MSR Elixir 2 tent review: A high-performance backpacking tent that won’t break the bank

The MSR Elixir 2 is one of the more affordable backpacking tents in the MSR range, but it's far from basic. It’s a freestanding, two-person design aimed at three-season backpacking or weekend wild camping as well as more casual campsite use.

The tent’s standout qualities are durability, liveability, and ease of setup, making it a versatile choice for a range of adventures.

Featuring an unusual interlinked two-pole geometry with a third floating spreader pole, the Elixir 2 provides ample headroom and a spacious interior that comfortably fits two campers with their gear.

The user-friendly design boasts colour-coded poles and clips for straightforward assembly, and it comes with an included footprint for added ground protection. The design is extremely stable and protective, even in wilder weather.

The tent also has two large doors and vestibules, allowing for easy entry and plenty of additional storage space for boots, packs and cooking kit. Meanwhile, the inner is a combination of mesh and solid fabric panels that ensures a good balance between ventilation and warmth, ideal for use from spring through to autumn.

While it is not the lightest option in its category, weighing a total of 2.82kg / 6lbs 3.4oz (including supplied extras such as the footprint), its robust construction and thoughtful features make it a reliable choice for backpackers seeking comfort and durability across the seasons.

Shape and structure

The Elixir 2 uses fairly unusual but effective interlinked two-pole geometry, plus a floating brow pole for improved headroom. This creates an intrinsically stable freestanding structure, with four pole crossing points providing sufficient sturdiness to withstand some pretty wild weather.

Double pegging points at the two porches increase vestibule space and create a spider-like stance that sheds wind well, regardless of prevailing direction. In fact, we’d say it's actually better equipped for gusty conditions than either of its MSR stablemates, the popular Hubba Hubba or the FreeLite 2. T

Then again, it's significantly heavier and less packable than those two rivals.

It also uses slightly lower spec materials in its construction compared to higher-end MSR tents. The Elixir 2 uses PU-coated polyester ripstop fabric for the flysheet rather than silicone-coated nylon.

Similarly, the pole set is made from unbranded (but still good quality) 7000-series aluminium alloy, whereas MSR’s premium tents tend to use higher grade DAC poles. Likewise, the pegs that are supplied with the tent are also simple shepherd's hook style stakes rather than more expensive MSR pegs like the excellent Groundhogs.

Despite these slightly more basic materials and components, it’s still a well-made tent that should offer excellent lifetime durability.

Pitching

Pitching is relatively easy, though those two interlinked poles are a bit of a headscratcher on first use. Fortunately, MSR gives you helpful colour-coded pole ends and corner grommets to help work out what goes where.

Once the poles are in place, the hanging inner clips up quickly and easily to create the basic freestanding shape. Then you simply throw the flysheet over the top and fix it in place to each end of the brow pole and the four corners.

There aren’t any fiddly Velcro tabs to worry about. It’s primarily designed to pitch inner first, though with care you could pitch the tent in fly-only or outer first configuration, but to do so is a bit of a faff.

Liveability

Liveability is good, with over a metre of headroom at the apex and a rectangular floor space measuring 213cm long by 132cm wide. As those dimensions suggest, it’s not the longest tent around, but luckily the head and foot ends of the tent are near vertical, which adds valuable useable space for six-footers.

It’s generous in terms of width, though, so you can get two 60cm mats side by side with a bit of room to spare.

The two doorways and vestibules are large enough to permit easy access and give good storage for packs, boots and other gear.

Two-way zippers allow you to tweak airflow as desired. Using an extra toggle on the fly sheet, you can also roll the fly back to two positions for even more ventilation. It doesn’t fold all the way back for full panoramic views, as with some other designs, but it’s still a handy feature.

Waterproofing

When it comes to lab test figures (Hydrostatic Head waterproof ratings), MSR tents don’t generally rack up the highest numbers. The flysheet of the Elixir 2 has a 1,500mm HH rating, while the bathtub floor is rated at 3,000mm.

