If you’re planning to solo trek, backcountry camp, or tent your way around the world solo, the MSR Hubba Solo Tent is so lightweight and compact, it’s practically an afterthought to throw in your pack.
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A stale $50 EMS gift card from last Christmas and EMS’ annual summer super savings sale (not sure what it’s really called) together priced the Hubba tent at around $140US out-of-pocket expense for me. Since I’d been eyeballing it for over a year, I decided now was the time.
The very first thing I noticed was the weight, or lack of it. The Hubba is incredibly light: all in – including the tent, fly, stakes and pole – it’s under three pounds. This thing weighs less than just the stakes for my old two-person tent. It also folds up so compactly that I can almost lose it in my pack.
Setup
I always fiddle with new gear in the comfort of my own home – learning all the clips, poles, loops, guy lines … everything about it – before taking it into the backcountry. Much to the chagrin of my gearhead side, there’s not much to fiddle with. The Hubba is so well made and so damned simple, it’s quite possible to set the entire thing up – with the fly – and tear it down in about six minutes. I initially thought that maybe I was doing something wrong. No, wait, it can’t be this simple. Alas, it is.
The all-in-one pole design means there’s literally one pole. Yes, one. Once removed from it’s protective sleeve, the entire pole practically assembled itself – snapping and clicking into place and requiring little to no help from me. You know those nifty collapsible walking sticks that blind folks use (think Al Pacino in Scent of a Woman – Hoo Ha!)? It’s like that. Take off the rubber band, throw it on the ground and watch it assemble itself via some David Copperfield-like voodoo magic.
Lastly, it’s quite versatile. Check out the photo above. Flashpacker minimalists will love the ability to go “tentless” with the MSR Hubba – throw the poles, stakes, and fly in your pack and you’ve got a two pound waterproof shelter for as long as you need it. Add the optional footprint to keep your sleeping bag dry, warm, and off wooded ground and you may consider cutting out early on your apartment’s lease.
Final Thoughts
All told, my first impressions of the MSR Hubba Solo Tent are love at first sight. If this tent were a woman, I think she may be Angelina Jolie (pre-anorexia of course). Lightweight, but not frail. A sexy sleek simplicity that seems entirely natural and without pretense, but you know there’s more complicated inner workings just beneath the surface.
Next up: Testing the MSR Hubba Solo Tent in the field. I’m hiking the Bondcliff Trail next week, so we’ll see how our fair Mrs. Jolie holds up.