by Alicia MacLeay
We head to Outdoor Retailer Summer Market this week, and there's so much new backcountry gear to cover we're previewing some that has already caught our eye, like this shelter for four that weighs less than two pounds.
Mountain Hardwear Hoopla 4
Mountain Hardwear Hoopla 4
Is that right? I thought when I saw the weight on Mountain Hardwear's Hoopla 4. It was. One pound, 10 ounces. For a four-person shelter.
How do you make such a light four-person shelter? You make the floor optional, require a trekking pole, and design a whole new tent type (according to Mountain Hardwear), using structural fabric as the frame and a "revolutionary" Trussring suspended ring overhead to create an interior peak height of 50 inches and 64 square feet of floor space.
How much space is that really? Mountain Hardwear says the Hoopla 4 is "an 11th essential emergency shelter for day hikers, a minimalist backpacking shelter that seats four, a through-hiker's dream." (MSRP $350)
We'll get and share full details, plus pictures and videos for closer looks, on much more outdoor equipment and apparel at Outdoor Retailer, August 3-7, in Salt Lake City.
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