MSR Tru Hiker Tent

We took the MSR Thru Hiker tent on a trip in the Sierra Nevada in August.  It got down to frost a few nights.  There was no rain, no wind, low humidity. One person used the tent, and loved it.

 Tent Weight by my scale: 1 lb 8 oz.  This is one of the few one man tents that weighs less than 2 lbs, has a floor and mosquito netting.  Uses trekking poles for set up.  Was $380, cheaper now like $180.  Its hard to beat for a solo tent.

This is a tarp type cover or "wing" that combines with a mesh inner tent, to form a fully functional tent that weighs less than 2 pounds.  It would be pretty crowded for two, but just right for one person.  It was proven to be easy to set up for a novice hiker, my daughter, who used it for a week in the Sierra Nevada.  Its very light but there are real two person tents that are almost as light, much roomier, and cost more than $100 less.   Functional, light, but not a leader in the field of ultralight tents.  I'd give it a B+ due to its weight.

For one person, this tent is awesome, and will spoil a newby because of its light weight and compact size.

This sets up with two tent poles, like a lot of tarp type set ups.  It takes a number of stakes to set it up, but a novice hiker quickly figured out how to set it up.

Ventilation is a strong point with this tent.  The inner tent is mesh, so a breeze can pass through it easily.  There is space under the edge of the tarp for free passage of a breeze, so I can’t imagine this every having a condensation problem.

The inner mesh tent is wide enough for two sleeping pads, but it works better for one hiker.  For two hikers, you would be bumping a lot, but the savings in weight might be worth it.  You would only need the mesh tent when there were mosquitoes, so you would probably be sleeping under the tarp and on top of the floor, and have plenty of room for two.

There is no vestibule, and no vestibule storage.