The newly launched Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 tent enters the ultralight enviornment with the promise to maximise weight financial savings with out compromising performance. It’s the primary semi-freestanding providing from HMG, an organization higher identified for minimalist, trekking pole shelter designs.
I examined the CrossPeak 2 in various situations to see if this single-wall, two-person shelter really lives as much as its ultralight hype and whether or not its revolutionary options — and a few peculiar design decisions — make it stand out above the competitors.
Hyperlight Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 At a Look
The tent provides fairly incredible headroom, for an ultralight shelter.
Capability: 1-2 Particular person
Weight: 34 oz complete: 12.8 oz poles, 21.2 oz tent
Materials:DCF5, DCF10, No-See-Um Mesh
Dimensions: 48″ (at head) / 45″ (at toes) x 88″
Worth: $950
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Supposed Use
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 Tent is a single-wall, semi-freestanding designed for everybody from the dedicated ultralight backpacker to the in a single day weekend warrior seeking to cut back pack weight. Its strong Dyneema Composite Material (DCF) development provides wonderful climate safety for its weight, making it appropriate for three-season situations.
It’s constructed for many who perceive the nuances of single-wall shelters and are prepared to embrace a extra compact residing area for the last word advantage of a lighter pack.
Circumstances of Evaluate
I put the HMG CrossPeak 2 by its paces on two very totally different multi-day backpacking journeys: one weekend within the early spring rain of New Hampshire’s White Mountains and one weekend in the summertime warmth and humidity of the Hawaiian jungle.
Within the White Mountains, I used to be in a position to absolutely take a look at the tent’s waterproofness and condensation administration in a cool and damp setting. In Hawaii, the main target shifted to air flow, temperature management, and the way the single-wall design dealt with excessive humidity in hotter temperatures.
HMG CrossPeak 2 Options
Single-Wall Building: This design minimizes material layers, considerably lowering the tent’s weight and packed quantity. It depends on the inherent waterproofness of DCF for cover, offering a very minimalist, freestanding shelter resolution.
Twin Backside-Zipping Doorways: Each facet doorways zip from the underside upwards. This design ensures that when the doorways are opened, they cling down, stopping the material from dragging on the bottom and accumulating grime, mud, or particles. This helps hold the tent’s inside cleaner and prolongs the material’s life.
Magnetic Door Holders: The built-in magnetic closures for holding the doorways open are straightforward and extremely handy. They provide a hassle-free various to conventional toggles and loops, one thing that I’m comfortable to see changing into extra of the norm in tent design.
Intentional Materials Placement: HMG makes use of totally different weights of DCF for numerous components of the tent (e.g., 0.55 oz/sqyd for the cover, 1 oz/sqyd for the ground), leveraging the fabric’s distinctive strength-to-weight ratio whereas working to maximise sturdiness.
Inner Gear Pockets: Small mesh pockets are included on both sides to assist manage necessities and hold them off the ground.
Minimalist Pole Construction: The tent depends on three indifferent aluminum poles for its semi-freestanding (that you must stake out the vestibules if you wish to use them) construction, contributing to its low weight.
Utilization
At a look, this all sounds nice, however lets get into how straightforward the tent was to make use of, carry, and retailer.
Packability
The CrossPeak 2 excels in packability. It compresses all the way down to an extremely small quantity and suits simply on the base of my pack. Its low weight was noticeable throughout my hikes — and by that I imply I hardly seen the tent in any respect.
The design of the stuff sack is nearly equally extensive as it’s tall, so this tent won’t match within the facet pockets of some packs which have a devoted tent pocket. Nonetheless, it’ll simply slot in the primary pocket of even a 15L daypack.
Setup
That is the place the CrossPeak 2 presents a notable studying curve and a few frustration. Not like most tents that use clips to connect the tent physique to the poles, the HMG CrossPeak 2 requires you to slide the poles by steady material sheaths.
This course of feels surprisingly delicate; the material of the sheath, whereas marketed as sturdy, feels very skinny and vulnerable to wreck if not dealt with with excessive care. Possibly this can be a false impression, however it does make the method a bit nerve-wracking and sluggish.
The largest problem comes throughout takedown: when trying to drag the pole out of the sheath, the person pole sections simply disconnect, getting caught inside the material sleeve. A number of occasions, I needed to fumble with the tent to push the sections again collectively or fish them out, making each setup and takedown extra time-consuming and tedious than they need to be.
