MSR has produced a delight in the Hubba NX. At 1290g (1120g min) it definitely sits at the ultra lightweight end of the tent spectrum. For the gram-shaving fanatics (who presumably live in sandfly-free locations) you can team the separately available footprint up with just the fly for an even lighter shelter.

Often, any saving on weight is balanced against  strength so I was interested to see how it held up in a bit of weather. I used the tent in a howling wind on the Kapiti Coast in what was supposed to be summer and in Tongariro National Park, again in a gale but sheltered somewhat by alpine scrub. The tent handled it all well.

There’s decent spacing between the inner and the fly, and with the top third of the inner being mesh allowed for good airflow and no condensation. The designers have made a great use of space with a decent-sized side entry vestibule that my pack fitted in, a rectangular floor and a generous 90cm of headroom for sitting up. All up, thent offers 1.67m² of internal space and a 0.84m² vestibule).

The tent is well-constructed with waterproofed ripstop fabric on the fly, although personally I would want to take the tougher footprint to protect against punctures and leaks in the floor. Both poles and pegs are light and appear to be reasonably durable.

I liked the high viz guys making it easy to find the tent again by torch light.

The tent was easy to put up and I didn’t bother with the instructions. The only thing I didn’t like about the tent was the carry bag that opened long-ways and runs the risk of having bits fall out in transit if attached externally to your pack or bike.

I loved this little tent and even wanted to take it on a five-day hut-based tramp around Ruapehu ‘just in case’. It was a pleasure to carry and a pleasure to use.

– Beth Masser