Nature Hike Mongar 2 Review: A Roomy Two-Person Tent at a Friendly Price

Introduction

The Nature Hike Mongar 2 is a freestanding two-person backpacking tent that lists at $160 and weighs 4 pounds 11 ounces. That combination is what makes it worth a closer look, because most shelters in this price bracket ask buyers to give up either interior space or useful features. The Mongar 2 does not appear to ask for either.

It also arrives in a color that is genuinely unusual on a campsite. The Mongar 2 comes in purple, alongside white, pink, green, and combination finishes such as green and white. The dark purple fly turns out to be more than a styling decision, and there is a practical benefit to it once you are inside.

This review covers the specifications, the interior layout, construction quality, and the trade-offs to understand before ordering. Sustained rain testing is still outstanding, so the waterproofing discussion below is based on materials, seam work, and design rather than a full season of storms.

Who the Nature Hike Mongar 2 Is For

With a floor measuring 82.7 inches long by 53.1 inches wide and a 39 inch peak height, the Mongar 2 sits closer to a two-and-a-half person shelter than to the tight two-person tents many campers end up with. Two adults can sit upright, change clothes, and keep packs inside without the usual shuffling.

That makes it a sensible pick for couples on weekend trips, for solo campers who want room to spread out, and for car campers who care more about comfort than about shaving grams. It is less suited to long-distance backpackers chasing a sub-three-pound pack, and anyone heading somewhere genuinely remote should factor in that this tent has not yet been through extended rain testing.

The two-person category is crowded with tents that promise space and deliver a squeeze. What separates this one is the combination of a wide floor, a 39 inch peak, and two vestibules, which together give two people somewhere to put their gear as well as themselves.

Living Space and Interior Features

Each side of the Mongar 2 has its own door, and each door has a rain fly guard that can be unzipped and rolled back when you want more airflow. The doors use two-way zippers that roll back and tie out of the way, and the vestibules provide sheltered space for boots and packs overnight.

Inside, storage is handled by pockets at the front and back of the tent plus an overhead gear caddy for smaller items, and a hanging mesh storage keeper is included. The floor is a bathtub design, which keeps the perimeter seams above the ground where water tends to collect. Vents sit at the front and back of the shelter, so humid air has somewhere to escape on still nights.

Weather Protection and Construction Quality

The rain fly is made from 20D ripstop nylon with a silicone coating and a claimed 4,000 mm hydrostatic head rating. The floor uses the same fabric, and the poles are 7001 aluminum. Seams on the inside are taped throughout, and a light test against the fabric showed no light passing through the stitching, which is a good early sign for a tent at this price.

Construction on this sample looked clean. That is worth noting, because Nature Hike has not been perfectly consistent over the years: some earlier models have arrived with messy seam work and long loose threads. This tent shows none of that, with tidy stitching and no stray material around the seams or the pole sleeves.

Waterproofing is the one open question. The 4,000 mm rating and fully taped seams are encouraging, and comparable Nature Hike double-wall designs have come through multi-inch rain events without leaking. That still needs to be confirmed on the Mongar 2 itself in sustained rain before the claim can be treated as settled.

Setup, Weight, and Packed Size

The Mongar 2 is freestanding and pitches in the conventional way: poles assembled, fly over the top, a handful of stakes at the corners and vestibules. One person can manage the whole process without much trouble, which matters on a trip where you arrive late and tired.

At 4 pounds 11 ounces, it is a reasonable carry for weekend backpacking, though not a weight that will satisfy anyone counting grams for a long thru-hike. Packed, it measures 19.6 inches by 5.9 inches by 5.9 inches.

Features That Matter on the Trail

The feature list is familiar rather than inventive, and that is largely to the tent’s credit. Two doors with two vestibules remove the need to climb over a partner at night. Front and back vents help move humid air out of the shelter. The gear caddy and the storage pockets at the front and back keep small items off the floor, and the bathtub floor and taped seams address the parts of a tent that most often fail.

A ground sheet is included, which is a small but meaningful addition at this price since many manufacturers sell footprints separately.

One more point in the purple fly’s favor: the darker fabric blocks a noticeable amount of light, so the interior stays dimmer in the morning. Other colorways may not offer the same benefit, and lighter finishes such as white or pink are likely to be brighter inside.

Taken together, these are the features that experienced campers actually use: airflow control, dry storage, a floor that keeps ground water out, and enough pockets to keep the interior organized over a few nights.

Things to Consider Before Buying

• Waterproofing has not been verified in sustained rain, so buyers who need proven storm performance may want to wait for extended field testing.
• The design is conventional. There is no unusual geometry or novel pole structure here, just a well-established layout.
• Color changes the interior. The purple fly keeps the inside darker, while lighter colorways are likely to be brighter.
• Nature Hike’s quality control has varied across earlier models, so it is worth inspecting seams and stitching on arrival.
• At 4 pounds 11 ounces, this is not an ultralight shelter for long-distance hiking.

Buying Advice

At $160, the Mongar 2 undercuts several tents built around the same idea. The MSR Zoic 2 sells for roughly $350 at a similar weight, and the Wildlands Ultralight 2 is nearly identical in materials, poles, stakes, and hardware at a higher price, with the main difference being a small zippered opening that allows vent access from inside the tent.

For buyers who want the same feature set for less, the Mongar 2 is the easier recommendation of the three, provided the colorway suits you and you are comfortable buying ahead of full rain testing. If you need a shelter whose weather performance is already proven, or you specifically want interior vent access, the alternatives have their own case.

If you do order one, check the colorway carefully: the purple fly offers the light-blocking advantage described above, and lighter options may behave differently inside. A ground sheet is included, so there is no need to budget for a separate footprint.

Conclusion

The Nature Hike Mongar 2 is a straightforward, well-equipped two-person tent at a price where compromises are usually visible. The 82.7 by 53.1 inch floor and 39 inch peak give two people real room, the two doors and two vestibules make it liveable, and the 20D silicone-coated ripstop, the claimed 4,000 mm rating, the taped seams, and the included ground sheet cover the fundamentals.

The remaining question is rain performance, and the materials and construction suggest it should hold up well. For campers who want space and features without a premium price, and who like the idea of a darker, quieter interior, the Mongar 2 makes a convincing case.