The new MSR Hubba Hubba LT 1 is an open double wall single person tent with side door and vestibule. It has a single DAC Featherlite aluminum pole with multiple hubs that fit into simple metal brackets in the corners of the tent and is very easy to set up. Ducts at both ends of the tent provide good ventilation, while the height of the gear and storage pockets provide storage and organization. The comfort of the tent’s interior is immediately apparent, especially the truly rectangular and uncompressed floor plan (32″ wide), which can accommodate a spacious sleeping area with room to spare.
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- Type: Double-Wall Tent
- Design: Freestanding
- Minimum Weight (minus stakes and bags): 2 lbs 6 oz
- Capacity: 1 person
- Doors/Vestibules: 1
- Fly: 20D solution-dyed ripstop nylon with PeU coating
- Metal material: Aluminum
- Dimensions: 88L” x 32W” x 39H”
- Seam-Taped: Yes
- Foot included: No
Bucking industry trends, the new MSR Hubba Hubba LT 1 is nearly 4 ounces lighter than its predecessor. It’s also several inches longer and wider, has more headroom than the previous model, and now comes with aluminum poles instead of the composite (carbon fiber) poles of the previous iteration. With a minimum tent weight of 2 lbs 6 oz, it’s still a lightweight tent and perfectly suitable for single-packing, but MSR has clearly prioritized comfort and volume improvements over weight reduction in this new model.
Functionally, the Hubba Hubba LT 1 is a freestanding double-walled tent that pitches the inner tent first. The top of the inner tent is all mesh, while the bottom is a tough but breathable fabric that helps prevent blowing debris or snow from entering the inner chamber. The fly pulls over the aluminum poles on this model and fits into the same hardware corner as the inner tent. There are also webbing straps and toggles under the fly that you can hold onto the poles if you like, especially in windy weather.
The interior of the tent is quite spacious, with a rectangular floor plan rather than the pointed floor of many comparable tents. At 88″ long, 32″ wide, and 39″ high, it’s easy to change your clothes or fit an extra-large sleeping pad in the tent, in addition to your other gear. There are mesh pockets at the ends of the tent, positioned at the bottom to prevent glasses or electronics from crashing, while a gear height and ceiling clothesline help you stay organized and dry wet socks. The side door also provides easy access to the vestibule of the tent to store large and bulky items like your backpack.
The fly has two kick slots at the end and a rain gutter over the front door to prevent rain from dripping onto you if the fly is wet or raining. The front zipper opens at an angle and is bi-directional so you can open the top for ventilation while keeping the bottom closed.
The Hubba Hubba LT 1 has cable-based exit points and tensioner-locs on the front door and rear wall panel. Although it does come with MSR Mini-Groundhog Stakes, I find it less convenient than the attached stakes MSR used to include with their tents, but no longer do. Paria Outdoor sells similar threaded needle poles, and I would recommend them instead.
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Recommendation
The MSR Hubba Hubba LT 1 is a comfortable, highly reliable, double-walled freestanding tent that is easy to set up. Weighing in at 2 lbs 6 oz, it’s lightweight enough to pack, and its freestanding design makes it easy to set up anywhere from a sandy beach or wooden tent pitch to a rocky ledge. I really like the new muted colors used on the fly and the inner tent and I think it’s a nice improvement from the bright red of the previous model. While the Hubba Hubba LT 1 isn’t the lightest freestanding wall tent available today, it’s a solid value from a solid company and readily available in stock at most retailers. Priced at $470, I would wait for a 20-25% sale to buy it.
Disclosure: MSR provided the tent for review.
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