Photo of an MSR Hubba 1-person tent pitched on grass against a forested, hilly background.

The Most Popular Cycle Touring Tent Ever Made Is Now 40% Cheaper


I rarely post about outdoor industry sales and promotions, and when I do it’s truly in my readers’ interests!

On this occasion, Seattle-based Cascade Designs (parent of MSR, Therm-a-Rest, SealLine and more) have launched a major sale on many cycle touring gear classics across their brands, running from May 17–27 – although I expect the most popular items will be gone in a matter of hours.

Of special interest is the legendary MSR Hubba range of lightweight freestanding tents, whose 1‑, 2- and 3‑berth models have been circling the globe under pedal power for decades (I have one of each). 

Among riders from the English-speaking world, these are arguably the most popular cycle touring tents ever made – and there’s now 40% off all three. This never happens.

Also heavily discounted are the MSR Elixir tents, which are essentially heavyweight versions of the Hubbas, cheaper to boot, and theoretically more durable – as long as you don’t mind the extra kilo or so.

(I’ve written extensively about tent choice for cycle touring in this detailed blog post.)

And while the remainder of the sale will be of more interest to hikers and trekkers, I also spotted some excellent-quality SealLine dry bags (mine are still watertight after 11 years) which are great for the organising and selective waterproofing of gear inside your bike luggage, and the also-legendary Z‑Lite SOL closed-cell foam camping mat for those whose backs and joints are up to it (more on sleeping mats/pads here).

The sale is, unfortunately, for Cascade Designs’ USA online store only, meaning about 50% of readers will now close this tab in disgust. Sorry – I promise the next post will be more relevant!