Mont Hypermid 2 Ultralight Pyramid Tent: Tested
Mont tents and backcountry camping go hand in hand, with the classic Mont Moondance being the most popular choice out there. However, with the introduction of the Hypermid 2 Ultralight Pyramid tent, I reckon the Moondance will soon be given a run for its money. Especially as they both offer four-season, lightweight, one- and two-person camping capabilities.
As a long-time Moondance user, I was keen to get Mont’s new offering out into the field, and up the mountains, to see how it compared.
Design
New to the Mont range this year, the Hypermid 2 Ultralight Pyramid Tent sets itself apart from the rest of the Mont range by its single pole, pyramid design. The second significant difference is the Hypermid’s dual inner options. As the fly and inners are sold separately, campers can choose between a one-person, half-inner, or a two-person, full inner. This means that you can go solo camping without the extra weight of the two-person inner. You can even take the outer on its own as an enclosed tarp-style setup and ditch the inner entirely.
As I’m predominantly a solo camper, I opted for the half inner, which makes the total trail weight for the outer fly, half inner, eight pegs and carbon pole, add up to 1222g. This weight is particularly impressive compared to the 1485g trail weight of the one-person Moondance, and 2010g of the two-person. If you substitute the full inner for the half, it weighs in at 1407g, which is still less than the one-person Moondance. You can also make the trail weight even lighter if you choose to ditch the carbon pole and use your trekking poles instead – bear in mind that you’ll need to strap two poles together to achieve enough height for perfect pitch with this option (unless your pole extends to 150cm).
As you’d expect from Mont, the Hypermid 2 has been constructed using high-end, waterproof fabric. The fly is made from 20-denier (D) ripstop nylon with a 2000mm waterhead, while the inner is a combination of No-See-Um mesh and a PU laminated 40D nylon floor with a waterhead of 25,000mm+. This is the same lightweight, tough and waterproof material you’ll find in a Moondance.
In the field
I’ve been lucky enough to test out the Hypermid 2 over a variety of camping trips and the weather gods threw everything at me from winds and rain to sunshine and frost (and that was just while hiking in Tassie). As with any non-freestanding tent, the Hypermid 2 takes a little bit of practice and experimentation to achieve a tight pitch, and I was thankful that I’d had a practice pitch in my backyard before my first camping experience. One of my test pitches was completed on a typical wooden Tassie camping platform, and while it was more challenging than pitching a freestanding tent, I was able to complete a relatively taught pitch.
The ability to pitch the Hypermid 2 fly-first came in handy on my first wild pitch as we made camp during a patch of light rain. Pinning out the four corners of the fly first, you can then raise the centre-pole before adjusting the corners and adding additional pegs. This method allowed me to hide my hiking pack under the fly, before the tent was even pitched, and then unpack the inner and the rest of my camping gear in the ample shelter provided by fly. It was during this pitching process, and the evening that followed, that I especially appreciated the combination of large fly and half inner. While my hiking buddy Jon was battling the elements to make camp, I had more than enough room to inflate my sleeping pad, unpack, change and begin making dinner from within my vestibule. There was also enough room for the two of us to cook and eat away from the worsening wind and rain.
Another feature that I look for in tents is packability. This is perhaps more of a consideration when bikepacking instead of hiking, although both packing styles are made easier by a small pack size. As the Hypermid 2 comes as a separate fly and inner, these are each packed in their own stuff sacks. While making organisation a slightly higher priority (you’d hate to leave half your tent behind!) the two-bag-setup means you can play around with different packing setups, packing each piece side by side, inline, or in totally separate bags to spread the weight. I found this useful when packing up a wet tent in the morning as I packed away the dry inner into its own bag, before stuffing the outer into the outer mesh pocket of my backpack.
While bikepacking, I ended up ditching the two bags and stuffed both parts of the tent into one dry-bag, just to make it more convenient for packing on my handlebars, but the two bags woud stuff happily into a saddle bag, or fork bag, depending on your setup. It’s also worth noting that the carbon pole has been designed to pack away in short enough pieces to fit between the drop bars on your adventure-ready gravel bike, although I chose to pack it into my half framebag.
The Hypermid 2 has an option to attach additional guy-lines to the setup for use in high winds. I didn’t find myself in a position where I had to call these into action, but I can see why you might need them as the ample head room provided by the pyramid design does present a greater surface area for catching the wind, especially compared to a traditional dome shaped tent design.
The final word on the Hypermid 2 Ultralight Pyramid Tent
In short, the Hypermid 2 is a versatile and capable four-season shelter that will protect you from whatever conditions nature throws your way. Its ultralight trailweight makes it an ideal companion for hiking and bikepacking trips, particularly when every gram counts. If you also consider the ability to configure the Hypermid 2 in three distinct setups, I wouldn’t be surprised if you start seeing the Hypermid 2 rivalling the Moondance in popularity.
RRP: $549.95 (outer); $319.95 (full inner); $289.95 (half inner)
See Mont for more info on the Hypermid 2 and the brand’s complete range of adventure products.
