Reviews You Can Rely On

Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 Review

A great tent for one or two people on lightweight backpacking and thru-hiking trips
gearlab tested logo
Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 Review (Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2)
Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2
Credit: Mountain Hardwear
Price:  $449 List
  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5
Manufacturer:   Mountain Hardwear
By Jessica Haist ⋅ Review Editor  ⋅  Nov 24, 2016

Our Verdict

The Ghost UL2 is Mountain Hardwear's latest incarnation of their popular Super Mega Ultralight tent. We like this name better. This version is slightly more durable and lighter than the last version we tested and we like it even more! While it is a great choice to drag around the mountains with you on all your adventures, it is quite a small tent, so you better really like your tent mate!
REASONS TO BUY
Lightweight
Small pack size
Stronger in winds than the Flycreek
REASONS TO AVOID
Small interior for two people
Expensive
Mountain Hardwear has discontinued this tent.

Our Analysis and Test Results

Mountain Hardwear has addressed one of the major weaknesses in its durability by upping the strength of its fabrics from 10 to 20 denier weight, while managing to shave another ounce off.

Analysis and Test Results


mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - the ghost ul2 is mountain hardwear's latest incarnation of the super...
The Ghost UL2 is Mountain Hardwear's latest incarnation of the Super Mega UL.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Comfort


The Ghost UL2 sacrifices livability for more comfort on your back. It has a slim, tapered design and low peak height. It is a tight fit for two people, in which head and foot room is scarce, and would be a great choice for a couple or one person. It only has one front door, which requires you to swing around, hopefully not putting your feet in your travelling companion's face when you do it. The Ghost is slightly more comfortable than Big Agnes Fly Creek HV UL 2 because it has two hubs, creating more room in the foot area, and it is also 4 inches wider at the door than the Fly Creek. It has two small stash pockets for your trinkets like headlamps and watches. It has been a particularly smoky season here in the High Sierra and we have noticed that this tent seems to hold odors (smoke) more than others when we bring it back to our home.

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - the ghost ul2 is cozy for two and we hope you like your tent-mate.
The Ghost UL2 is cozy for two and we hope you like your tent-mate.
Credit: Jessica Haist

You need to ask yourself: will you be spending more time hanging out inside the tent or more time carrying it on your back? The most livable tent we tested was the REI Half Dome 2 Plus, due to its space and durability.

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - there is more head room in the ghost than the fly creek, we were...
There is more head room in the Ghost than the Fly Creek, we were able to sit up and use a Jetboil with two people inside.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Weather Resistance


For an ultralight tent, the Ghost UL2 is surprisingly weather resistant. Our testers sat out several intense rain storms and some heavy winds. We were a little unnerved when we saw how little the fly covers of the back of the tent, but the body's nylon panel comes up high and tucks under the fly, thus protecting the interior from wind, splashback, and spindift. This is an advantage over the Big Agnes Fly Creek, whose floor only comes up a few inches. The entrance is rather low and can be difficult for taller folks to get in and out of without brushing their backs up against it (and getting wet).

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - the ghost's double hub design helps stabilize it in high winds.
The Ghost's double hub design helps stabilize it in high winds.
Credit: Jessica Haist

As for high winds, the Ghost's design has proven to be much stronger in high winds than the Fly Creek. We think this is because both ends are enforced by the hubbed pole design. The fly fabric does create some noise when it rubs against the pole in the wind, which could prove to be obnoxious over the course of a long storm. Tents with two doors like the MSR Freelite 2 seem to withstand high winds better than tents with a single door, with the exception of the Hilleberg Anjan 2. The Ghost's grey color really blends in when you're camped in the alpine, although some of our testers found it too bright in the tent during a full moon (and had difficulty sleeping).

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - the ghost's fly sits unnervingly high on the frame, but the body's...
The Ghost's fly sits unnervingly high on the frame, but the body's solid nylon walls help keep out any spindrift or splashback. The fly takes a bit of fineness to get on right.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Weight and Packed Size


This is the second lightest product we tested in this review; weighing in at 2 pounds, 7.2 ounces, squeaking in under the NEMO Blaze's 2 pounds 7.7 ounce weight. Mountain Hardwear has managed to shave almost an ounce off the last version of this tent, and they have made the pole sections shorter for easier packing. We appreciate the attention to detail on this tent with cord-only zipper pulls and small pole clips, it is very apparent that Mountain Hardwear is doing their best to lighten this model up.

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - we appreciate mountain hardwear's attention to detail with this...
We appreciate Mountain Hardwear's attention to detail with this tent, like the tiny cord zipper pulls.
Credit: Jessica Haist

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - we appreciate mountain hardwear's attention to detail with this...
We appreciate Mountain Hardwear's attention to detail with this tent, like the tiny cord locks.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Set Up


The Ghost's set up is relatively straightforward. Snap together it's interconnected and double hubbed pole and stick the ends in Mountain Hardwear's unique grommet and fly attachment system. This set up is easier and less finicky than the Big Agnes Flycreek HV UL, but not as straightforward as the Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2. The pre attached guy lines on the fly of the tent are too short for practical set up and changed them out for the longer ones that were included. We find that the fly takes a bit of finessing to get it to sit right on the frame, having to go back and forth a few times tensioning and loosening guy lines. The REI Passage 2 has the most straight forward set up, but is in a lower class altogether than the Ghost.

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - the ghost ul2 with bear creek spire in the background.
The Ghost UL2 with Bear Creek Spire in the background.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Durability


Mountain Hardwear has upped this tent's game with a much sturdier 20 denier weight fabric. The old Super Mega's material was paper thin and received a lot of damage over the season — not the case with the Ghost. It is now middle of the pack for durability, and pretty durable for a light weight model! It is the same weight as the MSR Hubba Hubba and MUCH lighter!

Best Application


We would bring the Ghost with us on long thu-hikes and shorter backpacking trips — especially with a significant other who we want to snuggle with. The Ghost UL2 is also a good option as a solo shelter for someone who wants a bit more interior space.

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - the ghost ul2 is a great choice for all your alpine adventures for...
The Ghost UL2 is a great choice for all your alpine adventures for one person, or for two people who want to be cozy.
Credit: Ian McEleney

Value


Retailing for $450, the Ghost UL2 is a bit pricey for us. We do think it is a quality tent; and with its increased durability, it is a better value than its past iterations. However, for $30 less, you can purchase the Big Agnes Copper Spur. While the Spur is a bit heavier, it's much more comfortable. For the same price, you can get the NEMO Blaze, which has two doors and more interior room (and weighs almost the same). We would chose this tent over the Fly Creek and pay the extra $60.

Conclusion


The new Ghost UL2 is an improvement over the Super Mega UL and we like the company's attention to detail in this product. We are impressed with the Ghost's strength and performance in extreme weather and like its low profile shape and color.

mountain hardwear ghost ul 2 - the ghost's color blends in with its alpine surroundings.
The Ghost's color blends in with its alpine surroundings.
Credit: Jessica Haist

Other versions and accessories


The Ghost UL comes in one, two and three person versions. Also there is a Ghost Sky series that is heavier but comes with two doors. You can purchase a Ghost footprint separately.

Jessica Haist