Initial Report MSR® FlingTM 2-Person Freestanding Tent
Ryan Christensen June 12, 2006
Reviewer Information:		Backpacking Background:
Name:  Ryan L. Christensen Age:  41 Gender:  Male Height:  6’ 2” (1.88 m) Weight:  225 lb (102 kg) Email address:  bigdawgryan(at)yahoo(dot)com   City, State, Country:  Idaho Falls, ID, U.S.A.		I began hiking, camping, backpacking at twelve and continued until 25.  After a hiatus due in part to a bad back, I resumed hiking, camping, and biking three years ago.  Now, I share my love for these sports with my teen-age sons.  The past three years, we have hiked or camped nearly every month, in desert, forest, meadow, and mountain; in spring, summer, fall, and winter; in sunshine, rain, wind, and snow.  We began backpacking together the summer of 2005.  I am a lightweight backpacker, but carry a full array of necessary gear.
MSR Fling Product Description
Manufacturer	Mountain Safety Research
Manufacturer Website	http://www.msrgear.com
Year of Manufacture	2005
Type	3 season, single-wall, freestanding dome
Capacity	2 people plus gear
Floor & Vestibule Area	32 sq ft (2.9 sq m)
Interior Peak Height	40 in (100 cm)
Minimum Weight	3 lbs 6 oz (1.5 kg)
Packaged Weight	4 lbs (1.8 kg)
Packed Size	20 x 6 in (50.8 x 15.3 cm)
Material Body	1500mm polyurethane & silicone coated 30D x 246T ripstop nylon
Floor	5000mm polyurethane coated 70D 190T nylon
Warranty	MSR’s Double Guarantee warrants to the original owner, the materials and workmanship of every MSR tent.  If the MSR tent has received proper care, but fails due to a defect in manufacturing, MSR will either repair or replace it at their discretion.  Repairs due to accident, improper care, or negligence, where MSR is not at fault, will be performed at a reasonable charge.  MSR offers a lifetime warranty, to the original owner, on all MSR tent framework.  If a tent pole breaks, MSR will either repair or replace it, free, for the lifetime of the tent.
MSRP	$269.95 US $39.95 US – optional footprint
Tester’s Measurements
Weight
As Received	4 lbs 8 oz (2.04 kg) (out of the cardboard box—everything inside the stuff sack)
Tent Only	2 lbs 11 oz (1.22 kg)
Tent Stuff Sack	1.6 oz (45.4 g)
Three Poles	1 lb 4.9 oz (592.5 g)
Pole Sack	0.7 oz (19.8 g)
Eight Needle Stakes	2.7 oz (76.5 g)
Stake Sack	0.5 oz (14.2 g)
One Owner’s Manual	0.5 oz (14.2 g)
My packed weight	4 lb 4 oz (1.9 kg) (tent, stuff sack, poles, stakes)
Dimensions Interior Height	40 in (1.02 m)
Length	80 in (2.03 m)
Width (head)	70 in (1.78 m)
Width (foot)	48 in (1.22 m)
Packed Size	20 x 6 in (51 x 15 cm)

 

Fling^TM -- Product Description:

 

The Fling^TM is a member of MSR’s Fast & Light^® series, which MSR claims offers maximum space and minimum weight.  According to MSR, the Fling^TM is its lightest 2-person freestanding tent.  In addition, MSR claims its “Fast & Light^® tents offer ultralight options without compromising livability or durability.  And they feature all the details--from bound and seam-taped floors to virtually unbendable Needle™ stakes—of tents weighing twice as much.”  It also has reflective guy-out lines, which I think is cool.

 

The tent arrived in a standard cardboard box.  Inside the box in its stuff sack was the tent, three DAC Featherlight^TM aluminum poles and a pole repair sleeve in their sack, eight Needle™ stakes in their sack, and six separate Owner’s Manuals in English, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, and Spanish.  The Owner’s Manual includes information on MSR Tent and Shelters, and Accessories and Maintenance Kits, Setup Tips, Use and Care instructions, Tent Testing information, and MSR’s Double Guarantee.  However, it does not specifically call out the Fling^TM in any of these instructions.  Attached to the tent stuff sack was a colorful, ten-page informational brochure in the same six languages.  A Tyvek^® tag sewn just inside the opening of the tent’s stuff sack has set-up instructions printed in English on one side and French on the other.

 

The Fling^TM is a 3-season, single-wall, 2-person tent.  It is a variation of the hoop tent--the ridgepole enables the Fling^TM to be freestanding, similar to a dome tent.  The outline of this tent is trapezoidal in shape.  The narrower end (foot) measures 4 ft. (1.2 m) across with the wider end (head) measuring 5 ft. 10 in. (1.7 m) across.

 

The orange tent body is made of 1500mm polyurethane and silicone coated 30D x 246T ripstop nylon.  The red bathtub-style floor is made of 5000mm polyurethane coated 70D 190T nylon.  The two pole sleeves are the same material as the floor.

 

At the head of the tent is a single door with a double-ended two-way zipper.  The zipper starts approximately 6 in. (15.2 cm) above the floor on one side, extends up and around the door opening to approximately 6 in. (15.2 cm) above the floor on the opposite side of the tent.  This door is huge and provides easy access into the tent.  In the door is a zipped window, which covers a mesh vent.  At the foot-end of the tent, there is a mesh vent without a zippered window covering.  Two continuous mesh vents run the length of the tent, down both sides, approximately 12 in. (30.5 cm) above the floor.  These vents are sheltered from the weather by the upper tent body.

 

There are four guy-out lines: one each at the head, the foot, and the sides.  These guy-outs have reflective material the entire length of them.  The guy-outs on each side of the tent connect to the tent body in two spots, approximately 27 in. (68.6 cm) apart.  The double attachment helps extend the upper tent body and shelter the mesh vents running the length of the tent.

