Staff Picks: Our All-Time Favorite Tents

MSR has been making tents since 1973 when the MSR Mountain Tent debuted as a rugged mountaineering shelter able to withstand any abuse the alpine inflicted. Though our tents have evolved since then, our design principles have not. As a shelter, a tent is a very personal thing. And many people, from hardcore climbers to weekend warriors, feel a particular attachment to their wilderness home-away-from-home. We asked several employees around the office which tent, old or new, they rely on for everything from kayak tours to extended backpacking trips. Diane Levy, lead of Customer Service, Warranty & Repairs: Superfusion 3 My favorite MSR tent is the Superfusion 3, which was made from 2005-2007. It was the last phase in the evolution of a model that began as the Moss Deltoid. It’s a versatile…

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12 Secondary Uses For Trekking Poles

I’ve got a few basic philosophies when it comes to gear selection for any of my adventures. First and foremost, I look for equipment that is the perfect combination of strength, weight, reliability and repairability.

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The Spirit of Alpinism: A Photo Journey

At MSR we have the privilege of working with many talented, worldclass photographers. One such photographer is Peter Mathis. Hailing from Hohenems, Austria, Peter has long captured MSR products in the demanding environments they’re engineered to endure. His images are always stunning, seeming to pause time and capture the raw and challenging nature of adventure. Take this photo journey with Peter as he explains his five favorite MSR shots, their backstories and what he finds inspirational about each.

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A Recon Mission in Patagonia

The crew from MSR sent me a quick note asking if I would share details from my recent reconnaissance trip to Patagonia. They were specifically wondering about my gear,

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Field Testing MSR Snowshoes in Switzerland

Designing gear can’t happen in a cubicle. Sure, there’s a lot of computer work that goes into creating CAD drawings and engineering specs, but the real solutions—the big ideas—come from the field. Chris Barchet, category director for MSR Water & Winter products, is a perpetual field tester. He recently headed to the Andermatt region of Switzerland on a snowshoe R&D trip to reacquaint himself with the terrain and chat with mountain guides and users to find out what works best for them. Here’s a quick look at one of the many professional recon missions Chris takes in the world’s most incredible places.

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Behind the Shot: Light, Shadows and Snowshoeing

My assignment was to shoot the new MSR Revo Explore snowshoes in their element: long distance treks without a defined trail, without getting into the realm of technical terrain. I pulled together a group of outdoor athletes with some serious snowshoe experience, and booked a yurt in the Oregon backcountry to make the most of a late spring snowpack.

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