Review: Naturehike Cloud Up 2 Ultralight Tent

An ultralight tent at a great price

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The first thing you notice about the Cloud Up 2 tent is how small and light it is when packed, weighing in at only 1,5kg (or 750g per person). It fits squarely in the ultralight category which, by necessity, renders a compact design and uses high-tech lightweight material. The second thing one notices is the ultralight price. At only R1799 (at the time of writing) the tent’s specifications punches far above its price category – similar tents from European/North American brands will cost at least double the price.

Quick Specs

Size: 2-person
Weight: 1.44kg (1.56kg with footprint)
Waterproof rating: Flysheet: 4000mm HH; Floor: 4000mm HH
Structure: Y-pole design
Price: R1799 (at time of writing)

3-season, 2-person ultra-lightweight tent

The first question I had was “what is the catch here?”. The price seems almost too good to be true. Naturehike is a new brand in South Africa (even though the company was established in 2005), and is Chinese owned and manufactured. I have seen comments on a hiking forum where the Cloud Up 2 is likened to one of the designs of specialist ultralight manufacturer Big Agnes.

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What is in the bag

naturehike-cloudup2-contentsTent inner, flysheet, interlocking tent poles, footprint, pegs and guy-lines.

Design

It is a double-wall tent with an interlocking 1.5 y-pole configuration. The interlocking poles give a single pole crossing, but saves weight compared to a normal 2-pole design – this structure is employed by some of the most established ultralight manufacturers, and has proven to maintain acceptable 3-season stability. The tent will however have to be properly secured with guy-lines if pitched in wind, as it is vulnerable to side-on winds.

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Size

The official dimensions are: 2,1m long by 1,25m wide by 1m tall. The vestibule adds an additional 0,6m to the length.

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The tent’s functional space is considerably less than that implied by the 2,1m length. I am 1,9m tall and two of me will certainly not fit comfortably in the tent. Arno’s 1,8m frame filled the entire length of the tent (see picture below). It is functional as a 2-person tent for only small and medium sized people, which seems to be the norm with ultralight designs.

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Inner

The tent inner is made from B3 ultralight, highly breathable mesh to keep the bugs out. Add 20D silicone-coated nylon (4000mm waterhead) for the bathtub-design floor and you have a potent weight-saving combo. The footprint is important however, since the floor’s lightweight material will be more prone to punctures and tears than that of regular tents.

Flysheet and seams

The flysheet is made of 20D silicone coated nylon and has a waterhead of 4000mm. It is double stitched and seam sealed, and has tags to which guy-lines can be attached.

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The grey-white colour (officially designated as “light grey”) allows for calming, soft light when waiting out inclement weather, and would be highly visible in all except icy or light sandy landscapes.

Vestibule and entrance

The vestibule is situated at the front and is a decent size given the tent’s design – a larger vestibule will require more pole support and hence the pay-off between weight and usable space is also at play here. The vestibule could be used for cooking only if the cook sits inside the tent, and is adequate for stashing shoes and backpacks.

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Poles

The 7001 aluminium poles are the gold standard for hiking tents. The interlocking y-pole system is well constructed and was discussed in the design section.

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In the Field

This is what Naturehike users had to say about its durability and performance in bad weather:

Dusty: “I purchased the lime green 2 person tent and I tested it over the Easter holidays at Injusuti in the Drakensburg. We had heavy rain and it stood up like a champ no leaks. When putting it up one just needs to attach the fly sheet from the front first and line it up with the poles so all the seams line up with the poles. For the price and quality and from China, what a bargain. You will pay 7 times for the same thing from the USA and it won’t be 7 times the quality. Weighing in at 1,5 kg’s it’s a pleasure to hike with. I definitely recommend this tent for hiking.”

Robyn Owen (robynkime.wordpress.com): “Awesome to see Naturehike is being brought into SA now! Can’t beat it for an affordable, lightweight 2nd home! We’ve found the tent very durable. After a few years of camping frequently on rocky surfaces, the floor of our tent is no longer waterproof, but the rest is 100% good.”

Verdict

The Cloud Up 2 Tent is an exciting addition to the fast-and-light hiker’s arsenal. This tent is not made for car camping or extreme weather, but will provide reliable shelter in normal conditions whilst taking up minimal space and weight. If you’re a weight conscious or fast-and-light hiker, this tent should be on your buy list.

To learn more about Naturehike Africa, go to their website. To understand how to compare tent specifications, read our article What to look for when buying a hiking tent.

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About Willem Boshoff 25 Articles
Willem is an actuary by profession and an adventurer at heart. He spends as much time as possible outdoors - camping, hiking, mountain biking, surfing and rock climbing are his activities of choice – and he enjoys reading and writing. He has hiked and trekked in the Himalayas, Andes, Patagonia, Alps, Corsica and done the Camino Portugues, and thinks locally the Cederberg and Drakensberg offers some of the best wilderness-hiking experiences in the world. He is also passionate about conservation and sustainability. He lives in Cape Town.

