Backpacker Magazine – Gear Guide 2011

Gear Review: Mountainsmith Morrison Tent

A double-wall tent that's simple on design but big on space.

by: Kelly Bastone

Tags:
• Gear
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• Tent
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[killer deal]
Like Mountainsmith’s no-nonsense, high-value approach to pack-making? Then you’ll love the company’s new tent line. This double-wall dome prioritizes space (a very livable 35 square feet) and simplicity (two crossing poles, a tried-and-true design) to create a freestanding shelter that’s big on comfort and convenience.

At nearly five pounds (fully rigged), the Morrison’s not for ounce-counters, but in every other way the three-season shelter wowed testers with its price-to-performance. The 92-inch length amply accommodates tall campers (up to 6’7”). Two huge doors facilitate easy coming and going, and two seven-square-foot vestibules have sufficient storage space for packs, boots, and foul-weather cooking. The vestibule zipper is perfectly placed: The top is low enough to keep rainwater from dripping into the tent body, yet high enough to allow contortion-free entrances.

Two structured vents prevented condensation, and the taut pitch stood strong through wind and rain in southern Utah. “The lofty headroom [43 inches at the peak] had me worried that the Morrison wouldn’t handle a big blow, but it held up well in 25-mph gusts,” our tester says. Nitpick: The guy-out points on the fly are placed too high—testers needed cumbersome, six-foot-long lines to stake them taut. $159; 4 lbs. 3 oz.

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