Horntools Themis 140 vs Tuff Stuff Overland Alpha II

The Horntools Themis 140 and the Tuff Stuff Overland Alpha II are both hardshell tents in the same part of the market, which makes them a genuine head-to-head rather than a comparison across categories. Horntools and Tuff Stuff Overland take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.

By the numbers, the Horntools Themis 140 brings 70 kg, 2.97 m² of floor, 100 cm of headroom and sleeps 2. The Tuff Stuff Overland Alpha II counters with 64 kg, 3.06 m² of floor and sleeps 2.

The Alpha II is 6 kg lighter at 64 kg against 70 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Floor area is close to identical at 2.97 m² and 3.06 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.

They open differently: the Themis 140 is a pop-up and the Alpha II a fold-out. That is not cosmetic — it decides whether headroom is even across the tent or tapers towards one end, and how much of the roof the tent occupies when closed. The Themis 140 uses ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene); the Alpha II uses ABS. Canvas differs too: cotton, linen, polyester with PU coating (water column 2000 mm) against 280 g poly/cotton ripstop; 210D Oxford PU 5000 mm rainfly; aluminum honeycomb floor. Closed, the Themis 140 sits 6 cm lower on the roof — 30 cm against 36 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.