MSR FreeLite 3 Ultralight Backpacking Tent

2025-07-04T20:00:00

Not enough rain fly. I loved my Carbon Reflex 3, thought I'd enjoy the new version which is a tad lighter. Not worth the trade off. On one end, the rain fly is curved and does not extend all the way to the ground. No matter what we did, there was no way to completely protect the tent wall on that end, when serious rain fell. Very disappointing, in an otherwise excellent piece of gear.

Kathleen E.

Originally posted at

2025-07-01T20:00:00

Bought this in 2023 and it's solid but needs a rethinking on the zipper. Super weight weight, easy to setup and tons of room! Easily fits 2 adults with their packs and love the dbl sided zipper. However, I really dislike where the zipper was placed as all rain and water falls straight into the tent or items underneath the fly. Wish they had changed the location of the zipper or how far up it opens

Byron S.

Originally posted at

2024-08-22T20:00:00

My wife and I are thru-hikers and we've gone through tents like bad dates. What I will say is that the weight to size ratio for this tent is virtually unmatched for a semi-freestanding tent. We even attempted a trekking pole supported tent, which was likely the lightest tent we've ever carried, but we are campers at heart. We love to wake up in the mornings and have a cup of coffee still in our sleeping bags (which of course we use Therm-a-Rest bags) and not have condensation pouring on us or have our heads constantly bumping the sidewalls of the tent. The Freelite provides all the spaciousness and comfort we need (not want, this is a need haha) without sacrificing weight. We will be hiking the AZT this winter and feel this 3-season tent will be more than adequate to get us through, AND MSR customer service is there to back us up if anything catastrophic happens. One small bit of advice is to go easy on the crossbar (Ridge Pole) installation atop the tent. We've found that unzipping the doors before adding that small crossbar reduces the tension and makes setup even easier. Thanks MSR for setting us up for success on our day, weekend, and thru-hikes to come! You folks rock!

Yeti L.

Originally posted at

2024-05-14T20:00:00

Love the MSR tents, but this one ripped after my first use when I was taking it down. The micromesh ripped while taking down the cross bar. My other MSR tent has been flawless, and this is the first time I've had issues. However, I submitted a support request.

Lucy G.

Originally posted at

2024-05-05T20:00:00

The tent is extremely easy to set up. I think it look great and has plenty of utility, like storage pockets, one handed opening doors and fly, and guide out lines for windy nights. My first night in the tent was really windy and the tent held without budging. However, when I woke up it was raining and i realized that if I open the door of the rainfly water will get in my tent, because it doesn't cover all the tent when the door is open, so this is the only thing to be careful about when using the tent.

Guillaume C.

Originally posted at

2023-09-30T20:00:00

I just used this 3 man tent for a 3 night solo backpacking trip for its first outing. The weight is absolutely great for the size. Setup and tear down seems easy enough. This is the best option I found at time of purchase for a lightweight, spacious 2+ (2 person plus space) tent. I didn't want to have to deal with a trekking pole reliant tent. I plan to use this a solo backcountry shelter when needed but mostly share with either my son or another friend. I think 3 would be very tight unless it's parents and smaller kiddo. The two vestibules are great as well as the zipper setup for the doors. This seems like it will last a long while if taken care of. Thanks MSR!

David D.

Originally posted at

2023-09-30T20:00:00

I just used this 3 man tent for a 3 night solo backpacking trip for its first outing. The weight is absolutely great for the size. Setup and tear down seems easy enough. This is the best option I found at time of purchase for a lightweight, spacious 2+ (2 person plus space) tent. I didn't want to have to deal with a trekking pole reliant tent. I plan to use this a solo backcountry shelter when needed but mostly share with either my son or another friend. I think 3 would be very tight unless it's parents and smaller kiddo. The two vestibules are great as well as the zipper setup for the doors. This seems like it will last a long while if taken care of. Thanks MSR!

David

Originally posted at

2023-08-05T20:00:00

The amenities and lifestyle of base camping with the lightness needed for the trail. Works great, very spacious and can hold up in rough weather. I recommend the use of a footprint at the 15dylon can get ripped very easily.

Austen M.

Originally posted at

2023-05-31T20:00:00

Sets up nicely, packs down well, and it so lightweight.

John W.

Originally posted at

2022-11-05T20:00:00

I have taken this tent on multiple backcountry hunting trips. I think it's the best Ultralight option out there. If you want more features, it's simply going to cost you weight. I HATE other brands that have the tapered footprint and love the truly rectangular design of this one. If the weather is dry, it's virtually impossible to beat this tent. I spent several days in a heavy rain hunting trip scenario in which a few faults were exposed. One, the design of the rain fly zippers is a real issue with water getting in the interior of the tent based on the corner zip orientation. It's very convenient and is a blessing to operate, but it definitely causes rain/ water collection to come inside. Two, the lack of a rain fly cover on the exposed " head " end of the tent caused water to drip down the exposed face between the tent and the footprint. This caused water to pool between the tent and the footprint and seep through the tent floor wherever sleeping pads or other items were pressing on the tent floor. Also, I feel like the cross pole for the width of the tent is too short of a design and causes the tent to have a very tapered angle side walls. I know MSR is trying to shave ounces, but I feel it would be worth another ounce or two to make the side walls a little more vertical and increase the internal space and livability of the tent. Having said that, I love this tent and it will be staying with me for my upcoming adventures. It's light enough to use solo camping and plenty room enough for two. I think three people would be miserable in this tent unless it was parents with a single small child. I have deployed this with two adults and 25" sleeping pads each and it works great.

Keary S.

Originally posted at

2022-10-21T20:00:00

This is well designed tent. It may be a little heavier than its competitors but we like the more substantial design as we backpack in the Cascades and Wind Rivers. Hard pressed to be a three person tent but works great for two people. We liked the door zipper design with the two zippers always coming together at corners. Fly ?rain gutter? design looks sketchy but don?t know if it works as weather was great. One negative; we only got six stakes and need more than that to pitch it correctly.

Kim M.

Originally posted at