If you've spent enough nights in the backcountry, you eventually realize that a backpacking tent is not simply a place to sleep. It is your weather shelter, gear-storage system, ventilation system, private room, and recovery space after a long day on the trail.
That is why the BlackWolf Mantis II remains an interesting tent to evaluate, even though it belongs to an older generation of hiking-tent design.
The Mantis II was built around a straightforward idea: give two hikers a relatively light, practical, weather-resistant shelter without making setup unnecessarily complicated. Its two-pole structure, dual entrances, dual vestibules, mesh ventilation and aluminum poles make it a genuinely useful backpacking platform.
But there is an important question for today's buyer:
Does the Mantis II still make sense when newer backpacking tents are lighter, more spacious and increasingly sophisticated?
After looking at its design from the perspective of long-term camping and backpacking use, my answer is:
Yes—but mainly for hikers who prioritize simplicity, durability, ventilation and proven practicality over absolute minimum weight or maximum interior space.
The Mantis II is not a perfect tent. Its tapered two-person interior can feel cramped, particularly for larger campers, and its roughly 2.4 kg packed weight is no longer particularly impressive by modern ultralight standards.
However, there is much more to this tent than its weight.
BlackWolf Mantis II at a Glance
The original Mantis II is a two-person, three-season hiking tent with a two-pole design and dual side entrances.
Its commonly listed specifications include:
Capacity: 2 people
Sleeping area: approximately 210 × 140 cm
External dimensions: approximately 225 × 260 cm
Maximum interior height: about 80 cm
Packed size: approximately 45 × 15 × 15 cm
Weight: approximately 2.4 kg
Pole material: 8.5 mm T6 aluminum
Fly waterproof rating: approximately 3,000 mm
Floor waterproof rating: approximately 5,000 mm
Doors: 2
Vestibules: 2
Guy points: 4
Season rating: 3-season
Exact specifications can vary between production versions, so anyone buying an older or second-hand Mantis II should check the actual tent rather than relying solely on an old specification sheet.
My Overall Assessment
| Category | Rating |
|---|---|
| Weather protection | 4/5 |
| Ventilation | 4/5 |
| Setup | 4.5/5 |
| Durability | 4/5 |
| Interior livability | 3.5/5 |
| Packability | 4/5 |
| Weight | 3/5 |
| Two-person usability | 3.5/5 |
| Value on the used market | 4/5 |
| Ultralight backpacking | 2.5/5 |
Overall rating: 4/5
The Mantis II is a solid practical backpacking tent, but its value depends heavily on what you expect from a modern shelter.
The Mantis II is fundamentally a backpacking and hiking shelter, rather than a luxury camping tent.
Its design priorities are fairly easy to understand:
simple structure + reasonable weight + strong weather protection + good ventilation + two-person functionality.
The two-pole architecture is particularly important.
Instead of relying on a complicated hub system or a large collection of poles, the Mantis II uses two T6 aluminum pole assemblies. This keeps the setup relatively straightforward and reduces the number of components that can be lost or broken.
For backpackers, simple is often good.
After walking 10 or 15 miles in rain, the last thing you want is a tent that requires a 12-step engineering procedure to pitch.
This is one of the most important questions.
The original Mantis II is generally listed around 2.4 kg.
For a two-person shelter, that's approximately:
2,400 g ÷ 2 = 1,200 g per person
That's actually a reasonable number when two hikers share the shelter.
However, the context matters.
Today's backpacking market includes many two-person tents weighing between roughly 1 and 2 kg, with premium ultralight designs going considerably lower.
So the Mantis II should no longer be described as an ultralight tent by current standards.
Instead, I'd classify it as:
A practical lightweight hiking tent.
That's an important distinction.
Why Weight Isn't Everything
Imagine two shelters:
Tent A
1.1 kg
Minimal interior
One entrance
Small vestibule
Lightweight fabrics
More delicate construction
Tent B
2.4 kg
Two entrances
Two vestibules
Aluminum poles
More conventional construction
Greater weather-oriented structure
If you're hiking 20 miles a day, Tent A may be the obvious choice.
If you're hiking 8–12 miles and spending considerable time at camp, Tent B can make more sense.
The correct tent is determined by the trip—not the marketing category.
