Cycling-specific features take this popular Hubba Hubba up a notch with the rider’s desires in mind.
Seattle-based Mountain Safety Research (MSR) has released its newest tent, the Hubba Hubba Bikepack, for the upcoming season. Made for those who love to adventure on two wheels, the new Hubba Hubba Bikepacking tent series builds on the success of the award-winning Hubba Hubba and adds cycle-specific touches.
Some of the cycling-specific features include:
- Waterproof Handlebar Bag: The streamlined tent bag is seam-taped and waterproof, designed to attach seamlessly to flat or drop bars. The handlebar stuff sack integrates with nearly any handlebar shape without taking up valuable space.
- Handlebar Spacers: Removable spacers’ float’ the bag away from handlebars to free up real estate for hands or accessories, and a headtube bungee keeps things stable off-road.
- Shorter segment poles for easier packing on a bike.
- Oversized gear lofts at the very top of the tent.
- Oversized storage pockets – Situated at both ends of the tent.
- Interior and exterior clotheslines make drying out sweaty or rain-drenched gear easy.
“As we’ve seen the rapid growth of bikepacking in recent years, we are very excited to introduce our first ever cycling-specific tent for this growing sport,” said Kyle Thackray, product line manager for MSR Tents, Winter & Poles. “What’s great about this tent is that it takes the legendary Hubba Hubba design, which provides a perfect blend of weight, durability, and livable space, and adds cycling-specific features like shorter pole segments, increased vestibule space, and a highly functional waterproof handlebar bag. As a long-time bikepacker myself, I am very excited to bring this product to market.”
This new, incredibly packable tent has been meticulously designed with thoughtful features that all cyclists will appreciate. The tent features a handlebar stuff sack that integrates seamlessly with nearly any handlebar shape without taking up valuable bar space, handlebar spacers to keep the bag steady and out of the way, and shorter segment poles (DAC NSL 8.5mm) to fit between drops or in small spaces.
In terms of the tent itself, its true rectangular floor, which MSR is known for, provides exceptional living space, with extra headroom and large vestibules for cycling gear. Oversized gear lofts, plus interior and exterior clotheslines, make it easy to dry out sweaty or rain-drenched gear. Finally, its oversized storage pockets and strong construction made up of DAC poles, as well as DuraShieldTM-coated fly and floors, make this tent the best in class.
First Impressions
The tent was pretty simple to set up. You laid the main tent body flat on the ground, staked out the corners, and then put all the main poles together into a stretched-out X pattern over the top of the tent. Next, insert each pole end into the proper tent stake loop grommets so the poles are now freestanding. Loop each tent’s plastic clips onto the poles until the tent is erected. Lastly, place the short crossbar perpendicular to the top of the tent and insert it into its upper grommets.
If desired, the fly is easy to toss over the top of the top; insert the fly’s grommets onto the crossbars pole ends, and snap the four corners of the fly onto the tent’s stake loop grommets. Finally, stake out the fly’s verstible.
The doors to the fly are easy to zip open, and they stay secured closed with velcro to seal things tight in a storm. The main tent has zippers that open along half the side, making it easy to get in and out of the tent, and they didn’t seem to snag while using. The end gear pockets are spacious, while the upper gear loft will be helpful for smaller items. The nifty upper clothesline system should be handy for drying sweaty or wet gear.
The rectangular floor design is very functional for air mattresses, and the headroom and internal shape offer some spaciousness; this won’t be a claustrophobic tent, making for a nice place to hang out in a storm.
The waterproof handlebar bag is functional, streamlined, and fits on mountain bike handlebars. The rubber removable spacers float the bag away from the handlebars, and the spacer straps can be snugged down for a secure hold. The headtube bungee is a bit finicky to get fitted, but it keeps the bags from bouncing around on the trail once on. You can remove the bag and carry it to your camp with its convenient holding strap, but removing the tent, sliding out the poles, and leaving the bag attached to the handlebars was easy.
I look forward to some full-on bikepacking trips this summer to test the Hubba Hubba Bikepack tent.
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The Hubba Hubba Bikepack tent series will be available in 1-person and 2-person options:
- Minimum Weight: 2 lb 1 oz
- Floor & Vestibule Area: 18 + 9 square feet
- Interior Peak Height: 38 inches
- Price: $499.95 USD
- Minimum Weight: 3 lb 1 oz
- Measured weight: 3 lb 10 oz, Stuff sacks, tent, fly, stakes, clothesline
- Floor & Vestibule Area: 29 + 17.5 square feet
- Interior Peak Height: 42 inches
- Price: $579.95
For more information about MSR, please visit: msrgear.com
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