MSR Front Range shelter

I’ve noticed them and they look great. 20d nylon and a nice weight at 714 gms. I assume the one you ordered is orange color, at least if you ordered it in North America. I called MSR last year to find out if they have any of their green tents available in the US, like they do in the in the UK, and they said all green shelters go straight to Europe and none to NA. I guess it’s because stealthy earth tone shelters are a lot more in demand in Europe. I would rather have a green one myself, but that’s personal preference of course.

In a similar vein (but smaller) I’ve been intrigued by the new DD Hammocks olive green pyramid shelters on ultralightoutdoorgear’s website. Weighs just under a pound and measures 104″ X 98″ X 47″ high AND ONLY $98! Just says the material is a “superlight” nylon with a 3000mm HH.

https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/tents-shelters-c25/all-tents-c148/dd-superlight-pyramid-tent-p7075

DD Hammocks don’t use cat cuts. I think they are necessary on a four-sided mid to get a taut pitch.

I remember Kevin Timm from Seek Outside writing on here once that cat cuts become less necessary the more sides a mid has. But all the four-sided mids I’ve seen without cat cuts look very wrinkly and distorted.

In the budget mid space, I think those by Asta and Knot/Aricxi are better designed. 3F UL has made a very nice-lookin big mid recently.

someone has one of the green Front Range for sale, can’t recall who as I shopped around a ton looking for a low price (got mine 20% off and free shipping)

turns out I prefer the bright colored one, more from a winter perspective

interesting on the cat cuts- makes sense, but something I would have never thought about

Mike,

I think it is the same size as the BD Mega Light and also similar offerings from MLD, Oware, etc. BD spec’s show the dimensions as “livable” space, not the dimensions of the bottom edges of the shelter. I explained this on my blog here:

http://popupbackpacker.com/black-diamond-mega-light-pyramid-shelter-not-a-review/

Also the competition all show weights around 26 ounces and use 30d material — this is a chart in the link above. As mentioned the MSR is a 20d material and not silnylon, IIRC.

I’ve always wanted a Hoopla/ Hoopster or Hoop Dreams but by the time I had saved up enough to buy one they were discontinued. Now a clone is available from AliExpress I am thinking of getting one as soon as I have saved up enough.

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/33041049252.html?spm=2114.12057483.0.0.440fc62aUO9kyw

I think you loose far too much floor space with a standard ‘Mid even if they are my preferred emergency shelter in white season.

Edward, I think the hooped mids are interesting. From what I’ve seen, ASTA’s price/quality ratio is good. I think the hooped design increases usable space in maybe rough proportion to decrease in wind resistance, although ASTA’s has ten ridges so should be pretty solid.

HK’s Tara Poky has a smaller hoop mid in a very different price/quality tier.

Nick- good info in your link!  Does the Mega Light still come with a carbon pole?  If so, that’s a pretty good deal- MSR, SO, MLD, etc don’t come with any pole.  Also appears the weights appear much closer, not sure why, but Black Diamond list the minimum weight of the Mega Light as 2 lbs 5 oz- they must be including something else beside the shelter it’s self.

The Front Range appears to be taller with a listed height of 64″ vs 57″, but that could very well depend on how you pitch it? (or could actually have more fabric top to bottom?)

You’re correct- the Front Range is not silnylon, it’s 20d ripstop with a waterproof coating- evidently the same coating shared by several of it’s other tents, including the Hubba Hubba

After seam sealing the shelter, adding Linelocs and 3mm cord, the total weight of the shelter including the stuff sack (without the elastic straps) was 1lb, 12 5/8 ounces (30.625 ounces).

It comes with a burly carbon fiber pole and a thing to connect trekking poles instead.  Not included in the weights above. BTW, the aluminum pole that came with my ‘80s Chouinard mid is lighter but the BD pole is easier to adjust.

Wind resistance in hooped ‘mids can be increased by using ties from the hoop back to the centre pole. In the review of the Hoopster Gearlab does mention running drying cords from side to side around the poles and this may have contributed to their good review on wind resistance

After seam sealing the shelter, adding Linelocs and 3mm cord, the total weight of the shelter including the stuff sack (without the elastic straps) was 1lb, 12 5/8 ounces (30.625 ounces).

that’s almost exactly the weight of the MSR- I’ll weigh mine when I get it, I know I need to add several guy lines to it (and linlocs)

It comes with a burly carbon fiber pole and a thing to connect trekking poles instead.  Not included in the weights above. BTW, the aluminum pole that came with my ‘80s Chouinard mid is lighter but the BD pole is easier to adjust.

