MSR jumps into the expedition tent game this year with its big daddy shelter, called The H.U.B.
That stands for “High-Altitude Utility Basecamp,” and the market is just that — Himalayan climbs and other expedition settings are the venue for this 108-square-foot portable cabin.
The company will ship the tent to some of its reps and athletes this spring, including Eric Larsen (seated on the roof in the photo above). Consumer availability is TBD.
MSR has worked up to The H.U.B. design, including designing basecamp-style tent models since 2003. But this one is a new level of gargantuan shelter and with new tech, including huge side doors that can zip out. “You can open it wide and move in big stashes of gear quickly with the doors off,” said MSR’s Martin Maisonpierre.
The floor is 12 x 10. 5 feet, and the ceiling height at peak is about 7 feet high. The floor of the tent is removable so basecampers can dig down into the snow and create more space.
Additional tents for use as sleeping quarters or “gear sheds” can be zipped onto the side of modular basecamp model.
The tent has been in development for almost two years, including staying out for weeks at a time in a test last winter. Heavy Pacific Northwest snow piled on it during its field trial.
The H.U.B. has “super reinforced” guy lines and can hold up to loads of snow and high winds. The company is shooting for a sub-50-pound packed weight, letting you take it as luggage on a commercial air flight anywhere on the globe.
