If this is indicative of actual UV degradation, this could shorten the lifespan of a costly tent, something one might wish to weigh if one camps often in areas of intense or frequent sunlight. Disclosure: Mountain Hardwear loaned Philip Werner a Ghost UL 2 Tent for this review. Your account will remain active for 45 days. Im out to have fun and camp comfort is important to me. But as I said, if this tent and its weight attract a buyer in the first place, I think that comfort is probably not a major decision factor for them, and the mocking dismissal of some of the commenters says much more about their style of travel than about the product. Glad youre enjoying them Andrew. My workaround was to use my Therm-a-Rest LiteSeat as a base for objects within the vestibule during driving rain. The tent does not come with a footprint (Mountain Hardwear has one available for USD $60), but I think I only would be inclined to pack the extra weight of one if I planned on using the UL 2 for extended use in one location or for use on abrasive sites. Shipping and returns. Again, I regard the vestibule size as a compromise enacted to save weight, not a product of poor design. Roominess and extended use considerations aside, the Mountain. The Ghost has the most oomph-for-ounce of just about any tent on the market; it offers complete shelter at an incredibly low weight. Sure. The other thing you need to do is stake out the vestibule with a hiking pole if you want it to be free standing. A cord lock allows one to secure the vestibule open in sunny weather (see third and fourth images, below). Adventure motorcycling? I have read and accept the conditions contained in the Privacy Policy on processing of my data to manage my query or request. Instead, I woke to a dry fly and tent walls, even when I pitched the tent on a recently flooded sand bar and when I woke to find water puddling under my tent in heavy rain after my own poor evaluation of tent sites. I carry a PackTowl Nano for general cleaning/drying, and I found it useful to wipe off rain splatter on the base of the inner tent. While the UL2 is just too cramped, the UL3 works nicely as a 2P tent and in our backyard tests has handled rain well. Used it on a few solo trails here in South Africa over winter, mostly four day strenuous hikes, but it was FANTASTIC. I can think of few things less essential than an extra door on a two person tent, and if your goal is to travel with a very light pack, you need to adopt a different attitude about what is essential.
Philip Werner May 31, 2016 Vintage Backpacking Gear. Plenty of space to put my gear in with me and my pad centers nicely so I have plenty of room. All-in-all, the tent worked well for me and Ill continue to use it as my primary lightweight shelter. In the pouring rain, this operation is doubly awkward as one maneuvers to avoid bringing mud or water into the interior of the tent. First, the inner tent is spread on the ground. Button hooks on nylon straps on the interior of the fly connect to the exterior middle sides of the tent, and consequentlywhen the fly guy lines are tightenedthe interior walls of the tent are pulled taut, increasing interior space and discouraging sagging of the tent side walls. accommodate two adults. Copyright 2009 - 2022 by trekkinn. But the amusement gained by sharing this tent with another person was priceless! The no-see-um mesh developed a few pulls in places despite generally gentle use. Bontrager Ion 100 R and Flare R City Bike Lights, Review: Tailwind Nutrition Endurance Fuel Mix, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 51 TLR Wheelset Review, Bontrager Aeolus Pro 37 TLR Wheelset Review, SRAM Rival/GX AXS Mullet Gravel Kit Review, Hoka One One Anacapa Mid GTX Hiking Boot Review, Reynolds Assault SLG Carbon Wheelset Review, Review: Goodyear Eagle F1 70030 Tubeless Tires, Swiftwick Flite XT Trail Five Socks Review, Industry leading DAC Featherlight NSL poles, Super lightweight fabrics designed in every aspect to be as lightweight as possible but to still deliver solid protection from the elements, Guaranteed watertight construction with fully taped fly, taped perimeter seam, welded corners and welded guy clip anchors, Dry entry vestibule for added storage and convenience, Truly free standing light weight