Pros / Reasons to Buy
- Extremely Durable
- Very roomy inside
Cons / Reasons to Avoid
- Larger than some backpacking tents in terms of packed size
- There are no real instructions included of how to set up the tent, but everything is color coded and is quite intuitive
When I consider buying tents, I look at three things: the materials, the construction and overall design. As a FAA Sr. Parachute Rigger, I have a deep appreciation for what it takes to sew nylon and mesh together. It is extremely difficult.
The MSR Elixir 2 Person Lightweight Backpacking Tent is very well put together. Every stitch and seam were very well sewn. I couldn’t spot a loose stitch or loose thread anywhere on the tent. MSR has shown a lot of attention to detail with this tent. Every attachment point was reinforced and double stitched.
Compare to Similar Products:
Analysis and Test Results
This tent is constructed to last and the materials are very durable compared to some of the ultra lightweight tents on the market. MSR did not skimp on the materials and they felt very durable.
The overall design was extremely well thought out. There was plenty of room, 4 large and easily accessible mesh storage hammocks and the overall look of the tent is unique.
Comfort
The tent was a lot roomier inside than it looks from the outside. The reason? Most backpacking tents are sloped to help shed moisture and save weight. The Elixir does not.
This allows users to sleep in a head to head or head to toe configuration all while allowing both to sit completely upright from a prone position. So much room for activities!
The 50/50 nylon to mesh ratio construction allows for more privacy while also retaining heat. I would say that this tent hits the Goldilocks Zone. Not too big. Not too small. Just right.
See the MSR Elixir in detail:
Weather Resistance
We were camping in Southern California and didn’t experience any rain but the rainfly is very well treated and has a bit of weight to it. It feels extremely durable and will most certainly withstand heavy rain.
I did actually run some waterproofing tests with a bottle of water. If you look at the video I’ve included in this review, you’ll see that water runs cleanly and straight off the gutter and rainfly as intended.
This brings me to one thing that I was really impressed with – the gutter system over the zipper for the vestibule. It was a small detail that will make a huge difference in wet conditions.
This seam runs down the length of the tent to move water from the top of the tent to the outside corner. This will keep water from pooling at your door and keep you drier when getting in and out of the tent. The unique pole design and dome configuration also makes this tent very well suited for windy conditions.
Weight
Coming in at a minimum weight of 2.24kg/5lbs, this tent isn’t the heaviest in our reviews, but it certainly isn’t the lightest either. I suppose any tent that you bring with you on a backpacking trip technically makes it a “backpacking tent”, but just because you can doesn’t necessarily mean that you should.
Yes, you can bring this backpacking, but if you are new to backpacking and just starting out with this tent, you might not like backpacking much with this tent depending on the mileage and terrain that you are planning to cover.
Though, that said, where this tent comes into its own is that it is seriously durable when it comes to handling wind. If I knew I was going to be hiking in windier conditions, this would absolutely be my go to.
There are two ways I would use this tent for backpacking. 1) A very short overnight trip. This tent is a bit heavy and bulky to use for a long multi-day adventure. 2) I would consider splitting up the tent with your adventure buddy. One of you takes the tent, poles & stakes and the other person takes the footprint and rainfly. Splitting the load would make this much easier to take into the backcountry.
Packed Size
This tent is on the bigger and bulkier side for a backpacking tent. The extra nylon, the footprint, the extra sturdy tent poles add a considerable amount of weight make it difficult to stow into a backpack.
You would have to get creative packing this under the brain of the backpack or have it tied to the bottom of the pack. You could feasibly place it inside your backpack, if it was big enough, but that is going to seriously limit the other items that you would have room for.
Durability
There is a fine line when it comes to tents. You can buy a very expensive wafer thin ultralight tent that can be easily damaged or you can get a very heavy tent from a big box store that you can pass down to your grandchildren.
This tent sits squarely in the middle. It is extremely well made. I didn’t have the fear of breaking it like you can with some more expensive ultralight tents. I would think that if you take care of this tent, it is going to last a very long time and will be able to handle simple mistakes that would tear an ultralight tent, which is great for new backpackers.
It’s also great due to the fact that it’s on the more budget end of lightweight backpacking tents. It will be sturdy enough to get you going, and keep you going past that point too.
Ease of Setup
This tent did not come with instructions printed on the bag and it took me less than ten minutes to set up. The scissor-like tent pole configuration is a bit odd if you haven’t used this type before, but everything is color coded and very intuitive.
The red pole goes into the red grommet, the grey pole goes into the grey grommet, the red clip goes on the red pole, the grey clip goes on the grey pole. Simple!
Price
I think this tent is worth the price tag given the design, construction and features. One thing that I really like about this tent is its versatility. There are three configurations.
- You can set up the tent with the footprint and rainfly only, which would be great for a quick shelter but would leave you susceptible to flooding, bugs and any other critters that would want to keep warm at night. I think this configuration would be great to bring along to the beach to provide shade or for a quick shelter during a passing storm.
- You can set it up in a “tent only/no rainfly” configuration which allows for stargazing on clear nights.
- You can set everything up and have an extremely durable tent that will keep you warm and dry in any condition. If you consider yourself a “serious backpacker” or plan on becoming one, I think that you will eventually purchase another tent that is lighter and packs easier like the Hubba Hubba Backpacking Tent or the Freelite Ultralight Backpacking Tent.
Conclusion
There is a reason that the Elixir has been around for so many years. MSR has designed a great tent! This tent looks great. It is very well constructed and will handle anything you throw at it.
I think that this tent makes an excellent choice for short overnight trips and is fantastic for car camping. The Elixir won’t take up too much room in your vehicle and its small size will keep you nice and warm on colder nights.
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