How to Choose a Backpacking Tent
MSRÂ Elixir 2 Tent with Footprint
This product is not available. Good news: we have a newer version.
Pitching a tent shouldn't feel like assembling furniture. The MSR Elixir 2 tent has color-coded poles, clips and webbing, and red vestibules that make it easy to erect this roomy 3-season shelter.
Shop newer version- 2 large doors and vestibules offer plenty of elbow room
- Construction pairs breathable mesh with solid canopy fabric to promote warmth, ventilation and privacy
- Pole geometry optimizes head and elbow room; built-in gear lofts and glow-in-the-dark zipper pulls enhance livability
- Leave the body of the tent behind and create a minimalist shelter with only the included footprint, poles and rainfly
- Adaptable rainfly allows for an excellent view
Imported.
View all MSR Backpacking Tents| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Seasons | 3-season |
| Sleeping Capacity | 2-person |
| Minimum Trail Weight | 5 pounds |
| Fly / Footprint Pitch Weight | Unavailable |
| Packaged Weight | 6 pounds |
| Packed Size | 7 x 20 inches |
| Floor Dimensions | 84 x 50 inches |
| Floor Area | 29 square feet |
| Vestibule Area | 6 + 6 square feet |
| Peak Height | 40 inches |
| Number of Doors | 2 doors |
| Number of Poles | 2 |
| Pole Material | 7000-series aluminum |
| Pole Diameter | 8.5 millimeters |
| Canopy Fabric | Ripstop nylon/nylon mesh |
| Floor Fabric | 70-denier coated nylon |
| Rainfly Fabric | 68-denier coated ripstop polyester |
| Footprint Included | Yes |
| Design Type | Freestanding |
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Most Helpful Favorable Review
Great Tent for a Weekend Camping Trip/ Long Trek
Kyle A7 years ago
Satisfied with my recent purchase of the Elixir 2. I bought the tent about a month ago and have used it twice. The floor plan is spacious, and is exactly like Hubba Hubba, but with more wall material and less mess -making it perfect for all seasons. If you’re between the two, I would say that you’ll have to determine if the difference in weight is worth the extra $100 for the Hubba. I stand behind MSR and believe all of their products are made with the best material, and will last for years. This tent is easy to set up, only takes a few minutes. The pole system may be confusing at first, but is near impossible to screw up.
Kyle A
Cincinnati, Ohio
10 people found this review helpful
Most Helpful Critical Review
Rain fly disintegrated. Poor value.
kc6013 years ago
This is my second MSR tent to have the fly disintegrate just out of warranty. I like the design that has less mesh so can get privacy w/o a fly, but I do need a fly for rain!! The first MSR distintegraion REI told me it was my fault b/c I stored my tent in the basement (these folks must have large homes with many rooms!). So I shifted my tents into bedroom. Just took tent on a trip and fly left a big dandruffy mess of lamination all over my tent. Not just seam - the whole fly! Not to mention the lamination flakes that ended up left in the wilderness. (and ya, I shd have checked it before the trip altho didn't occur to me wd already be disintegrated given my careful storage and non-use due to pandemic). Neither MSR nor REI sell a replacement fly. MSR sent me a doc on how to re-apply laminate (with a tiny applicator!). If that doesn't work MSR will kindly let me purchase a replacement tent at a discount. No thanks!! It's my car-camping/rafting tent, so if the entire thing will end up in landfill in 3-5 years, I might as well, for a bit more weight, just buy a much cheaper ALPs tent or a go to Target. Design of this tent is awesome; its implementation stinks.
kc601
oakland, ca
14 people found this review helpful
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Pauli
My second home
6 years ago
I absolutely love this tent! For the past three summers it has accommodated me and my friends in changing climates from the desert in Utah in August, light snowfall in the Canadian rockies, heavy downpours/thunderstorms in Montana to mild summer nights above the polar circle in Swedish Lapland. Even in bad weather conditions we never got wet inside and the gear (two 60l backpacks) kept dry in the apsides as well. It's roomy inside and easily fits two average sized people (175cm). The two doors are amazing and make it a lot less of a hassle if you need a bathroom break in the middle of the night. After heavy though careful use one of the tent poles broke last summer which was annoying but since I was in the Seattle area the MSR repair store exchanged the poles without any questions asked. Great customer service! I used the tent mostly for car backpacking but also for a week long self-sufficient hiking trip. It is a bit on the heavier side for the latter which is why I'm thinking of investing in the Hubba Hubba NX. Even though other brands offer slightly lighter tents MSR's quality convinced me.
Originally posted on a Cascade Designs brand site
Hikinggirl H.
Great tent!
7 years ago
Great tent for its price! When I rediscovered hiking, I couldn't afford the more expensive ones and after a lot of searching, I found this! It's easy and fast to set up for one person alone and good enough ventilation. Deals with rain and windy weather in a great mannor. I often hiked alone with two large dogs and we would easily fit with space left over. When a friend went with us, we all had room and all the gear stored in the vestibules. Only thing I didn't like, was the tentpegs. They tend to loose grip no matter what angle you use them in. I've replaced half of them with lightweight pegs from seatosummit. Better grip when hiking in the mountains in northern scandinavia.
