In this Mountainsmith Morrison 2 tent review, you can read about an award-winning freestanding backpacking 3 season tent that suits 2 people. This is a very popular spacious tent that has been around for many years now.
Key benefits
- Lots of space.
- Easy setup.
- Gear loft.
- Price.
Description
Mountainsmith Morrison 2 tent has been around for many years. It has received several awards in the past:
- In 2011 and in 2012 this tent has received 2 awards by Backpacker Magazine Gear Guide.
- In 2014 this was Best Buy tent by OutdoorGearLab.
From the specifications and the comparison table below you will see that Morrison 2 offers far more space than its closest competitors. But I must stress that its surface to weight ratio 1.41 is not so impressive. The weight comes partly from the very long zippers on doors which open almost completely all the way around.
Here, you have a 2 pole design, with poles crisscrossing each other and making an X-shape structure. The poles break into 18 small segments, so they are rather short when packed in their separate sack. The rest of the tent is packed in another sack.
This is a tent with two large doors that are two-layer design, with mesh and panel layers, to use at your choice when you want more or less ventilation. Note that they both have separate zippers and this increases the weight of the tent. The vestibules are identical on both sides and not particularly big.
Inside you have a removable gear loft, which is with a split in the middle so that you can hang a lantern to the center of the loop above the head. You also have stash pockets in the corners of the tent.
Setup procedure
The two poles are of different colors, silver, and gold, and the same colors are on the tent’s corner grommets, as well as on the webbing of the rain fly. With such a color-coding the process is easy. You can set up the tent in around 3 minutes. In the video below you will be able to see all the procedure.
The fly
The fly is included, and it has two relatively small vents close to the top. They can be closed them by using velcro tabs. The material of the fly is rather strong and burly.
See all the setup procedure in this nice short video:
Specifications
- 2 person tent.
- Freestanding.
- Trail weight: 4 lb 11 oz (2.3 kg) (this means without stuff sack and stakes).
- Packaged weight: 5 lb 8 oz (2.5 kg).
- Materials:
– 30 D x 244 t nylon storage sack.
– 7075 aluminum V-stakes.
– Fly: 185 t Poly PU 2000 mm.
– Tent: 185 t breathable poly.
– Floor: 190 t D Poly PU 5000 mm. - Dimensions: 92 x 56 x 43 in (234 x 143 x 110 cm).
- Packed size: 18 x 7.5 in (46 x 19 cm).
- Pole diameter: 8.5 mm.
- Floor: 35 sq ft (3.25 sq m).
- Vestibule: 17 sq ft (1.6 sq m).
- Height: 43 in (110 cm).
- YKK zippers.
- 3 m reflective cord.
- Set-up instructions printed on stuff sack.
- Lifetime manufacturer’s guarantee.
- 2 doors; 2 vestibules.
- 3 season tent.
- Taped floor seams.
- Bathtub floor type.
- Interior mesh storage pockets.
- Detachable ceiling loft pocket.
- Tent fly ventilation windows.
- No-see-um mesh wall panels.
Conclusion, rating, pros & cons
To conclude this Mountainsmith Morrison 2 tent review, this is a bit heavy tent. However, if shared between two people, the weight should not be an issue, this in particular in view of its quite generous space for two people. This space is what makes it different from many of its competitors.
Though indeed this tent would not be my first choice for extended backpacking tours, and I would not carry it as a solo tent. But this is a great tent for camping for couples. In any case, the Morrison 2 is a reliable tool and it will keep you safe and dry in any weather conditions. If handled with a bit of care, this tent will serve you for many years.
The footprint is not included but it can be ordered separately. The price of the tent is partly behind its popularity, there are many (in fact hundreds of) reports around and the rating is very high. See how I rate this tent:
Mountainsmith Morrison 2 Tent
Pros
- Nice design.
- Spacious.
- Easy setup.
- Freestanding.
- Great value for the money.
Cons
- Heavy.
- Only 2 guy lines.
Note that they have launched an improved version, the Mountainsmith Morrison EVO 2 tent, so have a look.
I hope you find this text useful. Please share it with others. It will be great to hear from you, there is a comment box below. Thank you for reading. I wish you a pleasant day.
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