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 | MSR FreeLite 2 | |
|---|---|---|
| GearScore | 79✓ | 78 |
| Capacity | 2 | 2 |
| Packed weight | 32.0 oz | 32.0 oz |
| Floor area | 28.1 sq ft | 29 sq ft✓ |
| Space-to-weight | 14.1 /lb | 14.5 /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, FreeLite 2 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 MSR FreeLite 2 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 taller (41 vs 39 in peak) and $40 cheaper. The FreeLite 2 is more floor area (29 vs 28.1 sq ft), better space-to-weight, and more doors (2 vs 1). Their GearScores land within a couple of points (79 vs 78), so neither runs away with it.
Pick the Nimbus UL 2 if you care most about headroom and price, which makes it the better call for comfort and room to move. Pick the FreeLite 2 if floor space and space-to-weight matter more to you, or you are focused on comfort and room to move.
The MSR FreeLite 2. It is more floor area (29 vs 28.1 sq ft) than the Nimbus UL 2.
The Mountain Hardwear Nimbus UL 2. It is taller (41 vs 39 in peak) than the FreeLite 2.
They are nearly tied at 79 and 78 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 headroom, or the FreeLite 2 for floor space. The spec table above shows exactly where each wins.