A review of the MSR Hubba Hubba HD two-person tent. It’s a new model and was introduced by MSR at the same time as the new Hubba Hubba LT two-person tent. I have previously tested and reviewed the Hubba Hubba LT and also the Hubba Hubba NX.
Summary of MSR Hubba Hubba HD two-person tent
The MSR Hubba Hubba HD is heavier than both the LT and NX but with thicker, more robust fabrics – and the same extended internal space as the LT.
Features of the MSR Hubba Hubba HD two-person tent
Weight: 1800g (compared to the 1720g NX; 1580g for LT)
Separate inner and fly sheet pitching
Flysheet: Solution-dyed 20D ripstop nylon, polyether urethane & PFAS-free silicone, HH 3000mm
Inner: Solution-dyed 20D polyester micromesh / 20D ripstop nylon & PFAS-free DWR
Groundsheet: Solution-dyed 20D ripstop nylon, polyether urethane & PFAS-free DWR, HH 6000 mm
Poles: 9.3mm, aluminum alloy
Pegs: 8 Mini-Groundhog™ Stakes
2 x porches
Inner Dimensions 132cm x 224cm x 102cm
Pack size: 13cm x 13cm x 58cm
Price: £590 (seen for £499.99)
See Cascade Designs for more info and a range of outdoor retailer outlets for purchase. Also on Amazon.
Review: MSR Hubba Hubba HD 2 tent
I have tested the tent and a friend, K, also gave it a longer test during a three-week trip to the remote Shiant Isles in Scotland this summer.
Having tested two other similar MSR tents, so I found the HD model quick and easy to construct. It took less than 10 minutes. It’s a simple case of pegging out the inner part of the tent, adding the poles – formed by a one-piece skeleton – and then adding the outer sheet and pegging down. In windy weather, it is not easy to peg out the flysheet unless there are two of you to tame the fabric. After this, you can peg out the guy lines.
It would be really good if MSR provided enough pegs to make use of all the guy lines. As it stands, I was two pegs short and I needed to use extra pegs. This makes no sense, especially when they supply an extra guy line.
In stronger winds, as K experienced, more robust pegging out and full use of the guy lines was required. I recommend you consider extra and bigger pegs if you know the weather will be testing.
There is also an internal adjustment cord system, to allow for small tweaks to the structure of the tent while inside. This is a quite useful idea.
The size of the tent is excellent. It’s a wide, fairly squat tent – it looks a bit like a large frog – which means you have plenty of room inside and good head height for sitting up, yet it is also sturdy in the wind. K was worried that the shape and the skeleton poles would not withstand the wind and rain that she experienced on the Shiant Isles, but she reports she was pleasantly surprised. The tent did billow in the strong wind but the tent stayed strong.
The fabric is bit tougher than the LT and NX although the weight of the tent is still very good. I’d be more than happy to pop this tent in my backpack for a hiking trip with several overnights.
However, K noted that the fabric of the inner tent is not so durable. There are to larger inner pockets for stashing items and after placing a tube of toothpaste in one of these pockets, she noticed a small tear. It would be great if MSR could reinforce the fabric around the pockets. While many people like a lightweight tent, the fabric does need to be durable, especially for the price tag.
Inside, there is plenty of room for one or two people. The two side porches are quite spacious, as well. You can roll back the fabric of the door openings and secure with a large “hook and eye” system.
K was delighted with the internal space for her solo stint on the Scottish island. She had plenty of space to store kit and, when required, she could take off wet clothing while sat in the porch. “It is a bit of a squeeze to do this,” she told me, “but possible and necessary when clothing is soaked through.”
This is a tent described by MSR as three-season-plus. The HH ratings are great if you are caught in heavy rain and the shape and construction is also good for fairly windy conditions. I am not someone who is likely to pitch a tent in an exposed and highly windy place because I will always try to find a more sheltered position. But if winds do pick up, the tent will stay upright.
The weather on K’s island trip was very challenging with strong winds and many days of heavy rain. She reports there were zero leaks. She did take the precaution of placing a waterproof tarp under the tent, which she thinks was a sensible idea because the ground became sodden around the tent but not inside.
The tent fabric is less noisy compared to the LT, which has quite rustley fabric. But if you are bothered by tent fabric noise, I suggest you wear ear plugs.
There is a another criticism of the tent: The guys are little more than lengths of thin cord. K said she needed to tie one of the guys taut because the tightening mechanism kept failing.
The tent is not cheap, but many tents of this quality are the same. You’re paying for a well-designed product made to be useful in a range of conditions but still light enough to pack into a rucksack.
If you don’t mind carry some extra grams in weight, the MSR Hubba Hubba HD 2 tent makes a good choice for UK three-season conditions.
- I was sent a tent in return for an honest review.