Nemo Hornet 2P tent

I love so much tweaking my hiking gear, aiming to get the weight down, or improve the functionality. Mid-winter here in Western Australia, July 2016, but as Spring approaches, I will be off on another trek.

I have been fine-tuning my tent requirements. The pyramid type, held up by trekking poles, do not do it for me -- apart from the fact I don't use trekking poles, the fundamental shape, with sides sloping sharply inward, seems very inefficient.

I prefer some kind of dome shape, which means curved poles. Free-standing tents are obviously very convenient, which you get with the crossed-over dome design, not with tunnel-design.

There are various not-quite-dome and not-quite-freestanding designs, and I think that some of these are an excellent compromise.

I have just purchased a tent that hits the sweet spot for me. That ideal compromise. Freestanding (kind of), near-vertical walls near the floor (kind of), superb ventilation, dual-skin, excellent entry-exit options, good vestibules (two), lots of room inside, very fast erection, extreme light weight.

This tent is the Nemo Hornet 2P.

Why buy an exotic Cuben Fibre thing without dual skin, with inefficient pyramid shape, while striving for low weight, when the Hornet 2P has none of the limitations, is cheaper, and hardly weighs any more?


I purchased mine from campsaver.com in the US. Paddy Pallin is the exclusive Australian distributor, however they informed me, when I enquired in June, that it is sold out and no new stock until September. Here is their site:
http://www.paddypallin.com.au/nemo-hornet-2p-ultralight-tent.html

...note the AU$649.95 price. Club members get 10% off, and they have bi-annual sales with 20% off. So, I could perhaps get it at AU$520, if I was patient enough. However, campsaver.com had it on sale for US$295, and I used my USA address at myus.com. Ended up paying about AU$510.

If you are an Aussie, I recommend support your local stores. I would have done, if they hadn't been out of stock for such a long time.

Here is the manufacturer's page:
http://www.nemoequipment.com/product/?p=Hornet%202P

There are some reviews that have the first version of the Hornet 2P, which has a 7D fly (outer skin). I have the 2016 version, which has 10D fly. 10D is stronger than 7D, but still incredibly thin fabric.

But Nemo have gone through the entire tent design and reduced everything to the absolute minimum weight. It really is astounding. This is a two-person tent, and poles, fly and inner weigh just 898gm (measured by me) (31.7 ounces). Add six alloy stakes, with bag, at 91gm, and a carry bag at 27gm, brings it to a grand total of 1.016kg (35.86 ounces).

So far, I have only setup this tent in my lounge room. Just checking it out, how to erect, etc. The floor material is only 15D, and I have reservations about whether it will stand up to the rough ground in the Aussie bush. There is a footprint available, but I will probably use my tarp-poncho as a footprint.

Note that I specifically want a "2P" tent, as I want to place my backpack inside the tent. This tent would be very cramped for two people, but a palace for one person.

I will post a proper review after I have taken it out on a trek.

Youtube videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rdlcd9p6J38
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHdVqrUMuXY

Review:
http://sectionhiker.com/nemo-hornet-2p-ultralight-tent-review/

Review of first version (with 7D fly):
http://www.feedthehabit.com/outdoors/nemo-equipment-hornet-2p-tent-review/

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Comments

I bought a footprint for my Nemo Hornet 2P, from the local Paddy Pallin store in Perth, WA. It cost AU$62.

Weight: 186gm
bag: 16gm
Total: 202gm

It is heavy-duty 70D nylon:
http://www.paddypallin.com.au/nemo-hornet-2p-tent-footprint.html

http://bushwalk.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=63&t=23651

Tags: light