2P tent to choose

Posted by: Blaccko

2P tent to choose - 08/26/13 07:16 PM

Hi everyone,

I'm new here, but not new to camping. I've done a few backpacking trips and plenty of boat/car camping. Until recently, I was always with my brother or using his stuff. However, now that he moved to Europe (I'm in Canada), I need to get my own stuff, especially a tent.

I've made some researchs and narrowed down my choises to the MSR Hubba Hubba, the Marmot Firefly 2p and the Black Diamond Mesa 2p. I chose those models because I want a roomy 2p tent with two side doors and two vestibules, vertical walls, a lot of mesh to see the stars and to get good ventilation (but not too much in the bottom so that water, sand or others don't backsplash into the tent), ideally vents on the fly for good ventilation and as little condensation as possible, preferably lightweight, but durable tent. I know not all criterias are met for the three models I suggest, but they are the ones that are the closest to my needs.

Having said that, now that I've narrowed down my choices to just a few, I'm not sure which tent to buy. Money is not really a factor to take in consideration. I'm planning on doind mainly summer trips and a few spring/fall trips, mostly by car or boat, but sometines backpacking also. I want something that will be durable but also not too heavy. I would like the tent to last for many years. I also want something roomy enough, especially regargind width (vertical walls) and height. Here are the pros and cons I found about my choices.

MSR Hubba Hubba: It's a lightweight tent, easy to set up, but that got a little less resistance to wind due to it's pole design. Nice verticall walls, but not so much width (floor). Full mesh body is nice, but I've heard some users complaining about backsplash (stuff getting inside the tent from passing between the fly and the ground) when it's windy or when it's rainning hard(is it a big issue?). Also, I've read that the fly doesn't have any vents, so condensation is a problem with this tent (is it a big issue?). I have a MSR stove and it's awesome, are the MSR tents also that great regarding quality?

Marmot Firefly 2p: It's a roomy 2p tent (both width and height), but a little bit on the heavy side. Like the MSR Hubba Hubba, its pole design is less resistant than the Black Diamond Mesa against the wind. However, it seems like a durable tent (considering the materials), maybe a little bit more then MSR Hubba Hubba and Black Diamond Mesa (am I right or wrong about this statement?). There's mesh for stargazing, but less in the bottom, so it's less prone to get backsplashs from outside in bad weather. A nice touch are the vetns on the fly; I guess the condensation would be less of a problem than with the Hubba Hubba (am I right or wrong?). I'm not sure though if Marmot makes as high quality products as MSR (what's your opinion?).

Black Diamond Mesa 2p: It's a roomy tent (a little bit less than the Marmot Firefly 2p, but more than the MSR Hubba Huba). It's weight is also in the middle of the pack. Good resistance to bad weather (wind, snow, etc.) and the half mesh/half nylon walls are god against backsplashs. Nevertheless, the tent is taper, so less roomy for the feet. Also, the floor water resistance is "only" of 2000 mm where the Hubba Hubba and the Firefly are 3000 mm and the fly water resistance is "only" of 1500 mm where the Hubba Hubba and the Firefly are 1800 mm (will this make a difference in real time usage?). Like the Marmot Firefly 2p, this tent has ventilation on the fly, so I guess the condensation would be less of a problem than with the Hubba Hubba (am I right or wrong?). I do not know about Black Diamond's reliability.

So, are my pros and cons accurate. Do you have others to add? What are the reputation of those brands regarding quality and warranty? What tent would you suggest me and why?

Thanks in advance for your hep and your input.

Blaccko
Posted by: BrianLe

Re: 2P tent to choose - 08/27/13 12:09 PM

If you use trekking poles, I suggest that you consider the Lightheart Duo.

I have no experience with the Duo, but have been quite happy with my Lightheart Solo model. If I didn't already own a pretty good 2-person tent, the Lightheart is what I would want, for much the sorts of reasons/criteria that you spell out.
Posted by: Howie

Re: 2P tent to choose - 09/05/13 07:22 PM

I recently bought myself a Marmot Pulsar 2P. I like it a lot. Easy to set up. Lots of room for my dog and I. Only tried it out twice so far but in wet weather it did just fine. Nice and light too.

Howie