Another 1 person tent, possibly

Ms. Granola, three 1P tents I’ve owned/own (aside from a TT Rainbow Li) and that I’d encourage you to look at are the Nemo Hornet 1P Elite, MSR Hubba Hubba 1P, and Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1.

While not strictly freestanding, the Nemo Hornet is close. I’ve used a couple iterations of this tent going back to 2016, and it’s my favorite DW 1P tent. It’s the lightest of the other two double walls I mention, while being storm worthy and plenty comfortable for me (5’10” / 145lbs). While my Hornet is the “Elite” model, for about three or four ounces more the standard Hornet is still very light!

The MSR Hubba Hubba 1 is new to me. I got it when MSR couldn’t screwed up a repair of my old Hubba 1P (it had a solid interior). They gave me the new tent at something like 35% off. It’s a better tent than the older Hubba it replaced, and is also lighter, while retaining the mostly solid interior that I want for my fall backpack elk hunts. I’d definitely not hesitate to use it as a year-round tent though. It’s a true freestanding tent.

The Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1 is a really fine option, and the roomiest of the three. It feels down right luxurious. I sold mine only because if I want a 1P summer option I prefer the lighter Nemo, and if I want a fall (and even winter) option I prefer the MSR with its mostly solid interior. But it would make a fantastic one and done 1P, DW, freestanding tent if you aren’t as concerned about weight, or want more room.

I’d go for the Hubba NX 1 over the basic Hubba because its floor is much more waterproof (3000 mm vs 1200 mm). The NX is a true freestanding tent that’s very solid and it has a small footprint. https://www.campsaver.com/msr-hubba-nx-tent-1-person-3-season.html

But if you want to stay with a trekking pole tent which has a small footprint the Sierra Designs High Route can’t be beat (42″ wide total). However, if you do chose the High Route definitely order the European version that is far more waterproof than what’s offered in North America. It’s called the High Route 3000 because of the waterproof rating (3000 mm fly and floor vs 1200 for North American version). You can buy one from ulog in the UK and I believe you can even get free shipping. https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/high-route-3000-1p-tent/

I’d go for the Hubba NX 1 over the basic Hubba because its floor is much more waterproof (3000 mm vs 1200 mm). The NX is a true freestanding tent that’s very solid and it has a small footprint. https://www.campsaver.com/msr-hubba-nx-tent-1-person-3-season.html

The tent you link is mislabeled. It’s not the NX model, it’s the newer Hubba Hubba 1P I mentioned in my post. The Hubba NX was discontinued. https://www.msrgear.com/tents/backpacking-tents/hubba-hubba-1-person-backpacking-tent/11505.html

I use a Tyvek footprint so I don’t care to have a 30D floor…

Okay so campsaver mislabeled it, good catch. But you can still order the NX from Europe. Not sure why the better grade tents (in nice stealthy green colors) are offered across the pond but not in the US. https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/hubba-nx-tent/

Okay so campsaver mislabeled it, good catch. But you can still order the NX from Europe. Not sure why the better grade tents (in nice stealthy green colors) are offered across the pond but not in the US. https://ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/hubba-nx-tent/

Not sure how the tan rainfly of the new Hubba is any less “stealthy” than the green EU version. The new Hubba however, is lighter and has a nice partial solid interior for blocking cold winds.

The tan is pretty stealthy for sure, but it doesn’t blend into a woodland environment as well as green. Of course stealth is more of a concern to European backpackers and that’s why you see so many tents offered in green versions over there that you don’t see in North America. A quick glance at ulog’s website shows it. And yes, the newer version Hubba is lighter but I’d personally opt for the much more waterproof floor and take the weight penalty. The NX’s 30D floor is also more durable and puncture resistant than the newer 20D floor. Tyvek is HEAVY (1.7 oz per sq yd) and holds too much dirt and moisture for my taste. I’ve gone to 1.0 DCF groundsheets because they hold less moisture and are easier to clean (albeit far more expensive). Just depends on one’s preference.

