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Mountain Hardwear Hoopster Review

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Mountain Hardwear Hoopster Review (Mountain Hardwear Hoopster)
Mountain Hardwear Hoopster
Price:  $600 List
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Manufacturer:   Mountain Hardwear
By Chris McNamara and Max Neale  ⋅  Aug 15, 2013

Our Verdict

The Hoopster is a 6 person shelter that performs phenomenally well for fast and light travel or for use as a group cook tent. It fills a much needed gap in the tent market by allowing normal mortals to afford a comfortable group shelter that holds up well in bad weather. This not intended for use in the Himalaya but it performs well in remote areas with high winds and snowloading; our testers used it for a ski expedition in greenland and base camping across the Lower 48, among other places. On long trips or for basec amping the Hoopster is worth every penny. Whether you use it as a party tent, cook tent, or as your only tent for a five person mountaineer trip, it performs well and is a great value. This tent is a fun catalyst. Highly recommend.
REASONS TO BUY
More spacious than pyramid shelters
Highly protective and comfortable for its weight
Very versatile
Great value
REASONS TO AVOID
Not enough guyline
Not as large or as strong as $4000+ dome shelters
Mountain Hardwear has discontinued the Hoopster.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Performance Comparison


Weather Resistance


The Hoopster uses a central pole that supports a circular “Truss Ring” pole that extends the roof out and creates steep walls. This design provides a ton of space for relatively little weight. The fabrics are high quality and the pole is very strong. We've used the shelter is some high winds and it held steady despite the fact that the sidewalls have no support. Having good stakes (perhaps snow stakes) and lots of guy cord is critical to achieving a storm pitch.

mountain hardwear hoopster - the hoopster (orange) and saitaris (red) with the jannu in rear...
The Hoopster (orange) and Saitaris (red) with the Jannu in rear (green).
Credit: OutdoorGearLab

Livability


Mountain Hardwear claims the shelter can sleep six but we feel more comfortable putting five inside. It works very well as a cook tent for as many people as you can cram in there (six are comfortable): just dig down into the snow to create benches and a center platform to support the pole and host your stove(s). You can tie lies across the tent to things out, like smelly wet socks.

mountain hardwear hoopster - inside the mountain hardwear hoopster with the msr whisperlite and...
Inside the Mountain Hardwear Hoopster with the MSR Whisperlite and Whisperlite Universal stoves.
Credit: OutdoorGearLab

Durability


We haven't used the tent for years yet, but suspect that it will last a long time. The critical factor here is the quality of the fabrics. This Hoopster is not intended to withstand intense UV exposure at high altitudes, at least not for very long, like $4,000+ base camp shelters are bred for. We have been very pleased with the tent's performance over at least 8 weeks of constant use.

Weight/Packed Size


The canopy and poles weigh 85.6 oz or 5 lb. 6 oz. This is EXTREMELY LIGHT considering the space and weather protection!!

Individual components weigh:
2.5 oz stuff sack
60.6 oz fly
25 oz poles with sack

10.7 oz stakes with guyline and sack

Ease of Setup


The tent pitches reasonably easily after a bit of practice. No circular shelter is easy to pitch, but once it's up you're psyched.

mountain hardwear hoopster - pitching the mountain hardwear hoopster
Pitching the Mountain Hardwear Hoopster
Credit: OutdoorGearLab

Best Applications


There are many: fast and light winter travel, group cooking, party tent, beach hut, etc.

Value


The Hoopster is a great value.

Conclusion


Few other tents create so much fun and as many lasting memories as the Hoopster. There's something fantastic about getting friends together outdoors under the same roof. All of the people that have used the Hoopster LOVE IT.

mountain hardwear hoopster - hilleberg saitaris and mountain hardwear hoopster
Hilleberg Saitaris and Mountain Hardwear Hoopster
Credit: OutdoorGearLab

Other Versions and Accessories


The Footprint costs an astronomic $150 and weighs a substantial 27.4 oz. 99% of the time we used the tent without the footprint. Depending on your intended use it may not be necessary. Or you could get by with a cheaper alternative for occasional use. Consider cutting your own from painter's drop cloth plastic, for example.

Chris McNamara and Max Neale