 

There are three DAC Featherlight^TM aluminum poles.  The silver-colored foot-end pole measures approximately 75 in (190 cm), the sliver colored head-end pole measures approximately 123 in (313cm) and the black ridgepole measures approximately 146 in (372 cm).

 

Each of the eight Needle™ stakes measures approximately 6 in (15 cm) from point to top.  The stakes curve at the top with a notch on one side, near the top, to secure the corner loops and guy-outs.

 

The tent did not come with a repair kit.  However, it did come with a pole repair sleeve as mentioned above. 

 

Fling^TM -- Initial Impression:

 

Right out of the box, I was impressed with this tent.  Its compact size, lightweight material, and color immediately caught my attention.  I was also impressed with the DAC Featherlight^TM aluminum poles and the Needle™ stakes.  They appear robust, yet lightweight.  However, I was a bit concerned about the flooring material’s ability to resist punctures from sharp objects such as rocks, small bushes, and pine needles.  I was also concerned about its ability to resist abrasion from rocks, etc.  In addition, I was slightly disappointed that the door opens from the top down.  One has to crawl over the door to enter the tent.  Thus, there is the potential to damage the door.

Fling^TM -- Initial Testing:

 

As an initial test, I setup the Fling^TM in my back yard.  It took me about ten minutes to set up the tent.  First, I staked the four corners.  Next, put the three poles together.  In actuality, the poles nearly put themselves together.  I then threaded the foot-end pole through its sleeve and secured each end in its grommet.  Next, I threaded the head-end pole through its sleeve, securing each end in its grommet.  The sleeve material is tackier than the material of the tent body.  Consequently, the poles tend to catch, or stick, when threaded through the sleeves.  The majority of the time spent pitching this tent was in threading the poles through their respective sleeve.  This was a bit of a nuisance.  Had it been storming, this would have been even more annoying.

 

Next, I inserted one end of the ridgepole in its grommet at the foot-end of the tent, attached it to the clip on the foot-end pole sleeve, the clip on the head-end pole sleeve, and secured the head-end of the ridgepole in its grommet.  I then attached the two clips that support the tent body from the ridgepole. 

 

Finally, I secured the foot-end, head-end, and side guy-out lines.  The tensioners slid easily along the guy-lines and remained securely where I placed them. 

 

Once pitched, I unzipped the door.  The zipper worked great, did not catch at all.  I climbed inside to see how roomy the Fling^TM actually is.  Even at 6 ft. 2 in. (1.9 m) I was able to sit up, even kneel up straight without hitting my head on the top of the tent—at the head-end of course.  There appeared to be enough room for two individuals my size to sleep comfortably in the tent.  However, I did not see much room for gear.  I will definitely test this with full-size sleeping bags in the tent.

 

Fling^TM -- Test Plan:

 

The Fling^TM, which is new for 2006, will be my shelter of choice on all outings during the test period.  I will test its fit, function, and durability.  In my test application, I planned to test the footprint as well.  However, the footprint did not come with the tent, so I will not be testing it during the test period.

 

FIT:

 

First, after opening for initial examination, can I easily get the Fling^TM back to its packed size of 20 x 6 in. (51 x 15 cm)?  Can I do this repeatedly with ease?  Space is a premium, so this is important to me.

 

Second, is it roomy enough for two larger individuals to fit comfortably, sleeping without encroaching on one another’s space, or touching the tent walls?  At 6 ft 2 in, (188 cm) can I sit up comfortably in the middle of the tent? 

 

Third, MSR^® claims the “generous floor plan sleeps two with room for gear.”  My initial impression is that there will be minimal space for gear.  However, in addition to two people, I will see just how much gear the Fling^TM can accommodate. 

 

FUNCTION:

 

The first functional consideration is ease of setup.  How easily can I setup up the Fling^TM with its three poles and eight ultra light Needle™ stakes?

 

Second is stability.  Does the ridgepole make this hoop tent freestanding?  Does the ridgepole truly create a more wind-resistant pitch?  How well does the Fling^TM withstand high winds?  Does it make a difference whether pitched in rocky or in a softer-soil area?  Will the Fling^TM withstand heavy rains and/or snowstorms without collapsing?

 

Third is weather resistance.  How well does the lightweight, silicon-treated material shed water and snow?   Does the material sag when wet?  Do the taped seams remain waterproof?  Does the awning provide adequate protection from the elements and enough room for two to prepare food?  Does this tent work well as a three-season tent?

 

Fourth is ventilation.  Condensation is a typical problem with single wall tents.  Does the strip of mesh around the perimeter provide enough ventilation to prevent condensation in the Fling^TM?  If condensation forms, does it run down the wall and escape to the outside via the perimeter mesh as MSR® claims it should?

 

DURABILITY:

 

First, do the poles maintain their shape and strength, or do they bend during assembly and/or use over time? 

 

Second, how well does the lightweight material resist snagging, tearing, and punctures?  How resistant to abrasion are the awning, body, and flooring materials? 

 

Third, do the seams remain tight, or do they come undone over time?  Are the seams waterproof and do they remain so over time?

 

Fourth, does the tent come with a repair kit?  If necessary, how easily can I repair the tent? 

 

Fifth, how soil resistant is the material?  If soiled, how easily can I clean it? 

 

The sixth and final durability question is does the nylon material stretch over time?  If so, does this create problems?

 

 

I will address the items listed above as well as any other pertinent issues, which may arise during the test period.  

 

Thanks to MSR^® and BGT for the opportunity to test the MSR^® Fling^TM tent.