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   Mountain Equipment AR Ultralite 2

The Mountain Equipment AR Ultralite 2 is primarily designed for adventure racing, however, it's also substantial enough to be used a lightweight backpacking tent for 2 closely acquainted people. Mountain Equipment claim you can even pitch this tent using the assistance of a tree rather than poles, however, if you're that crazy about weight you may as well just sleep in a bin bag. More realistically (but still slightly hardcore for our liking), walking poles can be used instead. The weight of the AR Ultralite 2 is just under 1.5 kilos but this can be reduced to 1.2 kilos if you are mad enough to attempt the tree solution outlined above. Just remember to pack your survivial bag if you do attempt it - you may need it...

   Mountain Equipment AR Ultralite 2 Reviews

General comments: The AR Ultralite 2 may appear quite small for a 2 man tent but given the weight, it's actually not too bad. I've used it with both my girlfriend and friends and it's spacious enough. First things first - the colour of the tent is good (I believe it's called moss green) because it blends it with the environment - there's nothing worse than a bright yellow tent. Of course, this can make locating it pretty difficult when it starts to get dark so take care when pitching it then wandering off to see the sunset. The Ultralight pitches fairly easily although in my experience the low end of the tent never quite looks right. In the photo (see above), the outer of the tent goes from the highest point down to the left in a straight light. The problem is - there's a guy attachment in the centre a third of the way down which makes the tent look at if it hasn't been pitched properly if you use it. Without it, it appears slightly baggy. I should note that this creates no functional problem, it's just the aesthetics. Also, I don't have the best reputation when it comes to pitching tents so that might be a factor too. The pegs are strong enough put they are slightly difficult to get out sometimes because the curved ends are quite sharp. The tent is a bit flappy in the wind but I've pitched it several times at 1000m and it's coped pretty well considering it's not designed for higher altitude stuff. All in all, I think the Mountain Equipment AR Ultralite 2 is a good choice if you really want to keep the weight down.

Pros: Weight, nice colour, quick to pitch, adequate size for 2 people.

Cons: Sharp pegs.

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