Mountain Hardwear SuperMega UL 1 on JMT?

[Avishek A]

Hello,

I am in the market for a 1P tent for my upcoming JMT trip (last section from Kearsarge to Whitney) (July)

I have the opportunity to purchase a used Mountain Hardwear SuperMega UL 1 locally for <$100 and I wonder if it is a good investment.

I was originally thinking of the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 1P and the Big Agnes Fly Creek UL 2P (roomier w/o the added weight), but the price of the SuperMega seems very attractive. From all the specs, it looks like the predecessor to the Ghost Whisperer.

Thoughts?

Thanks.

Avi

[Tony Wong]

Great price…and under 2 lbs.

Free standing too boot….what is not to love?

If you were going to be facing a lot of rainy weather, the a bigger tent would be a better choice, but the one time that I did the JMT (2011) we only had one afternoon of light rain…otherwise, dry. (Aug-Sept)

At less than $100….and you only used it for the JMT not economically painful to never use it again after that.

If you are looking at a long term shelter investment AND you are committed to going UL, then maybe “invest” more money into a UL shelter for less weight and more space. (Zpacks Duplex for example, but crazy exensive)

Really more of a value position for you to take….do you value the low price or having lower weight?

Tony

[Avishek A]

yeah….the economics of the purchase makes sense, but I don’t want to get stuck in a tent that doesn’t hold up well to winds and potential rain.

So from that sense, I’d rather spend the money if this particular tent isn’t the best for this task.

[J-L]

If the tent is in good shape, it should hold up. Maybe try weathering a storm with it before your trip, or at least setting it up in your backyard for a storm. The tent’s small footprint would be nice on the JMT.

[Tony Wong]

+1 with John…test it.

Set it up on your lawn and get the garden hose and blast the tent with the rain fly and see how it holds up.

Back in 2011, I did the JMT with tarp and bivy….never setup the tarp.

I found that campsite selection helped with shelter from wind….large rocks, trees, bushes.

The fact that you are looking at a free standing tent helps with wind resistance vs. UL shelters that are relying on trekking poles and guylines.

(Check the poles for any damage/creases or bends that might cause the pole to break/fold/collapse under the stress of very strong winds)

Think that you should be fine…..I would hope that many mainstream manufactures would factor a JMT trip into their designs for strength…as it is such a popular/common trip people would be making.

Tony

[Avishek A]

Hey Guys,

I picked up the tent today. For $110, I figured it’s totally worth the gamble. I have it setup in my patio right now and I gave it the garden hose treatment and so far so good. And this is without the rain fly completely guyed out (I have concrete floors in the patio, so can’t really stake out). The reain fly and the inner tent bottom seems to be holding up quite well. I will leave it out and check for condensation in the morning. Without me inside, there may not be much.

First impressions: clearly well made tent. I really like the amount of room available in the head/torso area, but don’t particularly fond of the fact that it tapers towards the legs. I so wish they have maintained the shape throughout the length of tent and eliminated the taper….that would have made it THE perfect tent for me.

I am 6 ft, and my feet hit the tent …and this is without the extra volume of the sleeping bag. The sleeping pad (Klymit Static) also folds over slightly towards the lower end with the taper which also sucks somewhat.

The rain fly material is super thin and I need to be careful with it.

Otherwise this tent is A+. I have seen people complaining about the tiny entrance and the subsequent inconvenience, but I’d take that any day for the weight.

Setup is a breeze and I am excited about the 2-3 extra lbs that this tent buys me.

Wish MH had thought about not adding the taper….I can’t imagine that adding too much weight.

Thanks for the suggestions and advice guys.

Avi

[Tony Wong]

Avi,

So are you going to use it for your JMT or the fact that your feet are touching the tent wall making it not a viable option?

Tony

[Avishek A]

Tony,

Good question. I am going to White Sands and Carlsbad Caverns next week and that will be my first use of the tent “in the field”. My decision to take it on the JMT/Whitney would depend on this experience.

I will be sure to post my feedback after my 2 day camping experience. If it doesn’t work out, I will look to sell this guy and get a Fly Creek 2P instead…or even a Copper Spur UL1. The Zpacks are beyond my financial reach.

My first thought is if you are not 6 feet, then you will really like the tent. You might like the tent anyway…..I personally don’t do very well in cramped spaces.

[Tony Wong]

Avi,

Thanks for the update….hope it works out for you, but sounds like you have some good backups if it doesn’t work for you.

Good on you for getting out in the field to break in the new gear vs. when you do the JMT.

Sound steps for you to be successful when you take your big trip.

Tony

[Avishek A]

Hey Tony,

I got to use the tent finally….not on the JMT though. I had to postpone that because of the (surprise surprise) crazy snow this year.

I used it at Joshua Tree last night.

Overall: fantastic design, super easy to setup and top quality materials. But…..I am too big for it. The tent would be a dream 1P tent for anyone 5’10” or shorter. I am 6′ and my feet hit the ceiling and ends of the tent, which was a minor irritant. Otherwise, this is the perfect solution for JMT.

I might look to trade this for a Copper Spur 2P or even a Fly Creek 2P…..

Avi

[Sam Farrington]

Ordered one of these when they first came out. Set it up on the Dining Room floor, but sent it back because it was so shaky for a free-standing tent that it looked like it would blow over in a breeze. Of course guy lines makes a difference, but with a free-standing tent, there should at least be some initial stability.

There were similar offerings from Brooks Range and Easton Mountaineering, but they were almost as unstable. So gave up on the idea of a ridge pole on a tunnel shape, even tho Eureka used to make pretty stable, but heavy, ridge poled A-frames in its ‘timberline’ series.

There are better tents, like the Tarptent’s double walled Bowfin and Moment, or MSR’s light versions of its Hubbas, that are free-standing or almost so. But the great thing about Tarptents is that they pitch dry inside during pouring rain. For some reason the larger US companies often do not offer dry-pitch free-standing tents.

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