Mountain Hardwear Skyview 2

Old tent that has been in my household for many years.

After so many years of using this tent, I do not have problems setting up the tent each time we need to use it. I do have a footprint that is always recommended for any type of tent, in my opinion. Well designed for the time this product was in the market as new product. 

It has performed well in all types of weather conditions in the years this tent has been with us. I'm running with the same issues you have to expect as It is a very old model. Tent body is great. Issues (not big ones) with the wear and tear of the rainfly. 

I cannot afford a new similar tent from the new models on the Mountain Hardwear line of products. Way too expensive for my budget. I"m now mostly camping, so I do not need something too fancy or expensive. Therefore, planning to keep using this old Skyview 2 model. 

Wonderful tent and wish it was currently manufactured.

I’ve owned the MH Skyview 2 tent since the mid 1990s. I love this tent and wished MH had a similar tent available in its current product line that is not the expense of a base camp/alpine tent.

This tent is durable, love the zipper panels, and other aspects mentioned in other reviews. Airflow not the best with fly, but most tents are like this when fly is used. IMHO manufacturers of camping tent are cutting corners to streamline tents and tents are not made as well even though materials have evolved over the years to perhaps be more durable? and last longer?  

My problem is the rain fly is getting funky and cannot be replace since MH no longer has this tent available. Any suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

I've had this tent for over seven years. It is bombproof--well designed (as is just about everything from this company). As others have mentioned, the tent is on the heavy side--more than my wife and I care to carry on our backs. However, this is an amazing tent for anything less than a full-scale approach. We typically use it when we have our two rambunctious retrievers with us--the 45 sq feet is more than enough for us.

My only complaint deals with the fly; its design is such that it must be pitched with the additional pole. In my ideal world, the fly would not need to be staked out. Small quibble, as this is a stellar tent. (I also have a Hammerhead 2, Chouinard Megamid, and SD Clip Flashlight tents. When weight isn't an issue--this one gets used.)

Grocery store plastic bags buried in the sand have been useful snow/sand anchors on some occasions...your mileage may vary.

I bought this tent when Mountain Hardwear was just beginning to be seen in the outdoor stores. I put my trust in the salesperson and it paid off.

Since this is the original SkyView ll it is larger than the ones they produced later. It has room to spare where two people can sleep in undaunted comfort. I have purchased other tents for special purposes since then, but when I want a reliable tent for all weather conditions I always pack my trusty SkyView ll.

Absolutely love this tent, so lucky to own one ❤️, never selling it.

This is my base camp tent. My mountain tent is a Lux Hexpeak V4A.

This tent is like gold dust. I'm so very lucky to own one. As campers we have had lots of tents over the years, mine have come and gone, this is going nowhere!!!!!

These days it's all about being light and that's why I love this tent. It's not the lightest, but I don't want that. I want the tougher materials and the extra bells and whistles that bring comfort to this tent.

It feels like I am in a proper shelter when I'm in this. It's taut and spacious and does not sag compared to the ultra thin and flappy materials of lighter tents when in wind and rain.

Love it, love it, love it!!!!!

Congrats to the people out there who are lucky enough to own one.

Look after it folks, it has a special place in my heart ❤️ 

Background

Lots

This is an incredible tent from a company I'm gaining much respect for. I researched many of the SD convertible and NF tents before finally deciding on the Mountain Hardwear. This tent has all the bells and whistles and very good attention to detail.

Since this tent is entirely clipped, it is quite easy for one person to set up, and once the fly is on, the tent is rock stable, even in gale-force winds.

In the summer, the tent is highly breathable, yet is very efficient at retaining heat in the winter months.

The integrated vestibule is gigantic with plenty of space for cooking in during rain.

Although a bit heavy, I would trust this tent anywhere. As far as I'm concerned, the extra features of this tent (large vestibule, double door system, zip-out sky panel, UVX window, complete clip with no sleaves, highly breathable)) are worth its extra weight in gold. No other tent maker can offer you all the features found in this tent.

This is a bomber tent. A bit on the heavy side for a two-person backpacking tent, but can sleep three no problem and four in a real pinch. If you split it up between two people it's great.

