Words and Photos by Jaeger Shaw of Adventure Alan and Co
This review was originally published on the Adventure Alan and Co website
Adventure Alan and Co has been a trusted resource for in-depth outdoor gear reviews for over 25 years, with a focus on lightweight products and how they work in real-world backpacking conditions. In this post, they apply the detailed analysis they’re known for to the CrossPeak 2 freestanding tent.
PROS, CONS, AND CONSIDERATIONS FOR THE HMG CROSSPEAK 2 TENT
Two Pounds of Fully-Freestanding Ultralight Goodness
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 Tent is emblematic of a new generation of high performance, ultralight, fully-freestanding tents, and an exemplary addition to the HMG lineup. At just over two pounds, it competes directly with the pre-existing best-in-class options from Zpacks and Durston, while besting nearly all other options currently available from mainstream brands like Big Agnes and NEMO.
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• Price: $950
• Weight: 34 oz
• Material: DCF5 canopy, DCF10 floor, and 20d Sil-Nylon Pole Sleeves
• Interior Area: 28.4 ft² | Vestibule Area: 14.5 ft²
• Length: 88″ Width: 48-45″ Height: 42″
• Poles: DAC Featherlite NFL 8.7mm
• Competes Directly With: Zpacks Free Zip 2P, Durston X-Dome
• Other 2P HMG Tents: Unbound 2P, UltaMid 2P
• Accessories: HMG Tent Stakes, DCF Ground Cloth, Extra Guy line Cords
• Pros: Ultralight. Fully-freestanding. Sturdy. Easy to pitch. Optional trekking pole reinforcements. Best-in-class materials. Doesn’t sag when wet. Peak vents and magnetic door toggles.
• Cons: Expensive. Single wall condensation. Few internal pockets.
To inform this review, we tested the CrossPeak 2 on a five day backpacking trip in the Grand Canyon, where it performed marvelously. The photos depict it on that trip. We will continue using it and will update this review accordingly as new information presents itself with long term use. Compare this to more great options in our guide to the best freestanding ultralight tents.
EXPANDED PROS OF THE HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR CROSSPEAK 2 TENT
Fully-Freestanding
The Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak is a true fully-freestanding tent, meaning it can be set up with its own poles, no stakes required. Even for dedicated ultralight enthusiasts, fully-freestanding tents can be worth the additional pole weight for pitching in rocky terrain, sandy deserts, or on manmade tent pads. Of course, this is your mandatory reminder that literally all tents, even fully-freestanding tents, will achieve a better, stronger, more taut pitch if fully staked out. Just because it can be pitched without stakes doesn’t mean it should be.
Ultralight Weight
Very few true ultralight freestanding tents exist, and the 33oz HMG CrossPeak is one of them. As a reference point, the first tent to launch in this category, Zpacks Free Zip 2P weighs 31.6 oz. Ultralight semi-freestanding tents like NEMO Hornet OSMO and Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL come in a smidge heavier at 33 oz and 35 oz respectively. Comparably sized fully-freestanding tents, like Big Agnes Copper Spur UL and NEMO DragonFly OSMO, weigh an extra half pound more.
High sturdiness-to-weight ratio
Compared to other tents in its weight class, the CrossPeak 2 is sturdier than average thanks to the DAC NFL 8.7mm poles enclosed in an external sil-poly sleeves. It is far, far more stable than the comparably weighted semi-freestanding Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL (35 oz) and the NEMO Hornet (33 oz), and more stable than the even heavier Copper Spur UL (42 oz) and NEMO DragonFly OSMO (42 oz), which do not place their poles into sleeves.
Supplemented with its trekking pole outriggers, CrossPeak is comparably wind-stable to the other best-in-class UL freestanders in Zpacks Free Zip and Durston X-Dome. Though we have not conducted head-to-head testing, we suspect that CrossPeak is the least wind stable among the top three by a small margin, but a cut above all of the rest.
Stays Dry While Pitching in Rain
Compared to traditional double wall fully-freestanding tents, the CrossPeak has a very favorable rain pitch. That is to say, you can pitch it while it’s raining without getting the interior wet. This contrasts double wall tents, which require you to temporarily expose the mesh canopy to rain while adding the poles followed by the fly. This compromises the dryness of your shelter.
Easy Setup
Slide the poles into the sleeves, slot the ends into the grommets lofting the structure, add the spreader bar, stake out if desired, and you have yourself a tent! Setup takes just a few minutes and is easy for all experience levels.
Made with DCF
Dyneema Composite Fabric is the best material for tents because it lighter, stronger, and more waterproof than nylon or polyester. It doesn’t absorb water and does not sag when wet. The downsides to Dyneema are minor by comparison to the benefits. The biggest downside, apart from being more expensive, is that DCF is bulkier when packed.
EXPANDED CONS OF THE HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR CROSSPEAK 2 TENT
Sloping End Walls
Unlike most asymmetrical tents, the slope angle of the head end wall is not very steep at the head end, meaning that users are more likely to brush their heads against the interior ceiling while sitting up, risking contact with damp condensation covered fabric. At 42″ peak height, CrossPeak is respectably tall to begin with and the tent isn’t short per se. But this is a disadvantage compared to the curvature and steepened end walls of popular fully-freestanding tents like the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL and Tiger Wall, which strive to add extra headroom at the head end with pre-curved poles.
