Nemo Hornet 2P tent

[BarryK]

This is not yet a review. I plan to do that very soon, and will report back here.

I have recently purchased a Nemo Hornet 2P tent. This is "free standing", dual-skin, two-person, dual-entry, dual-vestibule, and incredibly light (only about 900gm without the pegs).

I only want it for myself, so it is a palace inside, can easily fit in all my gear.

I have posted first impressions and links to my blog:

http://barryk.org/news/?viewDetailed=00379

Photo:


Anyone on this forum own one of these? I would like to compare notes on durability etc.

Regards,
BarryK

[nezumi]

This was om my list of potential shelters for bikepacking/backroads touring.

I baulked a bit at the Australia Tax of the price at Paddy Pallin. I did see it on special through a link from the Reddit Ultralight community, but debated and deliberated long enough for all stock to sell. I think that the price would have been around $300-350AUD, but would have involved using a dropship service to get it to Aus (US postage only). I also had some similar reservations about durability.

I ended up grabbing this one from AliExpress, which is doing well so far. I have only set it up in my backyard, and need to figure out how to tension it properly so that the floor actually remains flat, but overall I am happy with the purchase.

[BarryK]

nezumi,
Yeah, that Naturehike tent is a good buy. I actually do have one, but the 1P version:

http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/DHL-freeshipping-NatureHike-1-Person-Tent-Double-layer-Tent-Waterproof-Dome-Tent-Camping-4-seasons-Tent/130782_32676842676.html

Note, the grey coloured tent is lighter than the other colours. Mine weighs:

inner, fly, poles, 2xbags: 1152gm
footprint: 189gm (included in the price, not an extra)
extra cord, 1xbag: 35gm
12xstakes, 1xbag: 170gm

From the web pages, it looks like your 2P variant is not much heavier.

Comparing my 1P Naturehike with my Nemo, it is 237gm lighter ...ha ha, even if we added on another 100gm to compare the Naturehike 2P with the Nemo, is a saving of 337gm worth all that extra money?

I am retired, with money in the bank, so am indulging myself. But, in general I would probably have to say no. When you consider how much weight you add to your pack with food and water, saving of 300gm is not really such a big issue. Plus, the Naturehike is going to be more durable.

Does your 2P have a vent at the top? Can't see it in the photos. That is one concern, it seems to not have any airflow when the fly is on and fly-door closed.

A point in favour of the Nemo is the side entry, which probably gives more stability in the wind, as well as bigger vestibules.

[BarryK]

This is the URL where I bought my Naturehike 1P:

http://www.aliexpress.com/item/NatureHike-1-Person-Tent-Double-layer-Tent-Waterproof-Dome-Tent-Camping-4-seasons-Tent-NH15T001-T/32505752161.html

As I stated though, I would have preferred the 2P variant that nezumi bought.

[nezumi]

No vent unfortunately.

A couple of drawbacks I have noticed are that it is difficult to tension the fly properly, and when the door is open, there is not enough clearance over the opening of the tent to prevent water dripping into the interior.

I suspect part of it will come with experience in pitching the tent and understanding its idiosyncrasies.

[Eljimberino]

Looks like a good tent for one person.

Can you pitch it without the inner?

[BarryK]

Eljimberino,
Yes, if you have the footprint, you can pitch it without the inner.

I did buy the footprint, from Paddy Pallin in Perth. I was concerned how thin the floor is, so decided to go for the footprint. I think it is 194g.

I got to test the tent, and wrote a brief evaluation on my blog:

http://barryk.org/news/?viewDetailed=00386

Here it is at Hewitt's Hill shelter on the Bibbulmun Track:


Not an extreme test! The weather was delightful, cold night but virtually no condensation. No wind.

I was happy, it is so light, erected and disassembled fast. I did muse about the caving-in sides being not quite what I would prefer -- but then being 2P it was OK -- perhaps the Hornet 1P would be a problem with those sides. But then, the 2P hardly weighs anymore than the 1P, so there isn't really any reason for buying it. Note, the sides can be pulled out a bit, there are little cords for attaching to the fly, which helps.

[Eljimberino]

Those dudes climbing/walking across the weir wall - pretty brave/stupid.

Looks by the timing of it you would have ran into them at the toilet block - did you chat with them?