Mountain Hardwear Ghost UL2

Field Notes: Ghost UL2 landed at the bottom of cold desert canyons deep in the backcountry and was pitched along warm river banks. A night of high winds (40-50 mph gusts) had testers nervous about the lightweight skeleton and paper-thin fly getting torn to bits. No need to fear as the Mountain Hardwear Ghost was as inconspicuous as its namesake in the thunderous storm. 

Pros: Even if nothing else went right, our testers were impressed by the almost non-existent weight of this tent (the lightest tested). Performance was noteworthy as Ghost UL2 held its own in wicked winds. The design of the tent body has the floor’s waterproof fabric creeping almost halfway up the tapered end sidewalls to minimize the rainfly’s size and reduce overall weight. 

Cons: Though bigger than the Brooks Range Foray’s 6-foot vestibule, the 7-foot vestibule of the Ghost UL2 is less useful. Peak height is 2 inches shorter than the Brooks Range Foray’s 39-inch ceiling. Having a single door is, for some backpacking duos, a deal breaker that shifts attention back to the MSR Free Lite 2. In addition, the Ghost’s odd fly design is somewhat tough to negotiate at the trip’s start, getting easier with each pitch.

Favorite Feature: It’s not so much a feature as a lack thereof as this tent is the lightest tested. End of story. 

Tester Quote: “Super light! I’ll use it as a solo tent, too, and enjoy the extra room. It is tight with two pads, but did well in the wind. We didn’t get a super heavy rainfall when testing this tent but as long as Mountain Hardwear’s innovative fly design works well, this tent is going to be tough to top.”

Bottom Line: For the ultralight backpacker, this tent is amazing. Small size, incredible functionality and one of the most innovative tents we’ve seen in three years.