta Mid when the Bear Paw Pyra 2 is nearly half the price, lighter, the same size AND I can add a bug bivy during mossie season? Can anyone shed light on any pros and cons between these two shelters?

[Franco Darioli]

From Kevin :
"aggressive caternary cut in the corner "
If you still have the shelter try this :
When you stake down the corners don't pull the fabric taut but leave some slack.
(the more tension you have on the 4 sides before putting the pole in , the greater the catenary curve will be)
Once you place the pole in and it is up then pull the corners taut if they need to be.
May not work for you but try it.

[Tom Clark]

Could those people that have used shelters of this type comment on how the sloped entrance works on a rainy night? It does seem like LOTS of water could come in during avery short time if you have to get out during storm. I ask this because I often camp with my kids, and there is little hope of controlling when they decide to go.
Thanks,
Tom

[Jerry Adams]

Don't put anything below the door. Consider that spot an entrance area. Close door, shake off rain jacket and put aside. Move to the other area that's dry.

With one person, I open the door on one side and leave the other side closed, where my sleeping bag is, dry.

With two people, I stake the middle of both panels, so the wet area is in the center, and the foot of both sleeping bags points point to the corners on both sides.

Kids are maybe a little less under control – harder to constrain water to just that one spot.

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