MSR Advance Pro 2

[dirtbag]

I Finally grabbed the MSR Advance Pro 2 tent after about 2 years back and forth, unavailability and whatever else. I fully understand this is an Alpine style tent bivy and how it is expected to perform and in certain onditions, so my plans for using it will be strictly winter season in the North East, Catskills/Adirondacks/ regions when there is NO chance of rain, 100% chance of snow and wind, well below freezing temperatures. The first thing I did upon arrival was remove all the stock guylines from MSR and I added 2.5 and 3 mm Lawson Glowire for all the tie outs. For the 4 mid and low corner tie outs ( front and back) I used about a 35 inch length attached with 2 taught line hitches ( mid and bottom) and then ran the guylines using Clam Cleat Line locs. These are easily adjustable even with bulky heavyweight mittens on. For the side mid panels and back pullouts I used the guy lines with the Clam Cleats at the actual attachment point on the tent rather then near the stake loop, so if I have to bury a “deadman” in the snow the Clam Cleat can easily be accessed near the tent for adjustment rather then possibly burried in the snow. I found this set up and info from MountainBureau website discussing the Advance Pro 2 tent for Alpine use. I made the guylines a little longer then needed in case I do need to bury “deadman” anchors or use large rocks/whatever for staking and holding the tent in nasty conditions. So it did add negligible weight, bringing the tent to about 3 lbs 4 ounces. Finally I had it set to go and as I do with every shelter I get I like to set it up in my yard for a good weeks worth of inclement weather testing and practice pitching it in foul weather and in the dark. Yes, I try to put myself in wost case situations as best I can from comfort of home back yard quite often. The forcast was looking good, minus the snow.. heavy rain with winds 20 -30 mph and gusts up to 50 mph. Temperatures in the 50s, so not exactly the situation this tent was made for, not the conditions I would even think about using it.. but it was all I had at the moment and figured it would give me a good idea of its waterproofness and wind stability and some practice pitching it in the dark, with decent wind and unfortunately some downpouring rain ( not snow). It took me about 12 minutes to pitch and fully stake all the guylines. Definitely not good enough, but for my first pitch in those winds in the dark while it was pouring, I was not defeated. That also saw me insert the poles upside down, so I had to slide them out and then back in the correct way, now I know.. it will NEVER happen again. Im not going to go over specs and design and features of the tent, there is plenty of info out there that you can read about it, so do as you may. I will just give a few of my initial thoughts after having it set up for a few days/ nights in the wind and rain. So other then my mistake with the poles, mind you it was dark out and pouring very hard, the tent pitches so fast and simple, seriously.. definitely the easiest pitch I have ever experienced. One grip with pitching was the 2 holes on the sleeves where the poles first get inserted are a tad small. It would have been nice if they made them slightly larger.. just at the opening because you have to insert both pole tips at the same time and with the tent blowing in the wind, at night, cold outside.. raining hard ( possibility snowing/blizzard conditions) it took a few seconds longer then it should have. But once the tips were in, then poles simultaneously slide in easily with no issues and right into the sleeve pockets.. then clip the clips in the front onto the poles.. and waa laaa.. its pitched. Simple and fast. So here is my second grip, but bare with me on this one. When you open the door to get in or out.. its HUGE! I can pretty much step and and out with just a slight crouch.. which is a pleasure!! Only problem is, it was raining so hard, and as soon as that door opens , from the top down, the rain just dumps inside. Again, I have no intention of using this in the rain and it was NOT designed to be used in the rain, so not a deal breaker for me, definitely a slight turn off though and had me concerned. If it was blizzard and heavy snow, well it would definitely be getting inside while you get in or out, or while you get boots/spikes on.. so slight annoyance and concern there. My counter to this issue is I am not so worried about snow because I do use my eVent bivy in the winter no matter what shelter I use. Overkill probably because this is a tent bivy, but I had a situation years ago in a winter storm that shredded my tarp and had I not been carrying my bivy I would have been done in.. it saved my life, so yes it comes with me on every winter trip, especially if I know I am heading out into a storm. So getting some snow blown into the tent with me is not detrimental to my gear or my trip, heck I have just slept in my bivy in the snow plenty of cold nights without an issue.. it is winter time!! Ok, so those are my to concerns with first time testing it out and figured it was worth mentioning to whoever may be interested in the Advance Pro 2. This tent is used and proven in much more serious conditions then I will most likely encounter, so I think I should be good to go. It is snug inside, but I am a bivy guy, so this actually is like a dream style bivy for me. The height is so sweet, i can easily crouch inside of here and move all around without touching walls or ceiling, and thats with my large X-Therm pad and long/wide 0° synthetic quilt in there also. Ohhh.. one more grip.. I am 5 foot 10 inches. The length of the Advance Pro 2 just barely fits me laying down. My large/wide pad touches both head and foot ends of the tent, it helps to guy the back end out, but it still touches. When I lay down, I am ok as I dont touch either end, but my long quilt touches at the foot end.. again, if I use my eVent bivy then its a non issue for me, but keep that in mind.. if you are 5’10 its pushing the limit.. if you are taller.. be cautious here. Also for 1 person its perfect, 2 would be snug.. another thing to think about. I was able to use my Windburner stove in there, with both side vents open and the door half open.. using it right near the door, so I wanted to make sure I had room to do that if needed, otherwise I would use it outside the door with it fully open, easily. Packing it up was fast and easy too, I packed it in a Sea to Summit large 15L stuff sack. Yes its bigger then needed but when its freezing cold out, possibly snowing or raining I want to take it down and get it into the sack as quickly and easily as possible.. with gloves or mittens on, and this sack allows that. Bounce around here, but there is no interior pockets on this tent, but there are plenty of loop attachment points inside, so I strung to thin lines on both sides front to back ( inside) and on one of them I attached my hammock gear organizer.. so that gives me to organizer pockets .. for headlamp or cell phone, snacks… whatever. The tent withstood 20 -30 mph winds with gusts up to 50 mph, it did not budge or move, fully guyed out. It rained so hard constant for 1.5 days with those winds, and inside stayed bone dry except when i opened the door! I dont plan to use it in the rain, only cold windy and snow trips, so it will be fine. It packs nice and small and the weight does not bother me for my winter load out. It pitches fast and easy, as does break down.. it is totally free standing also, which is a big plus, so long as its not stormy out, there is no need to pitch all the guylines.. That is my initial thoughts on this tent and I do plan on getting it into the mountains this winter hopefully in a storm!! I will definitely report back when I use it. I think for a night or 2 it will be great but if I was planning on more consecutive days/ nights/time spent riding a storm, I would definitely want a larger tent to “live” in.