Originally posted on a Cascade Designs brand site
Alec
Solid tent
9 months ago
I lived out of this tent for around 2 and a half months while I was participating in a conservation corps in Colorado. As for someone who wasn't an outdoorsperson before, it was almost too easy to set up. Tent poles are color coded to their respective hooks to hold up the tent. This thing took a beating. Some days I would need to wrap this tent up soaking wet and throw it in the stuff sack for the entire work day. Afterwards, I set it up and let it dry, and still the rainfly did a decent job holding out moisture. I never woke up with my sleeping bag soaked, except maybe my feet. Really sturdy tent stakes. I had to beat them down with a rock into a gravel road, barely got bent. Wasn't until about 2 months, a week before my season ended, that one of the pivot points that connected the two main tent poles cracked, but I could still use it with some duct tape to hold it. That was the only problem I ever had with the tent, and again, that was after using it every night for 2 months straight. The one thing this tent couldn't handle were those pesky backcountry grasshoppers that chewed holes in the tent! But that wasn't the tent's fault. Overall, sure it isn't the lightest, but it will get you through. If I were thinking about joining the corps again, I'd definitely get this tent.
Age:18–24
Height:6'1"
Yes , I recommend this product
Kyle A
Cincinnati, Ohio
Great Tent for a Weekend Camping Trip/ Long Trek
7 years ago
Satisfied with my recent purchase of the Elixir 2. I bought the tent about a month ago and have used it twice. The floor plan is spacious, and is exactly like Hubba Hubba, but with more wall material and less mess -making it perfect for all seasons. If you’re between the two, I would say that you’ll have to determine if the difference in weight is worth the extra $100 for the Hubba. I stand behind MSR and believe all of their products are made with the best material, and will last for years. This tent is easy to set up, only takes a few minutes. The pole system may be confusing at first, but is near impossible to screw up.
Yes , I recommend this product
Corrrrrey
Brooklyn
Great but stuffy
5 years ago
I’ve had this tent for two years now. A couple of things: it’s not the lightest, but it’s reasonable for backpacking (heavy backpacks make you stronger anyway). It could use bigger vents in the fly, as it gets pretty stuffy in warm humid weather if the vestibules are closed. All in all though, it’s an incredible tent for the money. It will keep you dry, it’s got a lot of nice features like glowing zippers and gear lofts built in, the price includes the footprint, and it’s sturdy enough I’d consider it a 3.5-season tent.
Country M.
Solid Tent
6 years ago
This tent gets a lot of flack for its weight compared to other tents in its price range. However, this tent is very heavy duty for its weight. It seems as if MSR likes to under promise and over deliver on most of their products; a trait I highly value. The Elixir 2 is a great value and perfect tent for people like myself who backpack in places with a little more weather. I do like the Hubba series, which I have owned (pre Extreme Shield). But I really appreciate the peace of mind that the more durable Elixir series gives me.
Originally posted on a Cascade Designs brand site
Joseph C.
Excellent brand ,,great tent
1 year ago
I already buy this elixer for 3 times elixir 2,,3 items elixer 1,,3 items ,,this really good ,,great tent ,,no leaks ,, no problem for heavy rain for the whoe night,,,when I bring it o the Philippines,, do so climb,, and mostly rain forest ,,I m highly satisfied to this tent ,, my msr collection ,,highly recommended
Originally posted on a Cascade Designs brand site
Todd H.
The Perfect Backpacking Tent for Two
10 years ago
We bought this tent last June for backpacking and have used it on several trips already. This tent can easily be set up by one person without assistance, and is, in fact, the easiest tent to setup I have ever used. We've been rained on a couple times and have been completely dry. The ventilation is good, as well helping to keep condensation to a minimum even in humid conditions. The best feature of this tent, hands-down, is the double doors and vestibules. This makes it perfect for two people as you can enter and exit the tent without crawling across the other person, and it doubles the enclosed gear storage space. Another couple we have backpacked with, has a competitors tent at the same price point, which only has a single door and vestibule. Needless to say they were jealous! One other bonus is that the MSR Elixir 2 included the footprint, where it was extra with others. This is a great tent for the price with great features that make this the perfect backpacking tent for two.
Originally posted on a Cascade Designs brand site
Shmat
Great tent
10 years ago
Yestarday was my first experience with this tent and I could found it amazing. Lightweight enough for climbing, very easy to set up, easy to access in rough conditions. Very good idea to include footprint into the base kit. With Exlexir 2 my backpack become 2.5kg lighter than previous one.
Originally posted on a Cascade Designs brand site
Bnpmsr
Elixir 2 petson Tent
9 years ago
The addition of The Elixir Series of Tents to the awarding winning MSR Line of tents, shelters and Tarps offers an entry level option with the same solid construction, ease of setup and lightweight materials and design that people have come to expect from MSR. The quality and design is very similar to the poplular Hubba series of 2 and 3 person tent Options with a bit more weight and as well with a Footprint included alomg with the Elixir tents making it an economical option with a ready to go solid proven tent design. I would recommend the Elixir tents to anyone who is on a budget yet still wants to purchase a world class MSR Tent.
Originally posted on a Cascade Designs brand site
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