Twelve hours of freezing sleet on a wooden platform, and the poles didn't flex in 40 mph gusts. The Elixir 2 is the toughest tent we tested. It scores 81 out of 100 and ranks #6 in our best backpacking tents guide as our most durable.
Most Durable
MSR Elixir 2
- Weight (our scale): 6 lb 2 oz packed
- Floor: 84 x 50 in rectangle
- Pad fit (our test): two 25 in pads
- Doors: 2
Bottom Line : A bunker in 12 hours of freezing sleet on the White Mountains platforms, and the only perfect durability score here. It fills a third of a 50 L pack.
Pros
- Only 10/10 for durability in this guide
- 40 mph gusts didn't flex the poles
- Floor held out standing water on a wooden platform
- Boot scuffs left no mark
Cons
- 6 lb 2 oz, and bulky
- Solid lower panels gather condensation
In the White Mountains
Emma used the Elixir in the White Mountains, New Hampshire, in early October, through 12 hours of freezing sleet on wooden tent platforms. The floor held out standing puddles on the platform.
Gusts of 40 mph didn't even flex the aluminum poles. Emma called it a literal bunker.
Heavy zips and thick nylon shrugged off boot scuffs without a mark. Inside it's an 84 x 50 inch rectangle, so two 25 inch pads fit wall to wall. It pitched in 4 minutes 15 seconds.
Where It Asks Something of You
It's heavy and bulky: 6 lb 2 oz packed, and it took up a third of Emma's 50 L backpack.
The solid lower panels kept her warm in freezing weather, but sweat gathered on them inside. Expect some condensation on cold nights.
Spec Sheet vs Our Test
A true rectangular floor. MSR says the Elixir's rectangular floor and near-vertical walls take wide, thick pads. It does: on the 84 x 50 inch floor, two 25 inch pads fit wall to wall. That makes it one of five tents in our test, with the Dagger, Hubba Hubba, Mineral King and Lynx, where wide pads lie flat.
Mesh panels that remove condensation while keeping heat. MSR claims the mesh is placed to clear condensation while holding warmth. The warmth part is true. In freezing sleet, the solid lower panels still gathered drops, so condensation was moderate, not low.
More durable fabrics and all-metal hardware. MSR says the fabrics and hardware are tougher than ever. Emma agreed: boot scuffs left no mark on the thick nylon, and 40 mph gusts didn't flex the poles. It's the only tent in our guide to score a perfect 10 for durability.
Should You Buy the MSR Elixir 2?
Yes, if you're hard on gear, lead scouts, or camp on platforms and rock in foul weather. It will outlast everything else here.
If you carry it far, the weight hurts. The MSR Hubba Hubba LT 2 saves almost 3 lb and still fits wide pads.
Compare With
- NEMO Dagger OSMO 2P: our best overall backpacking tent.
- MSR Hubba Hubba LT 2: our highest-rated tent.
- Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL2: our most livable for the weight.
- Sea to Summit Telos TR2 Plus: our best for wind and wet shoulder seasons.
- Mountain Hardwear Mineral King 2: our best for short walk-ins and dogs.
- Big Agnes Tiger Wall UL2: our lightest two-person tent.
- ALPS Mountaineering Lynx 2: our best budget tent.
- Kelty Late Start 2P: our fastest pitch.
- Big Agnes Fly Creek UL1: our best solo tent.
- Naturehike Cloud Up 2: our best budget ultralight.
See all 11, and how we tested them, in our best backpacking tents guide. For family and car-camping tents, start at our camping tents hub.
Editor's Note, 17 October 2026: New review, from the field notes of Emma, who tested this tent for our backpacking tent guide and weighed it on her own scale.
Our Testers
This review was edited by Sean Williams and tested by Emma Williams.
- Sean Williams, Editor-in-Chief. Sean built the team of researchers and testers behind our reviews and sets the rule the site runs on: we buy what we test, and we say what we found.
- Ryan Williams, Lead Tester. Ryan reviewed the rankings against Emma's notes and agreed the Dagger belongs at #1.
- Emma Williams, Editor and Tester. Emma leads our tent, camp kitchen and footwear testing, mostly in wet weather, and tested every tent in this guide.
