Hyperlite Unbound 2P Tent – Reviewed and Tested

The most reliable product recommendations come from people who’ve transitioned from a cautious critic to a happy camper. Kate wasn’t sold at first, but now she’s just about convinced that it’s worth parting with a kidney to get one.

I was determined to hate the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P ultralight tent. As a devoted lover of freestanding tents, I’d sworn never to convert to a trekking-pole tent. I wanted a dependable shelter that could be pitched anywhere at a moment’s notice, and withstand any weather. I never believed a trekking-pole tent could offer me any of that, yet here I am, eating my own words.

Hyperlite Mountain Gear, who?

I first came across Hyperlite Mountain Gear while thru-hiking the Te Araroa trail in New Zealand. Their no-frills backpacks, storage sacks, and tents were super popular among the international ultralight hikers.

Hyperlite’s focus on minimalist design and partnership with innovative fabric manufacturers has revolutionised ultralight outdoor gear, creating products significantly lighter than the conventional hiking gear we’re used to here in Australia.

Straight lines and neutral colours make their gear aesthetically pleasing

Design

The Hyperlite Unbound 2P tent design strips back hiking tents to the simplest possible form. It’s a single-walled, A-frame-style tent, utilising two hiking poles. If you don’t have those you can buy collapsible poles, an option more suited to bikepackers. 

Read more: Everything You Need to Know About Hiking Poles

While it’s not the lightest DCF trekking-pole tent of its kind on the market (I’m looking at you ZPacks Duplex 2P!), the Unbound 2P impresses with extra space and additional thoughtful details. Loops across the internal ridge of the roof allow you to  attach gear or string up a clothesline, while mesh pockets on the side doors offer convenient storage for head torches or phones. 

Vestibule doors can be held open effortlessly with a simple magnet attachment, and the mesh doors feature high-vis strings for tying them open without fumbling with toggles.

Size & Weight

Despite its basic side-entry design, it boasts mega spaciousness for a two-person shelter. With a 228cm long, and 121cm wide bathtub floor, it offers more internal space than its competitors’ tents of a similar style. 

The dual-vestibule area provides ample storage space to stash gear out of the elements. Its height of 120cm, plus or minus 5cm, allows for customisation according to weather conditions. You can lower the tent closer to the ground in bad weather for a stronger shelter, or pitch it at its full height for extra head room and more airflow when conditions are mild. 

High-visibility guy lines ensure stability –  four on the corners, two for the side panels, and two at the peaks that connect to the vestibule, requiring a total of eight pegs (also sold separately) to be securely set up. 

It’s impossible to miss these ropes in the night – they’re bright!

I recommend staking out the four corners first, then inserting the trekking-pole, then adjusting pole height and guy lines as needed. It takes about the same amount of time to set the Hyperlite up as a freestanding tent, but if you rush or leave things a bit loose, you’ll end up having to adjust it again. 

But the most compelling selling point? It weighs a mere 680g. Given most ultralight tents scrape in at just under a kilo, this is very light. 

The packed size is on the larger side though, with the supplied draw-string DCF storage bag measuring 22cm x 15cm x 14cm. 

Fabric & Breathability

Hyperlite’s ultralight tents are made from Dyneema Composite Fabric (DCF), a 100% waterproof and highly durable laminate fabric, that’s feather light. While DCF is exceptionally strong, it requires careful folding or rolling rather than compression, to avoid punctures or abrasions. This explains the larger packed size mentioned above.  

The fabric is thin but construction is strong

Like all products in the outdoor industry, lightweight always comes with a trade-off. With its extreme waterproof and ultralight capabilities, DCF fabric does not breathe. This isn’t just my observation either, it’s been mocked by many hikers as being a ‘plastic bag’ in terms of breathability. 

To mitigate condensation, Hyperlite has incorporated two mesh ventilation panels above the bathtub floor, and two mesh doors within the vestibule. I sleep with at least one side door of the vestibule open when possible, to maximise airflow and minimise moisture buildup. And so far, so good! I haven’t had any internal drips. 

Unlike nylon, DCF does not absorb water, so I simply carry a lightweight cloth to wipe-down any wetness on the internal and external walls to allow for a quick and easy morning pack down, instead of waiting for it to dry or having to carry a heavy wet tent.

It definitely resembles a wet plastic bag of a morning but none of the water reaches me so it’s all good

Currently, Hyperlite only makes their tents in a single colour option – white. For light-sensitive sleepers, this means that a full moon or rogue head torch beam could easily disrupt a good night’s rest. While the fabric offers privacy, there are rumours of it becoming translucent in the night with a light inside the tent, though I’ve yet to test this theory.

Price

Now that you’ve fallen in love with the tent, here’s the catch. These ultralight tents don’t come cheap. The added sting is that they don’t include stakes or poles. While it’s typically set up using trekking poles, including collapsible poles for bike-packers would be a welcome touch. 

Ultimately, purchasing an ultralight trekking-pole tent is an investment in your comfort and happiness, so keep that in mind when you sell a kidney to part with $1249.95 on the Hyperlite Unbound 2P tent.

As a Wild Earth ambassador, I’m lucky enough to score outdoor gear at a discounted price, sometimes even for free, but personally I believe the weight savings of ultralight gear is worth the out-of-pocket cost to have more freedom of movement with a lightweight pack, especially on those longer adventures.

Still undecided? Check out our guide to choosing a hiking tent.

Here’s a toast to free views!