MSR - Elixir™ 2-Person Backpacking Tent

TLDR - Vango make solid cheap tents. If you want fancy go MSR or Nemo. Mid range Terra Nova Wild Country make some exceptional stuff. Avoid OEX. Alpkit make some cracking stuff. For convenience go dome style self standing tents ( ie elixr or Nemo Dagger or MSR) I work in a hiking shop in Scotland and I'm an avid keen hiker and camper. One thing I'd suggest is the tent you use to wild camp, if you care about it, I wouldn't take it to festivals. This is for me any way. My tents are precious you wouldn't see me putting my nice MSR or Nemo tent in a boggy field full of drunks. Personally I'd take any old Decathalon tent to a festival one with a front entry and cross bar easy peasy. Any way wild camping it's a whole different box of frogs. I'm not going to tell you the best because that is largely dependent on what you want out of a tent. So here are some questions you need to be asking yourself and what your priorities are. Am I back packing long distance or do I want luxury? - weight - pack size - Head room - strength of the face fabric Am I a fair weather camper or am I putting my tent through serious duress? - strength of the tent - hydrostatic head - construction of the tent (so these are how the poles are orientated) - shape effects how well it handles wind (wedge low profile = better for wind however less room for you) Do I want free standing or a tent I have to tension? - free standing is great for convenience - tents you have to tension are normally lighter and more Packable. Do I need storage? - Somewhere to store gear from the rain - Vestibule for things like beer and festival stuff Where am I camping? - depends what you mean by wild camping - is it campsites - am I camping on a windy peak or near a loch/ lake Few more things to consider. -I'm sorry but no one is back packing or wild camping in a 3 man tent. You go wild camping in England in a 3 man tent chances are you'll be moved on very quickly. In Scotland. It's very different. 3 man tent you're not bringing very far and I'd be surprised if you can find many spaces in Scotland to put a big 3 man tent. Also do you want to carry a 3 man tent? I certainly don't. You CAN break it up a 1 Carey the poles 1 carry the top sheet and 1 carry the inner. -2 man is a much more sensible option. -Make sure your camping mat fits in it. -Most or if not all 2 man tents are going to be fairly straightforward to put up if you know what you're doing -Go to a hiking shop and ask the folk there. You can actually get in them and have a look yourself. - side entry is a lot easier to climb in and out of. Couple tents I'd suggest that are roughly around your price range I'd say £250 + that covet these aspects 1. Good head room, strong, easy to put up, spacious However they lack in packablity and wouldn't make the best pack packing tents. These normally have 2 side entries. 2 vestibule for cooking in and a cross bar or dome style tent for better space MSR - Elixr 2 Terra Nova - Helm Compact 2 Wild country - Axis 2 (they may not make these any more) 2. Light weight is always going to cost more or you're going to have to compromise on headspace and luxury. Lighter back packing tents tend to be single pile or a 2 poke wedge style tent Terra Nova wild country - Coshee 2 (small wedge - tiny pack size but not a lot of head room) MSR - l hubba hubba like the elixr but light and more expensive Vango - Helvellyn (cracking inexpensive 2 man with decent head room and front entry) 3. Cheap and cheerful no frills place to get your head down for festivals (this is what I'd pick) Quecha - 2 man HM100 (self standing cross pole 2 man. What more can you ask for ) Vango - Nevis 200 (bit of a darling in the hiking/ tent world everyone has a soft spot for this tent. 1 pole bang. Up. Inexpensive. Easy tent and isn't too heavy. Top picks for me. If it was up to me if you want strong and longevity get the MSR Elixr. Little bit of the heavier side but it can handle a lot. If you want a reliable tent thats solid for medium length backpacking and wild camping. Get yourself a helm compact 2 Cheap and cheerful - anything by Vango is going to be solid. Avoid OEX like the plague their stuff is dogshite. I'm sorry they have some serious major design flaws. Avoid the Phoxx 2. Alpkit have some decent tents around that price range - for example the Auronaught 2. Bonus if you made it this far https://www.ddhammocks.com/collections/tents?utm_source=google&utm_medium=paid&utm_campaign=google_shopping_ads&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21929368775&gbraid=0AAAAAD-IR3dVnNRUuSjzhMDqi_nR2JXg9&gclid=Cj0KCQjw_dbABhC5ARIsAAh2Z-TBB2Q7VWM_b9wkYJ452ExPlpsaw1A2Hp7gwwht6DVUNVt8JbEmWt4aAqscEALw_wcB These guys sell big pyramid tarp style tents. That require one pole and some of them are for entire families. They range from £100 to £150+ they also have midgie nets and ground sheets you can use in conjunction with. Great for a bit of everything. And they have your superlight backpacking/ wild camping stuff I hope that helps.

