I know this is a old video, but boy I have to tell you that it was just so useful to me! Especially like the exact comparison of materials, lengths and weights. Well done, you got a new sub!
Great job Mike; thanks so much. Your reviews and comparisons are very detailed and specific and very much appreciated by a lot of people. Most especially that you take the time to weigh each and every item. Consider actually laying out the sleeping pad, sleeping bag, throw some gear inside the tents and vestibule and actually lie down and move around and we’ll get a sense of the spaciousness of the tent. Yes I understand that’s a bold request nevertheless I think it would make your videos go from Great to awesome! Really great job; thanks again.
Perfect video! Thank you. Been looking at the FreeLite 2 to possibly replace my Hubba Hubba NX to save some weight in my back country hunting trips. I’ve had my Hubba Hubba in some pretty nasty situations and it hasn’t let me down. This video tells me I don’t need to look at the FreeLite 2 anymore 😂 Thanks again!
Mike this is a super review and i loved it....practical and straight to the point....as a professional camera man i know that your footage is bleached out (over exposed) so it makes your face look to white and surroundings...this is not said in any form of unkindness....i want to share some knowledge with you to empower your work to enhance it...Im not sure if you filmed on a mobile or a dslr cam....my simple caring advice to you is shoot on say a panasonic gh4 or 5 (can be found cheap second hand on ebay) or a huwai pro 30 or a later iphone model....look at zhiyun crane phone or camera stabilzers.....they make awesome stabilizers now for mobile phones and dslr cams....your work is great i just want to see you better your image quality......I have a panasonic gh5s and gh4 and huawei p30 mobile phone....these are all great options for shooting........and whats awesome is zhiyun now make brilliant gimbles for mobile phones (which you can also mount on a tripod if need be)......please know i send this info in the kindest manner....your vid is great....i just would like you to shoot so you get the best image.....(the over exposure does not do you justice here)....your style is brill...the location sweet.....and thank you for this super comparison as at the mo im looking at buying a msr tent so your knowledge is gold dust......trust me on my advice...i simply want to empower your work to look even more pro....blessings from the other side of the pond uk.....Alex
Great review, very thorough. As of now, the nx is in the lead for me. I subscribed to your channel. Thanks for taking the time to show what you've learned!
Wow, You saved me! I was going freelite until you showed me how it 'technically' is not really free standing. So hubba it is. I sometimes like to set my tent up *inside* the shelter (free standing) so mice won't climb around on me during the night :) Very well done comparison and reviews!
If you hike with hiking poles anyway or annother stick it should be easy to use this to spread the corners and make the freelite selfstanding. Wind will be a problem anyway for both of these tents, but the freelite is more exposed without the full structure.
The nxr one person tent has a flat side which can catch the wind,mine blew away in menorca.make sure your not sideways to the wind.however this is not to condemn, I have used mine regularly ,with a foot print mods double side taped to bottom of inner tent/marker pen where the cross pole loops are on the outer side tent/pre match the guys length at home.
Great review. Thanks! I'd be helpful to maybe include an excel table of those comparison points you mentioned either within the doc or in a google doc or something
Weight of tents? With ALL necessary guys and pegs, and footprints? The main selling point of these tents is their lightweight? This weight is not the advertised weight that MSR provide at sales point. Main thing I hate with a tent is tendency to cause condensation. How are these tents regarding condensation. I see that both your tents there, appear brand new? Have you used them in extreme weather conditions? Have you cooked in them? I am not sure what your review has told me?
I gave the weight of the tents with the tent body, rain fly and the poles as these items are the constant for the user. Everything else is up to the user on what you want to bring. I use a piece of Tyvec for the foot print but maybe you use the footprint from MSR. I use the MSR Carbon Core Stakes instead of the stakes that come with it. I don't use the guy lines unless I plan on an exposed camp where I may need them. Neither of these tents are brand new I just take care of my equipment. I have tents that are over 10 years old that would look new in a video. I have used them in all types of conditions. Leftovers from a hurricane is the Appalachians may be considered extreme but no I have not used them at Everest Base camp. Why are we cooking in our tents? Do you hike in Bear Country? I'm sorry you didn't find the video usefull. I look forward to your video review of these tents. HAPPY TRAILS.