Single Wall Construction
HMG CrossPeak is one of the only ultralight single wall fully-freestanding tents on the market, alongside it’s peer the Zpacks Free Zip. While this isn’t news to existing trekking pole tent users, those upgrading from a traditional lightweight double-wall tent may find its takes some getting used to. Without the interior mesh canopy, you save tons of weight, but will be exposed to greater and more frequent contact with a condensation-covered ceiling and end walls. That being said, avoiding condensation in a single wall tent becomes second nature, and most experienced backpackers ultimately find it to be a only minor annoyance, rather than a serious issue. Another downside to single wall tents is that they cannot be pitched without the fly. On warm nights, a fly-less all mesh pitch is cooler and comfier than a single wall tent with both vestibules open.
Expensive
Like all Hyperlite Mountain Gear Tents, the CrossPeak 2 is more expensive than average. And because of the poles, it’s even more expensive than average compared to other 2P tents in the HMG family, like Unbound 2 and UltaMid 2, both of which are worth considering if you don’t require a fully freestanding pitch.
EXPANDED NEUTRALS OF THE HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR CROSSPEAK 2 TENT
Sizing is Average
At 28.4 sq ft, the HMG CrossPeak 2 is neither large nor small, palatial nor cramped. Rather, it is a dead average compared to the historical sizing of 2p tents. So this is neither a pro nor a con, unless you want to use two wide width pads. It’s comparable in size and volume to the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL, which is arguably the most popular lightweight backpacking tent on the market. That being said, tents have trended larger lately, with most companies offer a 2+ or deluxe edition of their popular options, such as the Zpacks Offset Duo (31.6 sq ft interior), Durston X-Mid Pro 2+ (32.5 interior) sq ft), or the Copper Spur UL XL (36.0 sq ft interior). Compared to those larger options, the HMG Crosspeak 2 will feel a bit smaller.
Asymmetrical Pitch
CrossPeak 2 has an asymmetrical shape, 48″ wide at the head end tapering to 45″ at the foot end. This is good if you view it as having space added to the head end, or bad if you view it as having space removed from the foot end. The smaller foot end is a weight savings opportunity, but you also loose out on a potentially valuable gear storage space. One minor issue we have though is that it can be difficult to tell the head end and foot end apart from the outside while pitching, without glancing inside to see which end has the pockets or how the interior door zippers line up.
HMG CROSSPEAK TENT CONSTRUCTION, MATERIALS, FEATURES
Diving into the technical details, Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 pitches with externally placed, criss-crossing 20d sil-poly sleeves that hold the top-tier DAC Featherlight NFL 8.7mm poles in place. It’s configured into two x-ing primary poles, and one spreader bar. Fully encasing poles in sleeves is gaining popularity, but more typically reserved for 4-season tents. It’s known to boost stability by spreading wind pressure more evenly across the fly. HMG chose aluminum over carbon poles because despite being a bit heavier and bendier, they are more break-resistant overall, because they’re more capable of handling flexes during high gusts. Carbon is stronger, but fully snaps rather than bends when it fails.
CrossPeak 2 utilizes the gold standard of DCF .5 for its fly, which is fully waterproof, strong, absorbs zero water, and does not sag when wet. For the bathtub floor, we get a double thickness fabric in DCF 1.0, which is extremely strong and damage resistant, with the downside of being bulky to pack. Bathtub floor lifters at the head and foot end protect against splash back, and can be lowered for superior ventilation. Built-in tension cords keep the bathtub corners lofted with no action required by the user. No-see-um-proof mesh rounds out the enclosure with rounded L-shaped doors. Dual peak vents over the center top of each vestibule promote air flow.
Its dead-average 88″ length interior is 48″ wide at the head end and tapers to 45″ at the foot end, and a peak height of 42″. As such, it’s extremely average in regard to interior area, volume, and overall livability. Its size profile is nearly identical to the most popular lightweight tent on the market, Big Agnes Copper Spur UL. The industry standard size vestibules are 7.3 sq ft each, which is likely more room than minimalist ultralight backpackers will require. Both vestibule doors can be opened up for full ventilation, and utilize magnets to hold the roll-up in place (yay). The mesh interior doors receive a traditional toggle roll-up closure system.
Other features include two mesh pockets affixed to the bathtub floor at the head end, and a few extra guy-out points at the mid-level of the head end and foot end. But perhaps our favorite feature is the trekking pole outrigger system, which allows trekking poles to supplement the tent poles for added wind stability with connector points at the center top of each door and the center edge of the bathtub floor. By adding trekking poles (which do partially block the door opening), you can significantly boost wind stability for very little effort. We first saw this design used by SlingFin Portal, later in the Durston X-Dome, and now expect to start seeing it everywhere, because there is no reason not to have it.