26 Comments

  1. the tent was taken out for a field test in the Hex river mountains but the terrain at the overnight spot did not allow it to be pitched at all (too rocky), and we unfortunately did not have another opportunity before we had to return the tent. in time we’re sure user reviews will emerge, but for now the best we could do was to pitch the tent and inspect it carefully – i do believe many gear reviews are conducted on this basis if time and opportunity does not allow a proper field test (as long as it is disclosed).

  2. Hi – how do you think it would stand up in Patagonia with their winds? Looks nice and light but am concerned about the wind factor. My Bergens Tunnel has performed admirably, has great space, two alcoves for gear/cooking, but is getting on a bit so I’m looking for my next one. Any other suggestions?
    Karen

    • HI Karen! The Cloud Up 2 is amazingly light and good value for money, but is simply not designed to deal with “the broom of God” winds in Patagonia (unless you can always camp in a sheltered position). I would recommend looking at something like the Vango Banshe 200 (we are currently reviewing one of their tents and are very impressed with the quality). The importer’s link here: http://www.rammountain.co.za/product/vango-banshee-200/

  3. Hi, has anyone tested the Naturehike Hiby 2-3 person tent? I’m interested in buying and was wondering if it is worth the extra buck and few extra grams. Also does it come with a footprint like the Cloud Up series.

    • I haven’t tested the Hiby, but from what I gather from the reviews, it does come with a footprint. It does however have a full mesh inner, with only a low windbreak on the inner tent, so definitely no suited for cold winter hiking, but for 3-season conditions it looks super solid and still very light.

  4. I purchased the lime green 2 person tent and I tested it over the Easter holidays at Injusuti in the Drakensburg. We had heavy rain and it stood up like a champ no leaks. When putting it up one just needs to attach the fly sheet from the front first and line it up with the poles so all the seams line up with the poles. For the price and quality and from China, what a bargain. You will pay 7 times for the same thing from the USA and it won’t be 7 times the quality. Weighing in at 1,5 kg’s it’s a pleasure to hike with. I definitely recommend this tent for hiking

  5. The wind doesn’t always blow in Patagonia!!!
    I spent 3 months there this Summer and saw much flimsier tents being used
    See Nemo Hornet
    Plenty of places to pitch up where sheltered
    I used the Big Agnes Copper Spur 2 and had no problemsi
    Also the MSR Hubba or Hubba Hubba
    Use a free standing tent so you can pitch up literally anywhere and attach guylines to rocks as last resort
    Vango Bsndhee… just don’t….!!!

    • The BA Copper Spur is a very superior tent, and stands up to high winds. I’ve used mine in extreme winds in southern Tasmania. There is just no comparison between the Big Agnes and a Chinese knock-off.

  6. thank you for this very useful review.
    Onedayonly is selling the P-Series 4 Sleeper Tent at R1,349…just FYI

  7. In my opinion, we cannot put the MSR Hubba Hubba and the Big Agnes in the same class as the Vango and NatureHike tents. In South Africa, the price difference is massive and unless you are a hard core hiker, I cant justify paying those prices down here. We just don’t earn the dollars.

  8. If I am doing a 6-day hike carrying everything I need through lion and hyena country, I take it this tent’s weight makes it the winner?

    • It’s the Cloud Up 2 but the first version, newer ones (2018 and above) has a bit more internal space, more attachments and windows.

  9. Good day, I struggle to get hold of NATURE HIKE office to buy a tent, does anybody have any contact number where I can get hold of any sales person?
    Christa

  10. I laugh at these overseas dimensions for “two person” tents.

    The minimum width two for two average well built males to sleep comfortably side by side with two sleeping pads is 1.4m – going narrower than this and be expected to “spoon”

    South African males need to look at overseas tents listed as 3 person tents.

    I’m 1,8 and 96kg and any tent with an internal width of 1,27m is strictly one person

    The First Ascent Helios has a similar pole design, is 1,4m internal, is 4 season for our berg conditions and weighs 2.45kg and costs R 2699,00- the latest Cloud Up 2 upgrade is 1,7kg and is about R3k & strictly 1 person

  11. This the review for the cloud up 2 ultralight. Very confusing if you’re a newbie buying tents. The normal cloud up 2 weights around 2.1 including ground mat.
    I have one. I accidentally bought it thinking I’m purchasing the ultralight on Ali, but when I changed my colour option it changed my order as well, very sneaky. The ultra light is only available in the white/grey option.
    I would change the heading for an accurate review

  12. Hi am planning on doing some long term bicycle touring . Can’t decide between the nature hike Cloud Up 2 or the first ascent Lunar 2person rent. Any Advice?

    Thanks Duncan

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