FIRST GLANCE
MSR sent this tent over via a friend in the States, and it joined us on a recent loop around Vermont as our back-up accommodation.
When the box first arrived at Joe’s, he messaged me: “Hey mate, your package has landed, but it looks too small and feels too light to be a tent.” Promising start.
I’ve been using an MSR Hubba Hubba for the past ten years — it’s been everywhere with me: the French Alps, Scotland, Australia, the US, Pakistan. The small pack size and solid fittings have never let me down. The two-person is perfect for sharing (we once squeezed in two people and a dog), and for solo trips it gives plenty of room to sprawl. I’ve never seen the point in shaving a few grams with the snug one-person version.
This new Bikepack edition takes the same proven design and reworks it for life on the road (or trail). The poles break down shorter so they’ll fit neatly between drop bars. The whole thing packs into a tidy, abrasion-resistant stuff sack. The handlebar mounts are especially nice — solid, simple to use, and they keep the load snug without rattling.
Another friend, also named Joe, once bought a suspiciously similar tent online — in his words, “so closely inspired by MSR they probably owe them a lawsuit.” His knock-off barely lasted a couple of trips.
So when MSR offered this one to try, we jumped at it. Expect to see it popping up in our books and on more trips in the months ahead.
First look by Theo Fellgett @fellgett
Available at MSR.
£510