WHO SHOULD BUY THE HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR CROSSPEAK 2 & WHEN TO USE IT
When to Choose HMG CrossPeak 2
• When ground conditions dictate the need for a freestanding tent, i.e. pitching on sand, rock, or manmade tent pads
• You are bikepacking, hike without trekking poles, or uncomfortable with the idea of trekking pole-based pitching, but still want an ultralight tent
• You want a 3+ season wind stable shelter.
• You are a gear enthusiast who wants the latest and greatest, highest tech gear on the market
• You want a highly versatile, high performance ultralight tent
When not to choose HMG CrossPeak 2
• As your default ultralight tent. CrossPeak 2 should be an arrow in your quiver, but non-freestanding ultralight trekking pole tents (such as HMG Unbound 2p) are less expensive and significantly lighter weight, and should still be considered as the go-to option for traveling fast and light
• Hot weather trips when access to a fly-less, all-mesh canopy pitch is valuable. A full mesh canopy drastically increases airflow, and is comfier than a single wall tent with both vestibules open.
• You have a limited budget and are value shopping.
• You want a larger-than-average tent. You and your partner both use wide-width non-tapering sleeping pads. CrossPeak is neither small nor large, simply average sized.
HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR CROSSPEAK VS ZPACKS FREE ZIP VS DURSTON X-DOME VS HMG UNBOUND VS BIG AGES COPPER SPUR
Comparing HMG CrossPeak to its direct competitors
This section compares the Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak 2 to the options we believe people are most likely to consider it against. None of these tents are strictly superior to any others. They’re all great and have distinct advantages and disadvantages.
HMG CrossPeak 2 vs Free Zip 2
HMG CrossPeak 2 is most similar to the Zpacks Free Zip 2P. Both tents weigh about 2 lbs, though the Free Zip is a smidge lighter at 31.6 oz vs the 33.0 oz of CrossPeak. The Crosspeak is a small but noticeable notch larger at 28.3 sq ft (avg tent size) vs Free Zip’s at 26.3 sq ft (smaller than avg tent size). They are similar heights (41″ Cross Peak, 43″ Free Zip). Perhaps the biggest advantage to CrossPeak is that it has full size vestibules nearly twice as large as Free Zip’s, which really are only large enough for shoes. The biggest advantage to Free Zip is that it’s more wind stable, thanks to the unique double-x pole architecture. We also note that while both are fully freestanding, CrossPeak sits better without stakes. They are priced similarly. For a larger option, the Zpacks Free Zip 3P is also available. See more in our Free Zip Review.
HMG Crosspeak 2 vs Durston X-Dome 1+
While both are ultralight fully-freestanding tents and might appear comparable at first glance, the CrossPeak 2 is far less similar to the Durston X-Dome 1+ than it is to the aforementioned Zpacks Free Zip. For starters, at time of publication, there is no X-Dome 2 yet (but coming soon), so all we have to compare to is the 1P version. Furthermore the X-Dome is a double wall design with a complete mesh canopy, and also features Durston’s signature parallelogram interior configuration. As-is, the CrossPeak 2 is about an ounce lighter than the 1P X-Dome, and we’d expect the X-Dome 2 to come in around 40 oz with the added fabric, zippers, etc. That being said, they both take advantage of external poles allowing for a fly-first rain proof pitch and improved wind stability.
HMG CrossPeak 2 vs HMG Unbound 2
While this is an apples to oranges comparison, given that HMG Unbound 2 is a trekking pole tent and CrossPeak is a freestander, it’s safe to assume some people will want to compare these to make an informed purchase within the HMG brand lineup. To summarize, Unbound 2 is a better default ultralight option to have because it’s significantly lighter weight, less expensive, and trekking pole tents work fine for most trips. Despite that, CrossPeak’s fully-freestanding pitch makes it more versatile for use across a wider array of surfaces, and it is also more wind stable for use in severe weather.
HMG Crosspeak 2 vs Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2
And finally, just for the heck of it, let’s compare the HMG CrossPeak 2 to the Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2 because it’s the most popular lightweight backpacking tent on the market. For the most part, this comparison favors the CrossPeak, which is stronger, lighter, pitches faster and dryer in rain, and is more waterproof and sag-resistant thanks to magic of Dyneema. However, the Copper Spur UL has better head room thanks to the steepened end walls, as well as access to a full double wall mesh canopy to reduce contact with condensation, and for standalone use while camping in warm dry conditions. From a performance perspective, HMG CrossPeak is the better tent, but definitely not strictly better in every way, and definitely more expensive. See more in our Big Agnes Copper Spur UL 2025 Review.
HYPERLITE MOUNTAIN GEAR CROSSPEAK REVIEW CONCLUSION
Thanks for reading our Hyperlite Mountain Gear CrossPeak review, where we hope to have informed your purchase. In comparison to other lightweight freestanding tents from mainstream brands, the HMG CrossPeak is both lighter and sturdier, all without sacrificing spaciousness, but at the cost being single-not-double walled, and having a very hefty price tag. Compared to other best-in-class ultralight freestanders, it offers a competitive blend of low weight, good spaciousness, and high stability, and is well-worth considering. This is a phenomenal tent and we’re confident it will serve you well in the backcountry. Nice one, HMG!