This is where the Mantis II becomes more complicated.
The listed sleeping area is approximately 210 × 140 cm.
On paper, that sounds perfectly reasonable for two people.
But floor dimensions don't tell the whole story.
The Mantis II has a tapered floor plan, which means the effective usable width toward the foot area can feel smaller than the maximum width suggests.
This matters when two campers use rectangular sleeping pads.
For example, if you use two pads around 50–55 cm wide, you're already approaching the full floor width.
And once you add:
Sleeping bags
Clothing
Water bottles
Electronics
Packs
Shoes
Trekking poles
the available living space disappears quickly.
My Recommendation
For two average-sized hikers:
Good for sleeping.
For two large adults who want to sit up, change clothes and organize lots of equipment:
Not ideal.
For one person:
Excellent.
In fact, solo campers can get considerably more value from the Mantis II because the second sleeping position becomes usable living and gear space.
The listed maximum height is approximately 80 cm.
This isn't particularly tall.
That means the Mantis II is better thought of as a sleeping shelter rather than a room where you can comfortably sit upright everywhere.
This is an important distinction when comparing tents.
A tent with a 100–110 cm peak height may feel dramatically more spacious than one with an 80 cm peak—even if the floor area isn't dramatically different.
Think About How You Camp
If you mainly:
Arrive
Eat outside
Sleep
Wake up
Pack
Leave
then 80 cm may be perfectly adequate.
If you regularly:
Read inside
Wait out storms
Change clothes
Sort equipment
Cook outside under the vestibule
Spend several hours inside
then a taller tent becomes much more attractive.
One of the Mantis II's best features is its dual-entry design.
For a two-person tent, I consider two doors a major quality-of-life upgrade.
Without dual entry:
Person A → Person B → door → outside
With dual entry:
Person A → outside
Person B → outside
No climbing over your partner.
No waking your partner.
No awkward shuffling at 2 a.m.
And each camper effectively gets their own vestibule.
Why Vestibules Matter
A vestibule is more than a place to throw your shoes.
It is a transition zone between the outdoor environment and your sleeping environment.
You can use it for:
Hiking boots
Wet rain jackets
Backpack
Trekking poles
Dirty equipment
Water bottles
Cooking equipment that shouldn't be inside the tent
The Mantis II's two vestibules are especially useful because two campers don't have to compete for one storage area.
However, don't expect the vestibules to magically hold two enormous expedition packs plus all your equipment.
Space management still matters.
Ventilation is one of the most underrated aspects of tent design.
A tent can have excellent waterproof fabric and still feel miserable if humid air has nowhere to go.
The Mantis II uses mesh ventilation around the inner tent and head/foot ventilation points to encourage airflow.
This is especially useful during warm conditions.
Why Tent Ventilation Matters
During a normal night, your body releases moisture through:
Breathing
Skin evaporation
Sweating
A person can contribute hundreds of milliliters of water vapor overnight, depending on temperature, humidity and individual physiology.
Two people inside a small tent therefore create a surprisingly humid microclimate.
If that moisture hits a cold fly surface, condensation forms.
If you wake up and see droplets on the inside of your fly, don't immediately assume your tent is leaking.
It may be condensation.
Here's the science:
Warm humid air → cold tent surface → water vapor cools → condensation
This is the same basic process that produces moisture on the outside of a cold drink.
How to Reduce Condensation in the Mantis II
Try these seven habits:
Open every available vent.
Keep the fly properly tensioned.
Avoid pressing sleeping bags against the inner wall.
Don't dry soaking-wet clothing inside the tent.
Pitch where there is natural airflow.
Avoid low depressions where humid air settles.
Keep the vestibule partially ventilated when weather permits.
You won't always eliminate condensation.
The goal is to manage it.
The commonly listed waterproof ratings are approximately:
Fly: 3,000 mm
Floor: 5,000 mm
These numbers are hydrostatic-head ratings.
But here's something many consumers misunderstand:
A higher hydrostatic-head number does not automatically mean a better tent.
Water resistance also depends on:
Fabric quality
Coating quality
Seam construction
Seam taping
Pitching
Fabric tension
Zipper design
Ground conditions
Age of the coating
A 5,000 mm floor can perform poorly if water enters through damaged seams.
