MSR’s Carbon Reflex 2 Two-Person Tent Gear Review
Currently (2016), the Carbon Reflex 2 is MSR’s lightest two-person tent. A quality, lightweight tent during a backpacking trip truly makes the experience more enjoyable and more comfortable. This review on MSR’s Carbon Reflex 2 Ultralight Tent will hopefully help you decide on this tent before making the big investment. The tent was donated to me for review purposes but will not affect the subjectivity of this review.
Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr
Specs
MSRP: $499 for 2016 Edition
Included in price: one mesh tent body with bucket floor, one rainfly, 10 metal stakes, two large collapsible frame poles, one small pole for middle of frame, three stuff sacks for tent body, poles and stakes.
Camping in Alaska in the MSR Carbon Reflex tent. Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr.
Minimum Weight: 1 lb 13 oz
Packed Weight: 2 lb 3 oz
Basic Details: Non-freestanding, 2 doors, waterproof rainfly.
The diagrams below show how much space is in the tent:
Photo Credit: Cascadedesigns.com
Photo Credit: Cascadedesigns.com
Details
Carbon Fiber Poles
The carbon fiber poles are so light that it is actually quite unbelievable. They truly make for easy travel by breaking down easily and small enough to fit inside a pack. I initially thought that the poles would not be able to withstand wind very well. However I was pleasantly surprised how well they stood up against strong wind.
Durashield Waterproof Coating
Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr
The rainfly and the bucket floor of the tent worked wonders for me while in rain and wind. Both the rainfly and the floor have DuraShield waterproof coatings and all the seams are “taped.” I spent an entire night in a downpour on a spring Colorado day and didn’t experience any leakage. Also the Carbon Reflex 2 faired well while I lived an entire day in it while in Alaska in very misty and moist weather. There were no problems with rain seeping in the tent via the rainfly or the bucket floor.
When it comes to breathability, I found the tent to be quite breathable. Both the rainfly and the bucket floor do a great job of airing out the tent space. I never woke up with wet gear and condensation was at a very minimum.
Large Vestibule
A large vestibule can truly be heavenly. This vestibule, which is constructed by staking the rainfly out, is large enough to fit your pack, boots and other miscellaneous gear. It is helpful that there are two vestibules for each person at each door. The vestibule definitely kept my gear dry. However make sure to stake the vestibule tight because rain could weigh down on the vestibule causing it to droop.
The Tent Frame
Photo Credit: Cascadedesigns.com
The frame of the MSR Carbon Reflex 2 is a mesh frame with two doors on either side of the tent. The mesh for the tent has actually been a lot more durable than the lightweight rainfly. It has even been through a washing machine and has held up very nicely.
A bucket floor meets the mesh to create a waterproof barrier even if the tent sits in a puddle. The floor does feel thin, but not as thin as the rainfly. I was pleasantly surprised to have used the tent without a footprint, even on rocky terrain. There were some pinpoint marks left from tiny pebbles on the tent’s floor, but not holes. I would recommend a footprint however to extend the life of the tent floor.
Living Space
When it comes to “living” inside the tent, we had enough room inside for two Thermarest inflatable NeoAir sleeping pads (one regular width, one extra large width). Anything bigger would not fit well. When it comes to headspace, my husband, who is 5’11”, could not really sit up completely in the tent. He did have to hunch. For me, at 5’1”, I could sit up but still would hit the mesh door with my arm if my partner was also in the tent. It did feel at times cramped with two in the tent. However we did have some space to put our water bladder, headlamps and other miscellaneous gear near our feet or heads. There are also mesh storage pockets inside the tent.
Clips shown on the MSR carbon reflex tent. Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr
Further expanding on the frame’s doors, the doors use one zipper for closure with only one zipper pull. The zipper pull is a bit small but has never caught or slipped on the mesh while zipping. Since the zipper and zipper pull are small, although the tent’s door hole is adequate, I can’t help but think that the zipper feels “dinky.”
Advantages
Lightweight
This two-person tent’s best feature is the fact that it is very light. It is even light enough to bring on solo trips too. At 2 lbs., the Carbon Reflex 2 is truly a minimalist couple’s dream. Now the Carbon Reflex 2 isn’t perfect, but the lightweight factor truly makes it worth the cost and its minor flaws.
