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Big Agnes Happy Hooligan UL3 Review
April 27, 2017The Good
- Third lightest in set
- Good floor space
- Compact packability
The Bad
- Expensive
- Smallest vestibule area
- Third lowest peak
The Big Agnes Happy Hooligan UL2 took home the silver medal in this test, only a single point and $50 behind the winner. Users will love the tent’s light weight compared to others with a similar amount of floor space. The Happy Hooligan’s biggest drawback is its small vestibule area and big price tag.
Shoulder Room
The Happy Hooligan has decent shoulder room, although its walls are less steep than others in the test set, striking a balance between interior room and weatherproofness. It has two medium sized vestibules, which will store the most basic amount of gear. It is also tied for the most ventilation on the body of the tent, which can be the difference between comfort and stewing in the smell of your hiking partner’s dirty socks.
Packability
The Big Agnes Happy Hooligan rolls into a small cylinder, the second most compact tent in the set. This makes splitting the load between partners easy. It is the third lightest tent we looked at, with a minimum weight just over four pounds. The stuff sack is a traditional sack with a lightweight drawstring.
Setup
First time solo setup for our tester was 4:00, making it the fastest tent to set up by a full two minutes, earning it a high score. It has one large aluminum H-style pole, and one small pole that props up the center. When the user puts the pole together it forms a simple H shape, which makes it really easy to see how it’s supposed to be put together quickly.
Weatherproofness
The Happy Hooligan received middling marks in this category because it balances interior floor space with a moderate profile. The fly is fixed with basic plastic buckles, which gives some concern for their durability though they held well during testing. The door can be staked quite low to the ground, which will help prevent wind from getting underneath and soaking gear in the vestibule or people in the tent. The overall strength of the pole structure makes it ready to repel gusty conditions.
Features
This tent has two large doors, one on either side. There are also two large optional vents that can be put up when some more air flow is needed and closed during driving wind or rain. The interior of the body of the tent has six gear pouches arranged throughout.
Additional Product Specifications
Minimum Trail Weight: 4 lbs 1 oz
Max / Packaged Weight: 4 lbs 7 oz
Interior Floor Area: 43 sq ft
Vestibule Area: 9 sq ft
Peak Interior Height: 43 in
Scott Morris guides backpacking expeditions and hiking trips for Southern Yosemite Mountain Guides throughout the Sierra Nevada mountains of California. He is a writer, traveler, and runner. Scott tests backpacking equipment.