Likewise, a properly pitched 2,000–3,000 mm fly can handle ordinary three-season rain very effectively.
For normal three-season backpacking, it is capable of handling substantial rain when properly pitched and maintained.
But I would not describe it as a storm shelter for extreme conditions.
The more important issue with an older Mantis II is age.
If you're buying one used, waterproof performance may be dramatically different from when the tent was new.
Check for:
Sticky fabric
Peeling coating
Cracked coating
Flaking seams
Pinholes
Damaged stitching
Zipper leakage
Fabric that feels brittle
A tent's waterproof rating on an old specification sheet doesn't tell you how waterproof a 10-year-old tent actually is.
The two-pole design gives the tent a relatively simple structural framework.
But remember:
Tent performance in wind is a system.
It's not just about pole diameter.
The actual performance depends on:
pole structure + fabric tension + stakes + guy lines + orientation + campsite
This is why experienced campers spend time selecting the site.
If bad weather is approaching, don't simply throw the tent down and crawl inside.
Use this process.
1. Find Natural Protection
Look for:
Trees that are healthy and not hazardous
Bushes
Terrain depressions that aren't drainage channels
Natural windbreaks
Avoid exposed ridgelines if severe wind is forecast.
2. Face the Shelter Correctly
Whenever possible, orient the tent so that the most aerodynamic or structurally favorable end faces the prevailing wind.
3. Use All Appropriate Guy Points
Don't assume four guy points are optional decoration.
In strong wind, they transfer load away from the poles and fabric.
4. Tension the Fly
The fly should be taut without being overstretched.
Loose fabric can flap violently and create unnecessary wear.
5. Recheck After 20–30 Minutes
The first pitch is not necessarily the final pitch.
Rain, wind and wet fabric can change tension.
The Mantis II is relatively straightforward to pitch.
The basic sequence is:
Choose and clear your campsite.
Lay out the inner tent.
Stake the corners.
Assemble the two pole sections.
Thread the poles through the sleeves.
Attach the inner tent clips.
Position the fly.
Attach the fly to the poles.
Stake the fly.
Adjust guy lines and ventilation.
The design's simplicity is particularly valuable when:
You're tired
It's raining
It's getting dark
You're wearing gloves
You're camping alone
A tent that takes five minutes longer to pitch every night adds up over a long trip.
This is where I think the Mantis II becomes especially interesting.
If you're alone, you get access to:
Two doors + two vestibules + the entire interior.
That means your backpack can go on one side, boots on another, and your sleeping area remains relatively organized.
The 2.4 kg weight is less attractive for solo use, however.
You're carrying the entire shelter yourself.
So I'd describe it as:
Solo comfort: Excellent
Solo weight efficiency: Moderate
If you prioritize a spacious, easy-to-live-in solo shelter, it's a reasonable choice.
If you want the lightest possible solo setup, there are better options.
For two people, the Mantis II makes more sense from a weight-sharing perspective.
At approximately 2.4 kg:
1.2 kg per person
That's not excessive for a conventional two-person shelter.
And both campers get:
A separate entrance
A separate vestibule
Their own side of the tent
Better ventilation options
That's a strong configuration.
The compromise is interior width and headroom.
Tall hikers should pay particular attention to this tent.
The approximately 210 cm internal length looks acceptable on paper, but tapered walls can reduce effective usable length.
Your sleeping bag isn't a rigid rectangle.
When you move during sleep, your feet and knees can contact the walls.
If you're around 6 feet tall or above, I'd strongly recommend testing the tent with your actual sleeping pad and sleeping bag before committing to it.
A useful test:
Lie down normally.
Then:
Put on your sleeping bag.
Inflate your actual pad.
Move into your natural sleeping position.
Bend your knees.
Stretch your legs.
Turn from side to side.
If your sleeping bag constantly touches the fly, that's a warning sign in wet weather.
This is a small detail with major consequences.
If your sleeping bag presses against the tent wall, moisture can travel through the fabric or collect against your insulation.
In wet weather, this can lead to:
Damp sleeping bag fabric
Reduced loft
Lower insulation
Uncomfortable sleeping conditions
This is why effective interior width matters more than the headline floor dimensions.
