MSR Carbon Reflex 3

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If low weight is your prime tent priority, put this shelter at the top of your shopping list. It’s barely more than four pounds, but makes no compromises in terms of protection. When 30-mph winds in Colorado’s Park Range blasted the Skyledge with rain, this freestanding dome barely shuddered—and kept the interior dry during soggy entrances (the fly’s drip line prevents water from funneling inside the open doors).

This year’s model has key updates: Designers relocated the Jake’s Foot attachment from the tent body to the footprint, enabling campers to pitch the fly first, keeping the canopy dry in rain. A transparent fly porthole brightens the interior. And ventilation is good: On nights in the 30s in Tasmania’s Walls of Jerusalem National Park, condensation collected only inside the fly. The floor’s 70-denier fabric acts like armor against sharp pebbles, while the fly’s 20-denier nylon trims weight in less abrasion-prone areas. But size before you buy: While headroom is good with a 45-inch peak height, floor space is tight for three adults (three sleeping pads barely fit across the narrow floor). $550; 4 lbs. 2 oz.; mountainhardwear.com

Providing full-featured room for three at a weight usually packed for two, the free-standing shelter features two doors, two vestibules and ample room for living and storage. With more volume than the MSR Mutha Hubba tent, the Carbon Reflex 3 tent shaves nearly a pound of pack weight at a minimum weight of just 4 lbs. 7 oz. (2 kg). The efficient design includes easy-setup carbon fiber poles, mesh walls for superior ventilation and versatile assembly options.

Livable Volume (body + vestibule): 3530 + 566 L / 124 + 20 cu. ft.