The elixer 2 will be fine, a bit small, for 2 in winter. Has guyline points! Pile snow around lower edges of the fly & it'd be quite snug enough. If you can leave inner tent at home, so much the better. It's great to trash bits of snow, coffe grounds, tobacco spit & pee- bottle contents inside a floorless tent. Anything gross can be buried. Alternately, a much larger, floorless pyramid-type tent with center pole is "popular" snow-camping rig. These are light, & fairly blizzard-proof with guylines. The floorless "floor" can be excavated for lots of headroom, in theory. Obvious alternative is "expedition dome" type tent. Can be very heavy & expensive & probably excessive.

Four-pole domes, or certain hoop tents may survive, but assuming that conditions would actually obliterate elixer, then any tent will be severely stressed & potentially destroyed. Shovels to build snow walls may be necessary, but building such a camp takes hours. Alternately use rocks. A sledge (sleigh) could be handy if snow permits.

I had the Elixr 2 for ten years. It manages four seasons just fine. It's a very sturdy tent. Heavy af though. So I got rid of it.

The MSR Elixer 3 would work and has a unique yet intuitive pole design that is incredibly strong in high wind. I have an Elixer 2 and it has held up without fail in many wind and rain storms.

I’m looking to lighten up my wild camping load out. I’m currently using the msr elixir 2. While it’s a great tent, It’s contributing to my pack weight being regularly over 18-20kg so I’m looking to massively lighten my load. I’ve done the classic beginner mistake of going far too bulky. Live and learn eh I really like the look to the newer durston gear x mid 1 solid. It retails on valley and peak for about £340 (great company for anything wild camping) but I was looking for some feedback from people who’ve battle tested it. How’s it fared? I’ve heard it has quite a big footprint and can be difficult pitch at times? I was also wondering how it would fair in comparison to the msr in terms of wind resistance and strength? I’ve been in some decent gusts around 35 - 40mph and the msr has held up well although this was on the harsher side of conditions it could cope with. How would the durston do in comparison? From what I can see it’s a 2 piece so condensation shouldn’t be too much of an issue, right? Any info or advice is much appreciated.

The wind in main range nsw will obliterate an elixir. It is surprisingly a really rough area for winter camping as there’s not much of a below tree line area to bail to

Zero rocks in the area in snow season, tunnels and proper domes are fine but an elixir is not on their level. This guy has received plenty of local knowledge but doesn’t want to spend on a tent that’s suitable

I didn't go walmart cheap, but i didn't go ape shit on ultralight either. I chose the mid range for my first backpacking tent. I felt if I went too cheap, I might not like it due to quality, but if I went too expensive and didn't like it, I wouldn't have wasted as much money. $300 was my range. MSR Elixir 2p (2p is favorable for 1p, so your gear has space).

I have a nine-year-old Elixir 2 that's still going strong. I've had to replace one pole that I broke myself from user error, but getting a replacement from MSR was cheap and simple. That said, it's also so old that it came with its own footprint instead of being a separate purchase. This has certainly helped the longevity, but I recommend them all the same.

My thoughts on the matter: Unless the kids are very young, get two tents - One 2/3-person for you and the wife, one 2-person for the kids. You and the wife, and perhaps the youngest, can stay in one and have space for most of the gear there, perhaps with an extra tarp to have a covered outdoor area, and the kid(s) can stay in their own tent. Being cooped up, wet, with blisters, mosquito bites, sunburns and maybe a fever or a runny nose in a damp tent while it's raining outside is a great way to put strain on relationships. Besides, the tent is, as mentioned elsewhere in the thread, very heavy. If you get quality tents like ones from Barents Outdoor or Helsport (tippest toppest gucci tier tents), they'll be lighter, to the point where the kids can carry their own tent instead of you being a pack mule. I'm no gram chaser, but 21 kilos is HEAVY, and not a weight I would want to be carrying for long. I'm aware it sounds very snooty, but it's better to buy once and cry once. Of course, you don't need to shoot for the stars with your first tents, in case you decide the camping life isn't for you. I've been using my MSR Elixir 2 tent for a good many years, and it's only recently I've begun considering upgrading to something lighter and fancier, like a Durston X-Mid or similar.

Previously owned an Elixir 2. Only moved on from it because I needed something larger and lighter. Definitely a fantastic tent if you don't mind the weight. The materials feel super sturdy and it always kept me dry. For the money, I think its great value. As someone else mentioned, the weight is really manageable if you split it between two people!

The nature hike Cloud up 2 is an unbelievable tent for the money in my opinion! I've just come back from 5 days in the Yorkshire Dales bike packing the dales 300 mountain bike route. It was epic before anyone asks! It was my first time using this tent having only pitched it once in the back garden prior to the trip. As someone who has owned many, many backpacking tents I was blown away by how light, well constructed, spacious and sturdy this tent was for the price. I've been hiking with my MSR Elixir 2 for the last 4/5 years and whilst it is a fantastic tent... It really has some flaws that come with our humid and temperate climate - condensation.. If I'm honest I was far more impressed by the cloud up 2 for the money!

