BackpackGearTest.org - MSR Missing Link Cheri Tyre-Roberts

Initial Report MSR Missing Link Tent

Personal biographical information

Name: Cheri Tyre-Roberts
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Height: 5'7" (1.7 m)
Weight: 137 lbs (62 kg)
Email address: tyrerob at earthlink dot net
Location: North Central Florida, USA

Date:
3/25/2004

Backpacking Background

I have been backpacking for over 20 years. The majority of my
trips have been 3-6 day trips with "the big one" still looming in my
future. I backpack mostly in Florida, in extremely hot conditions
such as the Florida Trail in July, or the North Carolina Mountains.

The terrain in Florida is varied, trail conditions are extremely
sandy, swampy, muddy, or completely wet. In North Carolina the
terrain is muddy and rocky with drastic elevation changes. I also
backpack with my dogs and young children ages 8 & 9. I pack light
but am not obsessed with it as I enjoy some of the "creature
comforts".

Product Information

Manufacturer: Mountain Safety Research (MSR) Year: 2004

Manufacturers Website: http://www.msrcorp.com

Materials: Fly: 30D ripstop nylon, 1500 mm PU/silicone coating Floor: 70D 190T, 5000 mm PU coating

Capacity: 2 person

Listed Weight: 3 pounds (1.3 kilograms)

Listed Size: Rear wall (farthest from door) 11 feet (3.3 meters) width 4 feet, 11 inches (1.5 meters) awning 6 feet (1.8 meters)

Interior peak height: 42 inches (1.1 meter)

Actual Measurements:*using 51 inch (130 centimeter) trekking poles. Rear wall 11 feet (3.3 meters), width 4 feet 2 inches (1.3 meters), awning 6 feet (1.8 meters), Interior peak height: 37.5 inches (.95 meter)

Weight as delivered: *without owner's manual* 3 pounds, 9 ounces (1.62 kilograms)

Weight measured with U.S. Postal Scale

Color: Sunset Orange

MSRP: $229.95 US

The MSR Missing Link Tent was delivered in a brown box. Inside the box the tent was in a stuff sack made of the same material as the tent itself. Inside the stuffsack was a smaller stake size drawstring bag containing 7 stakes. A Ziploc plastic bag was also enclosed with an extra guyout line, an owner's manual in four different languages one of which is English, a product registration card, and an MSR sticker.

On the outside of the tent stuffsack a very colorful hangtag booklet is attached with a picture of the Missing link along with highlights of its design such as ventilation and spaciousness. It includes a very clear color picture of the Missing Link set up with sleeping bags inside and the huge door open. This book is also in three languages other than English with the same picture and information in the other languages. The languages (I think) look like French, German, and Japanese. On the last page of this hangtag booklet are the size specifications and a blue print type drawing of the tent with the measurements for length and width.

Sewn into the seam of the tent stuffsack is a large warning label that has the standard warnings to keep all flame and heat sources away from the tent fabric. This safety label warns about fire, ventilation, campsite choice, anchoring your tent and directs you to consult your owner's manual or call 1- 800-531-9531 if additional product support is needed. The safety label is in English and French.

There is a flap of nylon sewn to the opening of the stuff sack that is used to cover the tent before pulling the drawstring tight. On the inside of this flap assembly Instructions are sewn. The instructions are easy to read and there are pictures that also show how to pitch the tent and pull the guyout lines. The instructions include tips about maintaining the tent and proper storage. MSR lists their address, toll free number and website at the bottom of the assembly instructions.

Product Features and Construction

The first thing I noticed while the tent was still in its stuff sack was how light it felt. My second impression upon laying the tent out in the yard was how much bigger it was than I thought it would be. The Missing Link tent is designed like a lean to shelter with an awning. The rigid support for the tent is supplied by the use of trekking poles or could be supplied by tying the peak off in a tree if there was one available. There are nylon loops sewn to the tops of the trekking pole pockets for the tree tie option.

The tent has a nylon stake loop on the exterior of each of the four corners and in the middle of the rear wall. There is a nylon loop about half way from the floor to the peak on the exterior of the rear wall. The directions state that an extra guyout line may be used from here to increase the shoulder room inside.

The floor of the tent is made of a 70D 190T, 5000 mm PU coated nylon. It is a red color that makes it easy to tell which end goes down when taking the tent out of the stuffsack. The body of the tent is a Sunset Orange color and made of 30D ripstop nylon, 1500 mm PU/silicone coating. It is translucent (allows some light through) and reminds me of the texture of onion skins.

The door is huge easily allowing two people to sit shoulder to shoulder in the opening. The door has screen mesh on the top half that can be zipped shut with a layer of the same material as the tent body, or left open to allow ventilation while keeping bugs out. The door zips all the way to the floor on both sides.

The ventilation inside includes the top half of the door, a piece of screen that goes across the top of the peak above the door well covered by the awning and almost at the highest peak. Additional ventilation is from a strip of screen mesh that goes across the back of the tent, right above ground level and covered by the rear staked down wall of the tent.

The peak of the tent is held rigid by using 2 trekking poles or by 2 guyout lines to a tree. I used Leki TiAirErgo Trekking Poles with a maximum extension of 51 inches (130 centimeters). The handle of the trekking poles fit into reinforced pockets in the peak of the tent and the bottom of the pole sits on the ground outside of the tent body at a 90 degree angle. The poles are stabilized by the tension created by pulling the awning tight to the ground with two guyout lines and stakes, one at each corner.

Completeness

The MSR Missing Link Tent arrived complete and ready to be pitched. I found the directions and assembly instructions to be extensive with verbal instructions as well as drawings. The owner's manual is packed with information covering every aspect of using the tent, safe usage, proper storage and where to call for help if there is a problem.

Setup

The MSR Missing Link Tent was very easy and intuitive to pitch. My 10-year-old daughter had the tent laid out, staked and was adjusting my trekking poles before I could read the instructions. It took less than 5 minutes to completely pitch the tent using the trekking poles for rigid support. I ran into a problem using my trekking poles which I feel needs to be highlighted. My trekking poles are adjustable to 51 inches (130 centimeters) which is probably taller than most women use. The Missing Link directions say to extend the poles to 54 inches (137 centimeters). I pitched the tent with my poles fully extended, and where the door is, would not draw as tight as I would like. It has a distinct sag in the fabric due to the fact that I am using shorter poles than are recommended.

Test Strategy

Over the next six months I plan to test the MSR Missing Link Tent under a variety of conditions. Its first test will be in a few weeks on a backpack trip on the Florida Trail in the Ocala National Forest. This will be a great "shakedown" hike to test the tent in preparation for the next section hike on the Appalachian Trail this spring and summer. Throughout the test period I will evaluate the MSR Missing Link for interior dryness during wet weather and storms, stability in windy conditions such as spring and summer thunder storms, durability, ventilation and comfort

Outlook

I am really excited about and appreciate the opportunity to test this tent. The design is intriguing. The huge door and ventilation will allow many testing nights in the upcoming spring and summer seasons.

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > MSR Missing Link > Cheri Tyre-Roberts > Initial Report

Reviews > Shelters > Tents > MSR Missing Link > Cheri Tyre-Roberts > Initial Report