I was going to buy a carbon pole from Seek Outside, but it’s a $100 and is only about 1.5 ounces lighter than the aluminum one from MSR ($30)- so I went with aluminum

Edward, cool, I didn’t know about internal guys like that.

After seam sealing the shelter, adding Linelocs and 3mm cord, the total weight of the shelter including the stuff sack (without the elastic straps) was 1lb, 12 5/8 ounces (30.625 ounces).

1 lb, 12 5/8 ounces would be 28.625 ounces, incidentally.

Edward, cool, I didn’t know about internal guys like that.

They work in a similar fashion to “X” bracing with cord in tunnel tents

The problem with these mids  for hot tent use is you lose so much space to the stove and around the sides. Placing a stove in the middle effectively takes out a 4 by 4 square if you want to avoid melting gear. A thick mat and a puffy bag takes out another 1ft from around the perimeter if you want to stop your bag from wiping condensation/frost from the sides of the tent. Offsetting the stove helps considerably to add more space but the best way is to add a short wall and snow skirt, makes for so much extra room, well worth the effort and need for a longer pole.

received the shelter yesterday

the tent/tarp itself weighs 25 oz (no stakes or additional guy lines) no need for seam sealing, but will be adding several linelocs and some 3mm guy line (waiting for it to come)- I’ll reweigh when those are added

the device that secures two trekking/ski poles together weighs 1.8 oz and actually looks like it would work pretty good if not using a dedicated pole

the inner shelter weighs 29 oz

the optional aluminum pole 10.8 oz

Mike,

I was surprised the BD carbon fiber pole was heavier than the aluminum one.

Black Diamond Mega Light center pole = 11 5/8 ounces
Chouinard center pole = 10 3/8 ounces

The aluminum pole adjusts with a little push button, so it is restricted to the spacing in the holes. The CF has an external tension ring that works and increments of adjustment are very fine. Typical height on both shelters is 66 inches.

My Chounaird is made from 50d nylon IIRC and weighs 41 ounces. I was surprised how much the panels of the Mega Light moved in the wind set up next to the Chouinard in a 15-20 mph wind. Maybe it is caused by the “stretchiness” of silnylon or maybe the lighter material with such large panels? Something you may want to test out with the 20d material.

Mike, if you need any, I have those linelocz things that zp@cks used to sell. it’s a linelocz on a small grosgrain loop that easily connects to the guyout loops on the shelter. Be happy to send you half a dozen, I don’t use them anymore.

Doug- yeah the SO carbon pole was a tiny bit lighter than the aluminum one I have, but $60 more- tough to justify.

Hopefully will get to give it a test run here shortly.

I’ve got some of those, not sure I have enough though- if I don’t, I’ll definitely take you up on your offer!  Thanks :)

1 lb, 12 5/8 ounces would be 28.625 ounces, incidentally.

Thanks. I love it when I can lighten things :-)

I’ll change my post my scale displays pounds, ounces, and fractions of ounces — so the math error is in my favor.

Nice shelter!

Looking forward to your perspective from some use.

David- I did, actually owned one for a couple of years :)  Good shelter, but with a stove it’s strictly a solo deal- trying to get my wife out in the deep of winter.

I did look at the Cimmaron which is probably more comparable, it’s slightly larger (and a little taller too), but double the cost of the Front Range and also heavier

MSR making a 9 foot square floorless mid?

A lot like other manufacturers.

I’m surprised they would enter a “commodity” market like this.

I think a tent like this is good, but hard to distinguish between different manufacturers

Eyeing one of these hard. Thoughts on wether the 20d fabric is a significant downgrade in strength/durability from the 30d silnylon of the Megalight? @mikewarden would you trust as primary shelter in moderate winter conditions?

@mikewarden would you trust as primary shelter in moderate winter conditions?

^ I’m going to be this winter :)

It’s (Front Range) new, but not brand new- it’s been out long enough that there are quite a few reviews floating around.  All the ones I’ve read have been positive. Of course MSR (Cascade Designs) has one of the best warranties in the business, so they’ll stand behind this shelter if any issue were to arise.

My plan still is to put a stove jack in it (I have a medium Seek Outside stove).  I also have the Front Range inner, my plan is to use it when the grandkids go backpacking with us vs bringing two separate shelters.