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When searching for a backpacking tent, there are so many options. It can be overwhelming. There are many variables to take into consideration. Weight, materials, how many seasons the tent is good for, and how much room it has, are all things to consider. And if you are like me, you want to make sure it’s perfect because $100-$400 is a lot of money. When I bought my first backpacking tent, I perused the backcountry options and settled on the MSR Hubba Hubba NX.
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The costs for the MSR Hubba Hubba is on the high end compared to the other tents I looked at, coming in at just under $400. For me, the amount of weight I saved and the quality of the tent was worth spending the extra money.
The MSR Hubba Hubba is a two-person tent, but MSR also makes the Hubba NX Solo and the Mutha Hubba NX three-person tent. I chose the two-person because I usually go with one other person.
When I bought the tent, my plan was to use it if I went solo as well. That was another reason I chose the more expensive backpacking tent. I wanted to keep my weight as light as possible when I was trekking solo. I have since scrapped that idea and bought a one-person tent for those trips.
MSR Hubba Hubba specs
The MSR Hubba Hubba weighs in at 3 pounds, 13 ounces. The other two-person tents I looked at that were cheaper were around the 5-pound mark. The tent also has a minimum trail weight of 3 pounds, 7 ounces, and Fast & Light (rain fly and footprint) weight of 2 pounds, 10 ounces.
I always carry the max weight. I went without the stuff sack, an unexpected rainstorm came that night. Hiking out the next day, the wet tent in my pack soaked me.
The tent is free-standing, meaning you can set it up without having to stake it down. It is also possible to set it up in the rain without it getting wet. Setting up the rain fly first, then the tent underneath makes this possible.
It has two doors and two vestibules, which I love. That way you do not have to wake up your hiking partner when you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. Nor do you have to wake them up when you want to grab something out of your pack stashed in the vestibule.
The floor space, 29 square feet, is plenty roomy for me, a friend, and my 50-pound dog. And the vestibule keeps our packs and stuff we don’t need inside the tent dry.
One thing I don’t like is that the warning label hangs down in the face of the person sleeping next to it on that side. Maybe we just sleep in it backward. The way the doors open, I feel the way we sleep in it is the easier of the two ways. I just taped the label up.
Because the tent is not tapered at either end, you can also sleep in opposite directions from your hiking partner … providing they don’t kick in their sleep. My friends and I usually sleep shoulder to shoulder.
Trail tested
I have used the MSR Hubba Hubba about 10 times and have loved it every time. I don’t believe I have not once been unhappy it with it.
It has two pockets to store things, one at each end. It also has vents in the rain fly on each end for when it’s warm and raining or if you just need a little bit of air. One thing they could have done better would have been to install a zipper so you don’t have to get out of the tent to open the vent. My solo tent has this, and I really like that.
The vestibule doors can be opened halfway or rolled all the way back for more airflow and that is nice.
It is super easy to set up and takedown. I went ahead and bought the footprint to go with it. Because I am poor and want my equipment to last as long as possible.
A footprint is a ground cloth, like a tarp, that gives the tent extra protection from rocks and sticks.
If you are looking for a good tent and don’t mind spending the extra money, I recommend the MSR Hubba Hubba NX.
MSR did not include enough guy line for the Hubba Hubba NX. The pieces included were short little pieces for the ends and no extra for the guy points on the doors.
I was looking for a lightweight tent, easy to setup, self standing and also one that could be setup under rain I took the MSR Hubba Hubba NX 2 to Scotland on a 7 days-hike and it performed really well.
That’s awesome!