How Long Do MSR Tents Really Last? (Solved)

If you’re starting to explore your tent options, you have likely come across the brand MSR. MSR is a popular brand among campers because they are well known for premium camping equipment, including tents that people can trust.

However, when you’re deciding if MSR is the right tent brand for you, you likely want first to uncover how long MSR tents genuinely last.

We have written this easy-to-understand MSR tent camping guide to help you discover the answer to this question:

Here’s How Much MSR Tents Cost on Average:

On average, an MSR tent costs between $179 and $479. You can trust that you will receive a premium quality product even with the higher price. How much an MSR tent costs will largely depend on the type of tent you purchase from the brand and how many people it can accommodate.

What Lifespan Does MSR List For Their Tents?

Although MSR does not list how long their tents last on their website, a few customers have shared oh long their MSR tents have lasted them.

According to campers who use MSR tents, where and how you use your tent will impact its duration. However, the consensus is that MSR tents last eight to ten years on average. Some people have had their MSR tent last only a week, during extreme weather conditions.

Additionally, others have had an MSR tent that has lasted longer than ten years.

Do MSR Tents Last Longer Than Other Brands?

It can be challenging to determine if MSR tents last longer than other tent brands because how long an MSR tent lasts largely depends on how its owner uses it.

However, since MSR tents last between 8 to 10 years, they often last as long as other popular tent brands like Coleman, Eureka, and Big Agnes.

Which Factors Impact The Longevity Of My MSR Tent?

As is the case with other tent brands, numerous factors can impact the longevity of your MSR tent. Should you be interested in uncovering and learning more about these factors, you can look at what we can source for you during our research.

You will likely encounter better camping experiences with your tent:

• How you choose to store your tent: If you store your MSR tent in a cold or wet location, you are encouraging the development of mold and mildew, which can shorten your tent’s lifespan.
• If you routinely clean it: If you don’t routinely clean your tent with non-detergent cleaning products, you are allowing dirt to build up, which can shorten the lifespan of your tent as it can cause damage in the long run.
• What fabric it is made out of: Some materials will last longer than others. If your tent is nylon, it’s likely not to last as long as a polyester MSR tent if you don’t look after it.
• How often you choose to use your tent: The more often you use your tent, the more wear and tear it possibly experiences and the quicker it breaks down.

How Long Do MSR Tents Stay Waterproof?

How long an MSR tent stays waterproof will largely depend on the mm rating given.

However, it’s important to note that all MSR tents are waterproof to some extent because they are coated with an innovative polyurethane coating, and each tent’s seams are watertight.

If an MSR tent has a 1500mm rating, it means that the coating can withstand a column of 5 inches of rain for more than one minute before you will see a drop make its way through your tent.

Your tent’s waterproof coating is strong enough to prevent rain from leaking into your tent during a hurricane-force storm. This coating will not last forever, and the more often you use your tent, the quicker you will need to re-waterproof it.

Luckily, like other tent brands, you will only need to waterproof your tent after you have used it for two to three camping seasons of no more than seven days each season.

How Can I Make Sure My MSR Tent Lasts As Long As Possible?

Earlier, we spoke about the factors that can affect the lifespan of your tent.

It’s now time to consider how you can make sure your MSR tent lasts as long as possible. After all, it’s highly unlikely that you want to have to pay for a new tent after a few weeks, months, or years of using it.

If you keep these tips in mind, you’re likely to be able to use your MSR tent for its entire lifespan and potentially more than a decade.

Avoid Long Term UV Damage:

As we all know, using a tent can offer superb protection during stormy or sunny weather.

Yet, no tent is indestructible, which means your tent will sustain UV damage if continually pitched in direct sunlight without any protective UV coatings or a covering. Since UV damage can quickly break down your tent’s fabric, it’s best to avoid direct sunlight.

If your MSR tent has a nylon fabric, the UV rays will break it down and make it dry and brittle, which will reduce its tensile strength. When this happens, your MSR tent’s fabric can rip and tear easily at its stress joints and seams.

Additionally, if your MSR tent is made from polyester, it will offer you slightly more protection against UV damage, but you should store it out of direct sunlight and pitch in it in the shade to prolong its life like you would with a Nylon MSR tent.

Treat Your Zippers With Kindness:

When you’re in an exciting rush to get to your next great outdoor adventure or are trying to quickly set up your tent before a rainstorm makes its presence known, it can be easy to be more forceful with your zippers than you need to be.

When you’re too forceful, you can break or rip your zipper, which can be frustrating while out camping if you cannot fix it.

That’s why it’s best to zip your tent slowly and use both hands. Additionally, to ensure your tent’s zipper last as long as your tent, you need to keep it clean of grit and dirt, and a buildup of dirt can make the zipper teeth no longer clinch together correctly.

Handle Your Tent Poles With Care:

Did you know that you’re more likely to damage your MSR tents poles when you’re pitching your tent?

That’s why you must make sure to prevent the pole sections from banging against one another when you’re assembling the frame. If they are allowed to bash each other, it can dent or create cracks in one or more of the poles.

When this happens, your pole’s strength is compromised, leading to breakage.

Additionally, you need to avoid overstressing your poles when you’re setting up your tent, as overstressing them can lead to you permanently deforming various sections of your tent poles.

Moreover, you need to start from the center of your pole and move outwards to evenly distribute the tension on the shock cord when disassembling your poles. By keeping these pole pointers in mind, you will ensure they last as long as your tent.

Use A Tent Footprint:

Suppose you haven’t heard of a tent footprint or a groundsheet; you might want to consider looking into this camping product.

A footprint is specifically designed and manufactured to keep the floor of your tent dry, clean, and protected against abrasion from rough terrain.

Not only will this likely extend the lifetime of your tent, but it will also keep it cleaner, which will ensure less work for you when you need to clean and pack away your tent.

When Should I Replace My Tent?

Check Out The Current Market Prices of MSR Tents Here!

One of the most time-consuming endeavors involved with camping is needing to find a new tent.

Yet, it can be difficult to find one when you don’t know when to replace your MSR tent. Essentially there are a few simple ways you can determine when it’s time to replace your tent. 

We have listed the various ways below:

• MSR tent cannot be re waterproofed and starts to allow water to seep through when you’re camping in the rain.
• MSR tent develops rips and tears that you cannot patch because they are longer than an inch.
• MSR tent has developed mold or mildew that has spread on the tent’s fabric and caused damage.
• Poles of your MSR tent have fractured or broken, and you cannot get replacement parts.
• Zippers have broken and can no longer be replaced.
• MSR tent’s fabric has started to thin because of UV damage.

Citations:

Tent Care Tips MSR

Tent Durability: MSR