MSR Elixr 2 Tent
The Inner Tent
The red floor material is made of a durable 70 denier nylon with a polyurethane coating. A water repellent coating and seam tape have also been applied to this material to provide a waterproof base. There is also a good amount of freeboard between the base and the zippered openings which greatly aids in keeping the inside dry. The side walls consist of 40 denier nylon sheets with sections of 20 denier nylon mesh. The construction of the inner tent provides excellent protection from pooling ground water and strikes a good balance between wind protection and ventilation.
Inside the tent are some conveniently placed gear loops for hanging accessories, along with two large mesh storage pockets. The size of the main floor area is 213 x 127 cm and will fit two regular size sleeping pads. The internal height is 102 cm. There are front and rear door flaps with dual zippers and an attachment to hold the flaps open. The tent body has colour coded clips which attach to the pole structure.Tent Poles
The innovative pole structure which makes the tent so durable, utilises two longitudinal poles connected by two swivel devices which allow the poles to cross over each other twice before slotting into the corner grommets of the tent base. A smaller transverse pole then flexes across the top of the longitudinal poles and slots into grommets on the top of the tent, to tension the ceiling as well as pulling the side walls up and setting them in a nearly vertical position.
The inner tent is suspended from the resulting pole structure while the rain fly sits on top of it and takes on a dome shape. This arrangement allows the rain fly to effectively shed water when it rains and the gap between the inner and outer layer limits condensation forming inside the tent on very cool nights. Rain Fly
The Rain fly is made from a 68 denier ripstop polyester fabric,with a polyurethane coating and taped seams on the inside. A water repellent coating has also been applied to the outside. The Vestibules are a part of the rain fly and are quite spacious and accommodates a lot of gear. There are two vents on opposite sides, equipped with Velcro tabs and bars so that you can keep them open. Each corner of the rain fly is color coded for quick and easy setup and the rain fly attaches to the inner tent via a buckle and tensioning strap.
The zippers on the rain fly are protected with a storm flap which is held in place with three velcro
tabs along the length of the flap. The area, just above the storm flap, has a discreet protruding seam which will catch any excess water and guide it down the seam
of the tent rather than it dripping on you as you get in or out of the
tent.
Useful storage space inside vestibule for gear you don't want to store inside or items you want quick access to.
Setup
Setup
The tent can be quickly pitched and is easy to setup, due to all attachment points, tabs and poles being color coded. I can usually have it done in less than five minutes. The tents free-standing capability allows it to be pitched without the fly sheet in drier environments, this gives the user extra ventilation and a window through which to gaze at the stars at night.
Conclusion
The Elixir 2 has a semi-geodesic design, giving it excellent weather protection. It handles wind, rain and condensation very well and has provided me consistently with a dry reliable shelter. The semi-geodesic design also makes the tent free standing, so it can be easily picked up and moved to a different spot without having to dissemble and reassemble the tent.
There is a good amount of space inside the tent and the materials and design allow enough light to enter so it doesn't feel gloomy inside. The tent packs down to an acceptable size and weight for kayak camping ( 51 x 17cm, 2.6 kg ) and is well suited to the task.
Comments
Post a Comment