A close look at two tents buyers cross-shop. They score within a hair of each other, so it comes down to the details below.
| Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 2 | Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 79✓ | 77 |
| Capacity | 2 | 2 |
| Packed weight | 32.0 oz✓ | 35.0 oz |
| Floor area | 28.1 sq ft✓ | 28 sq ft |
| Space-to-weight | 14.1 /lb✓ | 12.8 /lb |
| Peak height | 41 in✓ | 39 in |
| Doors | 1 | 2✓ |
| Vestibules | 1 | 2✓ |
| Price | $460✓ | $500 |
| Type | Ultralight | Ultralight |
Highlighted cells mark the better spec: Nimbus UL 2 in blue, Tiger Wall UL2 in amber. A blank spec is never counted as a win. GearScore is the overall rating (0 to 100); re-weight it on the full tent comparison. Prices are current MSRP.
Put the Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 2 next to the Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2 and the trade-offs are clear. They are close enough that this really is about which handful of specs you weight most.
The Nimbus UL 2 is 3 oz lighter, more floor area (28.1 vs 28 sq ft), and better space-to-weight. The Tiger Wall UL2 is more doors (2 vs 1) and more vestibules (2 vs 1). Their GearScores land within a couple of points (79 vs 77), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Nimbus UL 2 if you care most about low weight and floor space, which makes it the better call for counting grams on long miles. Pick the Tiger Wall UL2 if doors and vestibule storage matter more to you, or you are focused on comfort and room to move.
The Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 2. It is 3 oz lighter than the Tiger Wall UL2.
The Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 2. It is more floor area (28.1 vs 28 sq ft) than the Tiger Wall UL2.
They are nearly tied at 79 and 77 on the default algorithm, so re-weight the score to your own priorities to break the tie.
It depends on your priorities. Go with the Nimbus UL 2 for low weight, or the Tiger Wall UL2 for doors. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.