MSR FreeLite 2 Ultralight Backpacking Tent

2025-07-13T20:00:00

Amazing tent! Size is perfect and weight is dialed! Haven't used it in stormy weather yet but am highly confident it will make my JMT trip a bit more comfy! Two person is def a one person tent!!

Eric L.

Originally posted at

2024-12-27T19:00:00

MSR FreeLite 2P Tent - purchased in November 2023 I have had the FreeLite for over a year now and feel I have use it enough to give a comprehensive review. I purchased this tent with the Larapinta Trail (Central Australia) in mind. I wanted the lightest tent that was at least semi-freestanding, big enough to fit me and all my gear inside, easy to get in and out of and had some chance of being ventilated enough to reduce condensation. The Freelite ticked all of these boxes. Freestanding/Semi Freestanding: Pegging out the last 2 corners was never an issue and could be set up with rocks if the terrain determined. It was easy enough to move the tent if I decided there was a better spot or orientation. If I was in a hurry, I could put the tent up or down in less than 5 minutes. If you didn't get the perfect peg placement due to rocks/spinifex, the tent still pitched well. Internal space: The rectangular floor shape meant I could shove my mostly empty pack down near my feet and have all my gear in with me without feeling cluttered. I don't like my gear, especially my sleeping bag touching the tent walls and this tent is big enough to leave a gap. I could get changed or have a wash without pulling a muscle. To create a bit of extra width I strung a little loop of hat elastic between the door toggles of the tent and fly, this pulled the tent walls out a little. You could get 2 sleeping pads in this 2 person tent if you really needed. However, for 1 person it is not squeezy at all. Ease of entry/exit: I have had trouble with other tents catching my hair if I don't stay really low exiting the rain fly. The FreeLite has an angled fly door zip which has many benefits. Firstly it is easy to reach, secondly it is very easy to step out of. My aging back and knees were thankful to be able to step up and out of the tent. There is a downside to this, when it is raining, the rain falls into the tent easily if the fly zip is opened more that half way up. Luckly you can move quickly and minimise the amount of time the fly is open. Ventilation: There are no vents in the fly, so this tent can suffer from condensation, like all tents do. The FreeLite has double ended fly zips, which means you can open the top of the zips and create some venting near the top of the tent. It is not perfect but it is better than other tents that have only one way zips. I also ensure I peg out the head and foot ends of the fly to allow as much air flow as possible. Wet weather capability: As I bought this tent for the Larapinta Trail in central Australia, I did not need high level waterproofness. I did however encounter heavy rain. The rain fly holds up really well, it did not wet out. The angled fly door and the sloping tent wall means that rain will fall directly into the tent if the fly door is open, this needs to be understood and can then be managed. The floor of the tent started to wet through on a particularly rainy night where I was on a slope and water got between my ground sheet and tent floor. Other times when I was on flat ground the floor stayed dry. Durability: My tent survived the whole Larapinta Trail (17 days of rocks and spinifex) without any damage. I am impressed with it. One night the wind came up very strong and was buffeting the fly powerfully. I ended up taking the fly off in the middle of the night and tucked myself down below the low rim of solid fabric on the tent for the remainder of the night. The tent held up and kept me protected. I can recommend this tent as a spacious, comfortable , easy to use and very lightweight tent for when the weather is expected to be mostly dry.

Deanna

Originally posted at

2024-09-15T20:00:00

Loving it!

Paul C.

Originally posted at

2024-07-24T20:00:00

The FreeLite is a great light two person tent. My wife and I recently used it on a 6 day backpacking trip and we fit comfortably inside. Having the twin vestibules was a huge plus too! The tent easily withstood rain and hail. Yay! The only con is that the rain fly gutter doesn't work well. After a rain storm, I opened the rain fly and water instantly dropped on me and inside the tent. All in all though, I'd highly recommended this tent for two people who want a light sturdy backpacking tent. Cheers!

Greg D.

Originally posted at

2023-11-13T19:00:00

So light! So easy to set up! No complaints! It is super spacious for just me, but I can see that there will be enough room for two of us when I bring my husband along next time (but packs will have to go out in the vestibules).

