My Backpacker Life was an endless struggle between my desire to carry as little weight as possible and my desire to be comfortable.
Lately, comfort means good food. That is: real food, not dehydrated food, boiled in a bag, packaged. If I could take a little bit of weight out of my basic kit — tent, sleeping bag, cushions, clothes, etc. — I could carry bacon and eggs without being overwhelmed. This is why MSR Freelite caught my attention.
Weighing just 2 pounds for the two-person version, the new Freelite is down 9 ounces from the previous model, but is still surprisingly roomy. It’s ventilated, has plenty of storage pockets and a loft, and unlike many tents at this weight, has two doors with two vestibules.
Super light but not too tight
There are three Freelite models available: one person one person, two person I tested, and one person three. They’re all made of 15D ripstop nylon with MSR’s 1200 mm Durashield polyurethane and durable water resistance (DWR). 15-layer polyurethane (15D) and silicone-coated nylon aren’t as heavy as the 20D used in MSR’s popular Hubba Hubba tent (see our guide to The best tent for more comparison). As with any lightweight tent, you’ll want to handle it with care. I strongly recommend choosing a footprint to prolong the life of the tent. The upper mesh of the tent is a 10D micro mesh, which is quite typical for a well-made lightweight tent.
MSR bills the two-person model I tested as a “sold-out tent for backpacks.” I think MSR means this tent is great for two people who don’t mind being close together.
At 50 inches wide, the Freelite provides room for your standard 25-inch wide inflatable mattress. I tested it using pad from Sea to Summitand Tensor pad from Nemo.
One of my favorite aspects of Cargo is that there is no taper. Freelite is actually a rectangle: the width at the foot is equal to the width at the top. The tent is 82 inches long and has steep interior walls, making it a good choice for taller people. I’m 5′ 11″, so it’s going to be a bit difficult to check really, but I think it will be very comfortable for people up to 6′ 3″.
Although it was only large enough to accommodate two people, there wasn’t much room left. For couples, or if, like me, you’re backpacking with young kids, this is the perfect sleeping space. I shared it with my 10 year old and found it to have plenty of room. If you don’t want to be right next to your hiking partner, you might want to take a look three-person model ($480)12 ounces extra but one foot wider.
Photo: MSR
