FreeLite™ 2-Person Ultralight Backpacking Tent
















































FreeLite™ 2-Person Ultralight Backpacking Tent
Lighten your pack without sacrificing tent space with the ultralight, semi-freestanding FreeLite 2, designed for people who want to make the most of their three-season adventures without being weighed down by their gear.
The Inside: 226 g (8 oz.) lighter than the previous FreeLite, it still has the true rectangular floor (no foot taper like most other tents) and one metre (39 in.) of headroom, 7.6 cm more than before. The micromesh tent body provides excellent ventilation and has a waterproof bathtub-style floor to protect from the elements. Two no-curve tent doors keep you from having to crawl over your tent partner in the middle of the night, and feature new zippers that are more durable and easy to use with one hand. They also zip closed to a single point so you always know where to open the door, even in the dark. New tech-friendly pockets feature cable ports at the corners for headphone and charging cords. Overhead gear loft pockets are perfect for headlamps, sunglasses and other quick-access items.
The Outside: The FreeLite’s semi-freestanding design is easy and quick to set up. Super strong DAC NFL tent poles, a DuraShield™ waterproof coating and taped seams keep the weather where it belongs—outside. The cutaway rainfly saves weight and features large vestibules for storing any gear you don’t want inside. Easy in-and-out vestibule doors have StayDry™ rain gutters to keep water from dripping onto you and your gear.
The Bottom Line: If you and your backpacking buddy (two- or four-legged) want camp comfort after putting down the miles with your ultralight pack, the semi-freestanding FreeLite provides the space and features you need at a weight you won’t even notice.
- Lightweight: Minimum weight is 0.91 kg (2 lbs.).
- Livable: True rectangular floorplan and 1.00 m (39 in.) of head room; two large side-entry vestibules to store gear; interior pockets and overhead gear lofts.
- Waterproof: DuraShield™-coated rainfly and floor and taped seams keep the elements outside where they belong.
- DAC NFL Poles: Super strong, lightweight aluminum tent poles stand up to use and the elements.
- Tech-Friendly Pockets: Cable ports on all pockets for easy cord management.
- Easy Setup & Packing: Unified hub-and-pole system and symmetrical design make setup super quick; ultra-compact stuff sack.
- Maximum Airflow: Micromesh tent body minimizes condensation and keeps out the bugs.
- Durable Details: Reinforced patches, stitching at guy points and locking anodized stake loop grommets for extra strength.
Includes: Tent body, rainfly, poles, stakes, guy lines, stuff sack, setup instructions.
Compatible with the Universal 2 Person Regular Footprint, sold separately
For long-term storage, keep your tent in a dry and cool area, out of direct sunlight. Store it outside of its stuff sack, as you would a sleeping bag, in a breathable, over-sized cotton or mesh duffel for protection. On the cheap, an old pillowcase is ideal.
- Weather Conditions: High humidity, low temperatures, and rainy conditions create the most condensation.
- People: We produce about 1 - 2 pints of moisture per night through breathing and skin evaporation.
- Wet Environment: Wet ground or wet gear stored inside the tent.
To start, the tent body and ceiling are made of breathable and mesh fabrics. This allows moisture to escape the interior of your tent. However, it must also be able to escape the waterproof fly, and every MSR rainfly has a peak vent that provides protection from the outside, while still allowing essential, free-flowing fresh air to move through your tent. You can also leave a door open in good weather, or take advantage of the double sliders on the doors to vent from the top where warm and moist air tends to accumulate. Make sure to leave at least two vents open if possible, allowing any breeze to provide cross-flow ventilation for maximum circulation. Guying out your rainfly will also increase ventilation in hot or humid conditions.
Video: What causes condensation in a tent
At MSR, we voluntarily follow ASTM International F 1934-98 standards around these two tent industry terms. In accordance with this standard, packaged weight includes the total weight of the packaged contents off the shelf. Minimum weight, by comparison, refers to the combined weight of the tent body, rainfly (if applicable) and tent poles, but not any of the other items that may appear in the package, such as tent stakes, guy cords, stuff sack, etc.
Many MSR backpacking tents can be pitched using only the rainfly, poles and footprint, and in our tent specs we call this non-industry standard setup option our Fast & Light weight.
To learn more about packaged weight vs. minimum, and the manufacturing processes that can affect them, check out our blog post on the topic.
Here are a few reasons for those weight variances:
- Coating variances: The thickness in coatings on tent fabric can vary a bit from one tent to another. Fabrics are produced in batches and called “lots,” and there can be a slight weight difference between lots as well as within lots.
- Fabric variances: Because tent fabric is hand cut in up to 200 layers at once, some pieces may be cut just outside the line, making certain parts slightly larger and thus heavier.
- Scale accuracy: At MSR, weights are determined using our calibrated lab scales, which are more accurate than normal household scales.
- Added products: Brands may decide at the last minute to include more stakes or guy cords, which will add to the packaged weight.
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We Believe in What We Build
At MSR, we take pride in engineering the highest-quality outdoor gear available, and we stand behind everything we make. MSR gear is built to be exceptionally durable and easily repaired. And we back it up with the best service in the industry, all to keep your gear performing for you—and out of landfills. Visit our MSR Warranty page for more info.
