More and more people are jumping on the floorless shelter band wagon. Especially ultralight gear geeks and mountain hunters who appreciate the weight saving benefits more than the average backpacker or hiker. You would think that not having a floor would be pain, but I promise you it does have has it’s advantages… no more worrying about tearing your floor on rocks, sticks etc…. No more having to remove your footwear because you don’t want to get your delicate floor dirty, and now your soaking wet smelly dog can join you inside your shelter without worry about claws puncturing the floor and getting your tent messy. And it allows you to safely cook inside your shelter. Of course the biggest benefit is the weight savings. For example the Mountain Hardwear Hoopla weighs just over 2lbs with extra stakes and guy lines… incredibly light and has enough room to sleep 3 people. No not 4 people Mountain Hardwear. The 4 people you see in the diagram below are clearly children and not full grown dudes. With 2 people you have enough room to keep your gear inside and have plenty of room to move around, and cook inside as well. The Hoopla is pitched with a single 135cm trekking pole and set up is by far the easiest single pole pyramid style shelter to set up that I have ever seen or tried. I literally watched a guy set one up on youtube then went into my backyard and pitched it perfectly the 1st time. Awesome job MH… My biggest complaint about pyramid tents in the past was the difficult and painfull set up times. The single hoop pole is compact and takes up no room when packed up. The idea behind it is to allow for increased usable space, especially at head level, by keeping the walls more vertical. It also increases the strength of the shelter making it more rigid. Another thing that I absolutely loved about the Hoopla is that it goes back into it’s stuff sack effortlessly. I can’t stand trying to fit tents back into the factory stuff sacks that are too small and you are forced to fight with it every time you pack it up.
|
 |
As I type this I am trying not to sound like some Mountain Hardwear groupie and come up with some cons or anything negative at all about the Hoopla 4. I suppose that I could complain about having to seam seal around the hoop sleave, which was a pain in the ass, but almost all tents need sealing before use. Maybe after the season I will come up with something….
In conclusion:
The easy set up, the brilliant hoop or trussring support system, the wee room it takes up in your pack, and the ultralight materials used really sets the Mountain Hardwear Hoopla 4 apart from all the competition imo. Nice work Mountain Hardwear. www.mountainhardwear.ca
Connect With Us!