A huge rectangle that didn't care about granite grit. The Mineral King 2 is the tent for short walk-ins and anyone hiking with a dog. It scores 84 out of 100 and ranks #5 in our best backpacking tents guide as our best for short walk-ins and dogs.
Best for Short Walk-Ins and Dogs
Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 2
- Weight (our scale): 6 lb 1 oz with footprint
- Floor: 88 x 54 in rectangle
- Pad fit (our test): two 25 in pads, plus a dog
- Doors: 2
Bottom Line : Huge and nearly indestructible, with a fly that rolls back for stargazing. Over 6 lb on the back.
Pros
- Two 25 in pads fit with room for a dog
- Shrugged off coarse granite grit with no footprint
- Fly rolls back halfway for stargazing
- Quiet in wind
Cons
- 6 lb 1 oz with its footprint
- Heavy going on a steep climb
In the Enchantments
Emma camped on high granite ledges in the Enchantments, Washington, in August. She pitched the Mineral King on coarse granite grit with no footprint, and it didn't care.
The heavy fly doesn't flap, so it was quiet in the wind. Condensation was minimal, and on a clear night the fly rolls back halfway for stargazing.
Inside it's 88 x 54 inches, a big rectangle with room for two 25 inch pads and a dog. It pitched in 3 minutes 45 seconds.
Where It Asks Something of You
Weight. It came to 6 lb 1 oz packed with its footprint, and carrying that up a steep climb had Emma's quads burning.
The Enchantments trip was dry, so we haven't seen it in heavy rain. Emma found the thick fly shed water easily.
Spec Sheet vs Our Test
Roll-back fly for stargazing. Mountain Hardwear says the fly rolls back for stargazing while still protecting you. It does, and Emma called it a genius touch.
Dual doors and vestibules. Mountain Hardwear promises two doors and two vestibules, and that's what you get. It matters more than it sounds: in a single-door tent like the Kelty Late Start, Emma had to climb over her partner at night. Here each person has their own way out and their own covered space for boots and packs.
Pre-bent poles for headroom. The pre-bent poles are meant to add headroom. With the 88 x 54 inch floor, it felt like the roomiest rectangle here after the five-foot-wide Lynx.
Should You Buy the Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 2?
Yes, for short walk-ins, car camping and hiking with a dog. It's tough enough to pitch anywhere and roomy enough to live in.
For long days on trail it's too heavy. The MSR Hubba Hubba LT 2 gives you the same pad fit at 3 lb 6 oz.
Compare With
- NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P: our best overall backpacking tent.
- MSR Hubba Hubba LT 2: our highest-rated tent.
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2: our most livable for the weight.
- Sea to Summit Telos TR2 Plus: our best for wind and wet shoulder seasons.
- MSR Elixir 2: our most durable.
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2: our lightest two-person tent.
- ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 2: our best budget tent.
- Kelty Late Start 2P: our fastest pitch.
- Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1: our best solo tent.
- Naturehike Cloud Up 2: our best budget ultralight.
See all 11, and how we tested them, in our best backpacking tents guide. For family and car-camping tents, start at our camping tents hub.
Editor's Note, 17 October 2026: New review, from the field notes of Emma, who tested this tent for our backpacking tent guide and weighed it on her own scale.
Our Testers
This review was edited by Sean Williams and tested by Emma Williams.
- Sean Williams, Editor-in-Chief. Sean built the team of researchers and testers behind our reviews and sets the rule the site runs on: we buy what we test, and we say what we found.
- Ryan Williams, Lead Tester. Ryan reviewed the rankings against Emma's notes and agreed the Dagger belongs at #1.
- Emma Williams, Editor and Tester. Emma leads our tent, camp kitchen and footwear testing, mostly in wet weather, and tested every tent in this guide.
