Morrison is a 3 Season, 2 Person Tent. Weight 4lbs, 11oz.
Convenient, water-resistant stuff sacks include convenient assembly instructions printed right on the bag. Outdoor outfitter Mountainsmith has been designing rugged, versatile tents for more than 30 years. The new two-person, three-season Morrison tent is another solid addition to the line, and was recently recognized with the 2011 Backpacker Gear Guide “Killer Deal” and “Killer Value” awards. Boasting more than 35 square
$ 139.95
Good Tent, Great Price,
I recently started backpacking again after a brief hiatus (3 kids) and realized I needed to update some of my gear. One piece of which was to replace my 22 year old Moss two person 4 season tent (12 lbs). I narrowed my selection down to 4 tent brands (Big Agnes, Sierra Design, MSR and REI) based on size, weight and price. I came across the Morrison tent as a suggested option from Amazon and the sale price caught my eye. I have bought Mountainsmith gear in the past and always liked their quality. Looking at online reviews (found about 40-50, Backpacker Magazine called it the “killer deal for 2011”), most people were very positive about it. Photos and specs gave the impression that it was constructed equivalent to other brands and wasn’t a bargain basement, off-brand, big box store cheapo tent. The tent comes in at 4 lb 11 oz, which is about 3/4 lb more than the Big Agnes Copper Spur ($400-$500) and a little less than a half pound more than the REI Quarter Dome ($190) and Sierra Design HT ($279).
I have always had a discriminating taste for outdoor gear (paid $500+ for Moss tent in 92) and most of my buddies don’t spare the expense either. So, upon arriving I opened the tent and was still impressed by the quality of the fabric and construction. The tent has two doors and with the fly on it has two vestibules. The tent has a lot of mesh to allow for good airflow on hot nights. However, there is a layer of fabric behind the mesh on both doors. I am not sure why the included it because the fabric and zippers together probably weigh 4-8 oz. I spoke to Mountainsmith and they said the fabric was not structural and could be removed (I am considering). Overall the tent is easy to assemble and has color coded poles to speed up assembly. The tent also uses clips to attach the poles which will help airflow on warm nights. The footprint of the tent is also a whopping 56″ x 92″ compared to the Copper Spur (52×90), Quarter Dome (52 x 85) and the SD H2 (50 x 83). Other tents of comparable sized footprints made my MSR, Mountain Hardwear, North Face and Big Agnes were much heavier (+5lbs) than this tent. I expect to strictly use this as a two person tent for backpacking and splitting up the gear to ease the weight. Although heavier than some of its competitors, you cannot match the quality, size and price of this tent.
I finally had this tent out in a massive thunderstorm that blew up and dumped 1-2 inches of rain in 1 hour. I was at a shelter away from the camp when it hit. Apparently a 2-3 inch sheet flow of rain went right to the tent (I believe it based on the debris) and stayed around it for the entire hour. Everyone at camp that saw it thought there would be 2 inches of water inside. When I got back to camp and saw the debris and heard the story I knew my gear would be soaked. However, I was completely surprised and pleased to see it was bone dry. There was some splash up on the sidewalls (It seriously rained like crazy), but it did not affect the inside. I think if I had cranked down the fly a little more it would not have been a problem.
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|Exceptional Value,
Being 6’5″, it is often difficult to find a lightweight tent that is long enough for my frame–this tent delivers! The description suggests users up to 7′ tall–but I think anyone over 6’8″ or so would have their head/feet pressed to one end or the other.
Amazingly easy to set up–colour-coding and instructions on the bag–brilliant. Seams appear well sewn and the fly covers well while keeping rain and wind out. The included guy lines would be a useful tool in extreme weather, but I found the tent very stable even in high winds.
On the negative end: The vestibule size is VERY limited I found…I would have liked to see a larger fly to increase vestibule storage area. There is one on each side of the tent (at each door) and likely enough room for a single pack on each side…but barely. Entry and exit from the tent proved difficult with the fly on…but perhaps those with a smaller stature would not experience this negative?
Overall this tent is excellent, and at the current retail price…it’s amazing. You can’t find a better tent for the money.
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|Great tent,
Used this tent over the weekend on an overnight float trip on the Allegheny River in Pennsylvania. It was easy to assemble and tear down — less than five minutes… It was very comfortable sleeping two people and miscellaneous gear. It withstood a five-hour rainstorm with no issues. There was no condensation inside the tent and the ventillation was tremendous. It wasn’t stuffy at all despite the damp conditions outside. The two doors are a bonus. It is easy to carry and pack, and is very lightweight. I plan on taking it to Yellowstone later this summer… Great tent for the money.
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