MSR Elixir 2-Person Lightweight Backpacking Tent

I bought this tent last minute to take on a backpacking trip. It was this or the REI half-dome, and I'm glad I bought this tent. Compared to the half-dome, this tent was half the price, but the same quality. It is heavier than the half dome, but that's because it's made with more robust materials, aka, thicker. The REI tent is mostly netting, and should be used with the rain fly, otherwise you get zero privacy. If rain is not in the forecast, the MSR Elixer can be used without a rain fly, and once you drop the rain fly, the MSR Elixer becomes lighter than the REI tent.

Used it about 10 times now from winter camping at 12,000ft to windy days in the high desert. Overall it’s the best tent I’ve used. Although it’s roughly 4-5lbs I have no complaints with the extra weight compared to an ultra light tent. I needed a colorado 4 season that could handle High wind and rain. I’ve been in 50+ mph wind and hours of moderate rain.. all with no issues. Can set it up solo in about 3-4 minutes. So glad I went with the 2man, spacious for storing and organizing gear. It was very important I have enough space to operate for multiple days in the event of bad weather and so far it’s been perfect.

Fairly compact quality tent. Easy to set-up.

I love the quality, especially the rainfly gutter to keep the rain off from seeping into the tent. The zipper is high quality and love the zipper glows at night. My favorite part of the tent is the two triangle lofts to put my things up. The head/feet mesh pockets are great but be careful not to put any sharp things behind because you can cut the exterior mesh. It is very roomy inside and I like the color, too. I like the white walls to see anything crawling and flying bugs easily. I am very pleased and it comes with a footprint! That's a plus! I have not experienced any negative issues yet.

It actually rained our second night. Very sturdy and there’s was a lot of inside storage. Hiked up the mountain and weight wasn’t a problem at all

Excellent headroom and set up is fairly straightforward. I am 6 ft tall 195lbs and there is enough floor space for me but this would be a tight fit with another adult. Too heavy for an extended backpacking trip but would be fine split between two. I suppose this tent falls in between a light car camping tent or a heavy backpacking tent. Great tent for the price but doesn't quite hit the sweet spot for me.

Just set it up. I'm 5ft and petite and tent is small. Had to take cot half way apart to get it in, then put back together with no room to flip it. It is a low profile cot. I bought this because I owned one 15yrs ago and it was awesome! This one on other hand is disappointing so far. Easy set up though.

Excellent tent! I love it and would purchase it again. It is pretty easy to put up and holds up well in rainy, windy conditions. I've used it on three trips and been happy each time. It is a huge difference from the poor quality cheap tents at the local sporting good stores. It is worth the extra money. I really love the alcove area. It works great for tucking things away that you don't want to get wet but don't want to store in the tent. It got pretty chilly in colder weather but for Summer through warmer fall temperatures this is a great tent. It has a nice big bag so it isn't hard to repack it.