Horntools Themis 140 vs Howling Moon Lunar
The Horntools Themis 140 and the Howling Moon Lunar 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 Howling Moon take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
The Themis 140 is 5 kg lighter at 70 kg against 75 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 3.12 m², so neither wins on sleeping room. List prices are within $70 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Themis 140 is a pop-up and the Lunar a clamshell. 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 Lunar uses fibreglass with scratch-resistant coating. Canvas differs too: cotton, linen, polyester with PU coating (water column 2000 mm) against heavy-duty ripstop canvas with YKK zips.
Horntools
Themis 140
The 140 cm two-person version of Horntools's Themis hard-shell roof tent, with an ABS shell that opens in under three minutes to 100 cm interior height. It has three entrances, four windows with fly screens and blackout blinds, integrated LED strips and a 7 cm memory-foam mattress, and packs down to a 30 cm profile. It is the smaller of Horntools's two Themis hard-shell sizes.
- ABS hard shell packs to a low 30 cm profile
- Quick sub-3-minute setup with 2.6 m ladder included
- Three entrances and 7 cm memory-foam mattress
- Lower 100 cm interior height than Horntools's folding Elements tents
Howling Moon
Lunar
The Lunar is a clamshell hardshell tent with a fibreglass top and bottom raised by a gas-strut lifting mechanism, fitted with a fully quilted 100 mm high-density foam mattress. Aluminium mounting rails are built into the top of the lid to allow fitting a solar panel or other accessories. It has large screened aperture windows and is available in black, grey or white.
- Thick 100 mm quilted foam mattress
- Fibreglass shell with lid mounting rails for solar/accessories
- Fully published open and packed dimensions
- Ladder is sold separately
Which one to pick
Take the Themis 140 if your roof load limit is the binding constraint. Beyond that the feature rows below — heater port, skylight, annex, cargo rails — are where the remaining difference lies.
Every specification, side by side
| Specification | ||
|---|---|---|
| Overview | ||
| Type | Hardshell | Hardshell |
| Opening style | Pop-up | Clamshell |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $2,960— best of the tents compared | $3,030— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 154 lb— best of the tents compared | 165 lb— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed length | 6 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 7 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 7 in— best of the tents compared | 4 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 11.8 in— best of the tents compared | 13 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 6 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared | 7 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 32 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 33.6 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 3 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 2.8 in— worst of the tents compared | 3.9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Setup and build | ||
| Setup timeManufacturer's claim where published; otherwise estimated from tent type. Expect longer in practice. | 3 min | ~60 secest. |
| Shell material | ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) | Fibreglass with scratch-resistant coating |
| Fabric | Cotton, linen, polyester with PU coating (water column 2000 mm) | Heavy-duty ripstop canvas with YKK zips |
| Warranty | 5years | — |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | Yes | — |
| Solar ready | — | Yes |
| Carries cargo on top | — | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Horntools product page | Howling Moon product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Horntools Themis 140 and the Howling Moon Lunar.