Howling Moon Lunar vs Latitude Tents Explorer
The Howling Moon Lunar 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. Howling Moon and Latitude Tents take noticeably different approaches to the same problem.
List prices are within $165 of each other, so price is unlikely to decide this one.
They open differently: the Lunar is a clamshell 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 Lunar uses fibreglass with scratch-resistant coating; the Explorer uses aluminium hardshell. Canvas differs too: heavy-duty ripstop canvas with YKK zips against heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head). Closed, the Explorer sits 13 cm lower on the roof — 20 cm against 33 cm — which is drag you carry on every mile you are not camping.
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
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 | Clamshell | Pop-up |
| Sleeps | 2 | 2 |
| Season rating | — | — |
| List price | $3,030— best of the tents compared | $3,190— worst of the tents compared |
| Weight and size | ||
| Weight | 165 lb | 165 lb |
| Packed length | 7 ft 3 in | — |
| Packed width | 4 ft 11 in | — |
| Packed height | 13 in— worst of the tents compared | 7.9 in— best of the tents compared |
| Living space | ||
| Sleeping length | 7 ft 1 in | — |
| Sleeping width | 4 ft 9 in | — |
| Floor area | 33.6 sq ft | — |
| Interior height | 3 ft 5 in | — |
| Mattress thickness | 3.9 in— best of the tents compared | 2.8 in— worst 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 | Fibreglass with scratch-resistant coating | Aluminium hardshell |
| Fabric | Heavy-duty ripstop canvas with YKK zips | Heavy-duty rip-stop poly-cotton with waterproof & UV-resistant coating (3000mm hydrostatic head) |
| Warranty | — | 2years |
| Features | ||
| Integrated LED lighting | Yes | Yes |
| Heater / HVAC port | — | — |
| Roof skylight | — | — |
| Annex available | — | Yes |
| Solar ready | Yes | — |
| Carries cargo on top | Yes | Yes |
| Sources | ||
| Last verified | Howling Moon product page | Latitude Tents product page |
Related comparisons
Or read the full spec sheets for the Howling Moon Lunar and the Latitude Tents Explorer.