Ultralight~$500MSR
MSR FreeLite
No citable rating — see why we hide some.
Two pounds, two doors, two vestibules and 29 square feet — the FreeLite is MSR's answer to the Tiger Wall, and on the numbers it wins on vestibule area and loses on floor. Two DAC Featherlite poles rather than one hub keep the shape up better than a single-pole semi-freestanding tent usually manages. The 84-inch floor length is the constraint worth knowing: it is two to six inches shorter than most rivals, which a six-foot sleeper in a full-length pad will feel at both ends.
Floor area per person
14.5 sq ft
Standard — 14 to 17 sq ft each — the normal two-pads-and-no-spare-room fit
Weight per person
16 oz
from the trail weight of 32 oz
Peak height
39 in
Approx. price
~$500
Length: a 84 in floor leaves room for a sleeper up to about 6ft 6in once you allow six inches for a foot box and a pillow.
Best for
A weight-conscious pair under six feet tall who want two doors without going to a trekking-pole shelter.
The size run
One design, 3 capacities. The numbers at the top of this page describe the 2; every size has its own figures below.
| Size | Sleeps | Floor area | Sq ft each | Vestibule | Trail weight | Packed weight | Floor L × W | Approx. price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 20 sq ft | 20.0 | 8 sq ft | 26 oz | 31 oz | — | ~$440 |
| 2 | 2 | 29 sq ft | 14.5 | 15 sq ft | 32 oz | 37 oz | — | ~$500 |
| 3 | 3 | 38.5 sq ft | 12.8 | 15 sq ft | 38 oz | 43 oz | — | ~$570 |
Specifications
- Type
- Ultralight
- Rated capacity
- 2-person
- Floor area per person(estimated)
- 14.5 sq ft (standard)
- Floor area
- 29 sq ft
- Vestibule area
- 15 sq ft
- Peak height
- 39 in
- Minimum trail weight
- 32 oz
- Packed weight
- 37 oz
- Weight per person(estimated)
- 16 oz (trail weight)
- Packed size
- 18 x 4.5 in
- Fits sleepers up to(estimated)
- 6ft 6in tall
- Doors
- 2
- Vestibules
- 2
- Freestanding
- semi-freestanding
- Poles
- DAC aluminum
- Wall type
- double wall
- Season rating
- 3-season
- Fly fabric
- 15D ripstop nylon, 1200 mm polyether urethane and silicone
- Floor fabric
- 15D ripstop nylon, 1200 mm polyether urethane and PFAS-free DWR
- Floor denier
- 15D
- Floor hydrostatic head
- 1,200 mm
- Approx. price
- ~$500
Features
- 32 oz with two doors and two vestibules
- Two DAC Featherlite NFL 8.7 mm poles rather than a single hub
- 15 sq ft of vestibule, more than the Tiger Wall's 16 split differently
- 10D polyester micro-mesh canopy
- Fits the Universal Footprint for a fly-only pitch
- Sold in 1, 2 and 3 person; the 3-person at 38 oz is the lightest 3P here
In its favour
- 32 oz for a double-wall two-door tent matches the Tiger Wall for less money
- Two poles hold the shape better than the single-hub semi-freestanding designs
- Packs to 18 x 4.5 in, among the smallest here
- The 3-person at 38 oz is the lightest 3P in this catalog
Against it
- 84 in floor length is two to six inches shorter than most rivals — tall sleepers touch both ends
- 1200 mm on both fly and floor is the minimum anyone ships
- MSR publishes no interior width, so the two-pads question is unanswerable from specs
- Semi-freestanding: the foot must be staked out
Written from the published specification sheet, not from owner reports.
What owners report
Drawn from archived owner discussions, not from a test of our own.
What owners like
- Owners rate the interior space for the weight and describe it as easy to put up
- It is one of the few sub-two-pound double-wall tents with a pole set in the bag, which is exactly why people shortlist it
- The current version with aluminium poles and the DuraShield fly is treated as a meaningful improvement on the older one
- MSR's repair network covers it, and owners with a local authorised workshop name that as the reason they stay with the brand
- The 3-person is 66 inches wide for only two ounces more than the 2, which owners doing the arithmetic point out
Common complaints
- Waterproofing is the persistent complaint — several owners report reviews and first-hand experience of it not being fully watertight
- Opening the fly zipper in rain lets a noticeable amount of water into the tent, according to owners who have watched it happen
- Stability in wind is questioned repeatedly and nobody in the discussion defends it
- Condensation problems come up specifically and unprompted
- The 3-person has no roof coverage over the entrance when the zips are open, which owners flag as a design miss
- The 15D floor is thin enough that owners factor a footprint into the real weight
On paper people want to like the FreeLite, and then they keep hesitating. The weight is right, the space is good for the class, it goes up easily, and it is covered by the repair network that makes MSR ownership attractive. Owners who have one generally describe it in those terms.
Water is what they hesitate over. Waterproofing complaints recur — not dramatic failures, but reviews and first-hand accounts of a tent that is less than fully watertight, of water getting in when you open the fly zipper in rain, and of condensation being a problem in its own right. At 1200 mm on both fly and floor, the lowest ratings in this catalog, that is not surprising.
Wind is the second question, asked often and answered by nobody with confidence. If your use is dry summer trails where two doors and two pounds are the priorities, it is a strong tent. If you expect weather, the reports point elsewhere.
Questions people ask about it
Is the FreeLite actually waterproof?
It is rated 1200 mm on the fly and floor, the lowest figures in this catalog, and owners report accordingly — reviews of it being less than fully watertight, and water entering when the fly zipper is opened in rain. It works in normal rain; owners do not trust it in sustained rain.
How does it cope with condensation?
Owners raise it as a specific, consistent problem rather than the normal single-wall grumble. It is a double-wall tent, so the fix is the usual one: vent both ends, avoid pitching in still damp hollows, and expect to wipe the fly.
Is it stable in wind?
Repeatedly asked and never confidently answered. It is semi-freestanding with two thin poles, which is not a storm structure. Guy it out fully and pitch it sheltered.
Is the 3-person worth the extra two ounces?
Owners doing the arithmetic think so — the 3 is 66 inches wide against the 2's floor for about two ounces more, though it packs slightly larger and has the same 15D floor. For two people who want room, it is the better buy.