Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent Review

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This is a gear review of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2-person Tent 2025.

The HMG Unbound Tent is the latest from Hyperlite Mountain Gear. After almost 2 years of use and testing, it is apparent that the HMG Unbound Tent is a serious contender as one of the Best Ultralight Tents.

The HMG Tent is lightweight, strong, very waterproof, and with enough room for 2 people to sleep, even if they are quite tall. With the addition of 2 waterproof zips on the vestibule with magnetic clips to keep it open when needed, it provides better weather protection than most other ultralight tents. Keep reading to find out more.

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How We Tested

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent used in this review has been extensively evaluated and researched by the expert author who has many years of experience in Thru-Hiking, Backpacking, and Hiking. The tent was supplied by Hyperlite Mountain Gear and has been long-term tested for 2 years in both cool and warm weather including during rain. The research, testing, and experience of the author have combined to provide this review of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent for 2025. Read the Review Policy for further details.

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In-Depth Review: Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent is an impressive ultralight tent from HMG. This brand-new tent from HMG is sure to become one of the more popular thru-hiking tents on the trails this year.

Made with Dyneema Composite Fiber it is not only lightweight, but it is durable and packs to a very compact size. Add to that it is very waterproof and has 2 vestibules that are big enough to store your gear. The waterproof zips on the vestibule are a nice touch, and so are the magnetic clips that you can use to keep the vestibule doors open when you want more ventilation in the tent.

This 2-person tent has enough room for most backpackers. Even tall hikers will fit inside without facing the issue of having their head or feet touching the ends of the tent.

While this tent follows a similar design to many other ultralight trekking pole tents, it is the generous vestibule and waterproof zips that make this an improvement on many of the styles from other manufacturers. While this does add a bit of weight, I believe it is worth it for the benefit of having a fully enclosed tent.

Overall, I’m struggling to find anything negative to say about this tent, except maybe the cost. But all high-quality tents come with a high price tag these days. The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P tent is an impressive ultralight backpacking tent that is sure to be extremely popular on thru-hiking trails this year.

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Material

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent is made from two different weights of Dyneema Composite Fiber. The lighter weight DCF 5 is used on the tent walls and vestibules while the ever so slightly heavier DCF 8 is used on the floor of the tent.

The DCF 5 material comes in at 0.5 oz per square yard which is right up there as the lightest tent material on the market in 2025. While it is not cheap, it is the best and is very packable.

The DCF 8 material comes in at 0.8 oz per square yard and does a good job on the bathtub tent floor.

Like almost all lightweight tents they use the no-see-um mesh for ventilation on the doors. But the stand-out feature of this tent is the 2 x YKK waterproof zips on the vestibule for complete waterproof security during bad weather. Few ultralight trekking pole tents have this feature, instead opting for a small collar that folds over the zip, which is prone to snagging. During testing, it was difficult to snag the zips. Love the zips.

There are small magnets on the vestibules to lock them open when you want more ventilation. While it works well, they tend to blow open when there is only a decent amount of wind.

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Footprint and Tent Floor

There is no footprint for this tent, it is not needed. The floor of the tent is made from DCF8 Dyneema Composite Fiber which is completely waterproof. Add to that the addition of factory seam sealing and the bathtub design will ensure that you stay dry.

While the floor of the tent is made with strong material, it is not bombproof and a degree of care will be needed when choosing your campsite. When testing this tent I had no issues with sharp objects puncturing the floor which is something that would happen more often on sil-nylon or other nylon-based tents.

Those who do want a footprint could opt for a small amount of building Tyvek cut to size.

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Weight

At 24 oz / 680 grams, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent fits right into the ultralight tent category. While it is slightly heavier than the class-leading Zpacks Duplex it has improvements that only the Zpacks Duplex Zip has. Such as the best-in-class waterproof vestibule zips. This feature alone would add to a slight weight increase worth every ounce, or should I say gram.

You will need to add your own ultralight tent stakes and trekking poles to use this tent which will add to the total weight.

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Packed Size

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent fits into a 9L Dyneema stuff sack that is supplied with the tent. Just to make it clear the tent folds down significantly smaller than 9L and it is easy to stuff into the bag and compress even further. My favorite method is to stuff the tent into the bag and close the drawstring, then sit on the tent right before storing it inside my ultralight backpack.

