Advice required on choice of 2/3 person lightweight tent

[willem jongman]

I would keep the msr and buy a Hilleberg Black Label tent. The msr is a US style inner first tent with a lot of mesh, i.e. a hot weather tent. Keep it for that. A Hilleberg or Helsport is a tent for nw European bad weather with hard winds and rain. With your kind of usage I would go for a Black Label tent. Choose a free standing one if you expect a lot of snow and or rocky terrain as at high altitudes. If not, go for a tunnel as these are more spacious and lighter.

[JackRabbitSlims]

I would keep the msr and buy a Hilleberg Black Label tent. The msr is a US style inner first tent with a lot of mesh, i.e. a hot weather tent. Keep it for that. A Hilleberg or Helsport is a tent for nw European bad weather with hard winds and rain. With your kind of usage I would go for a Black Label tent. Choose a free standing one if you expect a lot of snow and or rocky terrain as at high altitudes. If not, go for a tunnel as these are more spacious and lighter.

Hi willem - thanks for the reply.

The MSR has been used in cold temps quite effectively. When i arrived in the Netherlands last May and headed North, I was getting low single digit temps overnight. A good sleeping pad and bag are more important imho in dealing with the cold than the actual tent.

Yes, the MSR is great in the summer, but unfortunately, you still get rain in the summer in many locations and the wet weather is the main issue with my Hubba Hubba.....in particular the fly not being effective any more and touching the inner when wet.

Are there any other brands you could suggest that I look at at other than the Hille or Helsport?

I'm looking for a freestander for sure

Thanks again for your help!

[willem jongman]

Single digits is not necessessarily really cold, and of course there is an overlap zone. As for the MSR, Hilleberg recommend Nikwax Solar Proof to treat older silicon coated tents. Our Nammatj 3GT is getting on, and I now treat it once a year with the Nikwax product, with good effect. I guess it would help with your tent, even though sagging outers are to some extent inevitable. You will need to use the guylines, even with a new tent, if you want to avoid condensation in your inner, because that may well be what it is.
As for bombproof bad weather tents, I think Hilleberg and Helsport are the two premier brands.

[Vorpal]

I have two 2/3 person tents that I currently use. One is a Vango Spectre 300 (which is no longer made, but similar to the Banshee). The other is a Helsport.

The Vango, I bought it used off this forum & have been reasonably happy with it. We've never been wet in some pretty bad weather. We have had a little condensation a few times, which could be problematic with continuous wet weather. I have mainly used it camping with my kids (who are now 12 &9).

The Helsport is a two person tent (I think it's a Fjellheim, but I'm not sure about that). I love it. It weighs half as much, even though it's 2/3rds the size), it goes up more easily, and the fabric seems more durable. I would have said that the HelSport was not ventilated as well as the Vango, but we've never had any condensation in it. The poles are better, on the HelSport, too. We have a couple of slightly bent poles on the Vango, though they don't seem to affect the structure.

I have woken up cold a couple of times in the Vango. I have never woken up cold in the Helsport. It seems to hold body heat better. I've used both tents on pretty cold nights; well into single digits, though I don't know exact temperatures. I've not been camping in winter conditions in recent years.

The only disadvantage of the HelSport is that it is hotter on a warm summer day. I don't spend much time in it on a warm sunny day, so that doesn't bother me particularly. It could be a significant disadvantage to someone who likes to have lay-ins

If I were buying a new tent, I'd get another Helsport.

[pjclinch]

Are there any other brands you could suggest that I look at at other than the Hille or Helsport?

I'm looking for a freestander for sure

Not seen one in the flesh, but on paper at least the Robens Raptor ticks the boxes I like to see ticked.

[Keepingtheoldmanout]

Love my MSR Hubba Hubba 2person and I see it a lot on Bicycle tour insta.

Loads of room and dual entry, it also can be used on solid ground as no tent pegs are mandatory

[pjclinch]

Love my MSR Hubba Hubba 2person and I see it a lot on Bicycle tour insta.

Loads of room and dual entry, it also can be used on solid ground as no tent pegs are mandatory

Kind of... it's "self supporting" rather than "free standing" because the porches need pegging out to pitch it properly. You can sort of get by without doing that, but the material would just hang there like ill fitting curtains.

Pete.

[Sweep]

Love my MSR Hubba Hubba 2person and I see it a lot on Bicycle tour insta.

Loads of room and dual entry, it also can be used on solid ground as no tent pegs are mandatory

Kind of... it's "self supporting" rather than "free standing" because the porches need pegging out to pitch it properly. You can sort of get by without doing that, but the material would just hang there like ill fitting curtains.

Pete.

Yes my robens lodge 2 is like that. Not a complaint - it's an excellently designed tent.