Recently, my travels have brought me out to Colorado, where exploring the wilderness beyond the front range and camping have become a sort of normal way of life. I've spoke recently upon some of my favorite travel gear and how I've come to choose what's best for my situation as a travel writer/photographer, who typically travels alone, carrying everything I need on my back in a rucksack. While my rucksack is packed full of clothes, toiletries, computer and camera gear, I also have camping gear with me.
Choosing the right tent was actually easier than I had originally expected. I reached out to MSR (Mountain Safety Research) by Cascade Designs inquiring about which tent would be best and they suggested the Elixir 3 person lightweight backpacking tent. According to MSR, they designed this tent with backpackers in mind. They focused on a solid concept design which offers users flexibility, lightweight carry, and a quality build for long time value, whether its used for occasional camping trips, or warm-weather nomadic living outdoors.
As soon the sun was beginning to set on my first hiking day in the Rockies, I found a spot atop a hill with a great outlook, and I unpacked the tent. The Elixir 3 is stored in a fabric bag with a drawstring, which allows for enough space for packing of even the worst tent teardown and rolling. The setup was quite simple, setting up in only a few minutes. Most tents, from my experience, require a bit of a learning experience for the first time of use, but the Elixir was lovely to work with.
Choosing the right tent was actually easier than I had originally expected. I reached out to MSR (Mountain Safety Research) by Cascade Designs inquiring about which tent would be best and they suggested the Elixir 3 person lightweight backpacking tent. According to MSR, they designed this tent with backpackers in mind. They focused on a solid concept design which offers users flexibility, lightweight carry, and a quality build for long time value, whether its used for occasional camping trips, or warm-weather nomadic living outdoors.
As soon the sun was beginning to set on my first hiking day in the Rockies, I found a spot atop a hill with a great outlook, and I unpacked the tent. The Elixir 3 is stored in a fabric bag with a drawstring, which allows for enough space for packing of even the worst tent teardown and rolling. The setup was quite simple, setting up in only a few minutes. Most tents, from my experience, require a bit of a learning experience for the first time of use, but the Elixir was lovely to work with.
I found that the poles snapped in easily, and felt nice and sturdy – which is important, of course. A tent lacking in durability and sturdiness can be an absolute nightmare, so I was quickly feeling relieved once setup was complete.
As everyone who has camped in Colorado knows, the thunderstorms typically run through the front range, and down the prairie in the afternoon, but some of the more brutal and active storms take longer to brew and can hit anywhere from 8 PM to midnight. So, not even through one night in the Rockies, and a storm reigned down from overhead. The tent took the worst of the wind and the rain, and I dealt with very little issue. Barely moved throughout the storm, without leaking – which, as a technological traveler, I am grateful for!
All in all, I am a big fan of this tent. It's high quality, though a bit higher in price, but totally worth the value. If you plan on camping a good amount, there's good reason to invest in a worthwhile tent that will last you a long time. I've not had years of experience with the Elixir, but from my experience, this is a great design, and quality build – I will continue using this tent for trips to come!
As everyone who has camped in Colorado knows, the thunderstorms typically run through the front range, and down the prairie in the afternoon, but some of the more brutal and active storms take longer to brew and can hit anywhere from 8 PM to midnight. So, not even through one night in the Rockies, and a storm reigned down from overhead. The tent took the worst of the wind and the rain, and I dealt with very little issue. Barely moved throughout the storm, without leaking – which, as a technological traveler, I am grateful for!
All in all, I am a big fan of this tent. It's high quality, though a bit higher in price, but totally worth the value. If you plan on camping a good amount, there's good reason to invest in a worthwhile tent that will last you a long time. I've not had years of experience with the Elixir, but from my experience, this is a great design, and quality build – I will continue using this tent for trips to come!
If you would like to find out more about MSR / Cascade Designs, click here.
(Photo #2 via © MSR/Cascade Designs)
(Photo #2 via © MSR/Cascade Designs)
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