The Mantis II uses T6 aluminum poles, commonly listed at around 8.5 mm diameter.
That's a sensible choice for a hiking shelter.
Aluminum offers:
Good strength-to-weight ratio
Better field repairability than some specialized systems
Predictable structural behavior
Reasonable durability
The real advantage isn't that aluminum is indestructible.
It's that a conventional aluminum pole system is relatively understandable in the field.
If something goes wrong, a pole repair sleeve or temporary splint can often get you through the trip.
This distinction is extremely important because people often confuse the original Mantis II with the later Mantis II UL.
The UL version was developed as a lighter evolution of the original Mantis design.
Depending on production version, the Mantis II UL has been listed around 2.0–2.1 kg, with lighter materials and a more weight-conscious construction.
That represents roughly:
2.4 kg − 2.1 kg = 300 g saved
Three hundred grams may not sound enormous.
But on a backpacking trip, every repeated gram matters.
And the difference becomes more meaningful when multiplied across hundreds of miles.
Original Mantis II
Better suited to someone who values:
Conventional construction
Proven durability
Value
Simplicity
Mantis II UL
Better suited to someone who values:
Lower pack weight
More compact backpacking
Longer hiking days
If you're shopping second-hand, make sure you know which Mantis model you're actually buying.
The modern market has moved rapidly toward lighter materials.
You can now find two-person tents featuring:
20D and 30D fabrics
Silnylon
Silicone-coated materials
Dyneema composite fabrics
Trekking-pole structures
Lightweight aluminum poles
Single-wall designs
This creates a huge weight advantage.
But it also creates tradeoffs.
What You Gain With Modern Ultralight Designs
Lower base weight
Smaller packed size
Faster hiking
Less fatigue
Easier long-distance travel
What You May Give Up
Fabric robustness
Interior space
Structural simplicity
Repair tolerance
Vestibule volume
Resistance to careless handling
That's why I wouldn't automatically recommend replacing a perfectly functional Mantis II simply because a newer tent is lighter.
The Mantis II makes the most sense for several types of campers.
1. Weekend Backpackers
If you're hiking for one to three nights, the Mantis II's weight is manageable.
You gain a conventional, reliable shelter without paying premium ultralight prices.
2. Budget-Conscious Hikers
A good used Mantis II can be a very attractive proposition.
Older tents can offer excellent value if they're structurally and chemically healthy.
3. Solo Campers Who Want Space
If you're willing to carry the weight, the Mantis II becomes a roomy solo shelter.
4. Two-Person Hiking Teams
Splitting 2.4 kg between two people makes the weight much easier to justify.
5. Campers Who Value Simple Setup
Two poles and a straightforward pitching sequence are hard to dislike after a long day.
Ultralight Backpackers
If you're targeting an extremely low base weight, there are much lighter choices.
Long-Distance Thru-Hikers
When you walk hundreds or thousands of miles, 500–1,000 extra grams can become a significant burden.
Tall Couples
The tapered interior and moderate length can become restrictive.
Campers Who Spend Hours Inside
If your camping style includes long storm days inside the tent, look for a taller shelter with greater sitting height and more usable interior volume.
Winter Mountaineers
The Mantis II should not be confused with a dedicated four-season mountaineering tent.
Snow loading and severe alpine winds require a different shelter category.
Yes—within its design limitations.
The mesh components and ventilation points are valuable in warm conditions.
The most important trick is not to seal the tent unnecessarily.
On a dry night:
Keep ventilation openings active.
Open both doors if insects and weather allow.
Position the tent to capture airflow.
Avoid pitching directly in stagnant low terrain.
A tent can feel 10 times more comfortable simply because it is pitched in the right location.
The Mantis II's design is particularly relevant to the kind of variable conditions encountered on Australian hiking trails.
The tent has historically been used for serious walking routes and expedition-style travel, including long-distance tracks.
That doesn't mean it is immune to poor conditions.
Australia can produce:
Intense rainfall
Strong winds
High UV exposure
Heat
Cold alpine nights
Rapid weather changes
The Mantis II's biggest advantage in this environment is its balanced three-season architecture.
Its biggest weakness is that older examples may have suffered significant UV and coating degradation.
Rain gets most of the attention.
UV exposure often causes more long-term damage.
