Naturehike Cloud Up 2 Review

Bottom Line

The Naturehike Cloud Up is a great option on our guide to the best budget tents that fits the bill for affordability and weight; it is ideal for someone looking for a shelter that can be used for both casual car camping trips and short distance backpacking expeditions.

At just under 3.5 pounds and made of durable 20D Nylon with a silicone waterproof coating, this tent is well worth the small price tag. The high side walls of the inner tent provide adequate privacy even when the fly is off.

However, one thing to note about this tent is the shorter length and peak height. At only 82.8 inches long and 40.8 inches high, it is better suited for folks under six feet tall. Our gear analyst also would not recommend this tent as a two-person shelter because of its smaller size. Given the single front-entry door and vestibule, there is a significant lack of space for two people plus their gear.

Comfort

Out of all the tents in this category, the Naturekhike Cloud Up 2 was the only one not long enough for folks 6+ feet tall. When sleeping throughout the night on our air mat, our head and toes were constantly touching the walls with about 3” or less of extra space on both ends. With that being said, this tent is much better suited for solo hikers under 6 feet tall because there’s just not enough room for two people. 

With a total interior space of 28 square feet, the Cloud Up 2 has a tight interior because of its comparatively shorter length and peak height. Throughout the day, we constantly made contact with the walls when lying down, entering and exiting, and twisting to reach things at the opposite end of the tent.  

However, sitting up and down inside the tent was easier due to the Y-pole hub and aluminum alloy tee joint design which creates a decent ceiling lift and peak height. The door-side of the tent is much more vertical compared to the toe-end side due to the sharp tapering of the ceiling towards the back of the tent which causes significant vertical space loss.

Weather Resistance

Perhaps less obvious is this tent’s use of superior materials and 4000 mm waterproof coating. This was verified during our testing when the tent showed no signs of interior seepage, leaking, or sagging due to saturation from simulated rainfall. When properly guyed out, this tent repels water like a champ with its silicone coating, taped seams, steep side walls, and five extra guy line pull-outs. There are also small clips along the bottom of the inner tent that fasten to the sides of the fly and can be staked out. This helps to dramatically widen the interior of the tent and assist with extra tension.

With the Naturehike Cloud Up 2, it’s imperative that you are mindful of wind direction and how the tent is positioned. Its unique shape and design looks like a rounded dorsal fin from the side and has a much smaller, narrower profile viewed from the either end of the tent. This means that the broad panels can easily catch a crosswind if wind is blowing directly into the tent’s sides. When the Santa Ana winds kicked up at our campsite, we had to reposition the tent so that it was cutting into the direction of the wind instead of getting hit from the side.

With that in mind, and knowing that there is only one lower vent at the toe-end of the tent, it’s important to get a taut pitch and proper positioning with the wind. If the vestibule is fully zipped, the only source of proper ventilation comes from the lower toe vent. Side airflow is maximized when the rainfly and small buckles are staked out. One last thing to remember is that the vestibules are designed to be staked out at all times and don’t fully roll back, only partially. If left unstaked, they will flap around in the wind. Overall the tent felt pretty stable when tautly pitched and correctly positioned with the wind.

Durability

The Naturehike Cloud Up 2’s fabric is where much of its strength resides, with its 20D silicone coated ripstop nylon and included footprint. The materials do feel noticeably thinner than many other polyester-based tents in this category, so it’s important to still use it with care and be extra diligent when selecting campsites free of sharp rocks and sticks. 

The Cloud Up 2’s price point is below other shelters made from similar material. The reinforced corners of the Cloud Up’s interior also definitely extend this product’s life after many seasons of rigorous use. Considering how much use the corners endure when staking out and readjusting the tent, it’s a thoughtful addition that helps to bolster the overall durability and life of the tent.

Portability

Another noteworthy aspect of the Cloud Up 2 is its light weight and portability. At just 3.5 pounds, this lightweight tent made for an easy four mile hike to our campsite. It offers a good balance of space and weight, ideal for a 50L backpack while also carrying other camping gear. We found it comfortable to carry, not bulky, and it easily packed down alongside other essentials within our pack. 