Weatherproof
When it comes to rain and wind, this lightweight tent handled conditions better than expected. With the tent fly quite thin and the poles very light, there was an initial cause of alarm on if the tent could handle rainy conditions and windy weather. The Carbon Reflex 2 was taken on numerous rainy days in Colorado and Alaska, and it performed surprisingly well in windy and misty conditions. Furthermore I felt that the tent, even with a thin rainfly, was quite warm and kept heat in fairly well.
Packability
One of my favorite features of the Carbon Reflex 2 is that it packs well and is even light and small enough for one person to carry. As mentioned earlier, the poles break down nicely and both the tent and fly condense very well into their sacks.
Unique Features
Tension line that stakes the tent to the ground on the MSR Carbon Reflex tent. Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr
The Carbon Reflex 2 does have some unique features that are definitely creative efforts to lighten the tent’s weight. The tent stakes are extremely light and can be purchased from various outdoor retailers if lost. I also noticed some ways the designers cut on weight, such as the cut out zippers. Furthermore although it is a lightweight tent, there are still features that help on making things easier, such as the tension pull in the image above.
Disadvantages
Not Freestanding
The Carbon Reflex 2 is not a freestanding tent. You will need to use the stakes to secure it down. I have only had freestanding tents before this, so there was definitely a learning curve during setup to really master putting up this tent efficiently. This tent would be a pain to put up during a storm or wind, especially when time is of the essence.
Fly Isn’t Very Durable
Careful with those stakes! The rips on the rainfly were caused by stakes. Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr
Close up of the clips connecting the rainfly door on the MSR Carbon Reflex tent. Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr
Since I’ve had the Carbon Reflex 2, there are now two holes in the rainfly. If you do intend to purchase this tent, keep in mind that the stakes are a hazard to the fly. I accidently poked a hole in the fly with one of the stakes.
Also, the rainfly likes to stick to itself like saran wrap when stuffed in the sack. Therefore if you are a solo traveler, it could be a bit of a nuisance to try to pull apart the rainfly from itself without an extra set of hands.
Furthermore, the Carbon Reflex 2 might not fair well in big torrential downpours. Although I didn’t have any trouble with the waterproofness of the fly, some reviews I read online had mentioned seepage from big and heavy rain drops. Last but not least, the door of the fly is secured by velcro and clips. This is a great idea to save on weight, but it is a bit difficult to secure while in the tent and was found to be a bit more annoying to deal with than just a zipper.
Price
The price of the Carbon Reflex 2 is pretty steep at nearly $500. However I understand why this tent is so expensive, since it is a wellmade piece of gear technology and one of the lightest two-person tents on the market today.
Personal Notes and Comparison
Photo Credit: Madison Dragna via Flickr
This tent is most definitely the lightest tent I have ever had. My past tents were the North Face Phoenix 2 2-person tent and Alps Mountaineering’s Aries 2-person tent. The North Face tent was simply a double-walled free-standing tent with no additional rainfly. The Alps Mountaineering Tent had a mesh frame, that was freestanding, and came with an additional rainfly.
Compared to both of my previous tents, the MSR Carbon Reflex 2 is definitely well crafted. However I do feel that the MSR tent will not last as long as my other two tents have. The thin rainfly will wear down and will not make a great tent for a long distance thru-hike, in my opinion. The weight is obviously the best factor about the MSR Carbon Reflex 2, but durability is an issue.
MSR’s Carbon Reflex 2 was very breathable, not something that I could say about my other tents. However it did lack head room for my 5’11” husband. My two other previous tents were actually larger in headspace.
Another factor about this tent that I wasn’t used to is the amount of lines that must be staked down for the tent to function properly. My other two previously tents were freestanding. We ended up tripping over lines and actually had dogs accidentally run into a campsite and catch on the lines. It is quite annoying to fix lines and stake again when you just want to enjoy camp. I wouldn’t recommend this tent if you plan on camping with your dog.
Alternatives
For those seeking a freestanding tent: MSR’s FreeLite 2 Lightweight Backpacking 2 Person Tent
For those seeking an award-winning tent: MSR’s Hubba Hubba NX 2-Person Backpacking Tent
Shop MSR Carbon Reflex 2 2-Person Tent
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