I carried a Tyvek groundcloth with my 30D Hubba’s and would rather have the weight savings of the 20D since I always use a Tyvek footprint with every tent anyway. The Tyvek also negates the supposed superior waterproofing of the 30D. Regardless I fully understand the EU color ideas for stealth, and follow the same practice here. All my tents are grey, green, or brown. I purchased my old Hubba 1P with solid interior from the UK…

I see Questoutfitters offers the lighter 1443R Tyvek which of course is only 1.25 oz. Never tried it though. https://www.questoutfitters.com/uncoated_fabrics.htm#TYVEK

Sorry for the thread drift AK but I can debate shelters for hours on end…lol! However I’m sure either Hubba version would be a great choice.

LOL, agreed Monte!

Watcha gonna go with??

I only have a couple of nights in my BA Copperspur HVUL1, but I’m pretty impressed, so far.  It has a fairly small footprint but, as the name suggests, a very high volume interior, it really feels palatial.  Also lots of interior storage, including a very large gear attic.  I don’t have a ton of BA gear, but have always been impressed with the quality of their products, and even more with their excellent customer service, which is increasingly rare these days.

Watcha gonna go with??

I haven’t figured it out yet. I may end up waiting to see what tents come out next spring, or watch sales/gear swap for something. The Wonderland trail is on my bucket list, and it’s one of those where you’re sharing a site with multiple other tents, so a small one would be handy.

I’m hesitant about hubbed poles, which I’ve seen break, about shock-corded poles, for which the cord eventually ends up stretching out and has to be replaced – super not fun in the field. Always tradeoffs.

If you are skeptical of hubbed pole designs, you should consider the Portal 1 from Slingfin. I am very impressed by the low weight and other features of my Portal 1.

In reference to shock-corded poles, in my experience it is usually water/moisture hat causes premature stretching of the cords.  If you dry out the poles after a trip and inspect the poles before a trip you can mitigate the risk of field replacement.

In reference to poles snapping, breaking, bending. In my experience there are only two cases where this happens: when I forced a pole through a pole sleeve without care or when a so-called self-standing tent needed more guylines attached to support the poles in the face of high winds,

I might go with a Marmot Tungsten UL 1p. It takes my base weight up a bit, but not horribly so.

Have you ever look at the Samaya RADICAL1?

https://www.samaya-equipment.com/products/samaya-radical1

I used BA tents for years and never had a pole break or any issue with the elastic cord stretching out. I do carry a metal ‘sleeve’ that could be used to help repair a broken pole. It weighs about an ounce. I still like the BA Fly Creek ul1 that I used for about ten years. But, the zipper is a number 3. If it had a number 5 it would be a big improvement. I’ve had issues with the front door zipper of that tent seperating. REI/BA replaced the tent.

I found a Marmot Tungsten UL 1p on 30% off so I bought it. With all guylines, stakes and everything it’s 40 ounces. Lighter than my Moment DW, but heavier than the Notch Li. I think it will fit in places I cannot put the Notch, like shared sites in busy national parks. It has the usual disadvantages of a standard commercial tent, like having to set up the inner first and heavier weight. But it has the advantage of a very small footprint, easy to pick up and move to a new spot if needed,  and some bells and whistles I don’t really care about but will enjoy using, like interior pockets and attachment points for hanging stuff.

Unfortunately I won’t be able to really test it out for quite a while, but I did pitch it in my living room and it’s quick and easy to set up.

Thanks y’all.

Enjoy it and use it well!!! Have fun out there!

AK, congrats on your choice.  If you haven’t seen it already, note:

https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/tent-which-freestanding-double-wall/

Don’t think I’m biased in avoiding nylon tents, and favoring self-supporting ones.  The latter with silpoly will provide considerably more space and comfort inside than even the Skurka lookalikes,  plus more stability than a tent supported by a couple of poles that depend  entirely on stakes to hold them up.  More about that in the BPL thread linked above.

The primary reason for a tent is staying dry and protected in serious  wind and rain storms, that on backpacks greater than a couple days have a good chance of occurring.  That calls for durability, that even on laminated tents, like DCF, have shorter useful lives.  Please let us know how the Marmot Tungsten works for you after a while.  That kind of feedback provides the most value to readers on BPL .