A normal clip system, the place the tent physique clips onto the outside of the poles, would actually enhance the person expertise, in my view.
The material sleeves in query. The 2 lengthy poles slot by a cloth sleeve that runs from the bottom to the highest of the tent.
That mentioned, I’ve arrange and brought down this tent a grand complete of 4 occasions. For all I do know, I’m doing one thing flawed or am just too early within the studying curve course of to completely admire HMG’s innovation.
Liveability
HMG advertises the CrossPeak 2 as a 1-2 individual tent, and I’d say that’s fairly correct. For in a single day journeys, my associate and I are in a position to simply share the area, although the ground doesn’t comfortably match two extensive sleeping pads side-by-side. Nonetheless, there’s a shocking quantity of headroom when sitting up, and loads of area for each our gear if we selected to stake out the vestibules.
We did discover that staking out the underside of the tent helped stretch the usable room to suit our two pads.
For a solo backpacker, the CrossPeak 2 transforms right into a deluxe house within the mountains. It’s spacious, has two doorways and two vestibules, and is gentle sufficient to not be too fussed about your incapability to separate the load of the poles and tent physique over two individuals’s packs.
HMG CrossPeak 2 Professionals
Extraordinarily Light-weight: That is its main promoting level, providing vital weight financial savings for these searching for a two-person (or 1-2 individual) freestanding tent.
Glorious Packability: Compresses to a really small dimension, liberating up backpack area.
Sturdy, Waterproof DCF: Offers dependable safety in opposition to rain and wind.
Good Door Design: Backside-zipping doorways hold material clear and out of the grime with handy, magnetic door holders.
The tent additionally has a built-in bathtub ground.
Good Headroom: Comfy for sitting up inside, with sufficient area to maneuver round, stretch, and alter garments.
Good Air flow: Even within the rain of New Hampshire and the humidity of Hawaii, we seen no condensation on the tent within the morning. Whereas there’s the choice to stake out the vestibules, we largely opted to maintain each doorways open to encourage airflow by the tent. I’m certain this had one thing to do with the dry inside!
HMG CrossPeak 2 Cons
Very Costly: This tent is sort of a thousand {dollars}; there’s no method to write a assessment with out mentioning that. Solely you’ll be able to resolve if that’s well worth the very giant price ticket.
Difficult Pole Setup/Takedown: The material pole sleeves are fiddly, really feel fragile, and steadily trigger pole sections to disconnect, making setup and takedown irritating.
Tight for Two Huge Pads: Doesn’t comfortably accommodate two extensive sleeping pads side-by-side, limiting consolation for 2 individuals. In equity, these dimensions are typical for an ultralight tent, however I’ve just lately been spoiled by roomier footprints.
Would I Suggest It?
Sure, however with vital caveats. I’d advocate the Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 tent for ultralight solo backpackers who prioritize weight and area financial savings however nonetheless need one thing freestanding — offered they’re prepared to pay a premium for top-tier supplies. For one individual, it provides a surprisingly spacious and extremely gentle shelter good for prolonged journeys.
Nonetheless, for these searching for a real two-person consolation expertise, or for backpackers on a price range, it’s a more durable promote. The troublesome pole setup is a notable downside that impacts the person expertise, and like many UL tents, the interior dimensions are just too tight for 2 extensive sleeping pads.
These looking for extra residing area for 2 individuals or a hassle-free pitching expertise may contemplate alternate options. But when chopping each potential ounce whereas sustaining the consolation of a freestanding tent is your mission and also you’re ready to spend money on a minimalist shelter, the CrossPeak 2 is an simple contender, particularly for solo adventures.
One other view on the material sheath wherein you slide the poles. The orange ties offer you loads of areas to connect pointers in sturdy wind or worse climate.
Store the HMG CrossPeak 2
Comparable Merchandise
Zpacks Free Zip 2
MSRP: $899
Weight: 31.6 oz
Tarptent Double Rainbow Li
MSRP: $799
Weight: 28 oz
Large Agnes Tiger Wall 2 Platinum
MSRP: $649.95
Weight: 36 oz
The HMG CrossPeak 2 was donated for function of assessment
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