The Elixir is a great tent - is pretty tough while still being on the lighter side compared to standard or cheap tents. I’ve had one for 5+ years and taken it on portage trips and car camping trips and it holds up well. The 2 is a good size for one person and some gear, and I bought a 3 to camp with my gf. My only reason for changing tents was weight. I recently sold both of them and upgraded to a Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL 3, a much lighter tent to make portaging and backpacking easier. They are a bit more delicate feeling than the elixir, so I am more gentle with them. The Elixir is the kind of tent people live in while tree planting for many seasons in a row. The single zipper door design on the Elixir is nicer / smoother to operate than the Tiger Wall. The fly also opens closer to the door, so it’s easier to get in and out, whereas the Tiger Wall you have to lean out pretty far to close or open the fly. My friend who is also a gear head bought the nature hike tent - he’s had it many years and it’s worked well. Basically an MSR quality tent without the brand name. Just make sure it’s not “used” and being sold as “new” - hold the fly up to the sky and loom through it to check the waterproof coating / pour water on it before your first trip to make sure. Use your footprint and it will last many years! TLDR; the Elixir is a great tent - buy it!

MSR Elixir is superior

Seems we have an elitist over here? I did multi day (5 till 10 days) hikes for years with an MSR Elixer to no problem whatsoever.

I really love my Mormot Tungsten. It is a little heavier than some of the other Recs but is roomy and has withstood some intense PNW rain. It also comes in an ultra light version (I don’t think it’s actually ultralight, but it is lighter than the OG version). Don’t pay full price for it though, Marmot tents are on sale all the time. I don’t like the zipper geometry on the MSR elixir and hubba for heavy rain and damp/dew- it’s meant so you don’t have to reach so far out into the vestibule to open your fly, but i find it means the zipper can drip into your tent through the open door.

Ok let me pitch on the list then: This is an incoherent list: contains tents with different sizes and persons count, so it is creating more confusion than being helpful. Apart from that several of the tents there have well known problems: \- Hilleberg is a winter tent; if you rely on this list and buy it for a summer holiday you will die. \- Elixir does not use seam sealing and instead use a sealing technique mostly seen in cotton fabric tents, and it is known that it leaks. So late autumn it is a dangerous tent. \- North Face Stormbreak is a very old, reliable tent, but uses polyester, so it weighs around 3 kilos. You can easily find a tent with the same specs, much better material for half the price and would weigh around 2 kilos. \- Rei and Nemo tents in the list are all dome tents, which are literally replicas of each other (i would even say knock offs of Big Agnes there with inferior build quality). Many of them are half covered with fabric instead of mesh in their inners, which is terrible for summer. Always go for as much mesh as possible for summer. For early autumn, late spring they are probably good. But definitely master of none. I dont know how they are in a "best" list \- Kelty again is an old reliable tent, but has pole sleeves, so setting it up is a chore. It is covered with fabric again, so not so good for summer, would be good for mountain weather in the summer though. Still, material is outdated and setting it up is much slower than current lines of tents. \- Hillebergs are top of the top, and big agnes clearly earns its place in the list. \- MSR tents there are both very light options, but nothing special there. Personally i would carry 500 grams more instead of paying premium to a tent design that is so common. It is a very good alternative for ultralighters. \- There are other tent types, such as inflatables, such as popup tents, such as summer tents. The list contains none. So, if you are trying to find a tent to buy .. ditch this list and check out other sources. It is incoherent, it misses out a lot of different alternatives and it doesnt factor in criteria such as who? how? where? when? how many people? duration? conditions? It is basically the sunday paper of tent recommendations. A potpourri of cool images.

I am very fond of my MSR Elixir

MSR or Big Agnes for backpacking get my vote. Mountain Hardwear also make some nice backpacking tents. Nemo and Marmot would be the next ones I look at. I love my MSR and Hardwear tent. if you want to go ultralight, just stick with a two person and you’re gonna be really snug but totally doable if you’re with a partner. I’m 6 foot three and I have slept in a two person MSR tent with another 6 foot three person. Go with the three person if you want to compromise comfort while in the tent for added weight. Chances are you will be splitting the tent up into two separate packs to offset the total weight or you’ll carry it yourself and have the other person carry other stuff to equal out the weight. It may not seem like a huge deal, but when your backpacking every little bit counts.

I have an MSR 2 person tent, and it's very lightweight. It was also expensive. I think they do 3 person versions as well (Mutha Hubba?).

MSR makes a 1p that is under 2 lbs and the poles are super small. I have a MSR 2p now as I don't care about weight. I used the 1p on my first outing and it was very awesome. MSR Freelite https://cascadedesigns.com/products/freelite-1-person-ultralight-backpacking-tent?_pos=3&_fid=c788cde60&_ss=c

My only comment on Big Agnes in my experience is that the tents are fragile because they are so ultralight. I’ve had my Copper Spur poles snap twice. BA is great with repairing stuff but it’s not great when you’re in the back country and you’ve got to hold everything together with duck tape just to make it through the rest of the trip. My MSR on the other hand, while a little heavier, seems a lot more substantial while still being a light weight backpacking tent.