Additionally, breaking down the tent is simple once the tension system is disengaged and everything packs down pretty small. The nylon fabric helps by allowing you to compress the tent more than you might be able to do with other polyester models in this category. The Y-hub poles are short enough to fit into the pack separately, but during our testing, we found that rolling everything up together works well too and doesn’t feel bulky. Only the pole hub might feel slightly awkward since it’s all one piece, but overall it wasn’t really an issue.  

Even as a double wall tent with an optional footprint, the Cloud Up 2 can easily be carried on short to moderate backpacking trips. It collapses down pretty small and is very packable, even more so if you separate the components.

Ease of Use

With its unique directional Y-pole hub system and freestanding design, pitching the Cloud Up 2 is a breeze. Once it’s properly positioned, the ends of the poles fit into the grommets and the remaining hook clips fasten to the rainfly. The inner tent sets up in under 4 minutes and the rainfly easily clips into the 4 Duraflex buckles on the corners of the inner tent.

Even though the fly and pole hub are both directional, the tent won’t function right unless everything is properly positioned. In that sense, you’ll know very quickly if something is off or needs to be repositioned. Luckily, the fly attachment buckles also have adjustment straps to help cinch it down.   

The foot of the tent and side walls have shorter pre-attached guy line pull-outs assembled and ready to go, but the other two on either side of the entryway need to be attached to the fly prior to use. With such a small square footage, the Cloud Up 2 is capable of fitting into much smaller campsites than many others in this category. At just under 7’ in length and slightly wider than 4’, this fast-pitching tent can accommodate a much greater selection of campsites.

Should You Buy the Naturehike Cloud Up 2?

Whether you consider yourself a car camper or a solo hiker wanting to experiment with shorter distance backpacking trips, consider the Naturehike Cloud Up 2. Its weight-to-price ratio is very reasonable considering how expensive other tents are that have similar weights and crossover attributes.

The Cloud Up 2 does not skimp on quality materials with its 20D silicone coated nylon fabric; it will last many seasons of use, especially if combined with the footprint. The nylon material also contributes to the smaller, lighter weight making it much more packable than many of its polyester counterparts. 

Though keep in mind that if you’re six feet or taller, you’ll likely make contact at the head and foot of the tent. It’s also not ideal for 2 people, being much better suited as a cozy 1P shelter. However, if you’re under that height, prioritize spending more time outside in nature than inside your tent, and just need a quick-pitch shelter for sleeping, then check out the Naturehike Cloud Up 2.   

What Other Budget Tents Should You Consider?

Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Outfitter Review: Similar in weight to the Naturehike Cloud Up 2 but slightly pricier is the Six Moon Designs Lunar Duo Outfitter. Coming in at 3.71 pounds, it is a non-freestanding tent that requires trekking poles to pitch, but still offers significantly more room at 34 square feet. Featuring dual arched roof poles, it increases headroom and peak height to about 45 inches. There’s also dual doors and vestibules for increased storage and easy entry and exit with a partner. 

Kelty Late Start 2 Review: The Kelty Late Start 2 is a bit heavier than the Cloud Up 2 at about 5 pounds, but is similarly suitable as a decent 1-person shelter with one door and vestibule. Its dome-style structure differs from the Y-hubbed dorsal fin shape, but they both have quick setups. The Kelty Late Start features a pre-bent X-pole design with unique quick-corner pole insert pockets instead of clips. It’s also much larger with a 30.6 sq ft floor area. 

TarpTent Stratospire 2 Review: If you’re still in the game for durable high-quality materials and a non-freestanding design, but with a larger budget to utilize, check out the TarpTent StratoSpire 2. Its unique design and features make it very adaptable to most conditions and its durable materials will last a long time. Boasting a silpoly coated 20D nano ripstop fly with a 30D double ripstop nylon 66 floor and 15D mesh, it comes stacked with high quality materials that many budget tents don’t have.