When a buddy and fellow gear fanatic talked about MSR had launched a bikepacking model of their long-standing Hubba Hubba tent, I didn’t suppose a lot of it at first, as I’m a hiker, not a bicycle owner. Nevertheless, my curiosity was sparked when he advised it could be well-suited for backpacking, thanks to some design updates.
Because the authentic Hubba Hubba launched in 2004, it’s by no means been the lightest, most cost-effective, or most sturdy tent, however it strikes a fantastic steadiness between all three, which explains why it’s nonetheless available on the market 20 years later. Having by no means used a Hubba Hubba earlier than, I used to be keen to check this newest model and took it on a number of journeys mountain climbing within the mountains.
Key Specs & Options
The three season MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 1-Particular person Tent provides strong technical specs. Its most packed weight, together with the waterproof handlebar-mounting bag, is a aggressive 1.27 kg, with a compact packed dimension of 36 x 17 x 11 cm.
Designed particularly for bikepacking, the tent gives distinctive headroom (97 cm), quick poles (30 cm), a big inner clothesline, and a spacious vestibule space.
The rainfly, flooring, and cover are all produced from 20D nylon ripstop materials with a hydrostatic head of 1200 mm. The ground has been made lighter than that of the usual Hubba Hubba, which makes use of a extra sturdy 30D ripstop nylon and has a hydrostatic head of 3000 mm.
Actual world testing
I examined the MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 1-Particular person tent on a number of mountain climbing journeys within the British mountains throughout summer season and autumn, together with a summit camp, average wind situations, and each dry and moist climate. As a result of unusually dry climate throughout my camps, I haven’t but had the prospect to check the tent in a correct rainstorm. On my ultimate journey, I forgot all however just a few spare pegs, however I used to be nonetheless capable of safe an honest pitch — extra on that later.
Spectacular head room and packability
On the primary evening out, I rapidly seen that the headroom and residing house have been fairly beneficiant in comparison with the solo backpacking tents I sometimes use. At six ft tall, I can comfortably sit upright and transfer round with out touching the interior partitions. I additionally usually discover light-weight solo tents a bit cramped in size, however with a size of 216 cm, there may be loads of house to stretch out, even for taller people.
As with the standard Hubba Hubba design, the ground is rectangular reasonably than tapered, in contrast to many smaller backpacking tents. This offered ample house to retailer gear inside, retaining my pack and spare clothes dry and off the damp floor. Nevertheless, like many tents, it might profit from the choice to peg the ground in place. The vestibule can also be spacious, providing loads of room for storage and permitting for cooking within the porch space, one thing that may usually be difficult in solo backpacking tents.
A serious benefit for hikers is the redesigned DAC poles, that are quick sufficient to suit horizontally in a backpack. For backpacking, I might skip the sturdy waterproof handlebar bag, because it provides pointless weight, and go for a light-weight stuff sack as an alternative.
Pitching is a breeze
Pitching the tent may be very simple. The poles slot into eyelets at every nook of the ground, and the interior tent attaches to the poles with small clips. It takes a most of 5 minutes to pitch, and because it’s a free-standing construction, you don’t must peg the ground out first, making it simple to maneuver round when you discover the best spot. When you connect the rainfly to the eyelets, nevertheless, you’ll must peg out the vestibule and door.
On one journey, I forgot all however three non-MSR spare pegs. I’m not an enormous fan of the pre-supplied Mini Groundhog pegs, as they are often exhausting on the arms, and also you usually don’t get sufficient of them to safe all of the man strains, which I additionally discovered. Regardless of this, I managed to realize a steady pitch utilizing rocks and my trekking poles, and the tent remained agency in reasonably robust winds all through the evening. That actually impressed me. The principle downside, nevertheless, is that it’s essential to pitch the interior tent first, which will increase the danger of it getting moist when you’re organising in wet situations. This design is not shocking, because it’s a three-season tent, probably designed with the American market in thoughts, reasonably than the customarily unpredictable climate of the British mountains.
Not only for bikepacking
Different options value noting embody the shortcoming to pitch the flysheet all the way in which to the bottom on the ends of the tent. Whereas this enables for good air flow, it might additionally let in additional wind-blown climate. That mentioned, air flow choices are plentiful, with built-in vents at every finish, and far of the interior tent is fabricated from mesh. You can even roll up and safe each the interior and outer doorways in superb climate, although I want MSR had added a second toggle to permit your complete door to be rolled up tightly, stopping it from flapping within the wind.
Talking of wind, I examined the tent in reasonably robust gusts (round 20-25 mph) with none points besides some deforming of the construction. I wouldn’t nevertheless suggest utilizing it in uncovered mountain areas, or when robust winds are forecast. By way of rain, some fellow gear fans have expressed considerations in regards to the skinny groundsheet, with its 1200 mm hydrostatic head. When you can see some moisture beneath stress, I didn’t encounter any points when pitching on moist floor.
Whereas the Hubba Hubba Bikepack 1 has some drawbacks, it additionally has many strengths and is well-suited to backpacking. It’s spacious, packs down small, is simple to pitch, and is surprisingly sturdy given its light-weight supplies. A standout characteristic for me was the shorter poles—this progressive tweak makes the tent way more packable, a characteristic I’d like to see in additional solo backpacking tents.
Abstract
Regardless of just a few drawbacks, the MSR Hubba Hubba Bikepack 1-Particular person Tent’s spectacular steadiness of weight, house, and sturdiness make it a wonderful alternative for each backpacking and bikepacking adventures.
Whereas the need of pitching the interior tent first could possibly be a priority in moist climate, its beneficiant headroom and flooring house, progressive shorter poles, and ample air flow choices improve its usability. I’ll select to forgo the waterproof handlebar bag for a lighter pack sooner or later, however its compact packed dimension and ease of setup guarantee I’ll proceed to depend on it for 3 season tenting in future.
About MSR
Mountain Security Analysis (MSR) is a Seattle-based outside gear firm based in 1969 by Larry Penberthy, a passionate mountaineer and engineer. Initially centered on bettering the security and reliability of climbing gear, MSR rapidly expanded its product line to incorporate high-performance tenting and backpacking gear, equivalent to stoves, tents, water filters, and snowshoes. Identified for its innovation and dedication to high quality, MSR blends cutting-edge know-how with sensible design, making its gear extremely regarded amongst outside fans for its sturdiness, performance, and reliability in difficult situations.