That’s decent, if not exactly class-leading (some tents claim 4,000mm+). Then again, lab stats rarely tell the whole story. All we can say is that in terms of real-world use, this proved a very protective tent. We certainly never experienced leakage from above or seepage from below on test, even when camping in sustained downpours and on boggy ground.

It’s worth noting that the Elixir 2 is also supplied with a footprint as standard, which further reduces the chance of moisture penetrating the inner from sodden or saturated ground, even with the weight of a sleeping person on top of it. It’ll also help to prolong the lifetime of your tent floor and stop it from getting muddy.

Condensation

The Elixir 2 is fitted with small triangular vents in the fly sheet at either end of the tent, both equipped with folding Velcro struts to ensure decent airflow and reduce condensation build-up.

This is augmented by several large mesh panels in the upper half of the inner tent. It creates adequate ventilation without making the tent feel too draughty.

The flysheet is cut fairly close to the ground for good all-round coverage, but there’s enough of a gap to stop things feeling too stuffy. It's not the best-ventilated tent around, but it’s certainly not the worst either. And in colder conditions, you may appreciate the extra warmth.

Wind protection

The outer tent is made from 75D polyester ripstop fabric, which feels sturdy and robust. Combined with the semi-geodesic structure and multiple pegging points, it ensures a stable and anchored feel.

In fact, we found that the tent holds up impressively well in breezy and gusty conditions, outperforming many more expensive rivals. Along with the F10 Xenon UL2 tunnel tent, we felt it was the sturdiest model in our 2025 three-season 2P tents group test.

The four main guy lines are sensibly positioned and of decent quality. However, if you do a lot of camping higher up in the hills, we’d recommend upgrading the supplied pegs. The shepherd’s hook stakes that come with the tent are fairly basic, and you’d get better holding power from Y-stakes or similar.

Weight and packed size

Compared to many two-person tents, the Elixir 2 does come with some added weight and bulk. The tent’s minimum weight (i.e. flysheet, inner and poles but not pegs) is 2.24kg, while the packed weight, which includes all pegs, bags and the supplied footprint, weighs a total of 2.82kg.

So, it’s certainly not ultralight. In fact, it was the heaviest model in our 2025 group test. But nor is it too heavy to be a viable backpacking or wild camping tent, especially if you’re splitting the weight with another person.

And this is a genuine two-person tent, since it’s roomy enough to share with a partner or friend, without feeling too cramped. It’s also a little lighter than another previous Trail/LFTO ‘Best in Test’ winner, the MSR Tindheim 2, which uses similar spec materials.

Don’t be too put off by the added weight and bulk, unless you’re aiming to go fast and light on your next long-distance trail.

The Elixir 2 is supplied with a standard drawcord stuff sack, which again, feels a bit basic. Wrestling the tent back into its sack is a bit of a chore. It also lacks compression straps to cinch down the packed size, so the overall dimensions are hardly svelte at 51 x 17cm.

You’ll probably need a big 60L+ rucksack if you don’t want to carry the tent on the outside of your pack.

Features

The tent has lots of little details that help to make life on the trail that bit easier. For example, doors are fitted with noctilucent (glow in the dark) two-way zippers, making them easy to find on moonless nights. They also have oversized tie-backs with plastic toggles and loops.

Meanwhile, there are big trapezoidal mesh storage pockets at each end of the inner tent, plus two triangular mesh pockets above the doors – ideal for stashing a head torch or camp lantern.

Verdict

A durable, liveable and user-friendly tent that balances camp comfort and three-season weather protection. While heavier than some rivals, its sturdy build, practical features and durable materials deliver plenty of value.

For something with more room (and similar bulk), consider our list of the best 3-person tents.

About the author

Matt Jones is a freelance journalist based in the heart of Snowdonia National Park, he’s a vastly experienced gear tester and self-confessed outdoor kit geek. Matt’s been one of our main gear testers for the last couple of years and is the first person we call with any complicated kit queries that need in-depth and forensic analysis.