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UOG TOP PICK - MSR Access tent series - One of the lightest 4 season tents available with MSR’s legendary performance and quality.
The Access tents have been updated making them more practical. This is an excellent tent for winter adventures and the impressively low weight makes it highly versatile. This four-season tent is warm enough for cold winter nights and strong enough for adverse winter weather.
MSR says
An ultralight, four-season solo tent, the Access 1 winter touring tent was built to meet the needs of backcountry skiers, splitboarders and snowshoers. Lighter than a mountaineering tent, but warmer than a three-season backpacking tent, it offers ample comfort on cold winter nights, yet remains light in your pack while skiing or hiking. The tent features a central-support frame that withstands overnight snow loading, and offers generous space inside for bulky gear. Ideal for the protected winter conditions found near tree-line, the Access 1 tent strikes the perfect balance of winter-grade warmth without the weight.
Our Verdict
MSR's Access 1 Tent is a 4 season tent at a 3 season weight, MSR have achieved this by adding a transverse pole to their now traditional dual hub structure to create a very stable structure and by 'beefing up' the key areas of the tent that would be strained in bad weather. In addition to improving the pole structure MSR are also using tougher Easton Syclone poles, they flex more and are therefore able to bend with the wind. Weighing just over 1.3kg for a four season tent and coming in with an impressively small pack size the Access 1 is a great solo tent for year-round camping and can be relied upon in challenging conditions.
The flysheet isn't cut as close to the ground as on other 4 season tents but in use this is manageable, the inner tent is made from a solid fabric with mesh only being use sparingly - this means that the inside is protected from wind and spindrift, though gear in the porches will get covered in snow. Importantly, MSR listened to feedback and have added vents to the fly to increase ventilation and reduce condensation build up which was a complaint about the older model.
- Reviewed by Ultralight Outdoor Gear
Features
- Ultralight Warmth: Limited mesh on the tent body keeps in all that hard-earned warmth on cold nights, while the tent’s light design keeps you nimble while on the move.
- Easton® Syclone™ Poles: Cutting-edge composite materials resist breaking in challenging winter conditions.
- Robust Frame: Central-support frame optimizes interior space and resists snow loading.
- Quick Setup: Unified hubbed poles make tent quick to pitch in cold environments.
- Additional Features: Rainfly vents reduce condensation; Xtreme Shield™ waterproof coating for long-term durability; one door; one internal pocket; multiple guy points.
- Includes: Tent body, rainfly, poles, stakes, guy lines, easy-load, wide-mouth stuff sack, setup instructions.
- Suitable Footprint: MSR Universal 1 Large Footprint (sold separately)