During testing and on several trips, I used this tent in combination with the new HMG Unbound 40L backpack which is also a similarly impressive new release.

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Interior Size

With a length of 90 inches or 7.5 feet or 228 cm, it is generous in its dimensions for all but the tallest of hikers. For most people, myself included, I was able to fit inside and sleep quite well. I had enough room to store my pack at my feet at night.

With a width of 48 inches or 4 feet or 122 cm, it is about standard for sizing of an ultralight two-person tent. Like most ultralight 2P tents there was just enough room to fit without being offensively close or too annoying for the second person. If you decided to use this tent as a solo tent, it would give you enough room to stretch out and keep all your gear inside the tent.

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Durability

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P tent is well made, well designed, and not only looks solid but feels solid. While I have not used this tent for 100s of nights, I suspect this tent is durable enough to last a couple of long-distance thru-hikes. If you look after your gear I suspect that this tent will be strong enough to last 2-3 full seasons of thru-hiking which would equate to completing the hiking triple crown or around 7700 miles / 12391 km (depending on what route you take on the CDT).

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Weather Protection

As you may be aware, Dyneema Composite Fiber is 100% waterproof and will not sag when wet like many types of nylon tents. While it is 100% waterproof, it could leak at the stitching. To prevent this, HMG has factory tape sealed the stitching on the whole tent.

As mentioned several times in this review, the waterproof zips will assist in keeping water out from the sides of the tent. The mesh on the sides of the doors will assist in allowing ventilation to prevent condensation.

This is the most weatherproof trekking pole tent for 2025.

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Ventilation – interior condensation

During testing I found the tent to be waterproof and good enough at preventing internal condensation. However, on cool damp nights, I found it better to open the vestibules as much as possible to allow airflow. It performed equal to or better than all other trekking pole tents in the ability to reduce condensation.

Like all tents, there will be a degree of condensation when the weather conditions are cool and damp, but the steep walls and good ventilation do a decent job of keeping it to a minimum. But it will happen.

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Vestibule

With two Full-Length Zippers and twin vestibules, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound Tent has the best vestibule area of any Dyneema Composite Fiber Tent on the market in 2025.

As I’ve mentioned several times in this review, it is the waterproof zips that allow this tent to stay closed and repel water better than other trekking pole tents.

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Setup and Ease of Use

Setting up this trekking pole tent is easy. Just put 4 pegs in each corner, place the trekking poles in their designated place in the middle of each vestibule door, and raise the tent by lifting the trekking poles up. Simple. Quick.

Even if you have never set up a trekking pole tent before you will find it easy. And when there is a bit of wind, there are 2 side panel tie-outs to assist in keeping the tent solid in windy weather. In total, you will need 8 tent pegs to lock out all the tie-down points.

As there are no tent stakes or trekking poles supplied with this tent you need to purchase them separately. Fortunately, I have written guides on the best Ultralight Tent Stakes and Best Ultralight Trekking Poles to assist in keeping your base weight to a minimum.

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Value and Price

With a price of $699 at the time of writing, the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent is at the high end of the price range. But as you would expect, you are getting nothing but the best of everything at that price. Best materials, best-in-class vestibule zips, and more. While there are more expensive and cheaper options out there, this represents a fair price for such a top-tier product. Highly recommended.

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HMG Unbound 2P Tent Vs Other Tents

When taking a look at the nearest competition to the HMG Unbound Tent it would be relevant to look at the Zpacks Duplex, especially the new Duplex Zip. The Zpacks tent is lighter but with almost identical specs for both material and dimension, it is the features that set them apart. HMG uses a waterproof zip on the door and magnetic vestibule latches, Zpacks does not use zips on the vestibule but uses a tab. But the new Duplex zip does use zips.

Essentially, do you want a vestibule door that zips shut or not and are you willing to pay the same price but only gain a few ounces or grams?

Read the Best Ultralight Backpacking Tents Review to see which one is the best for 2025.

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Conclusion

The new Hyperlite Mountain Gear Unbound 2P Tent is a very impressive ultralight tent. It is well thought out and designed, ultralight and solid enough to last a couple of thru-hikes. Very highly recommended.

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Frequently Asked Questions

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