geometry and design, Welded zipper flap construction is lighter and drier than a sewn flap, Super-light buckles and webbing reduce tent weight, Doesnt sacrifice coverage despite being very light, Overall space is used efficiently within the constraints of being very light, Tent pitches quickly and easily, thanks to the very light DAC pole system, It packs down really small, thanks to those very light fabrics, Those very light fabrics wont be durable in the long run, Some aspects of liveability (noticeably the tent wall steepness) suffers from the very light design, Very light floor didnt fend off puddles as well as Id like. Oh, and marketing that does not acknowledge the shortcomings, or puts a very positive spin on it. If I was looking for pure weight efficiency, I would rock a bivy with a tarp option. In general, I don't expect ultralight materials to have the same level of durability as heavier materials. There needs to be a category of this is for this market rather than this is labeled as a 2P tent if that makes sense (much like a large number of 2p tents are actually sold to people who use them as one person tents). The Ghost UL 2 is a two-person, double-walled tent comprised of two parts: an internal, freestanding tent (basically a bathtub-style nylon/polyamide ripstop floor with no-see-um mesh canopy, all framed by DAC Featherlight poles); and a fully taped nylon/polyamide ripstop fly that requires staking out to be held properly in place (thus not completely freestanding, despite Mountain Hardwears UL 2 webpage assertion of truly free standing light weight geometry and design, or its suggested use by the fast-moving backcountry adventurer seeking an ultralight, freestanding, full-coverage shelter ). If you want it to handle a snowstorm, make it six or eight pounds. The WCT is home to some of the nastiest weather youll ever find and on our 2016 summer trip, we had a bit of every type of weather including heavy rain. The denier count on these fabrics is incredibly low: a 10D fly, 15D mesh and 20D floor. Thats kind of what were doing with the Ghost. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. All Rights Reserved. The tent body is half mesh and the fly is basically just large enough to cover that mesh area fully. yes lightweight but tiny and your face is right by the opening, making it hard to get in and out. Vestibule. The 20D ripstop fly came out of its bag in a beautiful Grey Ice color. Althoughit is lightweight, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 is awkward for two people to use, with just one front door and one vestibule which is too small for gear storage. I usually go by myself and this is the perfect size for me. Only [caracteres] characters left to earn your CoINNs. Save big on Exos/Eja, Atmos/Aura, and Stratos/Sirrus Backpacks. The Ghost does get edged out by a tent like the Big Agnes Fly Creek HV Platinum 2 by half a pound, but you also drop an extra Benjamin for that. Seriously, one door? Read More KMC Magazine For the backpacker who can afford to purchase an ultralight tent and who doesnt mind compromising on space (and therefore also a measure of comfort), the Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2 offers a well-made, viable option for a double-wall two-person tent. While the peak ceiling height tapers from front to rear, as follows: making it impossible to do much except sleep inside the Ghost UL 2. Where are you from? Truth be told, it is not an especially liveable tent in the sense that I normally use the interior space feels cramped, there is only one door and the walls are not close enough to vertical for me to give out many kudos. I bought this because it is really light and can keep bugs and some rain out. OSPREY-PACKS: Backpacking Pack Sale! Discoloration: As I mentioned above, the two-week exposure test also produced discoloration of the fly. Its all nylon, which is better for durability than polyester, but still imagine setting your down jacket down onto granite and rolling around on it for the night. Finally, seven stout aluminum stakes are included as well as a piece of oversized pole that can be used to reinforce a broken pole should need arise. Ive been using it since the spring, even in winter camping conditions, and the tent is actually quite tough.
