Note: this is a review of last year's model, which is pictured left. This year's model is slightly different and a vestibule is an option; we're working on getting one to review. Look around, you might find last year's at a steep discount.
On the Gearflogger Denali expedition last year, I chose the single-wall, ultralight Mountain Hardwear Direkt 2 tent as my personal abode. Normally it's a good idea to sleep with at least one teammate so you can monitor each other's health, review the day's work, and engage in the endless strategizing that is an important part of any extended expedition. However, this time my two teammates were literally mates, a married couple whose business I did not need to be all up in.
This led to my love affair with a three-pound supermodel of a tent; yes, you read that weight right, and that's with the extra guy lines I rigged up, but minus the snow stakes. But I'm getting ahead of myself. The D2 is 81x45x45 inches, just big enough for two normal size 20x72 sleeping pads, or even some larger ones. (Plea to the tent crew at MH: please, please, ohmygod please make a Direkt 3 with a floorless vestibule, or even just an add-on vestibule, for cooking in!).
There is not much to describe about the Direkt 2; it's plenty stable when guyed out correctly, it's perfectly sized for one person or two in a pinch, it takes up no room either in your load or on the ground. The large opening that goes overhead makes it easy to sit up and exit or just enjoy the view if the weather permits. It has a single vent that does a decent job minimizing (you can never really fully prevent) condensation if you crack the door a bit.
The tent sets up fast with just one person; slide the two poles into the pockets until they click, flex them upward to seat the opposite ends, and fix the rip-and-stick tabs along the interior. If you're looking for light and fast, the Mountain Hardwear Direkt 2 sets the standard and sets it high.
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