Got the Freelite 1 on sale for 275$ after looking at your first video off it 👍 going to test it out on biketouring next summer. Pretty light I think, but will you recommand a footprint when using the tent? Thanks
Her Lars, Thank you for watching and I hope you like the tent. It has been good to me. I do recommend using a ground sheet of some type with the Freelite. I use a piece of Tyvec that is cut smaller than the footprint of the tent. I cut is so its about 1" under from the edge. If it sticks out the sites at all it will catch the rain as it drips down the walls of the tent and collect under the tent floor. Enjoy the tent and HAPPY TRAILS. Mike
Yes MSR makes a footprint for the tent. It has grommets for the poles to hook into so you can set it up in up without the tent body, also known as the Fast and Light option. It also makes it so the footprint always stays under the tent where it belongs and not hanging out collection rain water. An excellent option to help protect the floor of the tent. HAPPY TRAILS Mike
It all depends on how hard you are on your gear and what surfaces you are pitching the tent on. The Freelite uses has a lighter material so I would use a ground sheet all the time and the Hubba would depend on where I was camping. I recommend using a piece of tyvec as a ground sheet. You can also use a piece of painters plastic. There are many different thicknesses of plastic. The thicker the plastic the more protection you get but its also heavier and bulkier.
Hey Mike, does the Hubba NX feel small inside as far as the width goes? Like if one had broad shoulders would they feel a bit squished? 30” doesn't doesn't seem like too much space. Would love any insight you can provide. Thank you.
Hey Tuba Solo the Hiker! The Hubba HX does not feel small to me and I'm about 5'9" and 180 lbs. I do know it feels cramped for some folks that are larger than I am or for someone that has a lot of gear they like to spread out. It does not give you much space to spread out inside the tent but I also don't make it a habit of hanging out in the tent. When I get in the tent, it's bed time and when I get up I get moving after i eat and pack up.
WATCH MIKE HIKE Hey Mike, I certainly can relate about the tent being only for sleeping. That's pretty much the deal with me too. Your insight is very helpful. Thank you!
Tuba Solo the Hiker id like to add that I am 5'10" 242 pounds. im a big guy and i have lots of shoulder room in this tent. its amazingly light and i love love love this tent!
Im going to buy one but I havent decide which one yet. This video is really good to have an idea. By the way which one would you recommend? Seems like the Hubba is better.
Thank you for watching Watch Mike Hike. I really believe the Hubba is one of the best all around tents on the market. The usable living space, ease of set up and overall quality of the material and craftsmanship. I feel the durability, extra space and true freestanding feature make the Hubba NX the winner out of these two. I would take that 5oz weight penalty and go with the Hubba NX. Happy Trails! Mike
They are two very different tent with different intended uses. The BD Firstlight is more of a winter/ mountaineering tent that I would not recommend for anything but. Its a single wall tent so you will have condensation on the inside walls. There is no vestibule but there is an option for one. They fly material is only water resistant and not water proof. Intended to be used in cold dry snow. I would stay away for the Firstlight unless you are winter only.
Thank you! These information is really helpful. I want to do some hiking/camping in Iceland in the summer, and then Australia and USA. So the Hubba might be better for that.
The Hubba would be a great tent for those locations. I was in Iceland last year and it is a very diverse and beautiful place. Enjoy your travels and I'm confident you will be happy with the Hubba NX.
I prefer the Hubba NX for the extra durability in the fabrics, extra living space and the more stable freestanding structure. It's worth the extra 5 oz. to me. If I'm cutting ounces I will use my Sierra Designs Flashlight 1 or the Nemo Hornet 1.
The D is the Denier of the fabric. There is a very technical explanation of what the Denier is but simply put, it is a relationship of the weight of a 9000 meter length of a thread that is used to make a fabric. Higher numbers are a thicker thread and a heavier weight. Just think of a higher number as generally thicker and heavier fabric. I hope that helps. Thanks for watching.
Both these tents are a waste of time in the ultra light backpacking world . And the lighter hubba in this video is a real bad idea ! The Zeepacks Duplex answers all questions posed here , and the Zeepacks Duplex of a slightly heavier weave adding about one ounce of weight more than the regular Zeepacks Duplex , is also a consideration .
