If you are like me, you might peer into campsites as you paddle by, or ‘heart’ aerial photos of people’s gear load-outs on social media. In both cases, you’ve had a glimpse into what other people drag into the woods to protect themselves from the elements. Most likely then, you’ve seen MSR’s Hubba Hubba series of tents over the years and possibly noted that the overall design hasn’t changed much. What you wouldn’t have noticed however is the incremental tweaks MSR has made, continually trying to perfect their flagship tent over the years.

2022 kicked off a brand new generation of Hubba Hubba three-season tents, and we couldn’t wait to dive into what has changed since our Hubba Hubba NX which has been our mainstay camping shelter since 2014!

Hubba 2 on the left, Hubba Hubba NX on the right.

So what has changed? Right off the hop they have somehow managed to take a very light backpacking tent and shave off a few grams, reducing the weight from 1.54 kg to 1.47 kg. The packed dimensions are a few cm shorter this time around at 46 cm x 11 cm while still retaining that great well stitched pull-handle which makes it easy to pluck it out of your stuffed canoe pack. It’s a shame that it no longer has the ingenious stuff sack that opened along the length of it, but at least the new rectangular sack keeps everything a little more contained (the stuff sack tended to balloon out from the original dimensions).

Arrive at your campsite at dusk? No worries, the tent is quick to assemble (with or without your headlamp).

I’m glad the step-by-step tear-proof set-up instructions are still stitched to the inside of the stuff sack. No worries of losing them, having them blow away, or getting them wet and damaged… although once you’ve set up the tent you will have no troubles without them. Check out our video below at 2:16 to see how easy it is to set the tent up solo…

These composite poles are even lighter than the previous DAC Featherlite poles

Stake out the corners, and put together the interconnected Easton® Syclone™ poles and you will have an arching frame that will stand up to pretty much any prevailing wind. Clip the tent to your new symmetrical frame and you’re ready for a night outdoors.

There is a little more fabric this time around (Hubba 2 on left, Hubba Hubba NX on right), so stargazing might have to be done outside. In turn, it provides a little more privacy if you aren’t using the rainfly.

The same solid 20D ripstop nylon 1200mm DuraShield™ polyurethane & silicone rainfly is still here, which has never let me down in a rainstorm and once fully staked out, does not flap or cause noise in a windstorm.

It is always comforting to see the little reinforced patches where poles could come into contact with the fly and cause abrasion and extra stitching where there are guy points.

They chose an curious colour this time around, “Sahara” which is like a light tan, but I can see why. The previous light grey was easy to stain and get dirty after numerous trips, so hopefully this colour will be a little more resilient.

The malleable brace of the previous generation has been replaced with a tube to give it more rigidity and to ensure airflow. One end is sewn to the tent while the other attaches via velcro. The flap seamlessly keeps out rain.

I was sad to see the little airflow brace that holds open the vents at either end of the tent disappear from this model, until I noticed it was relocated to the top of the vestibule zipper. This is such a better location and while the Hubba Hubba series of tents have been great at moisture management, this will improve it even further.

There are only exactly the right amount of pegs to set the tent up (8), so if you loose one, you will have to drop by your local outdoors store for a replacement right away.

The new stakes held fast and with the redesigned ends, you can use one to help pull out another that the ground refuses to let go of.

The zippers are even tinier than the previous generation but still just as easy to zip with reflective string pulls attached to each of them (the guylines of the tent are also all reflective). I’ve yet to have them bind when zipping them open or close.

The zippers for the doors on the Hubba Hubba NX used to be a giant single “C” shape that would sometimes bind when trying to open them fully if the tent wasn’t completely taut. MSR has rectified this by making the doors close with two separate zippers.

The durable rectangular floor is Durashield-coated, has taped seams and fits two air mattresses side by side, however that leaves little room for extra gear. Thankfully the two vestibules offer room for everything else while still leaving some head/foot room. I’m 6’1” and can sit fully upwards and not brush my head off the ceiling. The floor itself is tub-style and rises up on all edges that it would take sitting in significant rain before I was worried about water seeping in over the top.

There are mesh pockets at the head and foot of the tent to store larger items and they also have tech-friendly cable pass-troughs so you can charge devices overnight and leave the heavier battery packs on the ground. Two smaller triangle pockets adorn the ceiling which work well for shining lights down at night. There are four loops along the ceiling as well and although I haven’t seen a ‘gear loft’ for sale, you could run some rope between them to air out damp clothing.

Every time I set this tent up I notice a new detail that MSR spent to make the tent slightly lighter while not sacrificing what makes a Hubba the kind of tent that you can depend on, trip after trip. When people ask me which tent I recommend for three-season tripping, my answer hasn’t changed in over eight years, and will continue to be the same. Check out the Hubba Hubba 1-person for solo camping, Hubba Hubba 2-person if you’re going with a friend or just want more room to stretch out, and the Hubba Hubba 3-person if going with a small family.

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