MSRÂ Thru-Hiker Mesh House 1
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Offering ventilation and livable space through buggy sections of the PCT or the wet, humid lowlands on the AT, the MSR Thru-Hiker Mesh House 1 shelter provides the weight and protection you need.
Shop similar products- Minimum weight of just 10 oz. when you use your trekking poles for setup (trekking poles not included)
- Durable Xtreme Shieldâ„¢ waterproof floor
- Floor plan accommodates a large camping pad, plus gear
- Micromesh canopy offers maximum ventilation, moisture control and bug-free protection
- Pair with a compatible Thru-Hiker 70 Wing or 100 Wing (sold separately) for added wind and rain protection
- To protect tent floor from excessive wear and tear, pair with the MSR Universal Footprint 1 Large (sold separately)
Imported.
View all MSR Bug Shelters| Best Use | Backpacking |
|---|---|
| Weight | 14 ounces |
| Number of Doors | 1 door |
| Design Type | Nonfreestanding |
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Go-to Summer Bivy
I've used this shelter for seven trips so far in two months. On the first four trips there was heavy condensation on the top panel in the leg/foot area, two of those times my down quilt was actually frozen to the tent fabric. This is Colorado, not Florida! So, I fixed the problem. I bought some 10D noseeum mesh (0.5 oz/square yard) and replaced some of the waterproof fabric at the foot end, leaving only a 12 inch strip of the original fabric at the bottom. This allows a 72 inch pad to be fully covered by mesh. See photographs. No more condensation or frost! There is still minor condensation on the vertical panel at the head end, but it doesn't drip and can be wiped easily. I've used the new thru hiker 70 wing twice with the shelter and just pitched the foot end lower to compensate. Another modification I had to make was to replace the supplied 6 foot top guyline with an 8 foot guyline because I barely had enough line to adjust the pole or to reach the ground. With round top poles I have to wrap the line around the handle to keep the line from slipping off the pole. Also, the pole tip needs to be planted at least 6 inches from the head edge to prevent bumping into it from the inside. The door is wonderfully wide and easy to get in and out. But the far end (the apex of the curve) is hard to reach. I would recommend reorienting the zipper to go from the top down the front seam and then curve along the bottom, with a tie on the top seam. This would allow the double separating zippers to be positioned near the head within easy reach to open vertically and horizontally. This is now my favorite summer bivy. At 10 ounces it's just 3 ounces heavier than the bivies that are barely off the face, but so much more convenient. In this one I can sit up almost fully, change tops and bottoms easily, unfold and read maps, all zipped up from the insects. So, as designed, I recommend use in warm and dry conditions only. But with the mesh modification, it is more versatile.
Good but needs some improvement
I love this minimalist shelter. Great alternative to cowboy camping when there's bugs. However, needs improvement. I get condensation in the feet area when temps drops in the 40s. Wish it was all mesh above the bathtub floor. Second the zipper design/opening. Hard to reach to open and close when the tarp is up from the outside, and have to reach pretty far down when opening from the inside. Nemo Hornet zip opening design would be ideal.
Great durability - but design needs some work
I've used this on a couple nights and really like it. Plenty of room for me (6ft 2in) and my 50lb dog inside. I put a patch over the feet and a shock chord to help lift the tent off my sleeping bag, which really helped. My biggest gripe is the door - why it was designed like that I will never know. Someone my height has to bend over so far to unzip it my head drags across the top of the tent. The door should have unzipped along the Y-X axis towards the head of the tent, instead of the feet. To be honest, if/when they redesign it, I will probably return this for that one - it is that much of a pain for me. Other than that, I love the simple design - just the door is pretty terrible.
Great tent, needs improvement
I love this minimalist shelter. Great alternative to cowboy camping when there's bugs. However, needs improvement. I get condensation in the feet area when temps drops in the 40s. Wish it was all mesh above the bathtub floor. Second the zipper design/opening. Hard to reach to open and close when the tarp is up from the outside, and have to reach pretty far down when opening from the inside. Nemo Hornet zip opening design would be ideal.
Good idea buts needs a rainfly
This tent would be great if you're taking it somewhere you know there is 0 chance of rainfall. Otherwise you need to add a tarp which adds weight and set up complexity. They tarp they suggest, or any other for that matter, increases your stake count from 5 to 10, and if you're in slightly rocky or rooty soil you may not be able to get them in at all the right places. What this tent needs is a form fitting rainfly that attaches to the existing 4 tent corner stakes and a vestibule with 1 more stake. If you're reading this MSR please make the fly I suggest, and I will be throwing my money at you!!
I want to love it.........
I want to love this, like really love it, but I can't. And the reason is the footbox. I am not unfamiliar with single wall shelters, I own 4 different styles. Condensation is always going to happen in single wall shelters, it's part of the game. You can do various things to mitigate it but the issue with the Mesh House 1 is that you can't. When your inside the tent on a pad with your sleeping bag on, there is no way to not have the wall of the tent directly on your footbox. And in my experience, with no airflow at the foot end as well as the direct contact, you wake up with a wet bag, no matter what. I do like the design of the tent overall, but this issue makes me not love it. I would suggest if you are looking at a Mesh House, get the Mesh House 2.
Great so far ..
Very happy with the amount of room and lightweight quality construction. A very small amount of condensation under the right condition. HATE ! the color. ( I've dyed mine ) . Lastly. I can't understand grown men that can't handle a simple zipper. Hope there not solo trippin !
Thru hiker
Use the thru hiker 1 as a bug bivvy in the summer on hikes like the West Highland Way,use it with a cat cut tarp(silwing) it's about 700grams. Use a goretex bivvy 1.5kg in the winter or a 4 season tent 3 kg. Can't beat the thru hiker for weight as for bivvies there is always some condensation. Also have a small single skin bivvy tent going to replace it with a Hubba,zoic or elixer when it eventually gets replaced.
Solid shelter for fast and light packing
Phenomenal shelter. I use it for my dog and myself and I couldn’t be happier with it. The pitch is fairly easy but as expected you do need space to stake it down. I haven’t noticed really any condensation but I do have my wing tarp fairly wide to help with the air flow. Not the best for really stormy weather, but I’d you stake it down correctly, it withstood a 25 M/H wind storm on a ridge at 7000 feet.
Condensation an issue in the foot box
Was excited to see MSR make an offering in the bug bivy department and eagerly bought this intending to use it for both work trips and fun trips to replace an older (and heavier) bug bivy. Unfortunately, I experienced the same condensation issues in the foot box as the other reviewers (in moderately humid conditions with overnight lows in the 60s). The condensation was bad enough that I had to hang my sleeping bag out to dry in camp after each night. MSR normally makes great products but this one needed a bit more time in the R&D department before it was placed on the market. If they made a version of the Thru-Hiker 1 that used the same design as the Thru-Hiker 2 and 3, with two overhead points of attachment so no fabric rested against any part of your body (increasing ventilation and cutting down on condensation), it would be an instant purchase for me. But as it is, I can't really recommend this to anyone.