Head to head
MSR Hubba Hubba LT vs MSR Elixir
The MSR Hubba Hubba LT gives each person more floor — 16.0 sq ft against 15.0, which is the difference between standard and standard. The MSR Hubba Hubba LT is the lighter carry at 3 lb, and the MSR Elixir is the cheaper of the two at ~$340.
 MSR MSR Hubba Hubba LT |  MSR MSR Elixir | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Backpacking | Backpacking |
| Rated capacity | 2-person | 2-person |
| Floor area per personestimated | 16.0 sq ft (standard) | 15.0 sq ft (standard) |
| Floor area | 32 sq ft | 30 sq ft |
| Vestibule area | 16 sq ft | 15 sq ft |
| Peak height | 40 in | 41 in |
| Minimum trail weight | 3 lb | 5 lb 2 oz |
| Packed weight | 3 lb 6 oz | 6 lb 3 oz |
| Weight per personestimated | 24 oz (trail weight) | 41 oz (trail weight) |
| Pad fitestimated | — | 2 × 25 in pads fit |
| Fits sleepers up toestimated | — | 6ft 6in tall |
| Doors | 2 | 2 |
| Freestanding | freestanding | freestanding |
| Poles | DAC aluminum | aluminum |
| Wall type | double wall | double wall |
| Season rating | 3-season | 3-season |
| Floor hydrostatic head | 1,800 mm | 3,000 mm |
| Packed size | 20 x 5.5 in | 20 x 6.5 in |
| Approx. price | ~$550 | ~$340 |
MSR Hubba Hubba LT
Thirty-two square feet is the most floor of any three-pound freestanding two-person tent here, and the Hubba Hubba LT gets it with a single hubbed DAC pole and a symmetrical shape that holds its width rather than tapering to a point. Sixteen square feet of vestibule, two doors, 40 inches of head height, and a 1800 mm floor that is meaningfully tougher than the 1200 mm tents at the same weight. MSR does not publish interior floor dimensions for this model, which is the one number missing from an otherwise complete spec sheet — and the one that would answer the pad question.
Best for
Two backpackers who want maximum floor per ounce in a freestanding tent and do not need a published pad-fit number.
MSR Elixir
The Elixir is the tent people buy once and use for a decade: 75D polyester everywhere, a 3000 mm floor, a footprint in the box, and a 7000-series aluminium pole set that does not feel precious. Eighty-two ounces for the 2-person is five pounds, which nobody is carrying on a thru-hike, but the 52-inch rectangular floor takes two wide pads and the fabric survives being packed damp and dragged over gravel. The Elixir 4 at 55 square feet is the cheapest freestanding four-person backpacking tent here.
Best for
A durable first tent, or the tent that lives in the car and gets used badly for years.
Rows where the two differ are tinted. Specs are the makers’ own; floor area per person, weight per person and pad fit are our arithmetic on them.