Note: Right-handers may find, as I did, that the need to reach beyond the door opening to zip the vestibule fly shut requires some contortions of the arm and wrist. TREAD LABS INSOLES: As good as custom orthotics at a fraction of the price. not impressed. Guy out the sides of rain fly, reusing the inner tents side stakes, before securing the front of the vestibule to block the wind. The Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL 2(MSRP $449) is a lightweight, double-walled tent designed for 2 people. How do you think weights like 2lbs, 2oz are achieved, magic? For those contemplating the UL 2 while eyeing their gear weight spreadsheets, I offer the following breakdown: Weight of stakes: 2.54 oz/ 72 g (a little over .35 oz/ 10 g per stake), Weight of additional guy lines: .39 oz/ 11 g, Weight of 3 stuff sacks (for tent, stakes, and poles): 1.3 oz/ 37 g, Packed weight: 38.4 oz/ 1089 g, or 2 lbs 6.4 oz/ 1.089 kg. I found the Ghost UL 2 to be a well-made and well-ventilated, waterproof, bugproof, lightweight shelter. Free Shipping and Returns. Think through how and where youll both stow your kit before being seduced by the weight. Id recommend lubricating the zippers with McNett Ziptech at the start of each season and using the other components gently to prolong their use. No edges are left unfinished. All Rights Reserved. Large full-size door and dry entry vestibule allow for easy access into the tent and to gear storage. OR if your interested in recieving The minimum weight of the Ghost, including the body, fly and poles, is just a hair over 2 lbs. Both stakes are also necessary to provide support for the rainfly, which hooks to the inner tent using mitten hooks. 313 Innes Street, average rating
I had expected water to seep through, but I was pleasantly surprised to be dry in the AM. Owing to its dimensions, though, two-person use poses unique challenges. To be clear, I was reacting more to the other commenters than to your review, which seems pretty objective. The Ghost UL 2 weighs less than the peanut butter. We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites. expensive. I use this tent as a one person tent, then it becomes quite luxurious. Significant movement or shifting of sleep systems, etc. Thats also fairly common for ultralight tents. The most moisture I found throughout all of my tests was a slight gathering of moisture on the bottom of the top ridge pole. :-) I plan to spend a very long weekend soon in a Warbonnet Blackbird for a welcome change of pace from tent testing. The Ghost UL 2 is made with gossamer-thin materials including a 20D Nylon Ripstop 1200mm PU/SIL inner tent and 10D Nylon Ripstop 800mm PU/SIL rain fly. The low weight comes from the use of gossamer materials: Mountain Hardwear indicates 10D material was used for the fabric canopy, while 20D material was used for the fabric fly.. I can tell you with certainty that you can live for three weeks in the Alaska Range in a three person tent with three people sleeping head to toe with ONE DOOR and end up just fine, so long as lounging around comfortably in bed isnt the purpose of your trip. A limitation?
This creates a triangular vestibule at the entrance which Mountain Hardwear claims is 7 sq ft/ .6 sq m (see second image, below). The interior dimensions are also quitenarrow to the point where youll need to use narrow sleeping pads with tapered ends to fitinto the tent, although the Ghost 2 UL does become more viable if you plan to camp alone most of the time. I suspect the pulls were caused by clothing catching the mesh at odd anglesperhaps hook-and-loop tabs from my rain jacketor by my slightly rambunctious son moving gear about and not being fullycognizant of his fragile surroundings. Benefit from our offers for Mountain hardwear Ghost UL 2P Tent. On my first backpacking trip with the Ghost UL 2, I strapped the tent to the outside of my pack because I was carrying gear for my two boys in addition to my own in my decidedly non-ultralight pack (a fathers spring break indulgence of his boys). (Sample provided by Mountain Hardwear for testing and review). One door? There should have been a couple more side pockets and interior loops. For any issues with an order, please contact us. Having tested the UL 2, I would not be inclined to subject its light materials to extended basecamp-style camping expeditions after my experience with the fabric discoloration. Bathtub floor. No way. Free standing (though staking it down optimizes its function). Other tents do a better job at this, but its not all doom and gloom. The Ghost UL 2 is ready for use. Ive woken under a tarp to find Im sharing my shelter with all sorts of denizens, from wolf spiders to newts. Tipping the scales at just over 2 pounds, the Ghost UL 2 is our lightest double wall two-person tent.
Tents The grade refers only to the aesthetic appearance of the product. 6.4 oz/1.089 kg package with tent and fly, cordage, stakes, poles, and storage bags, (actually lower than Mountain Hardwears claimed pack weight of, The Ghost UL 2 is a two-person, double-walled tent comprised of two parts: an internal, freestanding tent (basically a bathtub-style nylon/polyamide ripstop floor with no-see-um mesh canopy, all framed by DAC Featherlight poles); and a fully taped nylon/polyamide ripstop fly that requires staking out to be held properly in place (thus not completely freestanding, despite Mountain Hardwears, assertion of truly free standing light weight geometry and design, or its suggested use by the fast-moving backcountry adventurer seeking an ultralight, freestanding, full-coverage shelter, secures to the front pole via a clip (see image, below) and to the black "Jake's Foot"-style clips on the tent corners via plastic toggles on Lineloc-adjustable lines.