MSR
MSR Elixir 2
Best use
- Made for
- Backpacking and wild camping
- Not for
- Winter mountain
Why these labels
- Backpacking and wild camping: The maker states this use, and the published specs do not rule it out.
- Winter mountain: 3-season rating, not built for winter storms
From the maker's stated use and the published specs.
- Summer wild camp: 5/10 UK, roughly May to September, nights above about 8 °C, sheltered pitches.
- Three-season hills: 6/10 UK hills in spring and autumn. Wind, rain, and nights near freezing.
- Winter camp: 4/10 UK winter or high ground. Below freezing, strong wind, possibly snow. Capped at 4: needs the maker's 4-season rating.
- Weight: 4/10 How much it adds to your pack, compared with the whole market.
Two people who want a roomy, tough, freestanding tent for UK three-season camping
- Freestanding
- Yes
- Sleeps
- 2
- Seasons
- 3-season
- Min. weight
- 2.33 kg
- Flysheet
- 1,500 mm
- Inner length
- 213 cm
Packed size 11.58 L, 51 cm long and 17 cm across Compare with a 2-litre bottle
About one and a half 2-litre bottles long and about one and a half times as wide. Drawn to scale.
Where to buy
Cotswold Outdoor £303.95 In stock. Free delivery. Page shows was £380.
View at shop: Cotswold OutdoorNeedle Sports £342 In stock. Free delivery.
View at shop: Needle SportsTiso £380 In stock. Free delivery. Free delivery over £50.
View at shop: TisoPrices checked 8 Nov 2026 on each shop's own page; shops can change them. We earn no commission on these links; shops are listed by price. More
Our ratings (out of 10)
1 to 10, compared with the whole market. Each says what it's based on. How we score
Weight
From maker's figures 4/10How much it adds to your pack. This is the whole tent: two people sharing can split it. 4: A bit below average.
MSR's minimum weight of 2.33 kg is in the 2.0–2.69 kg band; the packaged weight is 2.82 kg including the footprint, pegs and sack.
Rain protection
From maker's figures 5/10How well it keeps out heavy, long rain. 5: Does the job. Average for wild-camping gear.
Fly 1,500 mm is in the 1,500–1,999 band, band 3 (5 out of 10); floor 3,000 mm, so no deduction. Reviewers stayed dry through sustained downpours and on boggy ground.
Wind
From reviews 9/10How steady it stays in strong wind on open ground. 9: Among the best you can buy for this.
Reviewers praise it: Live for the Outdoors rated it, with the F10 Xenon UL2, the sturdiest tent in its 2025 group test, OutdoorGearLab loved its weather resistance (two crossing poles and double-pegged porches), and Jamie Outdoors says the tents stand up pretty well in wind. OutdoorGearLab and Jamie Outdoors used the earlier version, with the same pole layout and shape.
Space
From maker's figures 7/10Room to lie, sit up and keep kit inside. 7: Better than most.
MSR's 2.82 m² floor ÷ 2 people = 1.41 m² each, in the 1.35–1.59 band. The floor is a true rectangle (213 x 132 cm) so two wide mats fit side by side, though at 213 cm long it is not generous for tall people.
Packed size
From maker's figures 4/10How much room it takes in your rucksack. 4: A bit below average.
Packs to 51 cm long x 17 cm across: 3.1416 x 8.5 x 8.5 x 51 = 11,576 cm³, so 11.6 L, in the 10–14.9 L band. Reviewers say a 60 L+ pack is needed to carry it inside.
What reviewers say (out of 10)
Ratings marked * are from reviews and are not part of the trip score. They are reviewers' scores, not our own measurements. How we score
Pitching*
Reviewers' average 7/10How quickly and easily one person can pitch it, including in wind and rain.
4 reviews on pitching, e.g. "Pitching is relatively easy".
Condensation*
Reviewers' average 7/10How dry it stays inside on still, damp nights; higher is drier.
3 reviews on condensation, e.g. "It's not the best-ventilated tent around, but it’s certainly not the worst either.".
Durability*
Reviewers' average 8/10How well the fabric, poles, zips and seams hold up over seasons of use.
4 reviews on durability, e.g. "it’s still a well-made tent that should offer excellent lifetime durability.".
In short
Good for
- Two people who want a roomy, tough, freestanding tent for UK three-season camping
- Wild campers who prioritise stability, headroom and a footprint over weight
- A first backpacking tent for a pair sharing the load on short to medium trips
Strengths
- True rectangular floor, 213 x 132 cm: two wide mats fit with room to spare
- Interior peak height 104 cm, near-vertical ends, two doors and two large porches
- Very stable in wind: pole layout with two crossing points and porches pegged at two points
- Footprint included; metal pole hubs and corner hardware
- Taped seams, 3,000 mm floor and a mesh-and-solid inner balance warmth and ventilation
- Muted green colour; glow-in-the-dark door zips
Weaknesses
- Heavy at 2.33 kg minimum (2.82 kg packaged), about 1 kg more than the lightest two-person tents
- Bulky at 51 x 17 cm: needs a big pack
- Fly is only 1,500 mm
- Pitches inner first, which is a poor choice for heavy rain
- Basic shepherd's hook pegs hold poorly in soft or high ground; Live for the Outdoors suggests upgrading them
- Not the best ventilated: fewer mesh panels than lighter tents
- No current-model durability test: the long-term reports we found are of the earlier version with thinner fabric, so durability is an estimate, not a reviewed score
Sources
We haven't tested this ourselves. Every score comes from these specs, tests and reviews.
ShowHide sources (6)
- MSR / Cascade Designs: Elixir 2-Person Backpacking Tent specifications
- Live for the Outdoors: MSR Elixir 2 tent review (Matt Jones)
- OutdoorGearLab: MSR Elixir 2 review (2020 version)
- Jamie Outdoors (YouTube): Is the MSR Elixir still worth it 5 years on?
- MCM Outdoors (YouTube): A Very Rainy Night in the MSR Elixir 2
- Backpacking UK (YouTube): MSR Elixir 2 person tent review