Can anybody assist me with tent selection?
Trying to decide between a Black Diamond Mesa 2man tent and a MSR Hubba Hubba 2man tent for 3 season hiking,the flysheet rating is 1500mm on the MSR,is this ok for the Drakensberg?
Also,are either of these tents big enough for two 6 foot tall adults?

Hi Charles,
Hiking in the Berg can bring 4 seasons in a day as we all know so choosing a 3 season tent could prejudice your activities.
I use a Hilleberg Nammatj 2, a 4 season tent weighing in at 2.8kg with all the poles & pegs. It is more than enough room for 2 large okes plus the vestibule will handle the packs as well.
Nice thing about Hilleberg is that the entire tents is pitched in one go, the inner and outer are attached so this speeds up the pitching time. Being a tunnel tent design, it will withstand fierce winds & rain and has excellent ventilation as well.

cheers Nigel

ok so you are willing to spend just over R5k on a tent, for the berg-great! but are comparing R5100 to a R3600 tent. for R5k i would rather get 4 season tent and be done with it: the BD Stormtrack would be a better buy then the Mesa or the Hubba Hubba 2 simply because it is 4 season, yes i know it weighs more (roughly 3kgs vs about 2kgs). you still get your 2 vestavule and 2 doors, but ur less likely to get flattened in a storm

regarding your comment about water coloumn, yes i hear you, but do you think reputable brands like MRS and BD are going to successfuly sell these tents all over the world if that was an issue? both spend loads of time and money getting these things right; both these models have been around a while here and internationally so if this was an issue they both would have resolved it.

do you own a 4 season tent?

Edited that "f" out, thanks for spotting it T

_________________
If you aren't willing to solve your own problems, how can you expect others to?

...from the horses mouth - BD is refutable
But I think Mountain Safety Research - AKA MSR - might refute the married-lady pro noun

Sorry Chalie I am not answering your actual question any better than the others...

Hey Charles,

There are so many variables when selecting a tent and it all really comes down to what you want to use it for.

A short answer. Between the MSR and Black Diamond I don't think it really matters, both are, as Warren said, reputable brands and I'm sure you will appreciate either one. Each will have their pro's and their cons.

To help you along your decision (and to confuse the matter further ) here are some things to take into account.

3 season tents: Generally double wall tents. The inner tent has a lot of mesh and is not waterproof and the outer flysheet is provides the waterproof shell. These tents breath easier and are generally lighter due to the mesh therefore good for backpacking or longer trips where the weather won't be too much of an issue.

4 season tents: Generally double or single wall tents. For double wall tents, the inner tent is usually constructed of a more solid material rather than mesh providing better protection from the elements but is less breathable and heavier. The amount of moisture a person breathes over night is enough to wet your sleeping bag and form a puddle on the floor if there is not enough ventilation, so this also needs to be taken into account. Some tents allow you to provide more ventilation by means of zipped flaps, etc although this adds to the weight. The outer flysheet once again provides the main waterproof shell. As 4 season tents are heavier, they may not rank that high for general backpacking but may be required in certain circumstances.

Single Wall tents: These are generally the more expensive tents. The material normally consists of 3 materials laminated together. The outer material is a nylon based shell, the middle is a membrane which keeps liquid out but allows gas (water vapor not the other kind) to escape and the inside is generally a sort of fuzzy material which helps deal with excess vapor.

I tend to agree with Warren here, the BD Stormtrack is slightly more than the Hubba Hubba. I would definitely consider getting that instead. Just give the poles and pegs to someone else to carry.

As for the length issue, 6ft is average height, I don't see why you shouldn't fit in any of the tents, the real question is how much gear do you want to fit in there with you?

Cheers,
Shaun

Awww, Wazza, its not nearly as much fun when you edit your post

@thomsonza correct me if I'm wrong, but I can't think of any DOUBLE WALL tent that is lighter than the equitable SINGLE skin tent?

Hi Charles

Well said Thomsonza They are both awesome brands
Another tent you should consider having a look at is the Mountain Hardware Hammerhead 2.
It is a 3 season tent however all the mesh on the inside can be zipped up in colder conditions although you always want a little open for moisutre.
The fly sheet rating is around 3000mm if im not mistaken.It is slightly heavy at 3.5kgs but it has mega room inside for your gear and 2 huge vestibules.It sells for around R3400?
I have used this tent in the Berg under heavy rain for a few days and stayed perfectly dry.
The only down side is it needs to be tied down with the guy ropes properly in strong wind because of its big shape. A lower profile tent such as the MsR or NF Tadpole (2.1kgs) will do better in strong wind but they are a lot less roomy,you will fit but no space for gear which is sometimes crucial for the Berg thieves.

Hey Charles, if you want to add to your confusion, here it comes:

I recently took an MSR Hubba Hubba on a hiking trip here in NZ. It's an awesome tent for a number of reasons: lightweight, very easy to pitch and has good vestibule space on the sides. But be warned, it is a 3 seasons tent, it can be very cool and airy due to the mesh inner and the fly not reaching the ground.

Somehow, in a state of delusion, I decided that spring in NZ was pleasantly warm, so I only took a skinny (<500g) sleeping bag. No prizes for guessing how I felt when the temperatures dropped below zero. Anyhow, after pitching the tent side-ways into the wind one evening it happily endured 40mm of rain over 8 hours with raging winds. I stayed 100% dry and amazingly the tent stayed in one piece. So, I can highly recommend it!

V

Hi All!

Thanks for the sound advise,4 season it is then