Horntools Themis 140 vs Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300
The Horntools Themis 140 and the Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300 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 Ironman 4x4 take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
Inside, the Ursa 1300 gives 3.28 m² of sleeping floor against 2.97 m², about 10 percent more, and it sleeps 3 to the Themis 140's 2. Headroom separates them further: 133.1 cm in the Ursa 1300 against 100 cm, which is the difference between sitting up to dress and doing it lying down. List prices are within $40 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one. Horntools also backs the Themis 140 for 5 years against 3.
They open differently: the Themis 140 is a pop-up and the Ursa 1300 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 Ursa 1300 uses ABS hardshell with aluminium honeycomb base. Canvas differs too: cotton, linen, polyester with PU coating (water column 2000 mm) against 420D polyester Oxford fly; 320gsm ripstop nylon mesh.
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
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
Which one to pick
Take the Ursa 1300 if you need the sleeping room more than you need the lighter tent. 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 | Fold-out |
| Sleeps | 2— worst of the tents compared | 3— best of the tents compared |
| Season rating | — | 4-season |
| List price | $2,960— best of the tents compared | $2,999— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 154 lb | — |
| Packed length | 6 ft 11 in— worst of the tents compared | 5 ft 5 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed width | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 1 in— best of the tents compared |
| Packed height | 11.8 in— best of the tents compared | 12.6 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 6 ft 11 in— best of the tents compared | 5 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 7 in— worst of the tents compared | 6 ft 9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Floor area | 32 sq ft— worst of the tents compared | 35.3 sq ft— best of the tents compared |
| Interior height | 3 ft 3 in— worst of the tents compared | 4 ft 4 in— best of the tents compared |
| Mattress thickness | 2.8 in— best of the tents compared | 2.4 in— worst 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) | ABS hardshell with aluminium honeycomb base |
| Fabric | Cotton, linen, polyester with PU coating (water column 2000 mm) | 420D polyester Oxford fly; 320gsm ripstop nylon mesh |
| Warranty | 5years— best of the tents compared | 3years— 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 | — | — |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Horntools product page | Ironman 4x4 product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Horntools Themis 140 and the Ironman 4x4 Ursa 1300.