Bushwalk Australia

At the moment I am researching for a one man tent to purchase. Requirements are:

1. freestanding - tired of trying to bash multiple pegs into rocky ground
2. solid fabric interior - dual layer doors of mesh/solid fabric to keep out sand would be fine
3. one man tent - or a very cramped 2 man tent in size
4. vestibule

Any suggestions on what tents might fit that bill would be great.

The most likely tent I've seen so far is the MSR Hubba HP. Normally I like to back my tent last and place it crossways in my pack on top. Packing the tent and poles seperately will let me do that with the hubba. The only concern I have with the hubba in doing that is the packability of the poles with the swivel joint and hubs. If the Hubba pole is packed seperately are the pole swivel and hubs prone to getting snagged/damaged without the protection of the tent wrapped around them? Any feedback from Hubba owners would be appreciated on that point!

etrangere wrote:If the Hubba pole is packed seperately are the pole swivel and hubs prone to getting snagged/damaged without the protection of the tent wrapped around them? Any feedback from Hubba owners would be appreciated on that point!

errr... I have a Hubba Hubba HP and never wrap the tent around the poles or pack them together.. I'd say its the other way around I'd want to protect the tent from getting snagged on the poles and torn. Its a lightweight tent - so the fabric isn't exactly the strongest on the market, but the actual tent itself packs down very small. The poles are just like every other brand of tent of with a similar design. In fact I think they all might come from the same supplier. They are Easy to fix anyway - no more fragile than any other tent poles. They're probably about 25cm long when packed down, they have a separate bag, I just slide them down the inside of my pack.

Its not something I worry about.

MJD had a swivel come undone on the Franklands, after a bit of a wrestle he got it back together.

Hi, you're welcome to borrow my Hubba for a test run before you purchase anything.
That'll help your speculation on the poles, packability, usefulness etc..
Mines not the HP, but has the mesh inner, but the rest is the same. It's been some of the best (horrid) places Tassy has to offer and withstood lots. It's my favourite tent. I've never had any problems with the swivel hub, it seems to be pretty darn durable!
It's compact, got headroom and enough guypoints that I can crank it down to the earth if the wind gets up
what more can I say. . .
Cheers, Cyn

The Hubba was my favourite tent until I got a Laser Competition. I always packed the tent and poles separately because it all seemed to fit in my pack a bit easier. The only trouble that I've ever had is the swivel on the small crossbar on the top coming apart on the Franklands when setting it up, but Stu managed to push it back together. No trouble since. Certainly a nice robust tent. I've got the model with a mesh interior. The fact that you can open either half (or both) of the front can be a very handy feature if the wind changes direction.

We've had a mesh Hubba Hubba and currently have a "1 nite only" used Hubba HP for sale (in the Market Square http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=6922).

Both excellent tents.

etrangere wrote:If the Hubba pole is packed seperately are the pole swivel and hubs prone to getting snagged/damaged without the protection of the tent wrapped around them?

Snag unlikely methinks if you keep the poles in a pole bag.
Damage very unlikely unless something major happens, like dropping the pack from quite some distance on rock, and the poles taking the full impact.

Lady McGuyver wrote: It's compact, got headroom and enough guypoints that I can crank it down to the earth if the wind gets up
what more can I say. . .

+1

MJD wrote:The fact that you can open either half (or both) of the front can be a very handy feature if the wind changes direction.

+1!!!

DonQx wrote:Snag unlikely methinks if you keep the poles in a pole bag.

I've got the Hubba HP, very happy with it and have had it in all sorts of conditions. Because the pole bundle tends to be much longer than the tent/fly/footprint "clump" I pack the poles/pegs separately and just stuff the other bits in various areas of my pack to fill up space.

Thanks for the replies. Everyone seems to have the same idea of packing poles/tent separately. The Hubba HP certainly seems to be the best bet for what I want so far and I've rarely come across any nagative reviews on it.

Have any of those with the hubba tent have they regretted not getting the larger hubba hubba for use as a spacious one man tent? Being able to have your gear inside the tent with you at times is handy.The Hubba Hubba HP weighs 450 gms more than the Hubba HP

I'm 187 cm tall and like space in a tent.

I was quite surprised by how spacious the Hubba HP feels, partly probably coz it feels that way due to the warm & bright colour inside (white inner, soft green outer).

But I also had more than enuf space for all the usual stuff inside the inner tent, like books / toiletries / spare clothes / food / etc. Basically I empty all my backpack contents into the inner tent until the next morning, and I could do that OK with the Hubba HP.

ninjapuppet wrote:Yeh, I've recently gotten a Hubba HP from some kind man from this forum.
Ive had hubbas and hubba hubbas before and got rid of them, but I can see the the HP has real value in its ease of setup + solid inner on simple overnight trips in beautiful weather. I just bring the poles and inner with me. Donthave to mess with dirty pegs or any fly.

WIth just the poles and inner, you're heading into ultralight weights. Such a shame why MSR pulled it from the US market.

@ http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=6858

I am considering buying either a Hubba or a Hubba HP.
My camping trips are few and far between and happen when I can arrange them I can't say which season I'd be mainly hiking in. Preferentially it'd be shoulder or winter as I don't handle the heat well at all.
Is the Hubba HP too hot on, say, 20 degree nights in NSW?
I really like it over the Hubba for its weight and floor specs.

No idea about too hot.. but you can just pitch the fly with the footprint or just the tent without the fly..

Hubba HP too hot in 20C? ... Wouldn't think so. Pretty good ventilation. And while it is in the sun it should heat up less than many other tents coz the colour is fairly light ... I really like the colour & the way it feels inside ... bright & airy feel (to me anyway).

We used to have a Hubba Hubba (mesh inner) ... very good tent ... but definitely too drafty/cold in less than balmy conditions

Thanks, yeah, I think since I live in the Blue Mountains I will be in cooler temps anyway. I will keep an eye out for a standard Hubba inner though - it'd be awesome to be able to choose between inners and not pay twice for the fly and hardware! Maybe the supplier could hook me up...

I have the Hubba HP and it's an awesome tent.

I've never had any hint of trouble with the hubs and can attest to their strength.

In terms of packing the poles separate from the tent, I cannot foresee any issue here. I usually have the fly, poles, and footprint packed together (in case of a wet pitching) and the inner separate.

I like the space the inner affords. I'm an even 6'0" and still have room inside for essentials and comforts alike. The vestibule is big enough for even the biggest packs.

I have taken the Hubba to the High Country in winter and to the Flinders Rangers in summer. It's fine under snow falls (I took 15cm one night) and its not hot in summer. Their is no cross- ventilation, but the door opens plenty big enough.