Ultraviolet radiation can gradually weaken synthetic tent fabrics.
Signs of UV degradation include:
Fading
Brittle fabric
Reduced tear strength
Cracking coatings
Fragile webbing
If you are purchasing a used Mantis II that spent years permanently pitched at a campsite, I'd be much more cautious than with one that was used occasionally on backpacking trips.
Because the Mantis II is an older model, this section may be more important than the specifications.
Step 1: Pitch the Entire Tent
Never buy based only on photographs.
Pitch it.
You want to see whether the structure still behaves correctly.
Step 2: Inspect the Fly
Look for:
Sticky coating
Peeling
Cracks
Pinholes
Fading
Brittle fabric
Step 3: Check the Floor
The floor takes enormous abuse.
Look for:
Abrasion
Small punctures
Delamination
Failed seams
Previous repairs
Step 4: Check the Poles
Inspect every pole section.
Pay attention to:
Cracks
Bent sections
Damaged ferrules
Broken shock cord
Corrosion
Step 5: Operate Every Zipper
Don't rush.
Run every zipper from beginning to end.
A zipper that catches repeatedly can become a major problem during rain.
Step 6: Check the Guy Points
Guy points transfer wind load into the structure.
Make sure the stitching is intact.
Step 7: Check the Mesh
Hold the mesh toward the light.
Small holes may be difficult to see otherwise.
You don't need to take an old tent directly into a thunderstorm to test it.
Pitch it in the backyard.
Use a gentle hose spray that approximates rain rather than blasting the fabric at close range.
Then inspect:
Fly seams
Corners
Zippers
Floor edges
Pole attachment points
The goal isn't to torture the tent.
It's to identify obvious failure points before your trip.
Not necessarily.
A good tent floor should be capable of handling ordinary campsite use.
However, a footprint can still be useful in certain situations.
Consider one when:
The campsite is abrasive.
There are sharp rocks.
You expect repeated use.
The ground is unusually rough.
You want to keep the tent floor cleaner.
But don't automatically use an oversized tarp.
If the footprint extends beyond the tent floor, rainwater can collect on the tarp and run underneath the tent.
The footprint should generally not protrude beyond the tent floor.
This is a surprisingly common beginner mistake.
Here's how I'd teach a new camper to use the Mantis II.
Before the trip
Pitch it once at home.
Time yourself.
Then pitch it again.
Your goal is not speed for its own sake.
Your goal is familiarity.
At camp
Select the campsite carefully.
Remove sharp rocks and sticks.
Identify the prevailing wind.
Lay out the inner.
Stake the corners.
Install both poles.
Attach the inner clips.
Install the fly.
Stake the fly.
Adjust tension.
Open appropriate ventilation.
A properly pitched tent should require surprisingly little attention afterward.
Mistake #1: Pitching Directly in a Depression
Water flows downhill.
Your tent doesn't need to be in a riverbed to get flooded.
A shallow depression can become a pond after several hours of rain.
Mistake #2: Closing Every Vent
This often makes condensation worse.
Mistake #3: Over-Tensioning the Fly
More tension isn't always better.
Over-tensioning can stress seams and attachment points.
Mistake #4: Ignoring Guy Lines
Guy lines are structural tools, particularly in wind.
Mistake #5: Packing the Tent Wet
This is one of the easiest ways to shorten the life of a tent.
Dry it as soon as practical.
A few simple habits can significantly extend tent life.
After every trip:
Remove dirt.
Shake out sand.
Dry the tent completely.
Inspect poles.
Clean stakes.
Check zippers.
Store it somewhere dry.
For long-term storage:
Don't leave it compressed tightly inside its stuff sack for months or years.
A dry, cool storage environment is much better.
And never store a tent while damp.
Pros
Simple two-pole construction
Two doors
Two vestibules
Good ventilation
T6 aluminum poles
Reasonable weather protection
Relatively compact packed size
Good option for two-person hiking
Excellent solo livability
Straightforward setup
Proven conventional design
Cons
Around 2.4 kg is no longer ultralight
Low maximum head height
Tapered sleeping area
Can feel tight for two larger adults
Older examples may have coating degradation
Not a four-season alpine shelter
Modern tents can offer substantially better weight-to-space ratios
Used models require careful inspection
The interesting thing about the Mantis II is that its weaknesses and strengths are closely connected.
