User Review: Mountain Hardwear Helion 2

Mountain Hardwear Helion 2
Above: The current Helion 2, which may differ slightly from the version reviewed.

Reviewed July 10, 2008 by Steve111

Rating:
Design: three-season ultralight freestanding
Sleeps: 1
Ease of Setup: moderate
Weight: 4 pounds
Price Paid: $400

Well well, I was waiting and waiting for any review on the Helion 2 and the first I see is a nice negative report.

Well, I did my research and I bought one anyway. I was looking for a freestanding (nice for hot open sky nights and beaches and rocks) ultralight 1-person tent (big 1 person tents are often called 2 person tents, so there you go) with real weather proof construction, a large (read usable) vestibule, and a single large door. I found it.

Yes, clips would have been easier to use and quicker (like the SL2), but I have heard they can rattle in high winds, etc. In any case, I'm already pretty quick with this tent (which is tiny) and it fits one person and a backpack (under the ample vestibule) very well. Smart construction uses well built corners and pockets.

Many tents I saw in this range either had strange shapes with the fly on that could pool water (such as has been reported with the MSR Hubba) or had areas of the tent that just weren't covered (as I witnessed when checking out the SL1 and SL2 in person, with the fly on).

For a bomb proof small footprint size tent, this looks like it's a class leader.

I'll update with more information after an upcoming long outdoor excursion.

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