Cycling UK Forum

Hmmm, I've just gone and looked at the 2 person Hubba Hubba... less than 2kilos... lots of space... Cycling UK 15% off at Cotswold Outdoor... I may not have totally made my mind up!
(Also I'm enjoying this discussion!)

It was my fault for camping in the location I did that night. I think the Hubba Hubba would have been worse due to the fly not reaching the ground. But it all depends where and when you will use it.
I camped last night in the hammock. No need for a tarp and can find a pitch in minutes as long as there's trees.

andrew_s wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 7:50pm

PH wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 4:18pmI can have the fly over the inner in less than half a minute and any rain the DWP coating doesn't see off is quickly wiped away. If it's raining I can't get into a tent without bringing more wetness than that inside with me.

Can you still get the fly over the inner in 30 sec when there's 30 mph wind and it's flailing about?

No.
That would take 40 sec
Really I don't know, I can only repeat that in fifteen years of use it's never been an issue.
I do recall waiting a storm out in the public toilets by some Hebrides beach (Barra maybe) it was a bit cramped because the Hilleberg users had got there first.

nick12 wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 8:42pm I think the Hubba Hubba would have been worse due to the fly not reaching the ground.

Not the first time this has been pointed out, but worth repeating - This is a major difference between tents designed for the US market and the European one, the former prioritises ventilation over wet weather protection (More mesh, higher fly... ) and the latter the other way round.

I'm writing this in my Hubba Hubba NX 2 man tent, at Achnasheen Scotland. Second night of 4. Broken strut replace free and quickly. Caused by my hasty inexperienced assembly last month. I asked for 1 and received X3!
No other issues with the tent. Quick to put up.
Perhaps in winter I'd like something a little less breezy but fine for mild/ warm weather.
( Previous comments noted)

I prefer my big agnes copper spur bike packing 1 man to my Hubba Hubba nx 2 man. It might be worth looking at the copper spur if you’re considering a Hubba Hubba as they have a lot in common. Both involve some compromises in order to achieve the lightweight and small size.

If nothing else I now have a tent that easily fits inside my pannier instead of in the back rack due to pole length. Other than that although the designs are similar I slightly prefer some of the copper spur features and it’s quicker to erect.

Edit- I got a great price on mine delivered from Germany a couple of years ago- COVID and Brexit may make that price more difficult now.

PH wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 9:22pm

nick12 wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 8:42pm I think the Hubba Hubba would have been worse due to the fly not reaching the ground.

Not the first time this has been pointed out, but worth repeating - This is a major difference between tents designed for the US market and the European one, the former prioritises ventilation over wet weather protection (More mesh, higher fly... ) and the latter the other way round.

This is indeed the case... but further note that lightweight tents are more generally designed with the user on foot in mind (bigger market), and in Europe that tends to mean designed for pretty exposed spots on mountains, and all through the year. So when we're talking about "wet weather protection" it's more in terms of horizontal sleet while camped miles from anywhere with hypothermia the price of getting it wrong. That's less applicable to most cycle camping.

Pete.

pjclinch wrote: ↑20 Jul 2021, 8:07am

PH wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 9:22pm

nick12 wrote: ↑18 Jul 2021, 8:42pm I think the Hubba Hubba would have been worse due to the fly not reaching the ground.

Not the first time this has been pointed out, but worth repeating - This is a major difference between tents designed for the US market and the European one, the former prioritises ventilation over wet weather protection (More mesh, higher fly... ) and the latter the other way round.

This is indeed the case... but further note that lightweight tents are more generally designed with the user on foot in mind (bigger market), and in Europe that tends to mean designed for pretty exposed spots on mountains, and all through the year. So when we're talking about "wet weather protection" it's more in terms of horizontal sleet while camped miles from anywhere with hypothermia the price of getting it wrong. That's less applicable to most cycle camping.

Pete.

Agreed- in fact the US style tents are pretty perfect for most of my camping which is essentially warm weather in Europe these days. I’m not quite cycling for softies yet but it’s probably round the corner.

Have you considered a Luxe Peak tent.? I have the hexpeak V4A and it’s excellent. I did a mini review and a small tour recently:

viewtopic.php?p=1616020#p1616020

viewtopic.php?f=42&t=145619

My son has the mini peak and has done several tours with it. Both are very tough, spacious, relatively light and have masses of space!

Hubba Hubba NX

Fabric:
Flysheet: 20D Nylon ripstop with Durashield coating (1200mm HH)
Groundsheet: 30D Nylon ripstop

That’s a 1 season tent - dry season and “please God I hope this wind lets up”. Pitch on wet cold ground and you’ll think it’s leaking. It’s not (yet), it’s the condensation seeping through under your mat. Think puddles. Clearly the tent needs the footprint (pay up) which I believe is 70denier 2000mm HH. The bare minimum 1200mm HH fly will induce prayers in a sustained heavy downpour. Fabrics and coatings deteriorate over time with use and exposure. There’s very little room for deterioration in that tent.

nsew wrote: ↑22 Jul 2021, 10:14am Hubba Hubba NX

Fabric:
Flysheet: 20D Nylon ripstop with Durashield coating (1200mm HH)
Groundsheet: 30D Nylon ripstop

That’s a 1 season tent - dry season and “please God I hope this wind lets up”. Pitch on wet cold ground and you’ll think it’s leaking. It’s not (yet), it’s the condensation seeping through under your mat. Think puddles. Clearly the tent needs the footprint (pay up) which I believe is 70denier 2000mm HH. The bare minimum 1200mm HH fly will induce prayers in a sustained heavy downpour. Fabrics and coatings deteriorate over time with use and exposure. There’s very little room for deterioration in that tent.

We have the older, and actually chunkier, HP model of the Hubba Hubba, and what I dislike most is the too-thin-for-my-liking groundsheet, which behaves exactly as above on boggy ground (sometimes inevitable in Scotland, our usual stomping ground).

It's not a bad design, but IME suffers if the campsite isn't fairly benign. According to one's taste in touring, benign may be the general case, but where our use doubles with mountain backpacking in potentially damp places I'm not thrilled with it.

Pete.

This guy’s just passed as a Mountain Leader, was expecting poor weather and is surprised the wind blew one of two directions in a valley.

https://youtu.be/HGTa88ujTok 7.40min

This guy has a career in comedy waiting

https://youtu.be/HL_SHc397Lg 3.30min

This guy slept for an hour and can’t recommend the tent highly enough.

https://youtu.be/AesHJNxhuKE 9.00min

It’s revealing that one hour sleep guy tentatively wishes he’d brought his Wild Country Helm 2 mentioned earlier in the thread. A tent that’s almost a third of the price of the Hubba Hubba NX. Two crossed poles and 4000mm HH floor & fly makes for a stable and reliable tent in poor weather. It’s better to have and not need than to need and not have.