Kirsten O.

Originally posted at

2023-10-24T20:00:00

This is my first "good" tent, having previously used a cheap Amazon one-person tent, so my reference point is pretty low. That said, the tent packs up quickly, and it is light. With my single use, it set up quickly and easily. Please make sure you keep track of the poles because one is mingled in with the others in the sleeve, but it is not attached so that it will fall out. After set up, the interior is roomy enough for a pad and gear for one person. I would not want to share the tent with anyone unless I was very familiar with them, but it is large enough to pack up the sleep system while staying dry inside the tent if necessary. I would not want to set it up in the rain because you must set up the tent before the fly, and the tent body is about 70% mesh. The pockets inside are unique and placed in the right spots. You can place your phone in one of the top pockets and lay there watching videos just like you were at home. It's excellent, and I enjoyed it on the FIRST and so far only outing.

Randy P.

Originally posted at

2023-09-07T20:00:00

It's misleading to call this a 2-person tent. It fits two people...provided they have no gear. Which rather defeats the purpose of a two person *backpacking* tent.

Spencer G.

Originally posted at

2023-07-15T20:00:00

So far this tent has been awesome! It's light and packs up well. It held the rain out and it kept me dry during our rainy New England season!

Cathy L.

Originally posted at

2023-06-24T20:00:00

MSR provides another exceptional product with this tent. We bought it intending to start backpacking this year and we just got back from our first trip. Had a heavy downpour and we stayed completely dry as well as our gear in the tent and in the vestibules. It's big enough for two people as long as you are comfortable getting close, would be plenty big for one and all of your gear. It does how ever fit two 25" wide sleeping pads which is great. Sets up and packs down very easy, incredibly light, and very well made. Highly recommend.

LEE R.

Originally posted at

2023-06-21T20:00:00

The Freelite 2 is pretty fantastic. I've had it out in some pretty nasty weather so far and it's kept me dry the whole time. It pitches tight with no sag and no wrinkles, the door zippers don't snag and the rainfly doesn't drip water directly into the tent when you open it in the rain. The weight is right for two people and there is enough room in the tent for two adults. The square floor makes it easy to pitch and gives a bit of extra room inside. The fly covers the tent incredibly well and it stands up to heavy rain and wind. Overall a great light tent to take into the backcountry.

Jacob O.

Originally posted at

2022-07-10T20:00:00

Got this tent to upgrade from my r.e.i half dome 2. So far have had it out 6 time including a 6 day trip. This tent is seriously awesome. Myself and 2 dogs fit with plenty of room. Great construction and quality. It being so light weight for the size is the best feature. Look forward to years of use.

Randy

Originally posted at

2022-04-08T20:00:00

I love the floor size and the weight.

James H.

Originally posted at

2022-04-08T20:00:00

I love the floor size and the weight.

Mike H.

Originally posted at

2022-02-24T19:00:00

Love the weight reduction and rectangular floor plan. I measured the inner tent dimensions and both ends are 50" across, so suitable wide 25" sleeping pads. But honestly, this tent is so lightweight I plan to use it as a solo shelter. The updated mesh inner is a joy to use with gear lofts and lots of pockets. They should just sell the inner tent by itself! The door zippers are bi-directional so they can be vented and the new color scheme is calming and blends into the forest quite well for privacy. I wish the cross-pole was connected to the lengthwise one to prevent loss, but I guess you just need to be careful not to lose it.

SectionHiker

Originally posted at

2022-02-24T19:00:00

Love the weight reduction and rectangular floor plan. I measured the inner tent dimensions and both ends are 50" across, so suitable wide 25" sleeping pads. But honestly, this tent is so lightweight I plan to use it as a solo shelter. The updated mesh inner is a joy to use with gear lofts and lots of pockets. They should just sell the inner tent by itself! The door zippers are bi-directional so they can be vented and the new color scheme is calming and blends into the forest quite well for privacy. I wish the cross-pole was connected to the lengthwise one to prevent loss, but I guess you just need to be careful not to lose it.

Section H.

Originally posted at