Its conventional construction makes it heavier than modern ultralight shelters.
But that same conventional design gives you:
A familiar pitching system
Aluminum poles
Dual entrances
Two vestibules
Reasonable weather protection
A practical inner/outer tent arrangement
It's not trying to reinvent the backpacking tent.
And that's actually one of its strengths.
Yes—if you buy it for the right reason.
If you're looking for the lightest two-person shelter available in 2026, no.
If you're a serious thru-hiker trying to reduce every gram, probably not.
If you're a weekend backpacker, occasional long-distance hiker, solo camper or two-person hiking team looking for a practical, uncomplicated tent, absolutely worth considering.
I'd especially consider a well-maintained used Mantis II when the price is attractive.
The critical factor is condition.
A pristine older tent can be a bargain.
A cheap tent with failing waterproof coatings can become an expensive repair project.
Overall: 4/5
Best feature:
The balance between simplicity, dual-entry convenience and practical weather protection.
Biggest weakness:
The combination of 2.4 kg weight, low headroom and relatively tight two-person interior.
Best use:
Weekend backpacking, three-season hiking, solo camping and value-focused two-person trips.
Not ideal for:
Ultralight thru-hiking, very tall couples and severe four-season mountain conditions.
The Mantis II is a useful reminder that "lightweight" and "livable" aren't the same thing.
A tent that saves 800 grams but makes two people miserable during a rainy afternoon may not actually be the better shelter for your style of adventure.
Conversely, carrying unnecessary weight simply for more room isn't efficient either.
The real goal is to find the point where weight, space, weather protection, durability and actual time spent inside the tent make sense together.
A good tent review should teach you more than whether to click "Buy."
Here are ten skills worth carrying into every future camping trip.
1. Learn to Read a Campsite
Look at the terrain before looking at your tent.
Water flow, wind exposure and drainage often matter more than small differences in fabric specifications.
2. Understand Hydrostatic Head
A waterproof rating is a laboratory measurement, not a complete description of real-world performance.
Think about fabric + seams + design + age + pitching.
3. Manage Condensation
Ventilation is an active camping skill.
Don't treat condensation as an unavoidable mystery.
4. Learn Your Tent Before You Need It
A five-minute practice session at home can save you 30 minutes of frustration in a storm.
5. Distribute Shared Gear
With a two-person tent, divide poles, fly and inner between two packs.
Don't make one person carry the entire shelter.
6. Use Vestibules Properly
Keep wet and dirty equipment in transition zones instead of contaminating the sleeping area.
7. Protect Your Tent From the Ground
Choose smooth ground and remove obvious sharp objects.
8. Don't Cook Inside
Even when it's cold, don't turn your tent into a kitchen.
Open flames create serious fire and carbon-monoxide risks.
9. Dry Your Shelter
A wet tent is acceptable during a storm.
A wet tent stored for weeks is not.
10. Think Beyond the Miles
Backpacking isn't only about moving efficiently.
It's also about what happens after you arrive.
The shelter determines how comfortably you recover, organize your gear, escape the rain, sleep, and experience the landscape.
That is why tent design deserves more attention than a simple "lightest tent wins" mentality.
About HillZero
HillZero is a premium outdoor design brand focused on Livable Backpacking Tents. Its philosophy is simple: Carry Less. Live Better. HillZero believes backpacking should not be defined only by how far you walk or how little weight you carry. A backpacking tent should also support the experience after you arrive—resting, organizing gear, staying dry, cooking, observing nature, enjoying privacy, and spending meaningful time outdoors. Through its Livable Backpacking design approach, HillZero asks a fundamental question: How can a backpacking tent be easier to carry, without making it harder to live in? Beginning with the Scott 2P, HillZero focuses on finding a thoughtful balance between lightweight efficiency and genuine livability rather than chasing the absolute lowest weight or simply adding space at the expense of carrying comfort. The goal is straightforward: to make backpacking more livable while preserving the freedom, efficiency and sense of exploration that make backpacking special. HillZero — Livable Backpacking Tents. Carry Less. Live Better. Light enough to carry. Livable enough to stay. Rethinking Backpacking. Beyond the Miles.