If you are looking for a lightweight, durable (not an oxymoron) 3 person backpacking tent, look no further than the MSR Mutha Hubba NX3 tent.
MSR Mutha Hubba NX3 Tent Features:
- Optimized symmetrical geometry and non-tapered floor
- Large, easy-entry D-shaped StayDry™ door and vestibule
- Side entry zipper orientation
- Rainfly kickstand vent
- Adjustable rainfly (roll-up vestibule & stargazer view)
- Light gray rainfly color (neutral light)
- Adjustable integrated stake-out loops
- Lightweight reflective guy-outs
- Durable high-tenacity nylon fabrics
- Reinforced Infinity bar tacks and lap-felled seams
- Durashield™-coated rainfly and bathtub-style floor
- Compression stuff sack with pull handle
- Weight: Packed: 5 lbs. Minimum: 4 lbs 9 oz
- MSRP: $499.99
Mutha Hubba Offers Quick Setup and Ample Space
The MSR Mutha Hubba NX3 tent was redesigned for 2016 to provide a better floor plan and space. I haven’t had a chance to use the older model so I can’t compare the two but what I can say is that it was quite “livable”.
The floor plan is wide enough that with 3 full-sized pads side by side there was plenty of room without feeling squeezed for claustrophobic. At 6′ tall I was able to fully stretch out with some space around my head an feet. I was also able to fully sit up within the tent without dusting the ceiling with my head.
Setup was fairly straight forward. I watched the set up video first, read the instructions, and then set it up in the yard. Doing it myself it didn’t take “too long”. I should have timed it to know for sure. The first time in the field was after dark, by headlamp, and feeling the pressure of two kids who were tired, cold, and ready to get in their sleeping bags. Even under those conditions setup went fairly quickly. There are plenty of adjustments to get a taut pitch and plenty of guyout points to keep the tent from flapping.
Plenty of mesh and a couple of kickstand vents kept condensation almost non-existent. I’ll qualify that statement with on this particular trip we were at 11k feet next to couple of lakes during a big dry spell. There wasn’t a lot of humidity in the air.
My favorite features are usually the little things: the stake loops are extremely adjustable, the vestibules were large enough for 3 packs and boots with room to spare, lantern clip, and guylines lines already tied to the tent topped my list.
There are three set up options, full tent with fly, tent without fly, and the “fast & light” mode, with or without the footprint, with just poles and the fly. I haven’t had a chance to test out the fast & light options yet.
The Mutha Hubba NX3 is quick and easy to break down. When packed it is slightly larger than a 3/4 length Z-Rest pad.
The Good
- Quick to set up
- Plenty of room without feeling crammed
- Lightweight for it’s class
- Good set of “little” features
The Bad
- Getting between the tent and fly to secure the fly to the poles is an awkward squeeze
Bottom Line: MSR Mutha Hubba NX3 Tent
The MSR Mutha Hubba NX3 tent is a great blend of weight, features, and ease of use. If you’re in the market for a new 3-person backpacking tent you should seriously consider this one.
Buy Now: Available at Backcountry.com
1 Comment
Hi Eric. I appreciated your review. I will be hiking the west coast trail of Vancouver Island with one of my daughters this summer. I wasn’t excited about using my mountaineering Trango 3.1 for weight and breathability. This looked like the tent for me but none of the reviews were particularly enlightening. This one works. I set the tent up in a store today and, though I can see where others might have some problems with a bad pitch, it looks like it will work for me.
Thanks for the great pics.
Enjoy your times with your daughters.
Paul