I have now camped in it during a 35 degree horrendous downpour as well as a very hot summer nights, and everytime it has been outstanding. Ventilation is great even when all zipped up to weather a storm. This is the first year MH has factory taped their floors and flies, and so no annoying seam sealing required.

The tent has a very large vestibule, two doors, three poles and one for the vestibule, and more guy out points than I know what to do with.

Although not completely bombproof, it is possibly the best ALL weather tent around.

This is the best all around tent you can buy. The three pole (not including one vestibule pole) design makes it simple to set up even in the dark, thanks to the color-coded webbing and poles.

This tent can easily accommodate another person if one desires, and the huge 18 sq. ft. vestibule is roomy enough for all your gear and even to cook under in foul weather. Great ventilation thanks to the large mesh skypanel and two doors makes it easy to get in and out of.

This tent has been through hellish storms in the Badlands and Zion national parks and every time proved dry and comfortable. As long as you split up the weight it's a breeze to carry. I highly recommend this tent for anyone looking for a sturdy, roomy, all-around tent.

This tent is awesome. I have never really spent the money on a good tent and had three or four tents left at my house from a bunch of people camping on the mountain in my yard. So I would just make shift with them and always got wet and cold.

So I went out and decided to spend the money. Mountain Hardwear tents seemed to be the best thought out. I really like the ventilation of the Skyview. Roomy enough for my dogs and my girlfriend. The first time we used it the weather in northern California was rainy and we didn't get a drop in the tent. It made the whole trip and vaca. Not one word was said about being cold and wet.

I bought my Skyview for its versatility. I live in Norway, where a 4 season tent is ideal, but bought it for travel in Australia, where the weather can be very hot. The huge mesh panels provided good ventilation even in tropical Queensland, but they can be zippered up to provide shelter even in the midst of winter. The tent seems to be very stable in high winds, although I haven't been able to test this yet.

I am very satisfied with this tent. I used it extensively (almost every day) for a 3 month period, and I don't have a single complaint.

Have been very happy with the durability and function of this tent.

The first time I used the tent I was on Assateague Island, Md. The tent was set in dry sand using all stake-outs and guy point, all 22 of 'em. We were hit by a tropical storm the second night out with winds gusting over 85 mph. My Skyview 2 weathered the storm without a single problem.

My brother in his North Face Starship did not do as well, the main hoop pole snapped in two and shot through the fly tearing an 8-inch long hole.

The Skyview 2 is an excellent tent for those who do their backpacking in all seasons. It's a bit big and heavy maybe for all around backpacking in some places, but for the Rockies, where it can snow any day, it's perfect. Split between two people it's manageable. Holds two people and their gear.

The large mesh zip-out ceiling panel is great for starry nights. Vestibule is large, but somewhat fiddly as the pole must be set up from the inside with velco patches. It's not too bad once you get the hang of it.

My first setup was interrupted by a nasty Mt. Katahdin thunderstorm that came out of nowhere. I threw my gear inside, whipped the rainfly over it half ass, staked it down and jumped in for cover. No problems whatsoever. Even with the rainfly on for the rest of the weekend, and two nights that ranged from the low 70s to the 40s, the climate was perfect for sleeping.

I have been very impressed with both of my Mtn. Hdwre. purchases (Exposure Parka), they don't cut any corners. Sound! Quality!

Did a lot of research before selecting this tent. I'm somewhat claustrophobic and want a little more room than a normal two-person tent. This tent has nice headroom, great ventilation, and a super-size vestibule.

My only drawback would be its weight. It's a little heavy for a two-person tent, but when split between two backpackers the problem is solved. Extremely well constructed. No leaks, tears or frays. I like the color-coded poles and grommet loops.

This is a great tent. We've used it everywhere from the Midwest to Denali, Alaska. In Denali the winds gusted to 50 mph+; the tent flexed, but all held perfectly (required some creative staking).

Ventilation is great. A bit heavy, but depending on the trip it is well worth the weight. Construction is top shelf. I would say that M.H. makes one of the best tents for the money. I would recommend this tent.