MSR  FreeLite 1 Tent

It’s small, but I was expecting that. I wanted light, and that’s what I got. Intuitive set up. I’ve only used it 5 nights in the Wyoming Range. No rain during that trip at all, so if it leaks I wouldn’t know. Winds were light and variable, so it wasn’t a test of ruggedness. Seems well made, and it’s gonna be my go to for backcountry hunting. I like the straight zips, no guiding zippers around curves. I had to buy 4 extra UL stakes to properly guy out the fly. I’m 5’5”, and this tent would probably be a bit small for any man over 6’2” tall. Also, I can’t imagine not using a footprint under an UL tent. This kinda gear is not cheap, and if you want it to last, cough up the dough for the footprint. With the fp, and the stakes I added, it still weighs in at about 2lbs, 8oz.

I just took the tent out this weekend for a backpacking trip in the white mountains. It was raining all weekend but not a drop of water got in the tent, completely waterproof. The tent is super light and east to set up quick. The inside space was definitely adequate, I'm 6' and 200 lbs. My long, 25" wide sea to summit inflatable air mattress fit well with a bit of extra room and it has several pockets for my phone, headlamp, lighting and things like that. I upgraded from the elixer-1 (which is also a great tent, never leaks) that I've been using for the past 4 years for weight purposes. I'm really happy with the tent.

I'm worried about how long the tent material will last from UV damage and tears. Easy to set up. I replace the smaller tent stakes with more robust stakes.

Excellent tent. Never forked out so much for such a lightweight. So, knowing claims made by others about their tents I set it up just before it poured inches of rain the next few days. And the inside stayed home dry. We risk our lives on so called brand names that no longer deliver. Been caught out a couple of times before. MSR you delivered. I now feel safer hiking in sub zero conditions at high altitudes, knowing I've got this lightweight gem in my kit.

I recently used this tent on a 5 week bike trip through Europe, and condensation is a MAJOR issue! the inside of the fly was soaked every morning, occasionally dripping on me. So disappointing. Could not leave the fly off entirely due to heavy dew and occasional rain. Otherwise, this tent was comfy, light and held up through most rainstorms. ( leaked one epic night). (senior female user, 5'11'). I also have the Elixir 2 which has vents.

I’ve owned several different variations of MSR Hubba tents the last 15 years and thought I would take a shot at the new FreeLite 1P to become my primary solo tent after the fabric on my 2009 yellow-fly Hubba sadly succumbed to hydrolysis. I was looking to try a more competitively lightweight 1P tent which is why I chose the FreeLite rather than the Hubba LT. I like the modern cutaway rainfly design and lightweight fabrics (and colors) on this tent, which kept me dry on a rainy night, but there are some drawbacks I noticed. I’m 6’2” and I find the door to be somewhat small compared to other tents MSR makes. It would be nice if the lower zipper went most of the way across the side of the tent body to make it easier to swing your legs into the vestibule. There’s also a decent amount of vestibule space on the side of the tent without a door; it could be interesting to see MSR incorporate some sort of access door to use that space from the inside of the tent on their 1P tents. I also wish the tent had a kickstand vent at the top of the fly zipper to make use of the dual zipper design and further improve ventilation; the inside of the fly was as wet as the outside after a rainy night. Finally, when unzipping the rainfly, the fabric holding up the StayDry rain gutters loses tension which resulted in water dumping into the inner tent on one occasion, which can be mitigated by shaking the fly prior to unzipping. All things considered, this tent is really well made and looks beautiful, but I’m not certain I will be keeping the tent. I want to love the tent for the weight but I don’t know if the lack of features make it worth it. It seems like an extra ounce or two could go a long way.

Easy to set up, light, several reliable features, thought I would love it. However during its first trip the stitching on the rainfly where guy line loops through ripped off. No severe elements/weather, just 90-100 degrees. Returned to REI. Could have repaired it but I require more life out of my equipment.

This is the first tent I took backpacking and it worked great. Very light weight in my pack. I was a little intimidated by the set up but after doing it at home it was a breeze at camp. Kept me very warm on a breezy below 40 night. Recommend for a solo hiker like me!

Great tent, light and strong! The one who bring you to the end of the world with joy!

Excellent tent. Very light weight, easy to set up, and holds up well in the rain.