A great tent is an essential when preparing to go camping or backpacking. It can mean the difference between a safe and comfortable night sleep, or an absolute nightmare. When it comes to picking a tent, MSR has a variety of options to suit your specific needs depending on the amount of campers, weather, and environment. One of its best for 2-person camping is the MSR Remote 2-Person Tent. To put this tent to the test, I spent two nights camping in the Hudson Valley of New York to measure how this tent stacks against its competitors.
Key Features of the MSR Remote 2-Person Tent:
- Built for camping in all four seasons
- Lightweight for backpacking, weighing in at 6lb 11oz
- 33 square feet of floor space to accommodate two campers
- Condensation-reducing rainfly vents
- Double walls to keep you protected from the elements
- Orange large-hooped vestibule for extra coverage
- Color-coded pole clips for an easy setup
- Comes with orange large-hooped vestibule
- Guy-out points maintain tension and snow flaps seal for spindrifts
The Set-Up
The tent comes packed in a small orange bag that can easily be clipped to your pack for backpacking. Weighing less than seven pounds, it’s efficient and I was able to set up the MSR tent in only a few minutes. This was made possible partially by its color-coded pole clips. We were fortunate enough to have clear skies during this trip. Although, the color-coding is visible enough to be seen in most weather conditions. Given this tent is intended for use across all four seasons, this is a plus! The whole thing comes with the tent body, rainfly, poles and stakes, guy lines, easy-load, wide-mouth stuff sack, and setup instructions.
Protection and Safety
The top of this tent is the first step to showing just how sturdy it is. The tube set at the top, plus the geometry of the poles, makes for a ceiling that is ready for snow, sleet, or heavy rain. It also comes with nine stakes and guylines to ensure the tent won’t budge.
There are also two doors to enter the tent on either side. Also, the tent’s DuraShield coating means it’s a heavyweight contender for tear and abrasion resistance. The attachable orange vestibule offers additional protection for any and all weather conditions.
Comfortability
This MSR 2-person tent is perfectly livable for two people. The floor space inside the tent is 33 square feet, which perfectly fits two adult-size sleeping bags with enough room to fit two large bags as well. The attachable vestibule adds an additional 22 square feet outside of the tent. This is optimal to store gear and protect it from the wind. There are also gear loops at the top of the vestibule so you can hang and dry any wet clothing. The interior peak height is around 44 inches, which allows for enough vertical space to sit up without hitting the top of the tent.
Inside the tent, you’ll also find rainfly vents to reduce condensation and two internal pockets to store items or hang a lantern. While sleeping in the tent in fair weather, I did find that the condensation built up a bit. Although, this subsided when I cracked opened by vents and/or cracked the one of the tent doors. I take this as a sign that I wouldn’t need to be worried in colder, winter weather.
Overall, the MSR Remote 2-Person Tent is perfect for campers who need a tent that is versatile across different weather conditions. This tent can easily be used in the summer months as well as more rugged hikes on wintery mountains. It has all the makings to keep you safe and comfortable wherever your next adventure takes you.
Article and Photos by Gabby Robles
Gabby Robles is currently the Managing Editor at Adorama where she produces content for 42West and SunnyScope about photography, videography, gaming, musical instruments, audio, as well as hiking, camping, and water sports. She has worked with a range of editorial content from trade books to business-to-business magazines. Follow her on Instagram @GabbyRobles_.
