Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300 vs Latitude Tents Explorer
The Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300 and the Latitude Tents Explorer 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. Ironman 4x4 and Latitude Tents take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
List prices are within $195 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one. Ironman 4x4 also backs the Ursa 1300 for 3 years against 2.
They open differently: the Ursa 1300 is a fold-out and the Explorer a pop-up. 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 Ursa 1300 uses ABS hardshell with aluminium honeycomb base; the Explorer uses aluminium hardshell. Canvas differs too: 420D polyester Oxford fly; 320gsm ripstop nylon mesh against heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head). Closed, the Explorer sits 12 cm lower on the roof — 20 cm against 32 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
Ironman 4x4
Ursa 1300
The Ursa 1300 is the smaller of Ironman 4x4's two Ursa hardshell fold-out tents, sized for CUVs, SUVs, wagons and most truck beds. It sleeps two adults and a child on a 2.4-inch high-density foam mattress and deploys via two base latches and assisted gas struts, expanding sideways from a 65 x 48.8 inch packed footprint to a 63 x 80.6 inch open floor. Integrated star-gazing sky windows, LED strip lighting and a heater/AC hose inlet are included.
- Two-latch, gas-strut fold-out deployment the maker rates at under 5 minutes
- Integrated star-gazing sky windows and LED strip lighting
- Heater/AC hose inlet for cold-weather diesel-heater use
- Manufacturer publishes the 160 lb weight in imperial only, with no metric figure
Latitude Tents
Explorer
The Explorer is Latitude Tents's hardshell roof tent, opening on gas struts in a claimed 30 seconds and packing down to a 20cm-tall closed profile (excluding the supplied roof bars). It sleeps two on a 70mm foam mattress with an anti-condensation mat, and includes a built-in three-setting dimmable LED light plus load-bearing roof bars rated to 85kg closed and 25kg open. The maker publishes a 3000mm hydrostatic-head rating and a Gale Force 8 wind rating but does not list the tent's weight or full open dimensions as text.
- Hardshell opens on gas struts in a claimed 30 seconds
- Slim 20cm closed profile with roof bars rated 85kg closed / 25kg open
- Built-in dimmable LED light and 70mm foam mattress with anti-condensation mat
- Manufacturer does not publish the tent's weight or full open dimensions in text
Which one to pick
These two are closely matched on the numbers that usually decide it. Read the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex — and let whichever of those you will actually use break the tie.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Fold-out | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 3— best of the tents compared | 2— worst of the tents compared |
| Season rating | 4-season | — |
| List price | $2,999— best of the tents compared | $3,190— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | — | 165 lb |
| Packed length | 5 ft 5 in | — |
| Packed width | 4 ft 1 in | — |
| Packed height | 12.6 in— worst of the tents compared | 7.9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 5 ft 3 in | — |
| Sleeping width | 6 ft 9 in | — |
| Floor area | 35.3 sq ft | — |
| Interior height | 4 ft 4 in | — |
| Mattress thickness | 2.4 in— worst of the tents compared | 2.8 in— best of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | ~60 secest. | 30 sec |
| Shell material | ABS hardshell with aluminium honeycomb base | Aluminium hardshell |
| Fabric | 420D polyester Oxford fly; 320gsm ripstop nylon mesh | Heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head) |
| Warranty | 3years— best of the tents compared | 2years— worst of the tents compared |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | Yes | — |
| Roof skylight | Yes | — |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | — | — |
| Carries cargo on top | — | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Ironman 4x4 product page | Latitude Tents product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300 and the Latitude Tents Explorer.