This Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 2 Tent with Footprint is a quality shelter with DAC aluminum poles, moderately light and most suitable for the warmer part of the year.
Key features & benefits
- 2 Doors & 2 vestibules.
- Footprint included.
- DAC Aluminum poles.
- Stargazing configuration.
Overview
So this Mineral King 2 Tent is a part of their mini-series that also includes a 3-person tent. This is a dome-type tent with lightly pre-bent poles that create more volume than simple dome structures. In addition to this, the tent has an extra cross pole that pulls the side walls up and makes the doors vertical. The picture below shows the tent without the fly so you can better understand its construction.
Note that the inner doors can be unzipped almost completely and then you can store them in the pockets on the sides, this is the setup in the picture above. With the fly, the tent looks completely different, and the picture below shows the side view of its two vestibules:
The vestibules must be staked to be functional, so the overall structure is not freestanding. The fly is designed so that you can roll it up half-way and fix with toggles, this gives a stargazing setup during the night, or you can use this as a shade during the day while still being protected from insects.
Ventilation
The canopy is all mesh so this is fine as long as you can keep the vestibules open. But when it is raining, you will rely on its two-way zipper on the vestibules. There are Velcro stiffeners that you can use and unzip the vestibules from the top and create vents. This can work almost as well as with real roof vents.
Materials
The poles: Here you have one of those that are among the best on the market, the DAC Pressfit aluminum poles with 9 mm diameter. This is a type DAC developed for 3-season, winter, and expedition tents. The Pressfit is the most rugged and reliable type in the world today, built from a ductile alloy which is a Japanese variation on 7001 alloy).
The fabric: The canopy is a 40D polyester mesh combined with a bit of 75D ripstop polyester. The floor fabric is a 68D ripstop polyester with a 2000 mm polyurethane coating. The rain fly is the same 68D ripstop polyester with a 2000 mm waterproof rating. These are seam-taped materials and the floor is a bathtub style to protect the tent from splashes.
So the floor is only moderately durable and this is why they have included a footprint, see the picture below. Note that the fly cannot be used with the poles and footprint in a fast-fly variant, this is because the fly attaches to the tent with buckles.
Other features
- 5 Pockets.
- Gear loft, see the picture.
Who is it for
Regarding the area, the official capacity is 2 people and for this you have the space shown below that includes 33 ft² (3.1 m²) of the inner floored area plus 18.75 ft² (1.7 m²) under its two vestibules. You will see in my rating below how I see this space, but in general you have enough room for two wide sleeping pads and quite a moderate space for gear under the vestibules.
Regarding seasons & climate, the tent is with a full mesh canopy and also with a full-coverage fly. So it can be described as a 3-season tent but it is far more appropriate for the warmer part of the year.
Note that the tent is quite low with its 43 inches (109 cm) peak height, and the structure is low profile and aerodynamic, so it will perform great in windy spaces.
Regarding the weight, the tent is far from ultralight, but with its 5 lb 13.4 oz (2649 g) of weight, it is backpack-portable. The packed size is (L x D) 24 x 6 inches (61 x 15 cm). So if you are a backpacker or hiker you will go for a lighter option, see these 2 person backpacking tents. This ALPS Mountaineering Backpacking Tent Helix is much lighter.
On the other hand, if you need a tent for car camping, you would want something taller at least. So it is a bit difficult to find the best use of this tent. All in all, you can carry it in the pack but it is better if you can transport it, this can be even on a bicycle. I have included it in my list of best two-person tents for camping.
Please see more in this video:
Specifications
- Capacity: 2 people.
- Packed weight: 5 lb 13.4 oz (2649 g). This is the weight without the footprint.
- Minimum weight: 5 lb 0.4 oz (2278 g).
- Tent plus footprint weight: 6 lb (2.72 kg).
- Inner height: 43 in (109 cm).
- Inner area: 33 ft² (3.1 m²).
- Vestibules area: 18.75 ft² (1.7 m²).
- Packed size (L x D): 24 x 6 in (61 x 15 cm).
- Poles: DAC aluminum.
Final thoughts, rating, pros & cons
To summarize this Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 2 Tent with Footprint review, this is a nicely designed and reliable tent, but you would not expect anything else from such a renown brand.
The weight and packed size are such that you can carry it on the trail, but there are more appropriate options for such adventures. In short, it is best to use it at places where you would not have to carry it long distances.
Please see how I rate this tent against my standard set of criteria, as you realize it scores very good in all of them:
Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 2 Tent with Footprint
Pros
- Quality poles.
- Footprint.
- 2 Doors & 2 Vestibules
Cons
- No true vents.
BEST PLACEs TO BUY
For more options in this capacity group, please check under the category 2-person tents. In particular, check this Coleman Camping Tent Skydome 2 Person with Full Fly & Vestibule if you want a tent for camping. For the trail, check this Klymit Maxfield 2 Tent.
Thank you for reading. Let me know if you have questions or comments, there is a comment box below.
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