Naturnest Polaris 2 vs Trustmade Pioneer Series

The Naturnest Polaris 2 and the Trustmade Pioneer Series 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. Naturnest and Trustmade take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.

By the numbers, the Naturnest Polaris 2 brings 84 kg, 2.77 m² of floor, 150 cm of headroom and sleeps 2. The Trustmade Pioneer Series counters with 115.7 kg, 3.36 m² of floor and sleeps 3.

The Polaris 2 is 31.700000000000003 kg lighter at 84 kg against 115.7 kg, which on a factory roof rated for 68 to 75 kg is often the difference between a legal fit and a rack upgrade. Inside, the Pioneer Series gives 3.36 m² of sleeping floor against 2.77 m², about 21 percent more, and it sleeps 3 to the Polaris 2's 2. Their list prices are within a few percent of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.

They open differently: the Polaris 2 is a clamshell and the Pioneer Series 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 Polaris 2 uses aluminium alloy with die-cast corners; the Pioneer Series uses honeycomb aluminium. Canvas differs too: high-density Oxford plaid; mildew-proof antibacterial polyester inner; YKK zippers against 300 g flame-retardant poly-cotton ripstop, PU 3000 mm, UV50+ (CPAI-84). Closed, the Polaris 2 sits 15 cm lower on the roof — 18 cm against 33 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.