[dirtbag]

[dirtbag]

[nunatak]

That’s 600g less than my similar shaped winter tent. For that I get double wall and side entry.

Wonder if those features are worth 600g, lol. My door is better suited for precip but still not keeping all the snow out. The double wall doesn’t eliminate a frosty interior.

On a positive note, the side door let me pee lying down only halfway out of my bag. Far less sketchy than the pee bottle.

[dirtbag]

Lol.  Well if it was not windy conditions this is fully free standing.   Which i appreciate very much… as for pee bottle. Lol. I have it mastered inside my bivy!!

[dirtbag]

Im pretty sure these walls will frost up also.. any single wall bivy style tent will.. in below freezing conditions.. sealed up in storm mode. I figure if its just cold and windy.. no snow, Just sleep with door all the way or half way open. Sure the top side vents help.. but how much? Guess I will soon find out! Which tent are you currently using?

[nunatak]

Hillie Unna

Winter solstice 2022 @11800′

guy out situation

[dirtbag]

Awesome! Nice one. How is the room in there?

[nunatak]

Very good. I’m 6’2″ and only when the snow piles up like that pic do the walls come close to my bag. Also have a dog, so I lie diagonal.

Just need 6 anchors. 4 are easy to rig (skis and poles), the other two along the long sides are for quiet and a little extra room. I use fist sized silnylon ‘snow bags’.

You are going to have fun w yours. Where are you?

[dirtbag]

New York.  Mostly Catskills, some Adirondacks.. also Pennsylvania and NJ.

[Author]

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